Chapter 11: Transport & Accessibility

11.1 With Hastings being located on the periphery of the South East region and having limited strategic transport infrastructure, connectivity is a key issue. This combined with local accessibility issues to services including healthcare, education and jobs is a key contributory factor in hampering economic recovery and contributes to the level of deprivation that is experienced in the town.

11.2 The transport priority is to improve strategic access by road and rail to reduce the town’s relative isolation and open up areas for housing and business development. This needs to be complemented with measures that efficiently manage movement within the town as well as supporting local access by walking, cycling and public transport, to move Hastings towards a more sustainable transport future.

11.3 The East Sussex Local Transport Plan (LTP3) 2011-2026 forms the transport policy framework for Hastings and the other districts and boroughs in East Sussex. It identifies Hastings and Bexhill together as a priority area, recognising that greater investment is needed for transport measures to support regeneration and further development.

11.4 The high level objectives of the Local Transport Plan are to:

• improve economic competitiveness and growth

• improve safety, health and security

• tackle climate change

• improve accessibility and enhance social inclusion

• improve quality of life

Strategic Road and Rail Schemes

11.5 There are a number of road and rail improvement schemes that are essential to improve accessibility to and from Hastings.

Strategic road schemes

(1)11.6 The main priority for the town is the delivery of the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road. This is a central part of the strategy in order to achieve successful local regeneration and growth in Hastings and Bexhill. Planning permission was approved for The Link Road in 2009, and a public inquiry into the compulsory purchase order was held towards the end of the same year. With the Secretary of State’s announcement in March 2012, which confirmed provisional funding approval, the last major remaining hurdle to be overcome before construction could go ahead was passed. The expected date for commencement of main construction is beginning of 2013 with the road opening end of 2014.

11.7 The other strategic priority for road improvement is the A21 trunk road – it being the direct link between Hastings and London/M25. Trunk roads are the responsibility of the Highways Agency. It has been acknowledged by previous strategic studies that a material reduction in the journey time between Hastings and the M25 would contribute significantly to the economic well-being of the town.

11.8 Following the Government Spending Review in 2010, opportunities for improving the A21 are more limited than before. The A21 Tonbridge to Pembury scheme has been retained and is currently expected to be constructed in the post 2015 period although Kent and East Sussex partners are working with the Government to see if it can be delivered to an earlier timescale.

Rail Schemes

11.9 The East Sussex LTP3 acknowledges the existing shortcomings in the rail network between Hastings and London, as well as the opportunity to improve rail links between Hastings and Ashford. As a result of its own studies Network Rail, supported by East Sussex County Council and Kent County Council, has concluded that a series of line speed improvements are possible which will be introduced during the next few years. These are expected to reduce journey times to Ashford and offer more flexibility in timetabling which can be important in, for example, harmonising connections with the High Speed One services to London.

11.10 As identified in the East Sussex LTP3, the following rail schemes and improvements to a number of rail services are required to support development in the town up to 2028.

Schemes:

• Upgrading of Ore Station

• Hastings to Tonbridge capacity and power supply improvements

Services:

• Retention of the Hastings to City of London services – direct trains from Hastings to Cannon Street

• Improvements to services from Ashford International rail station to the continent.

11.11 Whilst there is no certainty of delivery of these at this stage we will continue to lobby and influence Network Rail and train operating companies, in partnership with East Sussex County Council, to maintain and enhance rail capacity and services to accommodate growth.

Local road improvements

11.12 Within Hastings itself the priority is to make efficient and effective use of the existing road network – through traffic management and through encouraging the optimum use of the roads. However, there is some scope for limited local improvements as well.

11.13 East Sussex County Council has undertaken an initial assessment of proposed locations for development in Hastings and their potential impact on the highway network. Further assessment is being undertaken in order to assist in identifying appropriate highway improvements to mitigate potential capacity problems at a number of locations on the network. Developers will be expected to contribute towards these improvements in order to facilitate the development of housing and employment growth.

11.14 The Link Road will also require a number of complementary measures to support its introduction. These include:

• The Ridge junction improvements

• A259 Bexhill Road Bus Corridor

Sustainable transport

11.15 Making the most of the existing transport network requires a number of measures to encourage sustainable travel. To support this, the delivery of complementary sustainable transport infrastructure improvements, including improvements to public transport, walking and cycling routes will be required. We recognise the impact that this could have in the town by offering more travel choices for local people to access the services that the town provides.

Quality Bus Partnership

(1)11.16 Delivering increased bus use by maintaining and improving the quality of commercial services will be achieved through the Quality Bus Partnership in Hastings. This is a partnership between East Sussex County Council, Hastings Borough Council and Stagecoach, which aims to deliver better bus services and facilities in the town, through the Quality Bus Partnership Action Plan³². This focuses on improving services and infrastructure to deliver improved punctuality on a number of key bus corridors that provide access to key services including the Conquest Hospital and Sussex Coast College. Improvements could potentially include the implementation of bus priority and/or bus lanes on these key corridors along with ‘Real Time Passenger Information’, but considerable investment in appropriate infrastructure to support the delivery of this would be required.

11.17 New development will be required to provide a transport contribution to help support this infrastructure, providing local transport improvements aimed at supporting access to development by sustainable modes of travel. The level of contribution is determined by development type its location and existing accessibility levels.

Strategic network of cycle routes

11.18 A strategic network of cycle routes has been identified that will link local communities with key services in the town, including employment, healthcare and education, together with green spaces. This will be achieved in the plan period by a combination of development contributions being secured and public investment through the delivery of East Sussex County Council’s LTP3 to support the delivery of access to existing services and new development by walking and cycling.

11.19 We have been working with partners to help extend the existing National Cycleway Network along the Seafront, which now forms part of this strategic network. SUSTRANS and East Sussex County Council worked to bring forward the section between Bulverhythe and Glyne Gap; with Hastings Borough Council bringing forward the section between Robertson Street and the Old Town. These were opened in 2012.

11.20 East Sussex County Council is currently working in partnership with a range of organisations to develop a bid to apply for funding from the Department of Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). The LSTF has been set up by the Government as part of the new Local Transport White Paper ‘Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon: Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen’. The purpose of the fund is to enable local authorities to deliver transport solutions that support economic growth while reducing carbon emissions. The LSTF provides £560 million of additional funding available for local transport authorities over the period 2011/12 to 2014/15.

11.21 As part of the LSTF bid referred to as East Sussex Coastal Towns – ‘Sustainable access, delivering growth and cutting carbon’, transport measures and initiatives will be included for Hastings that focus on improving access to employment, education, healthcare and positive activities for young people in their town centres by improving walking and cycle routes and access to reliable and accessible public transport.

Travel plans

11.22 Major developments and those generating significant amounts of traffic will need to be located in areas that are accessible to a range of sustainable travel options in order to reduce car dependency. In support of this, developments will be required to produce travel plans, which provide a framework for the development and delivery of targeted travel information and initiatives.

Car parking

11.23 Regeneration of the town centre is a key focus area of the strategy and this can, alongside other measures, be achieved by ensuring local people and tourists can access the services and attractions that the town provides.

11.24 Taxing private parking space in the town centre, or road charging, is not considered to be appropriate for Hastings at this time. We do however, recognise the importance of striking a balance between providing car parking provision in the town centre, alongside the provision of sustainable transport options.

11.25 Where appropriate the provision of sustainable transport infrastructure will be fully exploited before consideration is given to limit any car parking. This will ensure that the economic regeneration of Hastings is not prejudiced, and it will place the town in a prime position to compete with other South Coast centres.

11.26 East Sussex County Council and the East Sussex districts have adopted parking standards for individual developments. These are based on the concept of maximum provision and allow for reduced standards in locations more accessible by public transport, including town centres.

11.27 East Sussex County Council is working in partnership with the district and borough councils to develop revised guidance on parking standards for residential development. The Development Management Plan will include a provision that supports the application of these standards for new developments.

Park and ride

(1)11.28 Park and Ride schemes need to be able to generate a significant cost and/or time advantage to users and generally work well where there is a 360 degree catchment area, limited town centre parking, and where car parking pricing discourages accessing town centres by car. These criteria do not apply in the case of Hastings and therefore this Plan does not include any provision for Park and Ride. Any future proposals would be dependent on:

• the capacity and use of parking in the town centre

• the cost of parking in the town centre

• site location

• whether setting up a Park and Ride would be financially viable

• an assessment on the capacity of the road network

• demand management

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³² www.hastings.gov.uk/decisions_democracy/our_partners/quality_bus_partnership ³³ Major development is that which falls within the thresholds set out in the East Sussex County Council ‘Guidance on Travel Plans for New developments (2008)’. www.eastsussex.gov.uk/environment/planning/applications/developmentcontrol/guidance.htm