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Leicester CityLeicester City successfully secured £4.25 million through the first tranche LTSF. Out of the many initiatives the following give a taster of some of the successful initiatives:
An Area Wide Travel Plan has been set up for the Beaumont Leys area. Monitoring Reports have all been completed for large and medium sized organisations in the city. Bal Minhas (Leicester City Council's Senior Travel Plan Officer) has been working on setting up a city Travel Plan Guidance document and will start working on a City Travel Plan SPD. Bal has been liaising with the major authorities in the East Midlands in regards to a regional Travel Plan Guidance document. On top of the above, Bal has also been contributing towards to the City's Parking Strategy and Student Accommodation/Parking SPD, work towards looking at implementing travel plan measure and important changes to use of Section 106 obligations to fund infrastructure as per impending CILs, and drawing up a response to the National Planning Policy Framework in regards to Travel Plan elements. LeicestershireLeicestershire's Travel Choice and Access Team continues to promote Smarter travel to existing businesses, schools and residents across the County and through all new developments likely to create traffic or air quality concerns. Countywide programmes continue to promote walking, cycling, car-sharing and the use of public transport. In particular, an extensive Personal Travel Planning initiative has been undertaken in Loughborough. The Council's own County Hall Travel Plan has been revamped and introduces 'compulsory' car-share registration for all who use the Council's car park. The Council has joined the 'Smarter Travel Leicester' group to extend its networks with local businesses keen to reduce travel carbon impacts. The team is also preparing a substantial bid for the second tranche LSTF funding for Loughborough and Coalville. Business Sustainable Travel Grants, partly funded through Leicester City's successful first round LSTF bid, are currently being offered. At Grove Business Park by M1 Junction 21, a new parking scheme requiring more effective Employer Travel Plans now raises income to support Leicester's Park & Ride Service as well as green travel initiatives for the employers who have joined. |
NottinghamSuccessfully secured £4.9m through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund for the Key Component element. This will be used to:
The Workplace Parking Levy came into force in October and over 80% of all organisations needing to licence have done so. The charge will not commence until April 2012 but already the benefits are being seen within the City as the Workplace Travel Plan Coordinator is in post and phase 1 of the Hub redevelopment is nearing completion. Whilst it has not all been plain sailing the outlook for the WPL is bright. The UCycle project in partnership with Sustrans, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham is reporting successes at the end of their second year. Over two years around 7,000 staff and students have been engaged and encouraged to cycle more through a series of training sessions, loan bike scheme and information road shows. Initial evidence shows cycling has increased by over 50% within some partner organisations.
Bal Minhas |
WINTER 2011
