Category Archives: Regional Issues

Be part of the solution

On 15 June, we held our first proper networking event in Brighton – it was a really positive afternoon with people from across East and West Sussex attending –  including a number of new councillors from Brighton & Hove, Chichester, Arun, Mid-Sussex and Horsham District.

People appreciated being able to get together and to make connections.  We had interesting talks from Transport for New Homes, a new organisation looking at how bad new transport infrastructure is for big new housing developments and what we can do about it.  We had an inspiring talk from John Stewart about the value of working in alliances and other tips for campaigning to stop damaging new roads.  Finally we had a presentation on SCATE’s New Transport Vision from Kia Trainor one of our Committee members.

There were some very productive workshops in the afternoon looking at what we could do, both individually and together, to make a difference and bring about positive change.  At the end of the day a number of us retired to the pub to carry on the conversations.  If you haven’t signed up to SCATE why not do so now?

SCATE strategy shortlisted for transport planning award

SCATE’s New Vision strategy has achieved recognition from the Transport Planning Society (TPS) by way of inclusion on its awards shortlist for community led transport schemes.

Hosted by Transport Select Committee Chair Lilian Greenwood MP, the TPS held a reception for presentations of its People’s Award at the House of Commons in October 2018.

TPS were very interested in our campaign and resulting strategy ‘A New Transport Vision for the Sussex Coast’, with praise for its fresh approach. After speaking with SCATE members Kay Wagland and Derrick Coffee, Lilian Greenwood MP was happy to take up the offer of a summary copy.


Kay with the London Borough of Waltham Forest ‘Mini Holland’ Cycle Scheme team, who have transformed cycle infrastructure and increased cycle useage in the Borough

In congratulating all participants, Greenwood said:

“We all rely on transport to connect us to jobs, schools, family, friends and vital services, but it can be easy to forget about the planning that goes into making transport work.

“These finalists have shown that when communities take centre stage, telling the professionals what good transport looks like, they can deliver real and lasting benefits for local people.

“I congratulate all the projects who have been shortlisted for this important award, and it was great hearing more about them when they visited the House of Commons today.”

TPS is supported by leading consultants, academics and local authorities passionate about linking transport and land planning – from ‘street and community’ level up to ‘area wide’ strategic plans – with a preference for evidence based choices over ‘scheme led’ approaches.

Perhaps appropriately, the reception almost coincided with the launch pf and publicity around the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which highlighted the need for significant investment in sustainable modes of transport, integration with land use planning and behavioural changes in the transport sector.


Kay with Keith Buchan of TPS and Stephen Joseph, who until recently was long serving CEO of Campaign for Better Transport and panel judge of entries.

New Direction briefing

Our New Direction briefing aims to start a conversation about a vision for a cleaner, greener and less congested south coast. We look at how society as a whole can benefit from a more sustainable approach to planning and transport.

This approach, free from the destructive building of new roads, would help preserve the South Downs National Park, protect precious habitats such as ancient woodland and avert an increase in air and noise pollution.

The briefing is based on our full report exploring the evidence behind our thinking, which was written by Independent Transport Planning in conjunction with the University of the West of England.

If you would like to get involved with developing a vision, please get in touch and sign up to SCATE.

Read our New Direction briefing now

Transport for the South East (TfSE) have published a draft strategy

A new sub-national transport body for the South East, Transport for the South East (TfSE), was launched in 2017. The chair is Cllr Keith Glazier, leader of East Sussex County Council. The vice-chair is Cllr Tony Page, the deputy leader of Reading Borough Council and representative of the Berkshire Local Transport Forum.

TfSE takes in Berkshire, Brighton and Hove, Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Medway, Portsmouth, Southampton, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex.

TfSE together with the area’s 16 transport authorities and five local enterprise partnerships are to work directly with the Department for Transport and will involve other key stakeholders, including Highways England, Network Rail and transport operators and users.

They have been developing a Transport Strategy – click the image below to read the document.

 

TfSE said on their web site:

The South East in 2050: Our Strategy

At the heart of Transport for the South East is our evolving transport strategy for the region; a strategy to transform travel in ways which improve people’s lives and help the economy to grow.

Our strategy will take us to the year 2050. We know the South East, like the rest of the country, will be vastly different in 30 years’ time. The ways we travel, how we work, live, communicate, consume and spend our leisure time will all be radically different. The purpose of our strategy work is to anticipate and adapt to these changes. We can shape the future, with the right investment, technology and insight to guide us.

Our final strategy, the blueprint for transport in the South East, will be completed at the end of 2019. But work is already under way on its building blocks. The first of these is our Economic Connectivity Review. This is a study of how the South East’s economy works, how it connects to national and international markets and which are the key corridors of transport where investment will have the greatest effect.

The study is being conducted by consultants Steer Davies Gleave and has been published in draft for key partners and stakeholders to give us their views on this initial blueprint by 19 June 2018.

We’ll be consulting with partners, businesses and residents across the South East once we have drafted the final strategy for our region. This will guide the work of Transport for the South East from the moment it becomes a statutory body, expected to be by 2020.