GUIDANCE NOTE ON REDUCING NITROGEN DEPOSITION AT THE ASHDOWN FOREST
SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION AND SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA
Who is this Guidance Note for?
This Guidance Note has been written for those applying for planning permission for small scale
developments which could generate traffic movements on roads which pass through the Ashdown Forest
Special Area of Conservation (SAC)/Special Protection Area (SPA). These applications will typically not be
captured by other Council planning policies and may include small businesses, small tourism proposals and
community projects. The guidance presented here should not be considered formal planning guidance (such
as Supplementary Planning Guidance) but is instead intended to be used voluntarily, providing applicants
with the necessary information to consider the nitrogen deposition impacts of their proposed development.
What is the Purpose of this Guidance Note?
This Guidance Note aims to:
SECTION A - Provide background information on the issue of nitrogen deposition at the Ashdown
Forest SAC/SPA
SECTION B - Present case studies of small developments that have successfully reduced their traffic
impacts, and thus their impact on nitrogen deposition
SECTION C - Illustrate a ‘good practice’ approach that could be taken by applicants to show how their
proposals will manage traffic generation.
1
SECTION A – BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Ashdown Forest is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with habitats and wildlife protected under the
Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA) international designations. It is also
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the largest free public access space in the South East and a popular recreational area for local people and
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visitors; Natural England estimate a total of approximately 325 people visit the forest per hour , during
daylight hours.
Figure A1. Location of the Ashdown Forest SAC and SPA
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2013
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2
Ashdown Forest Conservators (www.ashdownforest.org)
Natural England Commissioned Report (NECR048) (2010). Ashdown Forest visitor survey data analysis.
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Law and Policy Relevant to the Ashdown Forest
ECOLOGY: The SAC and SPA designations are legally binding under European legislation and have
a number of important implications for UK legislation and policy. The European Union (EU) Habitats
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4
Directive , which has been implemented in UK legislation by the Habitats Regulations , and the Birds
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Directive affords special protection to areas with a high conservation value in terms of the species
and habitats present. This typically takes the form of restricting commercial, industrial and residential
development nearby, ensuring appropriate management of the areas and preventing the destruction
or harm of protected species. The Local Planning Authority (LPA) is a ‘competent authority’
responsible for enforcing the Habitat Regulations.
AIR QUALITY: The Air Quality Directive (implemented in the UK by the Air Quality Standards
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Regulations 2010 ) sets standards for the protection of human health and for the protection of
vegetation and ecosystems, including a ‘critical level’ for nitrogen oxides (NOx). These standards are
largely mirrored in the Air Quality Strategy 2007, which outlines the UK policies on air quality. In
addition, non-statutory standards referred to as ‘critical loads’ are available which describe safe
levels for nitrogen deposition.
PLANNING: The National Planning Policy Framework was published on 27 March 2012 and replaces
previous Planning Policy Statements and Planning Policy Guidance documents. This is a key part of
the reform to make the planning system less complex and more accessible, to protect the
environment and to promote sustainable growth. Under this framework, Wealden District Council
have prepared their Core Strategy, which sets out the scale and scope of development in the area
over the next 25 years. This Core Strategy was accompanied by a Habitat Regulations Assessment,
which identified issues about nitrogen deposition at Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA.
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Qualifying Features at the SAC
SAC
Figure A3: Great Crested Newt
Figure A2: Lowland heath at the Ashdown Forest SAC
The Ashdown Forest SAC was declared in recognition of its lowland dry and wet heath habitats (above left)
and great crested newts (above right). Nitrogen deposition impacts on heathlands are explained below.
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Euopean Union (May 1992), ‘Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora’.
Statutory Instrument. (2010). ‘The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) Regulations’, No. 490. Queen's Printer of Acts
of Parliament.
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European Union (November 2009), ‘Directive of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (2009/147/EC)’.
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European Union. (April 2008), ‘Directive on Ambient Air Quality and cleaner Air for Europe (2008/50/EC)’, Official Journal, vol. 152.
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Statutory Instrument. (2010), ‘The Air Quality Standards Regulations’, No. 1001. Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament.
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Qualifying Features at the SPA
The Ashdown Forest SPA was designated to protect the following bird species, which are of conservation
concern:
Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus): Forests and heathlands Figure A4: Nightjar8
support the majority of Nightjar breeding populations;
degradation of heathland habitats has been a major factor
associated with the decline of this species. Pollution affects
vegetation type and structure, encouraging the transition from
shrub to grass heath and thus reducing the birds’ available
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suitable habitat
Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata): generally found in shrub9
dominated vegetation where it feeds on invertebrates that Figure A5: Dartford Warbler
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use the shrubs . The degradation of heathland habitat as a
result of nitrogen deposition could have an observable impact
on these birds.
Why is Nitrogen Deposition at the Ashdown Forest
SAC/SPA a Concern?
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth; however inputs of
excess nitrogen into an ecosystem can result in detrimental effects, as outlined below. Excess nitrogen can
cause a bloom of fast growing plants so that other plants are starved of nutrients and light and eventually
die; this chain of events is known as eutrophication. Excess nitrogen deposition can also lead to acidification
of freshwater and soils, although this is more pertinent in upland areas with high rainfall (for example the
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Scottish highlands) than lowland habitats such as the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA.
Heath habitats including those at Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA are very sensitive to nitrogen deposition as the
heathland plants (vascular species and bryophytes) and lichens are adapted to low nitrogen supply. The
impacts of nitrogen deposition on heathland habitats and plant species include:
− Reduction of species diversity - the most sensitive species are replaced by a few nitrogen-loving
species;
− Increased growth of nutrient demanding species such as grasses, at the expense of dwarf shrub
species including Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Bell Heath (Erica cinerea) and Cross-leaved Heath
(Erica tetralix);
− Increased sensitivity and risk of damage from drought, frost and pests;
− Increased nitrogen content in plant and lichen cells and tissues, which can increase the sensitivity of
the organisms to other factors (see above), result in the death or discolouration of cells on small areas
or on some leaves, or cause the death of the organisms;
− Increased litter fall, which reduces the amount of light passing through to species living on the ground.
Lowland heathland birds, including the Dartford Warbler and Nightjar, are affected by nitrogen deposition
indirectly because of the changes in the vegetation type and structure and degradation of the habitat
available for these species. Impacts on great crested newts are also considered to be ‘indirect’, as nitrogen
deposition can damage their breeding areas.
8
http://en.wikipedia.org, , Dûrzan cîrano, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
http://en.wikipedia.org, J. Dietrich, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
10
Barr (1997), cited in Langston, R. et al. (2007). Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus and Woodlark Lullula arborea – recovering species
in Britain? Ibis, 149 (Suppl. 2), pp. 250-260.
11
Cantos and Isenmann (1994), cited in Van den Berg, L. et al. (2001). Territory selection by the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) in
Dorset, England: the role of vegetation type, habitat fragmentation and population size. Biological Conservation, 101, pp. 217-228.
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Dore, A. et al. (2009). Modelling the Deposition and Concentration of Long range Air Pollutants: Final Report.
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Sources of Nitrogen Deposition
Figure A5: Typical routes of nitrogen deposition13
This figure illstrates how motor vehicles,
livestock production and other sources
emit nitrogen oxides (NOx, which includes
nitrogen dioxide – NO2) and ammonia
(NH3) to the atmosphere.
These are either deposited directly to the
surface of vegetation (dry deposition) or
converted to other less common nitrogen
compounds in the atmosphere which are
also then deposited.
The UK ‘Air Pollution Information System’
Figure A6: APIS predictions of relative contributions of nitrogen
(APIS) provides predictions for the relative
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contributions to nitrogen deposition at deposition at Ashdown Forest (locations away from the roadside) .
designated sites from different sources. A
summary of the data from APIS is provided
in Figure A6. It should be noted that this is
a simplified representation of contributions
over a wide area which includes the
Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA. The APIS
data are based on research by Defra into
the various sources of nitrogen emissions
affecting the UK, and modelling of the
effect of those emissions to calculate
2
deposition at a resolution of up to 5km .
Road transport emits NOx from fuel
combustion and smaller amounts of NH3
from catalytic converters. The APIS data
indicates that contributions from road traffic emissions account for around 10% of the total dry nitrogen
deposition at the SAC/SPA in locations away from the roadside. However, contributions from road transport
are typically greatest within 200m of the roadside, meaning the relative impact on nitrogen deposition from
road traffic is higher at these locations. Beyond this distance, the ambient concentrations of pollutants tend
to decrease to background levels, although ecological effects can occur over a wider area. Approximately
20% of the SAC/SPA area is within 200m of an ‘A’ or ‘B’ road.
Although the APIS data does not provide data specifically on what levels of nitrogen deposition is attributable
to aircraft emissions, data from Defra indicates that, on average, aircraft emissions contribute to
approximately 0.5% of total ambient NOx concentrations in the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA.
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In 2011, a Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) was undertaken for the Wealden District Core Strategy.
This identified future residential and commercial development as the driver of increasing atmospheric
pollution through its impact on traffic growth. Further work on potential deposition impacts suggested that
residential or commercial development within 7km of the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA could have detrimental
effects on these designated sites through increasing nitrogen deposition. A 7km development ‘Buffer Zone’
was therefore introduced following consultation on these documents.
The latest version of the Core Strategy and supporting documents are available online. For further
information visit:
www.wealden.gov.uk/Wealden/Planning_and_Building_Control/Planning_Policy/Local_Plan_(Previously_LD
F)/CoreStrategy/Planning_Core_Strategy_Local_Plan.aspx
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Raw data from APIS (www.apis.ac.uk)
http://www.wealden.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.aspx?lID=7451&sID=3484
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SECTION B – CASE STUDIES
Introduction
This section presents five case studies illustrating the range of measures that can be introduced in order to
promote sustainable travel and reduce the effects of traffic generated by a smaller development. One of the
case studies is a theoretical case study, providing a practical example of how measures can be adapted for
use by small enterprises in the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA.
New developments have the potential to generate additional traffic. The impact of traffic generation is likely
to be greatest in areas with low public transport accessibility and where there are longer walking and cycling
distances, therefore making active travel less feasible. The aim of this Section is to set out how smaller sized
developments that do not have to submit a comprehensive travel plan could manage the impacts of their
development to reduce traffic movements though the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA, and therefore nitrogen
deposition.
Travel Plan measures and Smarter Choices
In larger scale developments (particularly where a planning application is submitted), a Travel Plan is often a
formal requirement enforced by local authorities, setting out a commitment to implement a range of
measures in order to reduce the traffic impact. A Travel Plan Coordinator is appointed to lead on the Travel
Plan and has responsibility for its action and monitoring.
In an area such as the Ashdown Forest SAC 7km ‘Buffer Zone’, concern for air quality and minimising the
effects of pollutants is a higher priority. Accordingly, all developments should be mindful of the traffic they
generate and take steps, where appropriate, to minimise their impacts.
The case studies presented below illustrate the types of measures that can be introduced in order to achieve
these aims. These often take the form of physical infrastructure added as part of a new or expanding
development, such as cycle storage or behavioural change measures encouraging greater use of public
transport. These are collectively called ‘Smarter Choices’, aimed at changing travel behaviour to either
reduce the need to travel or encourage a shift away from use of the car.
Smarter Fleet Measures
A parallel component of efforts by small developments to reduce their traffic is the need to make unavoidable
car travel as efficient as possible. Currently there is limited guidance for the traffic impacts associated with
small developments. However, there are obvious advantages to both the local environment and to
organisations within the 7km ‘Buffer Zone’ taking steps to drive efficiently, ensuring the shortest route and
using the most fuel-efficient vehicles where possible.
Methodology
Comprehensive desk research was conducted in order to present examples of smaller developments
successfully taking steps to reduce the traffic impact of their development.
Currently, there is limited guidance on how to monitor the traffic impact of smaller developments. Therefore
finding case studies from such smaller developments has been limited. As a result, case studies have been
taken from slightly larger developments. As such, they represent a wide range of the initiatives that can be
applied to smaller developments and have been selected for their relevance to the range of issues that
smaller developments within the Ashdown Forest SAC 7km ‘Buffer Zone’ may experience. While some
finance intensive measures may not be scalable to smaller developments, the majority of measures can be
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scaled effectively. The measures most appropriate may depend upon the size of the development and
should be applied based on the characteristics of each individual site.
Case Study 1 – Dunbia, Llanybydder, Wales15
Project Summary and Key Issues
Dunbia, a food company, operates in a rural area in West Wales. They comprise 324 employees. Prior to
travel planning measures 89% of staff travelled to work as a driver, with only 2% as car passengers. Being
situated in a rural area, public transport access to the site was less feasible. Additionally, the catchment area
of staff is wide, limiting opportunities for walking and cycling.
Dunbia is an excellent example of the range of sustainable travel measures that can be successfully pursued
when faced with the challenges of a rural location, which has parallels with more rural developments within
and around the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA, and to developments more generally through the wide range of
Smarter Choices initiatives employed.
Approaches to Behaviour Change
With limited public transport access, it was clear to the Travel Plan Coordinator that the greatest potential for
modal shift was through increasing the currently small proportion of car sharers. As a result a car sharing
scheme was promoted to staff, where the company offered to match employees living within suitable
distances through the use of a website. The company also offered to reorganise shift patterns to
accommodate car sharers, and guaranteed a ride home in a taxi should someone’s arranged lift fall through.
Reducing the need for travel can also be an effective measure in reducing traffic impacts. A video
conferencing unit was installed in the office, encouraging staff to reduce the amount travelled for business
and adopt flexible home working where possible.
All members of staff developed a personalised journey plan with a professional going through their options
for work travel based on their personal requirements. Simple and clear travel information was presented to
staff and visitors to highlight the range of travel options that could be used to access the site.
Best Practice Demonstrated
Dunbia implemented a wide range of smarter choices initiatives, achieving significant modal shift away from
staff car use within the first year of the travel plan.
In the first year they saw a 9% decrease in single occupancy car use, with the proportion of staff travelling to
work as car passengers more than doubling to 7% of the mode share. Walking and cycling also increased as
a result. Videoconferencing has become very successful, with one unit paying for itself within a year due to
the reduction in travel.
15
Smarter Choices: Wales, Halcrow
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Case Study 2 – Computer Associates16
Project Summary and Key Issues
Computer Associates are a medium sized software company operating from an edge of town site near
Slough, Berkshire. The company has 850 staff, and the site has provision for 825 parking spaces.
As an edge of town site, an extremely high proportion of employees drive to work, generating a relatively
high amount of traffic from the development.
Computer Associates provides a free shuttle bus for employees running six trips in the morning and evening
from Slough bus station; initially take-up was low with just 6% of staff using the service.
Walking and cycling to work is low due to the distance of the site from town (5.3 km), although the cycling
network is good, being located on the National Cycle Network (NCN).
The characteristics of the local transport network in this case study may be similar to those experienced by
organisations within the Ashdown Forest SAC 7km ‘Buffer Zone’, with an out-of-town site, limited public
transport and a good walking and cycling network inhibited by long distances. The approaches explored by
Computer Associates serve as good examples for best practice when faced with related constraints on
mitigating traffic impact.
Approaches to Behaviour Change
A range of measures were implemented as part of the Computer Associates Staff and Visitor Travel Plan.
These can be categorised into two types of measures; ‘enabling’ and ‘incentive’ measures.
The ‘enabling’ measures took the form of infrastructure and equipment to encourage greater use of walking
and cycling as all or part of journeys to the Computer Associates offices. Lockers, drying facilities and a
shower facility were provided free of charge for both walkers and cyclists. This was combined with secure
cycle shelter/storage for commuters and visitors.
A range of financial initiatives were also employed in order to add further encouragement to achieving mode
shift. All staff members who signed up, and completed, a commitment to walk, cycle or car share for 25 days
in 6 months received £150. By combining financial incentives with the provision of facilities and information,
more significant behavioural change can be achieved: changing people’s behaviour some of the time,
through incentives or other small measures, can lead to large shifts later as staff and visitors discover the
advantages of travelling by active and sustainable modes, through benefits to health and money savings.
Best Practice Demonstrated
Due to the combination of facilities and incentive measures, a 56% increase was seen in shuttle bus use,
from 9% to 14% of staff. This was found to be attributed to many staff using a combination of walking and
public transport to get to the shuttle bus stop, highlighting the benefits of promoting walking to connecting
public transport facilities. The Travel Plan Coordinator indicated that the generous financial benefits help to
overcome the barriers. The travel plan co-ordinator also highlighted that asking staff to switch for one day a
week is effective in bringing them on board, and once they have made this commitment they may consider
expanding it. Uptake of all incentives has been enthusiastic, with more than a third of staff signing up to car
share and 7% to walk for some or all of their journey; 12% of staff also signed up to the cycle scheme.
16
DfT; Making travel plans work – Lessons from UK Case Studies, Department for Transport, London
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Case Study 3 – Agilent Technologies17
Project Summary and Key Issues
Agilent Technologies are a telecommunications products company based outside Edinburgh. Due to the
rural location, the company faces several challenges to limit its effect on the environment. 1,500 staff are
employed on site, with provision for 1,059 car spaces.
The site is not far from a rail station connecting with Edinburgh, although the rail mode share was just 5%
prior to the implementation of smarter choices measures.
The local cycle network is poor, with very low levels of cycling among staff and visitors.
Approaches to Behaviour Change
Agilent Technologies took an approach focusing on the three main objectives of increasing car sharing,
increasing the use of public transport and encouraging cycle use in anticipation of the opening of a new
Millennium cycle path. While the company is relatively large, issues of location and the makeup of the
transport network are highly pertinent to smaller developments in the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA.
Measures included encouraging car sharing through the implementation of ‘green bay’ parking in prime spots
for car sharers of three or more people in one vehicle. These prime spots make car sharing more attractive
to staff and send out a signal to other potential car users about the benefits available to those making the
effort to contribute to the company’s sustainability objectives. A car sharing notice board was introduced to
facilitate staff finding suitable colleagues to share with.
Public transport was also promoted as part of Agilent’s Travel Plan. Timetable and travel information was
provided to all staff. Also a 33% discount on rail season tickets was negotiated with Scotrail, adding a
financial incentive to employees to use the train.
Cycling was promoted through the installation of cycle sheds: again in prime locations. Additionally, showers
and changing facilities were installed. Furthermore, a 10% discount on bicycles and accessories was
negotiated at local cycling shop.
Best Practice Demonstrated
The introduction of the Travel Plan has seen extremely positive results. 12% of staff members now car share
regularly, which is double the original figures. Additionally, drivers find the three-in-a-car rule also has an
impact on their pockets: those car sharing from Glasgow or Peebles say they save over £100 a month. Train
use has more than doubled from 5% to 13% of total mode share. Cycling remained low at the time of the
survey, as the new cycle path had not been completed, although further measures will be implemented to
coincide with its opening in order to maximise the impact.
17
DfT; Making travel plans work – Lessons from UK Case Studies, Department for Transport, London
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Case Study 4 – Skanska18
Project Summary and Key Issues
Skanska is a project development and construction group based in Rickmansworth, Greater London. They
have a large fleet of vehicles and as such have a large effect on traffic and the local environment, in terms of
congestion and vehicle emissions. This case study is relevant to developments of any size close to an
SAC/SPA such as the Ashdown Forest, as it highlights the impact of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and what
can be done to reduce their emissions.
Approaches to Behaviour Change
Having taken advantage of the Energy Saving Trust’s ‘Green Fleet Review’, the biggest win has been
achieved through improving employee driving. Employees were trained on a safe and environmentally
friendly driver instruction, in addition to their usual training. This included fuel economy when driving and
route planning competencies.
Best Practice Demonstrated
As a result of the safe and environmentally friendly driving training measures, Skanska has reduced its total
fleet operating costs by up to 20%. Monitoring indicates that average performance figures of trained drivers
(in all fields) includes a 14% fuel consumption reduction, 56% reduction in driver faults, 34% reduction in the
number of gear changes and 1.5% reduction in journey time. Currently the 30 ‘large vehicle’ drivers have
been trained and there are plans to roll out further training for other drivers (vans and company cars) in the
near future.
18
TfL: Sustainable Fleet Management Guide, Transport for London; page 27
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Case Study 5 –Theoretical Case Study – Forest Bed and Breakfast
Project Summary and Key Issues
Forest Bed and Breakfast is a small six room guest house in a rural location on the edge of a national park.
They are planning to add a two room extension to the rear of the property in order to expand the business.
Visitors and staff generally travel to the existing site by car, and available parking within a reasonable
distance may become a problem at peak times should the extension go ahead without any mitigating
measures.
The high proportion of car use is attributable to the long distance into town and the relative distance that staff
travel to work. A local bus service operates a route into the local town centre and near to local attractions,
with a stop passing close to the site. Further public transport connections can be made in town. Forest Bed
and Breakfast would experience similar challenges to small developments in the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA.
Approaches to Behaviour Change
A range of measures were examined, with management deciding on a dual approach, focusing on increasing
awareness of public transport among visitors and staff together with working to increase staff travel
efficiency, as the best options for achieving change.
A policy of emailing public transport information to access the Bed and Breakfast to all visitors after booking
was adopted. This provides comprehensive travel information by all public transport modes. Information on
public transport to access local attractions is provided in the information sent to visitors on making a
reservation.
Staff travel efficiency was improved by reviewing staff shift patterns and adapting them slightly to fit in with
the local bus service where this can provide a viable alternative to the car. Additionally, Forest Bed and
Breakfast signed up to participate in a national car sharing scheme. Wherever possible, staff are encouraged
to car share, and shift patterns were adapted to accommodate this where feasible.
Best Practice Demonstrated
As a result of these measures and a positive attitude by staff, no additional spaces were required for car
parking and there has been a reduction in the number of single occupancy car trips made to the site by both
staff and visitors.
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SECTION C - HOW TO PRESENT TRAFFIC REDUCTION AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE IN AN
APPLICATION TO THE COUNCIL
Examples of Good Practice - Summary
This Section presents a summary of examples of good practice, taken from the above case studies. This
shows the potential for different measures on a range of scales in order and how they could reduce traffic
impact and encourage modal shift towards more sustainable modes.
Summary of Potential Sustainable Travel Measures
Promoting Public Transport
Public transport discounts for staff or visitors
Interest-free season ticket loans for rail or bus
Travel information presented in leaflet form and online - this can include local bus and rail timetables
together with taxi information. An example from East Sussex is included in Figure C.1. Links to route
planners are also useful; Traveline, as shown in Figure C2, is the local route planner for the Southeast.
Figure C.1:
East Sussex Bus Network Map
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Figure C2:Traveline – Southeast England Route Planner
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– Walking, Cycling and Public Transport
http://traveline.info/
Promoting Walking
Provision of lockers, showers and drying/changing facilities
Travel information presented in leaflet form and online - this can include route maps of the local area,
links to local or national route planners and national information resources, such as the Walk4Life
campaign, as shown in Figure C3.
Figure C3: Walk4Life – National Walking Resource and
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Campaign
Figure C4:
19
www.eastsussex.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/public/buses/ routes.htm
www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk
21
www.walk4life.info
22
www.liftshare.com
20
12
22
Liftshare – National Car Sharing Resource
Promoting Car Sharing
Financial incentives or prime parking spots
Flexible shift patterns to accommodate car sharers
Signposting to national websites to help staff find other car sharers, such as Liftshare (Figure C4)
Working with other local employers to increase the pool of potential car sharers.
Personalised Journey Planners
Personalised Journey Planners can be developed
either with professional assistance or through the use
of local (Figure C2) or national (Figure C5) Journey
Planner tools.
Figure C5: Transport Direct – National Journey
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Planner Resource
Reducing the Need to Travel
Use of tele- and video-conferencing
Encouraging a greater use of the internet by staff, visitors and residents. This can include moving to a
greater online presence for interacting with clients or a policy of using the internet to order materials,
while combining orders into larger batches to reduce the amount of deliveries.
Promoting Cycling
Secure cycle storage/shelters in prime spots
Lockers, showers and drying/changing facilities
Providing cycles to employees or visitors to hire or use for free
24
Encouraging uptake or affiliation with national schemes, such as Bike4life , part of the national
Change4Life campaign (Figure C6)
Negotiating discounts for staff in local cycle shops
Providing supplies of cycle repair materials and accessories
Travel information presented in leaflet form and online - this can include route maps of the local area or
links to national information resources such as Sustrans as shown in Figure C7.
Figure C6: Change4Life – National Cycling Resource
25
and Campaign
Figure C7:
23
www.transportdirect.info
http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/bike-for-life.aspx
25
www.nhs.uk/Change4Life
26
www.sustrans.org.uk
24
13
26
Sustrans – National Cycling Charity
Sustainable Fleet Strategies
Efficient vehicle use – ensure that vehicles are being used as efficiently as possible and using the least
amount of fuel. The key areas are driver performance and vehicle maintenance. Safe driving and
environmental awareness training, provided formally or informally, can generate noticeable savings as
reducing fuel use will cut emissions and running costs.
Transport demand management – reduce the miles driven by looking at whether trips are necessary,
and consider if they can be combined and whether the optimum routes are being used. By examining
current practices, significant mileage savings can be made, thereby reducing fuel and mileage costs,
emissions and even the size of a fleet.
Cleaner fuels and technologies – aim to use the lowest emission vehicles appropriate to their role. With
existing diesel and petrol vehicles, use the smallest, most efficient vehicle appropriate for the job. Explore
new, low emission technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs).
The Four R’s of Sustainable Travel
The ‘four R’s’ presents a checklist of measures that can be employed by developments when developing
their measures. They can be used for smaller developments when appraising the measures most likely to
have a positive effect on their traffic impact.
Reducing Travel: In order to reduce travel it might be appropriate for some staff (where feasible) to work
from home at certain times, depending on their job role. Additionally video- or tele-conferencing could be
utilised in order to reduce travel to meetings.
Remoding Travel: Using an informal or formal marketing and communications strategy, staff can be
encouraged to switch to other sustainable modes of transport in order to mitigate the impact of staff and
visitor traffic. Staff and visitors can also be encouraged to use active modes such as walking and cycling
for shorter distances.
Retiming Travel: There is some potential for staff to alter their working hours in order to avoid key
congestion periods on the public transport and road networks. This depends on the type of organisation
and the core hours that staff are required to be present on site. Additionally, non-essential business,
delivery and servicing trips can be scheduled outside of peak traffic times.
Rerouting Travel: There are various travel options available to those travelling to and from
developments within the Ashdown Forest SAC/SPA, which will be influenced by the quality of public
transport, walking and cycling networks and the amount of road traffic in the area. An informal or formal
marketing and communications strategy can be developed to inform staff of the busiest routes and times
and to encourage them to use alternatives that avoid congestion hotspots.
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How to Present Traffic Reduction and Behaviour Change in an Application to the Council
As set out above there are numerous measures that could be implemented at smaller scale developments in order to promote sustainable travel. Whilst
smaller developments would have neither the resources nor the finances to develop a full Travel Plan, they could submit an ‘Issues and Action Plan’
setting out how applicants propose to promote sustainable travel to the site. Each smaller development could have a nominated Travel Plan co-ordinator
who is responsible for the development of the Issues and Action Plan. Examples of measures which could be included in the Issues and Action Plan are set
out below. These should be tailored for each development. Following this advice will help applicants to develop small scale proposals (for example
developments with community uses and village halls) to be Habitats Regulations compliant. The Local Authority may choose to request an updated Issues
and Action Plan for the first three years of the development being occupied so that it can be determined whether the Plan is being successfully
implemented.
Example Issues and Action Plan
This Issues and Action Plan should set out:
The date which it was written;
A nominated Travel Plan co-ordinator;
Details of the issues and measures proposed (based on those described above); and
The date for the Issue and Action Plan’s review.
Issue and Action Plan Template
Issues
Measure
Timescale
How we will do it
Who will be
responsible for
it
What we expect the outcome to be
Limited number of staff car
share, limited number of car
parking spaces and working
time wasted looking for car
spaces
E.g. Promote car
sharing among
staff
By May-2013
1) Personalised Journey Plans for
all staff
Travel plan coordinator
a) More staff aware of the impact of their emissions on the
local environment
By Nov-2013
2) Link up with other local
companies to create a notice
board of car sharers
15
b) Less traffic generated by the site