West Midlands Region
Which
is comprised of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire,
Staffordshire including the conurbation of Birmingham.
Timetable
The Secretary
of State published in June 2004 the Regional Planning Guidance (RPG
11) for the West Midlands. Following the inception of the Planning
and Compulsory Purchase Act in September 2004, the RPG11 became the
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the West Midlands. The Regional
Transport Strategy is incorporated in the RSS, which forms a part
of the new statutory Development Plan, under the new Act.
RSS Revision
In approving the RSS in June 2004, the Secretary of State identified a number of policy issues that needed to be addressed in future revisions to the document (see para 1.33 of RPG 11).
Given the range of matters to be considered, the volume of work and the long timescales involved, the Regional Planning Partnership of the West Midlands Regional Assembly as the Regional Planning Body (RPB) has agreed that the issues raised by the Secretary of State should be looked at in three phases.
-
Phase
One - Black Country Study which is due for submission to the Secretary
of State 31st May 2006
-
Phase
Two - Was launched in November 2005 and will cover housing figures,
employment land, transport and waste.
-
Phase
Three - is due to begin in Winter 2006 and will be looking at: critical
rural services, recreational provision, regionally significant environmental
issues and provision of a framework for Gypsies and Travellers sites.
The draft Strategy has been prepared for the West Midlands Regional Assembly by a Steering Group involving local authorities, the Freight Transport Association, Road Haulage Association, Advantage West Midlands, and the Local Government Association.
A draft Regional Freight Strategy is being developed because there is a need to move towards a more efficient and sustainable movement of freight in the Region. Also, the Regional Spatial Strategy for the West Midlands (previously known as Regional Planning Guidance), published by Government in June 2004, states that local authorities and other agencies should cooperate to develop a Regional Freight Strategy covering all forms of freight transport ie road, rail, water and air.
The draft
Strategy aims to develop an understanding of current and future freight
movements, outline the current barriers to the efficient and sustainable
movement of freight, and propose key actions which we believe to be
both practical and deliverable at the regional level.
Available at www.wmra.gov.uk/lage.asp?=194
West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy
Since
April 2003 the Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the
West Midlands region, charged with producing and implementing the
West Midlands Spatial Strategy, formerly Regional Planning Guidance
(RPG 11).
Spatial Strategy Aims
To improve significantly the region’s transport systems
To promote
the integration of all forms of transport and land-use planning leading
to a better, more efficient transport system.
9.72 East of England/Europe
M6/A14
within and beyond region together with the rail routes to Leicester
via Nuneaton provide an important connection between the region and
the East Coast ports of Felixstowe and Harwich for rail freight to
these ports will be improved.
The Regional Rail network
9.75
The expansion of the regional rail network is very much dependent
upon capacity improvements in the West Mildands conurbation. The West
Midlands Rail Capacity Study, jointly commissioned in 2000 by the
SRA, Railtrack, Centro, Birmingham City Council and GOWM to consider
future development priorities and inform WMMMS recommended substanial
capacity and service enhancements to be implemented in two phases.
9.76 Phase one, if implemented in full, would through a series of
short to medium term enhancements double the passenger capacity of
central Birmingham stations as well as improving freight movements
throughout the region. Improved freight capacity included reopening
of the Stourbridge to Walsall line.
Policy T10 Freight
iv) encourage the use of rail and inland waterways for freight
v) safeguard existing and disused railway lines and sidings which
could be used for rail traffic in the future
vi) encourage the development of new rail freight terminals and improving
access to existing terminals
vii) encourage development that generates significant amounts of freight
in locations that have good access to the rail network
B Local authorities and other agencies should co-operate to develop
a Regional Freight Strategy covering all forms of freight transport.
For detailed
information on existing and forecast rail freight flows in region
go to the West Midlands Regional Freight strategy
4.2.5 The promotion of modal shift, where appropriate, from road to
rail, is based on the following factors:
- Rail freight offers operational benefits in that it has the capacity to haul large volumes in one move and over a short time period.
- In many cases rail can provide more cost competitive services compared to road haulage.
- Rail freight produces lower environmental impact in all areas (including emissions, energy use and accidents).
- The increasing volumes of goods being sourced from international markets, and the consequent increase in deep sea container trade through British ports works in favour of rail freight and provides further opportunities for growth in
rail volumes nationally.
- The demand for larger distribution centres generates the volumes required to operate full length trains.
- Other policy driven factors, such as the Working Time Directive, distance based road user charging and driver shortages, all add to the cost base of the road transport industry, and hence make rail freight a more viable option.
- The Sensitive Lorry Miles Evaluation Report (August 2005), produced by the SRA and endorsed by the DfT, clearly show that road haulage fails to cover fully non-user costs in the taxation it pays, indicating that there are wider economic benefits in shifting cargo from road to rail.
4.2.6 Key Issues facing the Rail Freight Industry
- Restricted
loading gauge on a number of strategically important routes.
- The availability of freight train paths passing through the region.
- Capacity ‘bottlenecks’ and key constraints on the network
restricting the availability of freight paths on key corridors, particularly
Rugby Station,
Nuneaton Station, Stafford Station and the Trent Valley section of
the West Coast Mainline.
- Limited intermodal terminal capacity and distribution warehousing
located
on rail linked sites.
- Suitability of new Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges, from a transport,
economic and environmental view point.
23
Key Actions -To identify and promote opportunities for modal shift
from road to rail freight (RF) where appropriate.
Action Plan
Suggested
Lead
Agency and Partners
West
Midlands Local, Authorities ,AWM, DfT, Network Rail
Time-frame 2006 onwards
RF1: To promote modal shift from road to rail, where appropriate, for goods flows to, from and via the West Midlands region.
RF2:
To promote EU and Government initiatives that support an open and
competitive market for rail freight service provision in the region
and beyond.
Timeframe 2006 onwards
RF3:
Support enhancement of loading gauge on key routes in the West Midlands
to allow greater utilisation of international standard size
containers.
Input to RUS programme
RF4:
Support infrastructure improvements to allow longer trains to operate
to, from and through the West Midlands.
Agency and partners DfT Network Rail
On a route by route basis
RF5:
Maintain and, where practical, provide additional freight capacity
on a range of primary freight routes through the region, including
the
WCML, the South West-North East corridor, and Coventry-Stechford-Bushbury
route.
Agency and partners DfT, Network Rail, RUS outcome
RF6:
Support an increase in rail freight terminal capacity and the amount
of warehousing that is located on rail linked sites in the West Midlands
region.
Agency and partners Private developers, Local Authorities, AWM, Network
Rail
Timescales 2006 onwards
RF7:
Promote and assist the development of new rail freight terminals including
private sector led developments.
Private developers, Local Authorities, AWM
Timescales 2006 onwards
RF8:
Protect former railway lines as a freight only line, particularly
the Stourbridge Jct to Walsall line, and opportunities for rail connection
to
existing manufacturing, distribution and warehousing sites.
Agency and partners Local Authorities, AWM
Timescales 2006 onward.