Dorset and BCP Councils Local Transport Plan (LTP) 2026 to 2041 Strategy (Draft for consultation)

The council’s joint transport strategy for 2026 to 2041 will deliver a sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport network that benefits everyone and supports a vibrant economy.

Over the next 15 years, the focus will be on increasing transport options, whilst improving safety, health, accessibility, connectivity, travel experience, and reducing pollution from transport.

Our new ambitious vision has been informed by our residents, our local communities as well as local businesses and organisations.

Our strategy is aligned with national, regional and local priorities allowing much needed funding to deliver positive change across the area. This will ensure that current needs of transport users are met and future needs are planned for.
Since we last set out our strategy for transport in 2011, the transport challenges we face have changed and therefore our approach needs to change too.

The LTP will focus on proactively planning for the future, by forming ‘vision led’ policies that enable us to achieve our aims, planning to deliver improved transport options to get people to where they need to go through a choice of safer, healthier and more sustainable travel options for all.

Our approach is to deliver increasing choice to develop a balanced transport system focused on people. Benefits will include a more equitable transport system, more efficient movement of goods, increased business productivity, and more pleasant places to live and visit both for our residents and visitors.

This LTP provides opportunities to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions from transport, reduce road congestion and make our network safer and more efficient for all.

Historically, to facilitate access to new developments, the focus has been on accommodating road related capacity, which has resulted in under investment in walking, wheeling, and cycling, and public transport. Consequently, new development has had an adverse impact not only locally but also on the wider Strategic road network (SRN) by increasing traffic volumes and resulting in unreliable journey times. By using a vision led approach we aim to create pleasant people focused places to live and travel within, where improved travel options provide choice for residents and visitors. 

We will not expand the road transport network further unless directly linked to new large-scale developments. This is because future demand in these locations will result mainly from population growth facilitated by redevelopment within towns. Our focus will be to improve the management of the existing road network for all users, acknowledging that car travel will remain an important option for many journeys.

We must ensure that we design viable transport choices for new housing developments. Balanced transport options should be provided in new housing developments to ensure that they do not exacerbate existing transport challenges. 

We must also address the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, by reducing carbon emissions in line with national and local strategies. The extent to which we can reduce emissions from our transport depends on the proportion of journeys undertaken by sustainable forms of transport and the take up of zero emissions vehicles.

Over the past decade, digital connectivity and new technologies have revolutionised transport in the UK. Over the lifetime of our new transport strategy, electric vehicles, autonomous and connected vehicles, and digital applications will make travel more efficient and sustainable. Real-time data and smart infrastructure will improve traffic management, while drones will increasingly be used for delivery services.

Enhanced digital infrastructure and connectivity support these innovations, making transport more accessible and convenient. It is therefore vital that programmes to improve both the physical digital infrastructure and the quality of connectivity across our area are progressed at pace to support this travel transformation.

Our Transport Strategy

Our Transport Strategy will:

• support residents, businesses and visitors with their transport needs
• provide a safe, reliable and accessible transport system for all
• support economic growth and vitality across our area, and enable the delivery of housing and employment sites
• reduce emissions and create cleaner, healthier places.

Our Transport Strategy has a strong focus on improving the lives of people as well as protecting and enhancing our special local places, and ensuring our transport networks are safe, reliable, inclusive and enjoyable.

We have collected information and evidence to develop a well-informed evidence base that provides a good understanding of the transport opportunities, issues and challenges experienced across the area. This will enable the setting of priorities for the plan and the formation of the vision.

Transport Strategy is supported by:

• a detailed evidence base and building on previous successes
• feedback from the public, stakeholders and partners to shape the plan and a new transport vision for our area
• an understanding of the people, places and activities of our area to address local needs and priorities
• funding secured to improve the transport network

Our Transport Strategy has a strong focus on improving the lives of people as well as protecting and enhancing our special local places, and ensuring our transport networks are safe, reliable, inclusive and enjoyable.

We have collected information and evidence to develop a well-informed evidence base that provides a good understanding of the transport opportunities, issues and challenges experienced across the area. This will enable the setting of priorities for the plan and the formation of the vision.

Transport Strategy is supported by:

• a detailed evidence base and building on previous successes
• feedback from the public, stakeholders and partners to shape the plan and a new transport vision for our area
• an understanding of the people, places and activities of our area to address local needs and priorities
• funding secured to improve the transport network

What this strategy will do for our people

I want:

• to travel to school safely and independently. LTP will:
  • improve air quality and safety around our schools
  • make walking, wheeling and cycling routes safer and easier to use
  • give buses more priority on the roads so they can run on time
• less congested roads and easier parking. LTP will:
  • provide smarter traffic signals and better road management to reduce delays and make journeys more reliable
  • make walking, wheeling and cycling routes safer and easier to use
  • give buses more priority on the roads so they can run on time
• access to shops,healthcare and social activities. LTP will:
  • encourage more frequent bus services connecting our towns and rural communities
  • make buses and transport hubs saferand more accessible
  • provide more real-time travel updates and simpler ticketing options
• to enjoyour coast and countryside. LTP will improve:
  • bus services to key visitor destinations
  • trailways linking countryside, towns, and heritage sites
  • accessibility at rail stations andimprove onward travel options, integrated ticketing and wayfinding 
• efficientdelivery routes and lower costs. LTP will:
  • improve road works management and coordination to reduce congestion on our roads
  • introduce more chargepoints for electric vans and freight vehicles
  • create delivery hubs and improve the routes most often used to transport freight
• reliable transport for my employees and customers. LTP will:
  • improve bus services and create mobility hubs to help people commute to work
  • ensure access is available close to local businesses and loading zones for deliveries
  • provide business-focused travel planning support to widen travel choices

Dorset Council: 379,791 residents (Formerly East, West and North Dorset, Purbeck and Weymouth and Portland Councils).

BCP Council: 404,050 residents.

Annual bus passenger journeys:

• Dorset Council 5.8 million
• BCP Council 23.4 million

Annual bus vehicle kilometres:

• Dorset Council 5.69M Km
• BCP Council 9.86M Km

Bournemouth International Airport is the UK’s 20th busiest airport estimated 1 million passengers with expansion plans, and freight transfer handling.

Portland Harbour:

• deep-water port with facilities for cruise ships, cargo, and naval vessels
• former Royal Navy base, now a commercial and leisure port
• hosted the sailing events for the London 2012 Olympics
• home to the National Sailing Academy

Poole Harbour:

• Europe’s largest natural harbour
• major centre for leisure boating, commercial shipping, and ferry services
• links to the Channel Islands and France
• home to Poole Port and the Port of Poole ferry terminal

Dorset Council key statistics

Dorset Council:

• population:
  • 379,791
  • Dorset has the greatest proportion of people aged 65 and over (29.5%) more than any unitary authority in England Median age in Dorset is 51.6, compared to 40.6 for England and Wales
• urban/ rural split 69% rural
• average house prices £350,000
• 55,182 estimated new homes needed during the period 2026 to 2043
• economic:
  • Indicators Gross value added £7.72 billion
  • average weekly earnings (UK £690) £668
  • weekly earnings are 97% of the national average
  • productivity is 15% lower per hour than the UK average
  • 11 areas in Dorset are among the 20% most deprived in England (10 of these in Weymouth and Portland)
• rural access 46% of Dorset’s residents live in areas where they find it difficult to access services, compared to 18% across England
• landscape:
  • 54% of Dorset is designated as National Landscape (formerly AONB) home to England’s only natural World Heritage Site the Jurassic Coast
  • Dorset hosts all 6 native reptile species 93% of UK mammal species and 90% of British butterfly species
• poor connectivity:
  • no motorways
  • 58% gigabit broadband compared to 84% nationally and 90% in the BCP area
  • among the worst mobile phone connectivity in the UK

BCP Council key statistics

BCP Council:

• population:
  • 404,050 (June 2023)
  • the BCP population estimated to reach half a million by the end of the LTP period (2041)
  • 86,900 people aged over 65, 22% of the local population
• housing:
  • 173,842 households
  • £402,239 average house price in 2024 compared to National Average of £355,225
  • £1,314 average rental price per month in 2024
  • 45,000 an estimated new homes need to be built during the next local plan period (2028 to 2043)
• economic:
  • median annual full time pay around £35,050 compared to UK average of £37,521
  • 60% of the population aged 16 or over is economically active
  • 10 million visitors annually spending over £581 million, supporting 12,000 tourism jobs
  • 9 areasare among the 10% most deprived in England
• transport:
  • 813 miles of roads
  • 81% of households have one or more cars
  • £318 million estimated cost of congestion in the area in 2022
  • 31% of employed residents travel less than 5km to work, 30% worked mainly from home and 13% travelled between 5 to 10km
  • in some town centre areas less than 50% of households have access to a car
• health and wellbeing:
  • 81% adults are in good health
  • life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are higher in the BCP area than nationally
  • over 63% of adults are overweight or obese
  • 48% of early deaths preventable
• sustainability and the environment:
  • 4.3%of deaths attributed to air pollution (2019)
  • BCP Council manages around 2,500 hectares of green space
  • 2 large natural harbours
  • 15 milesof sandy beach from Poole Harbour to Hengistbury Head
  • 10 Blue Flags/seaside awards

Our new plan builds on the successes of the previous plan for 2011 to 2026.

Over £400 million has been invested through the capital programme during this time, resulting in major infrastructure improvements to the transport network for all forms of travel and improved road safety.

Our previous strategy had 5 priority goals covering interventions focused on supporting local economic growth, easing congestion and encouraging more people to use active travel and public transport:

• supporting economic growth
• tackling climate change
• equality of opportunity
• better safety, security and health
• improved quality of life

Good collaborative working has been vital to achieving positive change to our area, such as through the enhanced bus partnerships and the Dorset Road Safety Partnership. We have a proven track record of delivery and will continue to be proactive in seeking funding, where this is possible, to deliver our new transport strategy, attracting significant additional funding to the area.

Transport investment to date has included:

• Transforming Cities Fund: £79 million joint award combined with local contributions for 80km of walking, cycling and wheeling and public transport improvements
• Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund: £49.5 million worth of projects, including:
  • A338 reconstruction
  • Chapel Gate Junction
  • Port of Poole
  • South East Dorset Urban Mobility Strategy (SEDUMS)
  • Weymouth to Dorchester corridor
• Gillingham sccess to growth: Package of highway improvements and sustainable transport measures to enable the delivery of 1,800 new homes and employment land
• shared micromobility: Partnership with Beryl to deliver a successful bike share scheme across BCP, and Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland, including E-scooter trial in BC
• public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints: Installation of 364 new chargepoints on-street and in council owned car parks, expanding the network across all of Dorset and BCP
• school streets and bikeability training: Facilitated and encouraged school children to walk, wheel and cycle to get to school safely by non-car means
• bus interchanges: Improved passenger facilities at transport hubs, bus stops, shelters, security and passenger information services
• Dorset Strategic Road Safety Partnership: Packages of engineering, education and enforcement measures to reduce road casualties
• road investment: Significant road investment, secure from LTP structural maintenance fund, Challenge Fund and TSOG
• supporting transport infrastructure: Major schemes delivered including the Twin Sails bridge (Poole) and Weymouth relief road

We have developed our new transport strategy following industry best practice, government guidance and a data-driven evidence base.

Research shows the issues identified are not unique to our area but understanding them in detail allows us to find appropriate interventions and solutions. Input from the public and stakeholders will be vital to enable us to tackle the transport challenges affecting rural, urban and coastal places and the people within them. Our understanding of the area, its people and the transport network is set out in our Databook. It contains the data baselines used to inform the strategy including the areas covered, types of people living there, current transportation options, and the local economy and community situation. This data allows us to understand the transport challenges and opportunities that exist to shape the future of transport and travel.

Our role

As the local authorities for the area, we play a crucial role in local transport planning. Our responsibilities encompass a wide range of activities aimed at ensuring transport meets the needs of all users, including public transport, freight and the use of private vehicles. We set out where and how funding is to be allocated to manage and improve transport in our area. Collaboration with partners including subnational transport bodies (STB), other Local authorities, stakeholder groups and transport operators will be integral to delivering our transport strategy.

Roles and responsibilities	Local authority	Transport operator	STB	Government
Local Transport Plan	Yes
Maintenance of public roads	Yes
School transport	Yes
Community needs	Yes	Yes
Public transport	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Promoting sustainable development	Yes
Funding for high-cost schemes			Yes	Yes
Reducing transport-related carbon emissions	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Improving road safety	Yes			Yes
Improving cross-boundary connections	Yes	Yes	Yes
Managing traffic demand	Yes
Making funding bids	Yes	Yes	Yes
Working with partners and stakeholders	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Improving health and environment through transport	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Coordinating policy and investment decisions	Yes		Yes	Yes
Make or change government guidelines				Yes

We are following a best practice approach to developing our new transport strategy. The process diagram below shows the development of our transport strategy by stage, starting with a review of LTP3, through to adoption and the commitment to undertake on-going monitoring of our new strategy.

Local Transport Plan (LTP) process:

1. LTP3 review
2. LTP scoping
3. Evidence gathering
4. Vision and objective setting
5. Strategy development
6. Implementation plan development
7. Establish monitoring and evaluation framework
8. Draft LTP consultation (highlighted in the diagram)
9. Update and finalise plan
10. Adopt LTP
11. Monitor and report progress

Public consultation on the draft strategy and implementation plan will take place in late summer/ early autumn 2025.

Our new transport strategy will cover 2026 to 2041. The implementation timeline sets out the timings of reviews that are important to our strategy and implementation plan.

Once adopted in spring 2026, the new strategy will help secure national funding for necessary transport improvements. Delivery progress of the implementation plans shall be monitored, and the strategy reviewed every 5 years to ensure that they are still relevant and capable of delivering the plans required outcomes.

Local Transport Plan timeline:

• 2026:
  • short-term plan (IP1)
  • first review – final year of IP1
• 2030/31:
  • medium-term plan (IP2)
  • second review – final year of IP2
• 2035/36:
  • long-term plan (IP3)
  • third review – final year of IP3
• 2040/41 (no specific label provided in the image, but likely the end of the planning horizon)

Action is needed to ensure carbon reductions are delivered. To avoid serious damage to nature, the environment, and people’s lives, we need to invest in zero emission transport options. This will help reduce emissions and encourage those that can, to choose different ways to travel. We have developed a carbon evidence base to ensure our new plan is well informed of carbon challenges and aligned with local and national decarbonisation goals. The analysis is aligned with emerging best practice national guidance.

The analysis undertaken has established:

• the estimated current and future baseline transport emissions
• a transport decarbonisation pathway to achieve net-zero targets by 2050

Our quantified carbon baseline shows there is a significant gap to overcome, and our current objectives are not sufficient to meet nationally set climate targets to achieve net-zero by 2050, or to contribute to tackling public health and congestion challenges. The baseline demonstrates a need to reduce transport related carbon emissions and helps us to understand the scale of the challenge. It is expected that transport emissions will gradually reduce over time (even without local intervention) as zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) become more widespread. The rate at which decarbonisation will occur in our area is primarily dependent on how quickly ZEVs are adopted. Our baseline analysis has used a ZEV market forecast. We refer to this as ‘the most likely future emissions scenario’, as it reflects the national ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. 

Our analysis has defined a suitable pathway to net-zero for the LTP area. This is based on a locally scaled version of the Climate Change Committee Pathway. We have chosen this pathway because it is published by an independent advisory body that guides the UK Government on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We refer to this pathway as the ‘target pathway to achieve net-zero’.

It is estimated that between 2025 and 2050 no more than 10,331 KtCO2e can be emitted from the transport sector in the LTP area if we are to achieve our net-zero targets. This ‘carbon budget’. To achieve our decarbonisation target pathway, a 32% reduction in emissions will be required.

Our analysis has also considered the estimated impact of our Implementation Plan in terms of reducing carbon emissions and helping to close this emissions gap.

To achieve the full potential carbon reductions through LTP, it will be crucial to secure improved levels of funding/resource to deliver transformational change to achieve our net-zero targets. This will also require changes to planning and community layouts to encourage use of alternative travel options.

For the BCP and Dorset areas this pathway is being built into the respective Local Area Energy Plans, to support partners in predicting and providing for future energy requirements.

Headlines from our combined carbon baseline2: 

• our combined total annual transport emissions were 1,227 ktCO2e*
• almost 1/3 of road transport emissions are from journeys under five miles in length
• 62% of road transport emissions are from business and commuting trips
• transport emissions for 2023-2037 are estimated tobe 13.03 MtCO2e** significantly exceeding our CCC target of 9.39 MtCO2e
• 95% of road transport emissions are fromtrips starting, ending, or made entirely within our area
• cars are responsible for 70% of emissions and LGVs/HGVs account for 28%
• forecast transport emissions for our area will over-shoot the national Net Zero Delivery Pathway by the end of the decade
• carbon budget to achieve net-zero target = estimated 10,331 ktCO2e 2025 to 2050
• 32% reduction in carbon emissions required to achieve net-zero pathway

* KtCO2e = kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent

** MtCO2e = Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent

2 Percentages are relative to road transport emissions, including car, LGV, and HGV, and excluding rail, bus, and coach.

In 2024 we asked the public, stakeholders, businesses and community groups to tell us what transport issues they experience, and what opportunities they see for future transport across our area. Over 3,800 people engaged with us. An engagement summary report presents the feedback collected.

Key messages from the engagement feedback:

• public transport does not meet some people’s needs including frequency, affordability, and accessibility, particularly in rural areas
• a strong desire for more wellconnected walking, wheeling and cycling networks that are appropriate and safe for all users
• many are keen to maintain their independence by continuing to own their own vehicle
• better transportation between towns and villages are needed to combat isolation and provide choice in the ways people travel
• there is a willingness to change travel behaviour, but alternatives must be in place for people to make the change
• infrastructure such as mobility hubs can transform our transport system for the better and encourage people to make more sustainable travel choices
• congestion is an ongoing problem across urban areas during the summer season and peak times of the day
• communities are concerned that a lack of transport options is contributing to declining mental health, particularly among older residents in rural areas
• removing the transport barriers faced by different groups of people is required to create equitable access to transport
• the movement of people and goods should be more efficient to benefit the economy and the environment

Community engagement

Ensuring that our transport plan meets the diverse needs of residents, businesses and visitors through effective consultation and feedback.

Technological advancements

Embracing new technologies and digital innovation.

Safety

Improving safety and security on our transport networks.

Decarbonisation

Promotion of zero emission cars, LGV’s, HGV’s and buses, and micromobility solutions.

Health and wellbeing

Improving public health through cleaner transport and increased travel choice.

Economic growth

Improving the sustainable movement of people, freight and goods to boost the local economy and enhance quality of life.

Holistic planning

People focused place making to create healthy and prosperous places to live in, work in and visit.

Funding and investment

Securing national and regional funding to support our local priorities and larger scale transport projects.

Sustainable transport

Creating high quality networks that encourage active travel as primary form of transport for short urban journeys and expanding public transport services to benefit everyone.

Public transport

Lack of services within and between towns and villages and congestion making public transport less reliable.

Urban transport

Congestion and access to parking in our urban centres.

Public health

The health impacts and deprivation caused by a lack of transport options.

Economic growth

lmproved travel options needed for tourism, leisure, freight and commuter trips as congestion, especially in summer impacting on the economy and environment.

Rural accessibility

Rurality and the varied landscape making decarbonisation challenging.

Funding and investment

Securing funding for transport improvements and maintenance is a big challenge, impacting our ability to implement new initiatives and solutions.

Demographics

A rapidly ageing population and the transport challenges this brings.

Car reliance

Car dependency and high levels of car ownership.

Environmental

Climate change and air quality causing degradation of the local landscape.

Our vision

Our vision summarises what we want our transport system to be like by 2041:

• our travel will be transformed through innovation and digital connectivity, creating accessible and inclusive travel choices for our residents, workers and visitors.
• our transport network will support sustainable economic growth in our urban and rural communities, contribute to our decarbonisation targets and protect our unique local environment.

To achieve our vision, we have outlined 6 key objectives and defined success for each.

Safeguard the climate and environment Improve health and wellbeing Create accessible and prosperous

We will significantly reduce local transport emissions to achieve our local net-zero targets by 2045. We will improve local air quality and protect and enhance the local environment, including Dorset Heathlands and our designated National Landscapes and increase biodiversity.

What does success look like:

• by the end of the LTP period carbon emissions from transport will be reduced in line with local and government targets
• a comprehensive and accessible charging/refuelling network that supports a faster transition to a zeroemission vehicle fleet
• improved choice, allowing people to get to where they need to go by zero emission transport options
• public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling are the preferred option for many journeys
• digital technologies have reduced the need to travel
• national air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the LTP area are fully met
• a nature positive approach to transport design, delivery and maintenance, including increasing tree planting and installing sustainable drainage systems have been adopted

Improve health and wellbeing

We will enable active lifestyles by providing comprehensive walking, wheeling and cycling routes, and deliver safe, inclusive and integrated sustainable travel networks. We will unlock a shift in travel behaviour by providing healthy transport options, particularly for short distance urban trips. We will increase transport choice to reduce social deprivation and inequality and provide greater access to local services.

What does success look like:

• more journeys are undertaken using active modes or public transport using high quality transport network
• our streets will prioritise active travel, provide an attractive and safe environment for making healthy travel choices
• a connected network of walking, wheeling and cycling routes have made travelling safer, inclusive and easy to access by everyone
• communities are healthier and happier from having access to a wide variety of transport options with high quality supporting infrastructure
• residents are benefiting from increased levels of physical activity and improved mental health, and this has reduced the burden on health care resources over time
• there are more frequent transport services improving access to local facilities
• the adverse impacts of road transport emissions on public health have been minimised

Create accessible and prosperous places

We will improve access to goods, services, employment, education opportunities, and visitor attractions. We will improve connectivity within and between rural and urban areas. We will support the delivery of sustainable and well-connected development to meet the housing and employment needs of the area. We will improve access to local, regional, national and international gateways including Portland Port, Port of Poole and Bournemouth Airport.

What does success look like:

• successful and vibrant places with economic growth and activity focused on locations that are accessible by a range of sustainable transport options, while essential car journeys can be undertaken easily and reliably
• improved access to opportunities and services across the whole of the LTP area and a more equitable transport offer for those areas with the greatest need
• economic hubs and international gateways are well connected to the local, regional and national transport network via reliable routes, promoting enhanced travel opportunities by a range of sustainable transport modes
• new developments are located in accessible and well-connected places, serviced by a range of transport options. More people are choosing to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport

Enable a safer transport network

We will reduce the number of casualties, non-injury collisions and fear of danger on our transport network. We will support the Dorset Road Safety Partnership towards its goal of zero people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 2050. We will provide a safe environment for children travelling to school, leading to more journeys being made by sustainable forms of travel, and reducing congestion associated with the school run.

What does success look like:

• our streets will be safer and favour moving people rather than motorised vehicles, with space prioritised for walking, cycling and public transport modes
• considerable progress is made in working towards zero deaths and serious injuries by the end of LTP period
• there is a significant increase in the number of schools actively engaging in travel planning, travel training and there are more school streets. More older children travel independently to school
• people will feel increasingly safe and comfortable travelling independently using all forms of transport at all times of the day and night

A resilient and fit for purpose transport network

We will plan and adapt to improve the resilience of our transport systems and infrastructure. Our transport network will be well managed, resilient and wellmaintained. We will reduce congestion and disruption to improve journey time reliability for all journeys. We will reduce the carbon emissions from construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure.

What does success look like:

• infrastructure is planned, designed, delivered and maintained to be resilient to the effects of climate change, extreme weather, and incidents
• services and routes return to normal as quickly as possible after incidents on the network and the impact of any disruption on people and businesses is managed
• all assets are planned and sustainably managed
• all new infrastructure is resilient and sustainably constructed
• funding opportunities are maximised to ensure the network can operate efficiently and effectively
• the councils are working more collaboratively with utility companies and developers ensuring that emergency and planned road works and disruption is kept to a minimum
• the network can adapt to changing travel demands and traffic patterns (including any changes in the makeup of road users and introduction of new travel modes and technologies) during the LTP period

Public transport that is inclusive and accessible

We will improve our public transport networks to widen opportunities to access local facilities. Services will be attractive, safe, inclusive and reliable. We will work with partners to increase service frequency and improve connectivity within and between urban and rural locations.

What does success look like:

• local bus services will operate at higher frequencies, with extended operating hours, becoming a more viable option for getting around without the need to drive
• more people will use public transport to get to work, school and other key services like hospitals, and user satisfaction will increase
• social deprivation will be reduced across the area as more people feel confident and able to access bus and rail services
• transport services will be fully integrated so people can make seamless connections between public transport, active travel and sustainable car use
• mobility hubs will consolidate services including deliveries, travel information, charging facilities and social spaces to transform our transport interchanges into places that benefit the whole community
• digital technologies will make travelling by public transport easier and simpler for everyone and improve the user experience

Our transport strategy responds to national and regional policy, reflecting it in the local context to guide future transport investment. Aligning with plans and strategies produced by the Department for Transport and the Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body (WGSTB) ensures that our strategy responds to both our local priorities and the strategic priorities of the region and nation. Below are the transport key documents in the wider framework of national, regional and local policy.

National

Priorities:

• growing the economy
• NHS fit for the future
• safer streets
• opportunity for all
• clean energy superpower

Key documents:

• Decarbonising Transport Plan
• National Planning Policy Framework
• Future of Mobility: Urban and Rural
• National Bus Strategy
• Gear Change
• Taking Charge
• Road Investment Strategies
• Plan for Drivers
• Local Area Energy plans

Regional

Priorities:

• sustainable growth
• decarbonisation and air quality
• access to services and opportunities
• facilitating north-south movement
• movement of goods

Key documents:

• Strategic Transport Plan
• Strategic Investment Plan
• Modal Strategies
• M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Connectivity Study

Local

Dorset Council priorities:

• affordable and high-quality housing
• growing our economy
• communities for all
• responding to the climate and nature crisis

BCP Council priorities:

• our place and environment: Vibrant places, where people and nature flourish, with a thriving economy in a healthy, natural environment
• our people and communities: Everyone leads a fulfilled life, maximising opportunity for all

Key documents:

Council/Corporate Plans

• Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology Strategies
• Local Plans and Town Centre Masterplans; Economic Growth and Regeneration Strategies
• Health and Wellbeing strategies; Digital Strategies

Supporting Transport Plans:

• Bus Service Improvement Plans
• Electric Vehicles Infrastructure Strategies
• Active Travel Plans; Parking Strategies
• Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plans
• Dorset Connectivity Study
• Strategic Station Plans

Safeguard the climate and environment

Our transport strategy seeks to achieve a transport system which safeguards the local environment, enhances biodiversity and significantly reduces carbon emissions to achieve net zero by 2050.

The transport sector, with dependency on fossil fuels, is a major contributor to society’s carbon footprint, and affects air quality and public health. Decarbonising the transport sector will be a key challenge in achieving net zero.

Modelling work undertaken highlights a sizeable emissions gap by the end of the strategy period in 2041 if there is no change. This modelling helps to understand the scale of the challenge and demonstrate the importance of a swift reduction in carbon emissions.

Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, adversely affecting a wide range of health conditions (including heart and lung conditions). There is growing scientific evidence of the significant harm to human health caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in ambient air from transport emissions.

Air pollution from vehicles poses a threat to our unique and fragile eco-systems, including Dorset heathlands and our designated national landscapes. In addition, oil, chemicals and tyre wear from motor vehicles are a damaging source of water pollution and pose a significant risk to wildlife.

Noise and light pollution from transport can significantly affect the quality of life for local residents and interfere with natural environment and wildlife. Implementing measures to reduce these pollutants is essential for promoting a healthier, more sustainable community, and protecting our natural environment.

Policy A1

Reduce transport carbon emissions on a pathway compatible with national, regional and local budgets and net zero commitments.

Emission savings from increased vehicle efficiency and growth in the number of electric vehicles on our roads has largely been offset by increases in the distance travelled and increased popularity of larger higher-emitting vehicles like SUV’s.

National policies such as the proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and vans by 2035 will not reduce emissions far enough or fast enough. Whilst both Dorset Council and BCP Council have committed to their areas being net zero by 2045, without significant action during the early part of the strategy period, BCP and Dorset will exceed government recommended carbon reduction pathways by the end of the decade. Many people don’t have access to good transport options for the journeys that they need to make. Improving walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport networks will help to increase transport choice and support changing approaches to travel and personal mobility.

Enhanced digital infrastructure and connectivity will increasingly substitute the need to travel including for goods, services and employment. Investment in mobile network coverage and broadband speeds by communications infrastructure companies will support this shift in behaviour. Improved digital connectivity in rural Dorset will be necessary to unlock the opportunities that access to superfast broadband and 4G/5G mobile networks already provide to businesses and residents within our towns.

Currently:

• 4G/4G+ are widely available across the centre of BCP and Dorset. Some parts of Bournemouth, Poole and urban Dorset also have access to 5G

• 99.3% of BCP has access to superfast broadband networks and 96.8% of Dorset has access to superfast networks (the national average is 97.6%)

Digital infrastructure is a key component of enabling people to travel less. This creates opportunities to exploit digital accessibility and future technology options

We will:

• work collaboratively with transport operators, businesses and local community action groups and take local action to achieve the reductions in carbon emissions through both changing travel behaviour by enabling improved sustainable transport and accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles
• we will improve digital connectivity and locate new development in the most sustainable locations to reduce the need to travel. This policy will be supported through our local plans, ensuring transport considerations are integral to planning and development

Policy A2

Accelerate the uptake of zero-emission vehicles through the delivery of supporting infrastructure. For some journeys, particularly in areas with limited public transport provision, cars and vans will continue to be the most suitable means of transport. Accelerating the uptake of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) through the delivery of supporting infrastructure such as charge points and hydrogen refuelling stations, will make the largest contribution to reducing our transport emissions. For example, consideration needs to be given to supporting residents without access to off street parking, charging in the workplace and charging infrastructure at destination locations.

The UK Government ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 will speed up the transition to ZEVs. By 2030 it is estimated that ZEVs could account for up to 35% of all cars and vans on our local roads, with approximately 91,000 vehicles within the Dorset Council area and 83,500 vehicles in BCP. (Cenex. Aug 2024: Future Projections Report - National EV Insight and Support)

Charging infrastructure is essential to encourage EV ownership. The number of public electric vehicle charge points across Dorset and BCP continues to grow in response to rising demand. To meet future needs from residents, businesses and visitors, a significant increase in publicly accessible charge point coverage will be required by 2041.

We will:

• progress a comprehensive approach to zero emission vehicles and charging and refuelling infrastructure covering both urban and rural locations, a range of vehicle types and means of travel
• provide affordable, accessible and convenient charging and refuelling for residents, businesses and visitors
• ensure that alongside ways to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure, we support other alternative fuels, such as Hydrogen, particularly for buses, coaches and freight as technology advances and costs reduce
• work with partners including energy providers and the National Grid, to develop Local Area Energy Plans to ensure grid capacity constraints are resolved so the pace and extent of progression is not impacted

Policy A3

Improve local air quality and reduce key sources of pollution from transport to protect our health and the natural and historic environment by addressing the key sources of pollution from transport.

Road transport is a major source of pollution and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2022) states that poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause chronic conditions such as lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases reducing life expectancy. Air pollution affects everyone, but vulnerable people are impacted the most.

Communities and destinations such as schools close to main roads often have the poorest air quality. Evidence suggests that residents in the most densely populated areas with higher social deprivation are disproportionately affected by poor air quality, noise and light pollution and the associated health effects.

We will:

• ensure all applicable transport infrastructure schemes are assessed for their air quality, noise and light impacts. Agreed measures to avoid, mitigate, and compensate for impacts will be implemented.
• promote design that enhances air quality, including street trees, and other green infrastructure

Policy A4

Take a nature positive approach to transport design, delivery and maintenance to boost biodiversity. Dorset is known for its natural beauty, with a network of habitats that provide homes to a wide range of wildlife. 52 percent of Dorset is designated as National Landscape, the highest proportion of any English county. There is no designated national landscape in BCP, but the council does manage 2,500 ha of greenspace. Dorset and BCP’s biodiversity is a significant and valued asset, making the area an attractive and prosperous place to live work and visit and is vital in contributing to the longterm sustainability of the county and helping to maintain a strong sense of place.

However, in recent decades the area’s varied biodiversity has been affected by the declines in nature observed across the world, mostly caused by human activity. Biodiversity decline means that our nature is not thriving and is less able to cope with change. This often results in a decline and degradation of the natural environment which can have a negative impact on water and air quality, both of which can affect people’s lives.

We will:

• incorporate nature positive related transport infrastructure through green infrastructure, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), different maintenance arrangements and transport projects that deliver a better environment through new planting. Consider installing green crossings to reduce habitat fragmentation
• where biodiversity net gain cannot be achieved within a particular scheme, the aim will be to improve habitats elsewhere, funded within the overall cost of the scheme
• ensure that new and improved transport infrastructure schemes align with the objectives within our nature recovery strategies
• ensure that highways maintenance regimes (for exampl, grass and vegetation cutting) support biodiversity and management of the natural environment

Improve health and wellbeing

A key challenge for our transport strategy is tackling declining health and wellbeing within our communities. One in four people in England do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week (Sport England) and the overall number of people reporting mental health problems has been increasing in recent years (Mind).

Transport can unlock opportunities for being more active – through public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling, getting outdoors, socialising, and accessing leisure and health facilities and natural landscapes. Those who experience limited access to good transport links are more at risk of experiencing isolation and poor physical or mental health.

Many people are reluctant to participate in active forms of travel due to the current level of network provision, which is perceived to be disjointed and unsafe. There is a strong desire for better infrastructure to prioritise walking, wheeling and cycling, especially in urban centres where demand to travel actively is higher.

Delivering a network of inclusive, coherent and connected active travel routes is the key to unlocking a shift in behaviour by providing safe and healthy travel options.

Our transport strategy will focus on getting more people to be physically active by prioritising walking and cycling for shorter journeys, particularly in urban areas, aiming to meet the Active Travel England objective of 50% of urban trips to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030.

To achieve this, we will create high quality, inclusive active travel networks and provide education, training and behaviour change initiatives to encourage more people to walk, wheel or cycle.

Both local authorities have strategies specifically designed to develop the right infrastructure for prioritising safe and active travel, and these will be used to identify where future funding can make meaningful improvements to existing networks.

Benefits of physical activity:

• reduced risk of major illness including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer
• lower risk of early death by 30%
• reduced risk of mental illness such as depression and dementia
• replacing car journeys with an active mode (walking, wheeling and cycling) can save carbon emissions
• spending less of your household income on transport
• improved air quality, reduced noise and light pollution
• increased spending on the high street and town/ local centres, benefits to employers, reduced costs for the NHS, and reduced congestion

Policy B1

Establish a joined up, safe and attractive active travel network supported by appropriate infrastructure.

A lack of accessible active travel routes was recognised as contributing to inactivity and declining mental health.

Currently, many local trips are made using private vehicles, causing congestion and environmental impacts that affect health and wellbeing. By investing in active travel, sustainable multi-modal journeys can support many short and mediumlength trips. Travel choice is improved, resulting in environmental and health benefits. Walking, wheeling and cycling can support the local economy, with increased footfall from pedestrians and cyclists boosting local shops and businesses, helping to revitalise high streets and town centres.

We will:

• establish a joined up network of routes that prioritise active travel, while keeping users safe
• provide infrastructure that enables people to easily lead healthier lifestyles through increased opportunities to be active
• prioritise the delivery of transport schemes aimed to enhance and expand the active travel network with a focus on improving safety and inclusivity. We will create a network of safe, direct and accessible routes focused on enabling significantly more short and medium trips within our urban areas to be made actively
• we will develop and implement local cycling and walking infrastructure plans (LCWIPS) / active travel infrastructure plans (ATIPS), and rights of way improvement plans (ROWIPS) to provide a comprehensive active travel network

Policy B2

Promote the benefits of travelling actively within our communities. Our initial engagement activities revealed a desire amongst many of our local population to be more active and sustainable in the way they travel. However, current levels of provision are limiting opportunities to do so. The benefits of active travel span further than increased exercise. Environmental and economic benefits can also be realised – such as improved air quality and more local living boosting local economies. Improved mental health benefits associated with exercise can also be linked here. Evidence from local engagement and programmes such as the Transforming Travel initiative and Dorset’s Active Travel Infrastructure Plan suggests that people are more likely to change travel behaviour when promotion focuses on personal benefits such as health, wellbeing and convenience, rather than broader societal outcomes. We can use these benefits as incentives for active travel uptake – emphasising those that directly improve personal lives.

We will:

• improve awareness of the health benefits of active travel involving partner organisations including the NHS, through a co-ordinated approach
• enable people to have the skills, confidence and knowledge to be able to travel actively through cycle and pedestrian training and travel planning activities, provided in conjunction with partner organisations, schools and businesses
• improve the quality and availability of information about active travel to help people make informed travel decisions

Policy B3

Improve local access to health and leisure opportunities, green spaces, public rights of way, tourist destinations and heritage assets.

There is huge value in communities (and visitors) having access to green space and to experience the many nationally significant natural assets within our area. These include National Landscapes, conservation areas, parks and the Jurassic Coast. Getting outdoors within these areas significantly contributes to physical and mental wellbeing.

Many of these places can be accessed using Public Rights of Way (PRoW), however feedback highlights that these routes are not accessible to everyone. For low-income households, the cost of travel and lack of nearby provision can make access to green space very difficult. As a result, people tend to access these locations by driving, or are unable to access them at all. The associated transport emissions are harming these sensitive natural environments, which has knock-on health impacts for local communities.

Initial engagement feedback demonstrated a desire for improved access to these areas by sustainable means to encourage healthier lifestyles by taking trips into nature without the associated carbon output. In terms of tourism – economic benefits can be found in encouraging the use of public transport, active travel (such as bike and e-bike hire) and electric vehicles for accessing the natural landscape. We want to harness these opportunities through our transport strategy.

Enhancing local bus networks will enable greater access to the outdoors for leisure, exercise and relaxation. This will support wellbeing and promote sustainable tourism by enhancing travel options.

We will:

• improve active and public transport access to leisure and tourist destinations, and the natural landscape, where feasible. Working in partnership with transport operators and visitor attractions to identify opportunities and provide the routes and infrastructure needed to support this
• increase the number of electric and alternative fuels refuelling stations at popular leisure and tourism locations facilities to avoid damage to the natural environment

Policy B4

Active travel infrastructure for sustainable development.

For developments to function as liveable, healthy, low carbon-neighbourhoods, it’s essential that high quality walking, wheeling and cycling facilities are embedded in new developments from the outset. This includes providing suitable connections to existing networks and key facilities and improving access to public transport. Such infrastructure needs to be safe and suitable for all users. Developments will be required to contribute towards and/or deliver required infrastructure. More details on the requirements of this policy are available within local planning guidance as published on the Dorset Council and BCP Council websites.

All significant proposals must include a vision-led transport assessment that prioritises active travel and public transport before considering residual traffic impacts. Assessments must map existing and proposed active travel links, identify deficiencies and barriers, and propose enhancements. Such enhancements should demonstrate how they improve access to key destinations including local schools and workplaces.

Developments will:

• prioritise people over cars, and will be designed around walking, wheeling and cycling networks
• ce designed to reduce through-traffic, lower vehicle speeds, and create liveable neighbourhoods
• connect communities, ensuring that all new developments are linked to neighbouring areas, schools, services, and public transport through safe, direct, and inclusive active travel routes
• deliver infrastructure that meets or exceeds national design standards (e.g. ltn 1/20), ensuring accessibility, safety, and comfort for all users
• provide secure cycle parking, mobility hubs, and ev-ready vehicle spaces at homes, interchanges, and destinations to support sustainable travel choices
• provide infrastructure as part of S278 agreements, or contributions through section 106 agreements, or community infrastructure levy (CIL) to fund improvements as required
• reduce the overall need to travel by supporting mixed-use development, digital connectivity and access to services within walking or cycling distance

We will:

• embed active travel infrastructure in design guidance and local plans, ensuring alignment with vision-led transport assessments
• support liveable neighbourhoods by encouraging a mix of homes, jobs, services, and community spaces
• support our residents to access daily needs like shops, schools, healthcare, and green spaces within a short walk or cycle, through land-use and spatial planning policies that promote mixed-use development and well-connected neighbourhoods

Create accessible and prosperous places

The movement of people, goods and services (the transport system) is vital in supporting the economic development and prosperity of our area. Problems on the transport network impact the movement of people and freight. Our feedback shows that unreliable journey times and road congestion during busy times are key issues for our residents and businesses. Each year there are more than 33 million visitor trips to the LTP area, which help to generate over £1.3 billion to the local economy supporting thousands of local jobs and businesses. There are large fluctuations in travel demand with additional strain placed upon the transport network during the peak holiday season. The increased traffic reduces the attractiveness of the LTP area as a tourist destination and can deter visitors from returning. A lack of alternative transport options intensifies these issues, and the difficulty of having a car-free holiday may act as a further barrier for some visitors.

There is no motorway provision in Dorset. The Strategic road network (SRN) is limited, consisting of the A31 and A35 east – west corridors. There is poor connectivity for north / south movements between the Dorset coast and the M4 corridor to Bristol, the wider region and beyond into the Midlands. This poor connectivity can result in negative impacts on local communities within our area such as congestion, inappropriate vehicle movement and a failure to recognise the real destination needs.

Most freight is currently transported by road in the region. We must collaborate with key partners to promote the use of strategic freight routes and seek opportunities to transport goods by alternative modes (for example, rail freight and technologies like drones) and alternative fuels to help free up the local road network and reduce emissions from freight and commercial vehicles.

There are opportunities to substitute and reduce the need to travel by providing accessible and functional digital services which provide access to goods and services without the need to travel.

There is a need to better serve our economic hubs and key local, regional, national and international gateways (rail stations, ports and Bournemouth airport) and key trip generators by providing improved access and connectivity to support and encourage economic growth.

There is significant housing and employment growth planned for our area through new Local Plans. Our vision-led approach will integrate transport and strategic land use planning to achieve well-designed, sustainable and popular places, and will provide the transport solutions to deliver those outcomes. It is imperative that our transport strategy and our Local Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents are closely aligned to ensure that development is located in the right locations, at the appropriate density to enable opportunities to provide a range of viable sustainable transport choices for our residents and businesses. Feedback from previous engagement has highlighted that barriers such as cost, accessibility and lack of supporting information must also be addressed to ensure genuine travel choice to all.

Our analysis shows that a 32% reduction in local transport emissions is required across the LTP area if we are going to deliver climate change targets by 2050. This will require many of us to adjust our transport habits and behaviours for some journeys, due to the high proportion of petrol and diesel vehicles still in use for short journeys.

Policy C1

Improve sustainable access to our key tourism areas and manage the seasonal peaks in travel demand.

This policy is needed to ensure popular visitor attractions in the area are accessible and attractive as destinations. Measures are required to reduce the seasonal impact of tourism on the strategic and

local transport networks and to provide more efficient and reliable travel for all. We will work with tourism industry partners and transport operators to improve visitor travel information and encourage visitors to use sustainable low carbon forms of transport where possible, and direct those who drive to travel on the appropriate routes and park in strategic visitor parking sites. This will support network management to accommodate seasonal fluctuations in travel demand to/from the area, and will minimise the economic, social and environmental impact of traffic on our communities and residents.

We will:

• implement traffic management solutions that reduce the impact of seasonal congestion on local communities and in turn improve the viability of sustainable travel options
• improve travel options to visitor destinations and tourist attractions particularly focused on sustainable transport

Policy C2

Maintain and improve connectivity and sustainable access for people and goods to local, regional, national and international gateways.

We will support sustainable economic growth by ensuring that people and goods can get to where they need to go easily and efficiently to provide increased economic and equitable opportunities for all. We will facilitate the movement of goods and services by a range of transport options, and minimise the negative impacts associated with high volumes of traffic across our transport network.

Providing for more reliable and sustainable journeys helps to reduce road congestion and further support sustainable economic growth.To support growth, we need to maintain and improve multi-modal connectivity to our ports, rail hubs and airport within the LTP area, enabling improved movements of people and goods. We aim to improve journey time reliability on strategic freight routes to improve access to/from key gateways and to minimise HGV running on unsuitable local routes. We will support measures to move more road freight by rail (where possible) to help reduce congestion and lower carbon emissions from freight transport.

We will:

• work with strategic partners through the Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body to improve the regional transport network delivering faster and more reliable journey times by rail, and road for cars, freight, buses and coaches. For example, the capacity and safety improvements along the A31 and A35 corridors to deliver faster and more reliable road journeys to support development and economic growth
• adopt innovative, more sustainable and efficient solutions for the movement of goods – especially for the last section of journeys
• deliver multimodal access for people and goods – improving transport options and ease of access to local, regional, national and international gateways – to include Bournemouth international airport, Industrial estates and the ports of Poole and Portland

Policy C3

Improve access to education, training, employment and leisure/visitor destinations.

We will improve access to social, educational and economic opportunities across the LTP area, with an increased focus on poorly connected places. This will provide increased opportunities for those currently constrained by poor connectivity, helping to address existing inequalities, especially in deprived areas.

We will:

• ensure residents can easily reach education, training, jobs, and leisure destinations through a well-connected, inclusive transport network
• deliver reliable, frequent, and accessible bus and rail services that link communities with key employment destinations
• work in partnerships to fund and implement transport improvements that meet community needs and support long-term growth

Policy C4

Promote sustainable and cost effective travel options and provision of local facilities in new developments using a ‘vision led’ approach.

Limited transport options over many decades have created car dominant public areas, busy with congestion and where prime central space is dedicated to parking. Air and noise pollution is increased, and places become less attractive, while being difficult to access by other types of transport.

People are more likely to choose to walk, wheel or cycle where traffic volumes and vehicle speeds are lower. Using people-focused design, we can re- balance development to favour sustainable forms of travel to create places people want to live and spend time in. We will create vibrant, resilient, and low- carbon communities by ensuring new developments are designed to promote sustainable and cost- effective travel options and support self-contained, liveable neighbourhoods.

We will prioritise sustainable transport modes and encourage car sharing, car club and other travel choices. We will promote greater local living, ensuring that residents can access essential services, jobs, education, and leisure within a short walk or cycle. All major developments must include or have good access to local shops and food outlets, primary healthcare and education, community and leisure facilities, green spaces and play areas. This will enhance community wellbeing and foster healthier, more active lifestyles and stronger local economies.

Connectivity will be enhanced within and between communities, enabling seamless travel across different modes of transportation and improving connections to support the growth aspirations in our local plans. Improved transport options will create vibrant, accessible and inclusive communities where people have a good choice of sustainable transport modes for the journeys they need to take, removing reliance on private car journeys to get around.

This policy will support the implementation of a sustainable transport user hierarchy, where requirements for good provision of walking, wheeling and cycling (active travel) and public transport infrastructure are provided up-front. Local facilities and services will be provided and located within easy walking/cycling distance of new housing development. We will ensure there is good provision for digital accessibility to support high speed internet, remote working, health care appointments and other service needs, reducing the need to travel for some journeys.

Developments will:

• design for liveable neighbourhoods and healthy streets ensuring they support residents to access daily needs like shops, schools, healthcare, and green spaces within a short walk or cycle.
• prioritise active travel and public transport by embedding high-quality walking, cycling, and public transport infrastructure from the outset, making sustainable travel the easiest and most attractive choice.
• reduce the need for long-distance travel.
• support vibrant, self-sufficient communities by encouraging a mix of homes, jobs, services, and community spaces.
• design for low-car or car-free living to discourage unnecessary car dependency by managing car parking, promoting shared transport solutions (for example, car clubs) and providing EV charging
• provide contributions through section 106 agreements or community infrastructure levies to fund off-site improvements as required

We will:

• work with planners and developers through the planning system to ensure new developments prioritise and encourage people to travel actively and use public transport
• secure contributions to deliver improvements to the transport network
• support home working and digital connectivity, reducing the need to travel and enabling local economic resilience
• promote development in locations with good connectivity to the transport network including access to rail services and a good bus service, with mobility hubs supporting multi-modal travel opportunities

Policy C5

Deliver and support residential and business behaviour change initiatives to encourage safe, healthy and sustainable travel.

We intend to deliver a transport network and system where walking and cycling become the natural first choice for shorter journeys for those who are able. We recognise that travel behaviours are habitual, and meaningful change will require targeted interventions and effective incentivisation, in addition to infrastructure. To support a shift in travel choices, particularly for medium and longer journeys, we will enhance public and shared transport options to offer realistic and attractive alternatives. For shorter trips, these options will complement active travel modes. Crucially, we will implement mechanisms that incentivise change, alongside providing tailored support, information, training, and assistance to encourage and sustain new travel behaviours.

We will continue to work with employers and schools to widen travel choices for getting to/from work and school – including travel plan initiatives. This will form part of our wider transport planning and delivery policies. This includes working in close partnership with schools to develop and promote travel plans, improve walking and cycling infrastructure around school zones and support initiatives such as walking and cycle buses, cycle training and school streets.

We will collaborate with major employers to encourage sustainable commuting practices. This will involve supporting workplace travel planning, promoting flexible working arrangements, and incentivising the use of public transport, shared mobility schemes, and active travel modes. By aligning our efforts we aim to create a coordinated and supportive environment that makes sustainable travel the easier, more attractive choice for everyday journeys.

Academic studies have shown that physically active children achieve higher levels of academic attainment at school. Encouraging children to walk, wheel or cycle to school provides an opportunity for regular physical activity.

A major barrier to enabling children to walk or cycle to and from school is the level of traffic and inconsiderate parking outside the school gate. Introducing measures to create a car-free environment outside school gates will encourage active and healthy travel to/from school, improve air quality, reduce emissions, develop children’s ability to travel independently and improve the perception of road safety outside the school.

We will:

• promote and deliver supporting interventions to enable greater travel choice for people, organisations and communities
• facilitate travel plans for new developments, workplaces, schools and visitor attractions
• support transport interventions through development and implementation of appropriate parking strategies to provide the framework to increase sustainable travel and provide demand management

Enable a safer transport system

Safety on all parts of our transport network has influence on how people travel and wider implications on our communities linked to health, wellbeing and the impacts of collisions. Our transport strategy covers the duty that everyone that travels on our networks is kept safe, no matter how they choose to do so. Recognition of and progress towards making travel safer, particularly for vulnerable road users and groups that feel less safe is needed, especially to increase levels of active travel and public transport. Our engagement indicated that 89% agreed that feeling unsafe or vulnerable can discourage the use of public transport and active travel. 71% agreed that there is a lack of safe travel routes for pedestrians and cyclists with women raising this to a greater extent than men – 77% compared to 68%.

Reducing the numbers and severity of collisions is part of the overall aspiration of the transport strategy and implementation plan – in accordance with the statutory duty to investigate and seek to reduce casualties – enshrined in the Road Traffic Act 1988 section 39.

Nationally there has been a downward trend, albeit is slowing, in overall road casualties. In the LTP area, casualties have not fallen sufficiently to meet the targets set out in our previous transport strategy.

The Dorset Road Safe Partnership has the vision to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries to 2030 by 40% and zero by 2050. The partnership, which covers both the Dorset Council and BCP council areas, will seek to progress these targets by helping to develop a safer road system – particularly where more sustainable forms of travel are encouraged. Our engagement showed 75% agreement for reducing road deaths and injuries through development of a safer road system.

The objectives of our transport strategy are linked – for increasing journeys by active travel and public transport people will need to feel safer on our roads and public transport – including interchanges and waiting facilities. Many people feel unsafe cycling and walking on our current active travel infrastructure, reducing transport choice. Older, younger and disabled people often have specific needs and for them safety concerns are more pronounced – locations need to feel safe and secure for all people and at all times. To achieve complete transport access to public spaces, locations need to always feel safe and secure for all people and so they are confident to travel.

Policy D1

Improve the safety of all road users in accordance with the Dorset Road Safety Partnership Strategy and support its vision of zero road casualties by 2050.

Our need to travel has consequences for the safety of people. On average 6 people are injured on roads every day in our area. The associated annual cost to the local economy is estimated at £156 million (Source – Dorset Road Safe Strategy – produced by the Dorset Road Safety Partnership). The emotional impact on those affected by a road casualty and their social groups is immense. Considerationsof how we all travel, and the resulting policies need to improve safety as a priority. Many injuries are largely preventable. Through effective partnership working we will progress the interventions required to prevent avoidable collisions.

All travel is subject to incidents, but how people travel gives a varying degree of risk. Based on distance travelled, people that walk, wheel or cycle are statistically far more likely to be involved in a collision and face more serious injuries as a result, than those who travel by car. The likelihood of collisions and the chances of recovery can differ based on personal characteristics like age, ethnicity, and disability. Areas with higher social deprivation typically experience more collisions. We have a responsibility to make sure that specific groups are not disproportionately treated by our policies and actions. By focusing our efforts on those most at risk, we can reduce casualties and lower costs for our communities.

We will:

• support the Dorset Road Safety Partnership to progress and deliver road safety interventions themed around safer people, safer vehicles, safer roads and safer speeds, through education, enforcement and engineering activities
• focus delivery by adopting the safe system model, recognising that people make mistakes – so designing roads and vehicles accordingly can help them less likely to make mistakes that in result of death or serious injury. This helps achieve the vision that no-one will be killed or seriously injured on our roads
• use evidence to tailor specific local measures and initiatives recognising that local priorities and conditions vary throughout the LTP area. The needs of specific groups of road users will be prioritised at high collision locations based on evidence
• mitigate against disproportionate risk of collisions based on transport mode and protected characteristics
• use research and engagement to identify personal safety concerns that influence transport decisions including whether some concerns are raised by some groups of people more than others. Use lived experience of people and their priorities when considering improvements as these give a wider perspective than statistics alone
• local safety partnerships will be involved in improving transport safety using their expertise and community approach. Including transport operators will enable knowledge sharing and delivery of measures through a combined approach involving vehicles and travel to and from stops and interchanges

Policy D2

Promote and co-ordinate road safety initiatives around schools to encourage sustainable forms of travel.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to be involved in collisions and sustain more serious injuries. The journey to and from school is a focus of interventions to both develop sustainable travel behaviours and improve safety of travel. The learning environment of schools enables road safety education to be targeted at those most vulnerable. Providing a safe environment for active travel to schools, leading to more journeys by foot, cycling and wheeling has environmental and health benefits through less pollution, congestion and increased physical exercise.

We will:

• improve safety around schools through a programme of measures implemented to provide a safer environment for active travel
• reduce other traffic on approaches to schools where possible, including implementing school streets
• reduce reliance on car trips for school journeys. The effectiveness of interventions will be monitored to adopt practices that are effective

Policy D3

Improve personal safety for all journeys to ensure everyone can travel safely and go about their daily lives with comfort and ease.

Feeling safe when travelling is an important part of the journey experience for everyone, regardless of the journey distance, purpose, route, mode or timing.

A safer travel environment needs to include all aspects of journeys, with improvements required in all locations where people travel. Complete or partial trips will incorporate public areas including stations, car and cycle parking locations, cycle lanes, footways, bus stops and pedestrianised streets. These places can be perceived as a less safe travel environment compared to journeys solely made by car. To enable more journeys to be made by public transport and active travel, safety concerns need to be addressed by ensuring that new facilities include enhanced safety by design and improvements are made to existing places.

Responses from public consultation and engagement identify personal safety issues in all aspects of travel but often more significant with intended improvements to public transport and active travel. To realise additional journeys being made more sustainably these safety concerns need to be addressed. Our transport system needs to be available to all and some people feel less secure on different means of transport than others.

The barriers faced by some groups of people will be identified and acted upon to ensure all forms of transport are accessible. Recognising the human element of journeys and the places we travel through will increase the positive view of our overall transport environment.

We will:

• improve existing locations and prioritise location of developments in the most accessible areas, which both are well served by all forms of transport, ensuring new and existing facilities include design features that help create a safe travel environment. For example, suitable lighting, providing CCTV and incorporate natural surveillance
• increase the frequency of public transport – especially during evenings and weekends to get more people travelling and increase footfall in public places, leading to improved perceptions of safety
• use Bus Service Improvement Plan or any other mechanism to expand public safety initiatives including CCTV in bus shelters and transport safety officers deployed at locations where security concerns are raised
• improve active travel routes for walking, wheeling and cycling in line with updated standards which improves security by design, in turn increasing numbers travelling and feeling safer to users

Maintain a resilient and fit for purpose transport network

Climate change is having an increasing impact and will continue to impact on our transport network. The increased frequency and likelihood of extreme weather events like severe flooding, hotter temperatures and drought are a major consideration. It is essential that we plan and adapt to improve the resilience of our transport systems and infrastructure. Through our transport strategy we will identify changes to the network and ensure new schemes consider the impacts of climate change through all aspects of project feasibility.

Policy E1

Maintain and enhance a resilient transport network that is adaptable and can withstand the impacts of more frequent and extreme weather events due to climate change.

A well-maintained transport network is vital to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Dorset and BCP. Designing our transport network to be resilient and adaptable to the weather-related impacts of climate change will be important in terms of providing reliable transport access to key facilities and services and help to manage congestion and improve journey time reliability for all journeys.

We will:

• work with partners to ensure a resilient, sustainable and reliable transport system for the movement of people and goods through the efficient operation and maintenance of the transport network. This will enable economic growth and improve safe access for all to destinations and services
• pursue funding opportunities and collaborate regionally with neighbouring local authorities and partners in the Western Gateway and Peninsula Sub-National Transport Bodies to lobby central government, National Highways, Network Rail (and its successor Great British Railways) and transport service operators to maintain and improve a resilient regional wide transport network
• progress with long-term value for money programmes of work and infrastructure that aim to improve the resilience of the network due to the effects of climate change – including greater use of more sustainable, resilient and recycled materials to reduce the carbon footprint of construction
• ensure that maintenance standards apply to all transport routes including for walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure providing a consistent and inclusive approach. Maintenance will be prioritised for the most used parts of the network, with a focus in urban areas on sustainable journeys
• adopt a ‘Designing for climate change’ approach for new transport schemes and existing infrastructure which will be delivered by robust initial assessment of carbon impact and climate change resilience together with mitigation of detrimental impacts identified
• ensure that the highways space contributes to mitigating the effects of climate change, sustainable drainage systems, street trees and streetscape features to cool the urban environment
• identify the key risks from climate change and the consequences of the risks and the parts of the network that are key to keep functioning but considered to be of most consequence and resolve them

Policy E2

Manage our highway infrastructure and make the best use of road space to manage congestion, minimise traffic disruption, and improve journey time reliability for all journeys.

Dorset Council and BCP Council maintain and operate transport assets including carriageways, footways, cycleways, structures, drainage assets, traffic signals, and street lighting. Asset management helps us to understand the assets we have, measures and monitors how they perform, and determines the funding needed to mitigate the demands placed upon them. It seeks to maximise value for money by balancing reactive, preventative, and planned maintenance activities over the whole life of the infrastructure. Effective processes and procedures are essential for a well-managed and maintained transport network that meets the needs of our economy and society now and in the future.

The highway infrastructure asset management plans (HIAMs) identify how we prioritise and make the best use of resources for the management, operation, preservation and enhancement of the highway infrastructure. These principles help inform decision- making to ensure we deliver a safe and serviceable highway network. We have made considerable progress in the continuous development, implementation and use of asset management to target treatment based on a risk-based approach.

We will adapt our HIAMs to reflect future changes in travel modes and usage, emerging technologies such as kerbside management, and the impacts of climate change.

Effective network management brings about benefits for residents, businesses and visitors, promoting connectivity to employment, leisure and education facilities, and reducing the impact of roadworks, accidents and incidents on the network. The prioritisation of walking, cycling and public transport on the transport network will make journeys by these modes easier and more attractive. Encouraging these modes will in turn help deliver our vision and the associated benefits to health and wellbeing, improved air quality and reducing congestion and carbon emissions.

The deployment of advanced technologies allows the public to plan their journeys more effectively across our Dorset-wide network as well as neighbouring networks, for example providing real time travel information via social media and satellite navigation systems. Network management can also act as a hub for providing real time information services which help the public to make more informed and sustainable travel choices during periods of congestion, planned and unplanned disruption. Supporting the capability to use data to monitor, understand and manage transport networks is likely to be especially important to progress transport decarbonisation.

We will:

• improve journey time reliability, information and better priority for sustainable travel modes, effective delivery and maintenance of equipment and support for traffic signals and bus priority will be emphasised to maximise capacity
• to improve journey planning and updates when travelling, progress better information about congestion, traffic volumes, journey time, planned and unplanned disruption and car park occupancy through technology, integrated traffic control and network signage
• continue to develop a joined up strategic and local freight network, providing operators, through the Western Gateway STB and Peninsula Transport STB with consistent information across the region to help them plan their journeys
• respond quickly and effectively to provide a co-ordinated response to incidents and changing traffic conditions

Policy E3

Embrace innovations in technology and materials to reduce carbon emissions and improve the effectiveness of network management and monitoring.

The effectiveness of traffic management and monitoring can be improved using technology and smart infrastructure. This offers the potential to both use our assets more intelligently and get more from them. This will help to contribute to delivery of our vision.

Smart infrastructure and its applications provide the capacity to use data for informed decision- making and respond intelligently to environmental and demand changes and to facilitate improved performance, including smart parking sensors informing live parking capacity, traffic signals responding to congestion levels and prioritising sustainable transport modes, and transport volume monitoring sensors for tracking the use of different modes, journey time and other data.

Smart infrastructure can support and improve our network management ability and help to facilitate use of alternatives to car and more efficient use of transport networks. This improved understanding of transport will also help to inform future policies, making them more tailored and effective to the needs of all road users.

Improved monitoring and management of transport brings about benefits for residents and visitors, making journeys easier, quicker and more seamless. The information gathered by smart infrastructure can often be used by consumer apps to help people plan their journeys, how long it will take and if there are issues along their route. This empowers people to make more informed decisions about timing, route or transport modes as well as potentially opening up more options to travellers of different kinds, including those living with a disability.

We will:

• provide appropriate information to those travelling. This information could be made available for all transport modes through the Mobility as a service framework (described in Public and shared transport) to help inform travel type, route and timing choices
• ensure that traffic signal patterns are optimised for changing conditions, particularly along key corridors and in central areas to minimise queuing
• within urban areas, we will provide good quality information on parking locations and availability, making use of the road network more efficient by avoiding circulation of drivers searching for parking spaces

Ensure public transport is inclusive and accessible to all

Local public transport networks are vital for connecting people and places. A large proportion of our residents rely (or want to rely) on public transport to travel locally to access services and employment, attend appointments and socialise. Feedback has shown that local provision is often not frequent enough or accessible enough to allow this, particularly for those with additional needs. This is contributing to issues such as isolation – even in urban areas. Our policies will influence investment in improvements that target enhancing public transport so that it is more accessible, inclusive and meets the needs of our residents and visitors.

Innovations in technology and mobility have great potential to improve how public transport networks operate for the users. By focusing on those who experience barriers, and communicating these to operators, we intend to achieve public transport networks designed to provide high quality travel experiences for everyone.

Policy F1

Work with partner organisations to improve the connectivity within and between rural and urban areas and attractiveness of public transport as a travel choice.

Public transport availability varies considerably across our area. Where public transport is limited, our residents and communities have fewer transport options. Our rural areas suffer from lack of connectivity, and pockets of urban settlements suffer with limited transport options. Our initial engagement revealed residents want a more even spread of transport provision, so more places are accessible by public transport – without relying on the need to drive. We will increase travel choice and opportunity by widening the public transport services that are available.

To achieve our vision of achieving carbon neutrality, protecting our environment and boosting health and wellbeing we must provide reliable alternatives. Public transport offers opportunities to travel short, medium or long distance in a sustainable way while combating the effects of future traffic growth resulting from natural demand, coupled with housing and development pressures. Making places more accessible by public transport using high quality infrastructure, while expanding the network of services, will result in higher usage and satisfaction levels.

Inadequate public transport services often disproportionally affect areas of higher social deprivation. This can limit access to work, school and training opportunities. This can be the case across both rural and urban areas. We want to broaden public transport availability by expanding local bus services and improving the quality of the services being offered. In terms of rail, we want to maintain and improve services and station facilities to enable a greater range of ways to travel to access vital services within and out of our area.

To achieve our aims for local public transport we will work collaboratively with bus and rail partners, transport bodies and the community to improve connections across the area. Bus services can be made more attractive by making them faster, more reliable, frequent and affordable, with greater network coverage. We plan to find solutions by working together to secure funding to facilitate change to transform the way public transport operates. We will tackle identified physical and accessibility barriers to increase the accessibility of bus and rail travel. Enhancements to ticketing, booking methods and scheduling information will boost attractiveness and benefit all users and provide greater choice for our residents.

We will continue to work collaboratively with partner organisations to seek opportunities to develop and enhance the transport network and provide improved connectivity within and between our area and enhanced links to regionally significant destinations.

We will:

• deliver through Enhanced Partnerships (EP) measures identified in Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) to increase the number of people using local buses
• strengthen the partnership arrangements with bus operators to implement the improvements identified which will include new and enhanced bus services providing better transport links to access employment, services, education, healthcare and leisure
• enhance public transport availability on an LTP wide basis with better links between Dorset and the BCP area through a joint approach enabled by a single LTP
• encourage operators to minimise fares, and offer integrated ticketing with other modes
• strengthen involvement with the Western Gateway Sub-national Transport Body to improve regional connectivity and using a unified whole LTP approach to lobby for and deliver larger scale schemes that benefit our economy, residents and visitors
• work with rail industry partners to advocate for investment in our rail network that will enhance rail services locally and significantly improve train journeys to other regional destinations

Policy F2

Prioritise local bus services to make journeys quicker and more reliable.

We understand the desire amongst our residents and visitors to use buses more if they were more frequent, routes were wider reaching, or if the journey experience was better. The National Bus Strategy stated that increasing traffic congestion has made buses slower, less reliable and costlier to run – resulting in many people driving instead.

Quicker buses result in more passengers and higher satisfaction levels. There are measures that we can implement to speed up bus journeys. There are also technologies that we can use to create a more reliable experience. Meaningful improvements to bus journey times and reliability will improve people’s lives – especially many elderly, younger, disabled and lower income people who rely on buses for their diverse travel needs.

We will:

• progress effective bus priority in congested areas to improve reliability and reduce journey times, recognising the importance of this in increasing passenger numbers and improving satisfaction with bus services
• support concessionary bus fares
• work with partners to deliver frequency improvements, and develop a greater network coverage

Policy F3

Embrace new technologies, digital data and shared mobility models to transform how people access and use public transport.

Innovative new mobility technologies like on demand buses, autonomous vehicles and shared micro- mobility services (e.g. e-bike and e-scooter hire), are expected to become more widely available. Smartphone and ‘Mobility as a service’ (MaaS) apps will allow flexible access across these services to enable people to pick and choose the options that meet their needs for every journey.

While some technologies may disrupt established norms (such as fixed-route public transport services), they present a positive opportunity to improve the attractiveness of sustainable, shared transport to encourage an overall reduction in car use. Our transport network must be flexible enough to adapt to the changes we cannot foresee and we will look to case studies, both at home and abroad, of both new and proven technologies to inform best practice innovations and support modal shift.

The increase in internet shopping, online banking, agile working and telecommunications has led to a reduction in the need to travel. We must embrace new technology where it can positively impact public transport, including digital connectivity, online applications and alternative fuels that all have the potential to contribute to achieving our future vision for transport. These innovations can also improve access to services via public transport, improve how information is accessed and used, increase safety for users and increase travel choices for our communities. Shared mobility (using instead of owning) can positively contribute to reducing congestion and transport related carbon emissions.

Data sharing can provide valuable insights into travel behaviour and support the implementation of measures that enhance local services and influence travel demand. Understanding public transport use at a local level, and more widely, enables us to investigate where improvements can be made and what influence we can have as local authorities to achieve the increased levels of patronage we desire on our public transport networks. We will encourage the sharing of data between operators, transport bodies and stakeholders to find solutions that improve public transport and access to related information for everyone, including visitors to the area.

We will:

• capture technology advances to improve the passenger experience with public transport including ticketing, journey planning and information while travelling
• ensure that the public transport for developments is inclusive and does not leave some people excluded

Policy F4

Deliver high quality transport interchanges and clear passenger information to improve journeys involving more than one form of transport

Many journeys involving more than one form of transport (known as a multi-modal journey), for example transferring from rail to bus or bicycle can be inconvenient, or perceived to be inconvenient compared to driving due to confusing booking methods and multiple operators. Barriers like this often result in many people using cars, or just not travelling at all which can lead to transport related isolation and deprivation.

First and last mile access describes the beginning or end of a trip. Many first/last mile journeys are made by walking, wheeling or cycling with an element of public transport in between.

There are opportunities to simplify ticketing, booking methods, and improve information around public transport journeys. This will involve clear communication with operators and stakeholders to promote the benefits of multi modal journeys and improve public awareness of the benefits of public transport use.

We will improve the quality of our transport interchanges to create user friendly mobility hubs that bring multiple forms of transport together.

We will:

• ensure that public transport is available to more people through physical measures at bus stops, interchanges, stations, on buses and trains to allow easier access
• enhance the public transport experience for passengers and operators by providing high quality, safe, well-maintained interchanges through improvements to existing locations and new locations with good information about the services that use them
• enable better connections and access to public transport by other transport modes – especially active travel – through multi-modal facilities called mobility hubs
• deliver ways of enhancing integration of different transport methods into more convenient and single source solution – termed Mobility as a service
• maximise the opportunities for improving public transport related to interchanges, design of public spaces and location of places using planning policies and local design guidance to enhance public transport access

Policy F5

Deliver inclusive design that improves the travel experience of people with specific needs.

Our vision for the future supports better travel choices and greater accessibility across the area. Currently, urban road space is often dominated by provision for cars, rather than being designed to prioritise sustainable forms of travel. Rural areas suffer from isolation and a lack of public transport connectivity. Feedback told us that people living in both rural and urban locations are suffering from transport related isolation.

We aspire to achieve a public transport network that promotes integration by connecting people and places using well designed infrastructure that is sensitive to the varying needs of communities and is environmentally conscious. Aligning our aspirations for public transport with vision-led planning and design will provide a holistic approach to placemaking, widening transport options for everyone.

We know people within our communities experience challenges accessing or using public transport. Feedback has shown that women are more likely to have safety concerns, and those with protected characteristics or mobility impairments encounter specific barriers that need addressing to make public transport inclusive. Delivering equality of opportunity will be key to increasing public transport usage and ensuring everyone always feels comfortable and supported travelling on public transport.

We will:

• ensure effective community liaison with passengers and representative collective groups to enable residents’ priorities to guide improvements and ensure the needs of all are involved
• engage and consult representative organisations focused on protected characteristics, to better understand why some people are unable to use public transport and deliver improvements to make transport more accessible for all
• support people unable to access standard means of public transport through more flexible transport solutions including community transport and demand responsive approaches

Our transport networks are varied and complex and support a much wider system of housing, economic activity and public service provision which all need to work collaboratively to deliver maximum benefits for the greatest number of people.

Given this complexity, getting local transport right is not easy. Our area faces a number of challenges in the successful delivery of this transport strategy.

Our planning

Our transport strategy must be integrated with planning for our housing, public spaces, energy, utilities and support economic growth. A vision- led approach to planning is key to addressing this challenge and will allow us to adapt to technological improvements and changing transport needs and creating a local consensus on the necessary changes for a better quality of life.

Our transport strategy requires strong evidence to support its policies. In the past the need for road capacity has been overestimated, leading to inefficient investment and a reactive approach, rather than being vision-led.

Our funding

Without adequate funding to facilitate the delivery of new infrastructure, to maintain and protect existing infrastructure, or to operate services the desired outcomes of the Local Transport Plan will not be met. Changes in government priorities or economic conditions can affect funding levels, adding uncertainty. We are currently reliant on a combination of central government grants, developer contributions, and local funding, all of which can vary, making it difficult to guarantee sufficient resources.

Sustained funding is essential to enable programmes to be planned effectively to deliver required outcomes.

Our grid capacity

With the shift towards Evs and other alternative transport solutions, ensuring our electricity grid can handle increased demand is crucial. This includes the need for strategic energy planning to enable EV charger deployment, investment in grid upgrades, and collaboration with other local authorities, energy providers, and vehicle manufacturers.

A 2024 report into our grid capacity found there to be delays through to 2036 in increasing this capacity and a number of issues causing this. Without adequate grid capacity, transport projects, particularly those deploying EV charging infrastructure, could face delays and limitations. A robust, stable and reliable grid is essential for supporting the transition to EVs, enabling widespread charging infrastructure and reliable power supply.

Our behaviour

Encouraging a shift to more sustainable transport options requires sustained efforts in education, infrastructure improvements, and incentives. This involves promoting active travel and public transport to provide safer, healthy and more sustainable travel options.

To achieve our decarbonisation targets, we need to reconsider our current travel habits through providing better transportation options for the journeys we need to make. Various factors influence our travel decisions, including personal considerations like cost, convenience, and journey purpose, as well as the quality and availability of alternative transport options.

The convenience of a motor vehicle compared to other more sustainable options often means that the true costs associated with owning one are underestimated, such as insurance, taxes and maintenance as well as the potential delays from traffic congestion and the environmental and health impacts of pollution. For those with mobility issues or those living in rural areas, changing travel behaviour can be particularly challenging and so providing a range of accessible transport options is key.

Examples of behaviour change include:

• offering personalised travel planning suggesting alternatives for specific journeys and highlighting the benefits
• offering incentives such as promoting discounts or offering rewards for those arriving by sustainable means
• nudging individuals toward alternative modes through educational campaigns, for example,  we will support young people to travel sustainably to school. This is likely to have the added benefit of influencing travel behaviour into adulthood, providing added value for school focused travel interventions
• highlighting the benefits of active travel, such as improved health, reduced pollution, and lower costs
• communicating effectively to inform residents about the availability and benefits of alternative transport options
• targeted initiatives focusing on specific groups, such as younger and older age groups, commuters
• engaging with existing programmes and polices such as the Local Plan

Our network

Building a resilient transport network that can withstand various challenges, including climate change, extreme weather events, and other disruptions, is crucial. This involves designing infrastructure that is adaptable and robust, ensuring that transport services can continue to operate effectively under adverse conditions.

Improving connectivity between key urban and rural areas, and enhancing links to regional and national networks, is essential for economic growth and accessibility. This includes addressing congestion, improving journey times, and ensuring reliable transport options. Strategic priorities include delivering the recommendations from the M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Connectivity Study, which aims to strengthen north-south road connections across the South West of England, and the Dorset Connectivity Rail Strategic Study, which explores the opportunity to improve north south and east west rail connections. Both studies highlight the need for targeted investment in infrastructure to relieve existing constraints and support future growth, as set out in the Western Gateway Strategic Transport Plan.

Minimising the need to travel is one of the most effective ways to cut down on transport emissions. Sustainable planning policies can guide the strategic placement of services, including new housing and employment opportunities. Reducing car traffic, which constitutes the largest share of transport emissions, can be achieved by decreasing our dependence on private vehicles for commuting and accessing services. This can be facilitated through technology that enables remote working, shopping, and accessing services from home, along with a shift in our planning and service delivery approach. Making towns and villages in our area more walkable, active travel friendly, and accessible by public transport will encourage a shift away from car use for short trips.

Our environment

Climate change presents a growing challenge to the transport systems in Dorset and BCP. Rising sea levels and more frequent storms and flooding are already affecting coastal and low-lying areas such as Christchurch, Weymouth and parts of Poole, putting key transport routes and infrastructure at risk. These impacts threaten the reliability and resilience of the network, particularly in rural and coastal communities that may become isolated during extreme weather events.

In addition to climate-related risks, transport in the area contributes significantly to environmental pressures, including carbon emissions, poor air quality in urban centres like Bournemouth and Dorchester, and damage to sensitive landscapes such as the Dorset Heathlands and designated National Landscapes. These challenges must be addressed to protect public health, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the transport network.

The success of our strategy is linked to delivering infrastructure to enable people to have travel choices. Currently some other options, especially in rural areas may not seem viable, with household budgets for many restricting take up of some sustainable transport options. More favourable economic considerations and better availability of different options are anticipated to progressively make it easier for people to travel more sustainably in the future.

Strong national leadership and a robust government approach to climate change are essential, but recent political shifts have weakened support for net zero by 2050. Global instability has also affected EV manufacturing targets. New developments should offer diverse transport options, but improving choices for existing locations remains a challenge. The growing awareness of air quality impacts on society highlights the importance of transport in mitigating these effects.

Approach

We will use our strategic objectives and policies to monitor the performance of our transport strategy and assess its overall impact and effectiveness.

Monitoring performance is essential in enabling the success of our vision and will allow us to adjust our Implementation Plan to reflect actual performance against the objectives.

The Implementation Plan will be reviewed and updated every five years and a Monitoring Report produced, which will focus on the delivery of our objectives, policies and specific schemes in the Implementation Plan.

The outcomes of the performance monitoring will be presented in progress reports to be produced regularly with the first expected in the final year of Implementation Plan 1 (IP1) period.

Performance indicators

To monitor and evaluate the implementation the LTP, we have derived a set of performance indicators against which progress can be assessed.

The performance indicators are aligned to the six objectives and the core policies within the LTP as shown on page 59 in Figure 1.2

A measurable baseline will be captured during the first year of the lifecycle of LTP and will provide an objective dataset against which all future years of the Plan will be measured.

This will inform future implementation plans and contribute to the overall value for money of LTP. Schemes included within the Implementation Plan will also be monitored and evaluated on the merit of their scheme-specific aims and objectives.

Timeline of reports and monitoring plans:

1. Year: 2026: LTP Baseline Report
2. Year: 2030/31: Implementation Plan 1 Monitoring Report
3. Year: 2035/36: Implementation Plan 2 Monitoring Report
4. Year: 2040/41: Implementation Plan 3 Monitoring Report

Figure 1.2 List of LTP performance indicators

1. Carbon emissions from transport

How it is measured

We will monitor and report the reduction in aggregate LTP area CO2 emissions per capita, and the estimated carbon emissions from construction and maintenance activities using an appraisal toolkit.

Climate and environment

Strong relevance

2. Air quality

How it is measured

We will monitor and report the reduction in annual average concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulates (PM2.5 and PM10).

Climate and environment

Strong relevance

Health and wellbeing

Supporting indicator

3. Levels of walking, wheeling and cycling

How it is measured

We will undertake automatic continuous counts supplemented by manual counts at selected sites and report year-on-year percentage change.

Climate and environment

Supporting indicator

Health and wellbeing

Strong relevance

Prosperous places

Supporting indicator

Safety

Supporting indicator

4. Access to services, employment and leisure

How it is measured

We will use software to report connectivity levels and the proportion of households within 30 minutes of a town/neighbourhood centre by public transport.

Health and wellbeing

Supporting indicator

Prosperous places

Strong relevance

Public transport

Supporting indicator

5. Road casualties

How it is measured

We will report collision statistics in line with annual casualty reporting.

Health and wellbeing

Supporting indicator

Safety

Strong relevance

6. Network resilience

How it is measured

We will undertake journey time monitoring on the network for generalised traffic and public transport. To establish traffic trends, we will use automatic continuous counts, annual monitoring counts and cordon counts at selected sites, reporting annual average daily traffic, % change, and average delays on the A-road network.

Climate and environment

Supporting indicator

Prosperous places

Supporting indicator

Network resilience

Strong relevance

7. Highway condition

How it is measured

By survey we will measure the condition of the principle, non-principle and unclassified road network, and tracking the maintenance backlog.

Safety

Supporting indicator

Network resilience

Strong relevance

8. Levels of public transport patronage and user satisfaction

How it is measured

We will report the total number of bus and rail passengers in LTP area and the % change. We will undertake annual user perception surveys including the National Highways and Transport Survey (NHTS).

Climate and environment

Supporting indicator

Health and wellbeing

Supporting indicator

Prosperous places

Supporting indicator

Public transport

Strong relevance

9. Reliability of public transport services

How it is measured

We will report the percentage of bus journeys that arrive on time comparing real time bus journey data with timetabled arrival times.

Prosperous places

Supporting indicator

Network resilience

Supporting indicator

Public transport

Strong relevance

Scope of the Implementation Plan

This strategy should be read alongside our Implementation Plan. To deliver LTP over the next 15 years, the Implementation Plan is focused on the following/identified schemes in line with overarching LTP vision and objectives.

The Implementation Plan will be split into 3 to 5 year phases:

• short term plan (IP1) covering 2026 to 2031:
  • this phase focuses on schemes that are well- developed, feasible, and ready for early delivery. These are typically referred to as IP1 schemes
  • the short-term plan will provide a detailed pipeline of interventions, including estimated costs, required resources, and key delivery partners. These schemes represent the most mature and deliverable projects and are expected to bring early benefits to communities across Dorset and BCP
• medium term plan (IP2) covering 2031 to 2036:
  • this phase includes schemes that require further development and design work before they can be delivered. These IP2 schemes will be shaped by ongoing engagement, technical studies, and funding availability. They represent the next wave of interventions that build on the momentum of the short-term plan
• Long-term plan (IP3) covering 2036 to 2041:
  • the long-term phase considers more complex or ambitious schemes (IP3) that will need sustained planning, stakeholder collaboration, and potentially new funding mechanisms or technological advancements

LTP Implementation Plan scheme prioritisation process (Figure 1.3)

1. Scheme longlisting: Long list of schemes across BCP and Dorset Council area identified from previous transport study work.
2. Prioritisation: Schemes sifted by deliverability/ maturity/clarity of definition and scored against the vision and objectives and balanced by scheme type mix and scale of ambition.
3. Short term priority schemes: Includes schemes having a positive impact on carbon emissions reduction and an identifiable funding source
4. Long term schemes to 2041: Schemes need more detailed longer term planning with more complexity and uncertainties in funding and environment like technologies.

These projects are essential to achieving the full vision of LTP and will evolve over time in response to emerging needs and opportunities.

Throughout all phases, the Implementation Plan is designed to be flexible and responsive. The schemes will potentially evolve in response to funding changes, technological developments or other factors (for example, policy change). Early engagement and development work across all phases is critical to ensure that Dorset and BCP are well-positioned to realise the full benefits of LTP plan.

Prioritisation

We need to prioritise new delivery schemes because their funding and resource requirements exceed our current provision. To do this, we will identify and shortlist schemes that offer the greatest benefits and are cost-effective. We will also evaluate their feasibility for implementation. To prioritise schemes for development and delivery in our Implementation Plan, we followed the best practice process, summarised in Figure 1.3.

Investment

Delivering the plan will involve a wide range of funding sources.

Core government funding has historically been provided through an integrated transport block grant. Currently this amounts to approximately £5 million per year (= Dorset + BCP allocation).

Funding for highways maintenance is allocated according to a needs-based formula. Combining essential maintenance with new or improved infrastructure will provide value for money improvements for all road users.

Funding from bids and grants Funding from bids and grants is essential to top up our core funding. Many funding pots have been available in recent years including:

• traffic signal obsolescence grant (TSOG)
• safer roads fund (SRF)
• active travel fund (ATF)
• bus service improvement plan (BSIP)
• local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) fund

We will continue to identify and pursue new funding opportunities as they arise to maximise delivery of our plan.

If new regional or national funding streams are launched to progress sub-national priorities, then Dorset and BCP will both be well placed, given many of the Western Gateway Strategic Transport Plan and Strategic Infrastructure Plan priorities and projects are fully aligned.

Partner contributions provide opportunities to jointly fund improvement schemes. We will work in partnership with Network Rail (Great British Railways), National Highways, SUSTRANS and local bus and rail operators to deliver improvements to the transport network and services across Dorset. Working in partnership with the Western Gateway Sub National Transport Body we will seek DfT funding to deliver schemes that form part of the Strategic Investment Plan and deliver against regional priorities.

Developer contributions will be sought from new developments to contribute towards and/or deliver required transport infrastructure. We will require developers to deliver transport infrastructure or seek financial contributions via community infrastructure levy and section 106 to ensure new developments can be served by good public transport links, suitable active travel infrastructure and mitigate the impacts of traffic on the network.

Other non-transport sources of funding such as towns fund, high street fund and shared prosperity fund support economic growth and regeneration activities and can support the delivery of local transport projects.

Long-term revenue funding is needed to keep our infrastructure and services operating. We will seek an increased and fairer funding award for Dorset without which there cannot be a significant improvement in our transport services.

These are the funding sources at the time of writing our plan. Funding required for the potential schemes in LTP adds up to a larger amount in the long term than what has been available previously. Working more effectively with delivery partners will be very important.

To achieve the LTP vision and objectives, the councils will need to explore opportunities to drive change some of which could generate additional revenue to bridge anticipated funding gaps. Best practice from other parts of the UK demonstrates how this can be achieved.

Some recent examples include:

• lane rental permit scheme (Kent County Council) and moving traffic regulation order enforcement (Bristol City Council) to improve network performance and safety
• a workplace parking levy (Nottingham City Council) to deliver transformational public transport infrastructure
• Clean air zones (CAZs) (Bath and North East Somerset Council) to provide cleaner and healthier air; and the use of parking charge revenue to fund improved and more effective traffic enforcement (Brighton and Hove City Council)

Delivery

When delivering the LTP implementation plans in the coming 15 years, we recognise the importance of proactively working with partners and seeking support from other stakeholders. By setting out the plans and actions over the short, medium and long term, the LTP will direct the improvements of our transport network led by the vision to 2041 and beyond. It also sets the policy framework against

which we will develop more specific local strategies and action plans.

The first Implementation Plan will be published alongside the new LTP strategy. It will also be reviewed and maintained regularly to reflect and respond to the evolving challenges and priorities.

The Plan will be delivered through a number of supporting strategies:

• bus service improvement plans (BSIP) are required by the government to set out delivery plans to provide better local bus services. Find out more about Dorset’s BSIP and BCP’s BSIP
• local cycling and walking infrastructure plans (LCWIP) / active travel infrastructure plans (Atip) map out priority routes and improvements to create a network of high-quality active travel infrastructure. These Plans are required to secure Active Travel England funding
• Highways Infrastructure Asset Management plans (HIAM) set out how the network assets across the area will be managed. Both will publish updated plans to support the new joint LTP
• rights of way improvement plans (Rowips) prioritise key improvements to develop and improve the network and improve outdoor access

Our Electric vehicle infrastructure strategies set out a planned approach to provide the right charging infrastructure, in the right places to keep pace with increasing demand.

Additional plans and strategies to support the delivery of the LTP objectives will be explored if they appear to be viable following initial assessment; for example a feasibility study for a mass transit transport system was undertaken in 2021 for the BCP area and concluded at that time the build and operational costs of a tram, or light rail system was not economically viable. A study for a tram system could be revisited if central government were to develop a lower cost method for building track and/ or if it is proven to be needed to achieve net-zero targets.

Risks

We will manage the key risks that could prevent us meeting our transport vision and objectives.

These include:

• cuts to or a lack of available funding
• cost escalation due to inflation or unforeseen circumstances
• changes to the policy framework and political priorities
• lack of political and community support and challenges in engaging with hard-to-reach groups
• achieving long-term changes in behaviour
• the rapid pace of technological change
• changes to legislation or regulations
• delays in implementation

A

Term	Definition
Active Travel	People powered transportation for everyday journeys primarily cycling, walking and wheeling; integrates physical activity into routines and improves overall well-being.
Apps	Shorthand for Applications (programs on mobile phones or computers).
Autonomous vehicle	A vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input.

B

Term	Definition
Beryl (bikes)	Current provider of bikeshare and scooter provision in parts of the LTP area.
BNG	Biodiversity net gain – way of creating and improving natural habitats, ensuring development has a measurably positive impact on biodiversity compared to what was there before.
BSIP	Bus service improvement plan – document that sets out ways to improve bus services in a specific area through partnership working between the local authority and bus operators.

C

Term	Definition
Capital Programme	Schedule of spending of LTP funding on specific projects and schemes.
Carbon baselining	Process of establishing a baseline or reference point.
Carbon neutral	Carbon neutrality is a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing it. The process of carbon neutrality is needed to achieve net zero emissions; Carbon neutral and net zero are sometimes used interchangeably.
Car club	Car sharing/rental service allowing members to rent vehicles for short periods rather than extended periods usual through traditional car rental companies.
CCC	Climate Change Committee – Independent statutory body established under the Climate Change Act, 2008, to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
CCTV	Closed Circuit Television (video surveillance).
CIHT	Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation.
CIL	Community infrastructure levy - planning charge that local authorities can impose on new developments to mitigate impacts on local infrastructure.
Connected vehicles	Ones equipped with the technology to connect to the internet and other devices enabling communication and data exchange.

D

Term	Definition
DfT	Department for Transport.
DLUHC	Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities.
DRT	Demand responsive transport.

E

Term	Definition
EP	Enhanced (bus) partnership – between councils and bus operators which provides a statutory framework to deliver local improvements to bus services.
EqIA	Equality impact assessment.
EV	Electric vehicle.
EVCP	Electric vehicle charge point.

G

Term	Definition
GBR	Great British Railways – planned state-owned railway company that when formed will operate most rail infrastructure in Britain and most passenger rail services in England.

H

Term	Definition
HAMP	Highways asset management plan.
HIA	Health impact assessment.
HRA	Habitats regulations assessment.

L

Term	Definition
LCWIP	Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan.
Liveable Neighbourhood	Reducing dominance of motor vehicles in an area by re-considering how street space is allocated – resulting in healthier outdoor spaces and more vibrant spaces where people wish to dwell and spend money.
LTA	Local transport authority – tier of local government responsible for transport planning, passenger transport and highways. Dorset Council and BCP Council are LTAs for their respective areas.
LTN 120	Government published local transport note that provides guidance for local authorities for designing high quality and safe cycle infrastructure.
LTP	Local Transport Plan.

M

Term	Definition
MaaS	Mobility as a service – a transport operating model that integrates a range of transport options into a single data platform, offering users a seamless way to plan, book and pay for their journeys.
Mobility hubs	A publicly accessible hub where shared means of transport are available at any time.

N

Term	Definition
Net zero	The term net zero means achieving a balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it.
NH	National Highways.
NO2	Nitrogen Dioxide.
Network Rail	Current owner and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Will be replaced by Great British Railways.

P

Term	Definition
Pm2.5	Particulate matter (two and a half microns or less in length).
Peninsula Transport Sub-national Transport Body	Regional transport grouping covering Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
PLV	Powered light vehicles.
Protected characteristic	Nine specific personal attributes that are legally protected under the Equality Act 2010.
PRoW	Public rights of way.

S

Term	Definition
Safer road system	Designing roads so no-one gets killed or seriously injured – through an approach to road safety based on the principle that our life and health should not be compromised by our need to travel.
Section 106 agreement	Planning obligation as a legal agreement between a developer and the local planning authority that ensures developers contribute to infrastructure and community needs generated by their development.
SEDUMS	South-east Dorset Urban Mobility Strategy – published in 2020, setting out a transport strategy to 2038 to facilitate economic growth through enhanced mobility and connectivity – delivered through investment packages.
Self-containment	Where community facilities are provided locally, near to where people live – reducing the need for long and lengthy travel to access services.
Shared micro-mobility	Practice of making lightweight vehicles like bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters available for short term public use through rental schemes.
STB	Sub national transport bodies – regional groupings of local authorities working together to improve transport in their respective areas.
Strategic road network (SRN)	Motorways and major A roads managed by National Highways.
Sustainable transport	Moving people and goods in ways that minimise negative environmental impacts and contributes to a healthy, equitable and economically viable future.
Sustrans	‘We are the charity making it easier for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle’.
SUV	Sports Utility Vehicle – car classification that combines features of passenger cars and off-road vehicles.

T

Term	Definition
TAMP	Transport asset management plan.
TSOG	Traffic Signals Obsolescent Grant – government funding to provide better traffic signals, linked to Green Light Fund to provide smarter traffic lights.

V

Term	Definition
Vision-Led Plan Making	A way of planning that starts with a clear goal for the kind of future we want—such as cleaner air, safer streets, and better travel choices—and then works out how to get there. Instead of reacting to problems, it focuses on creating positive change. This approach helps deliver healthier, greener, and more inclusive communities by guiding decisions that support long-term priorities.

W

Term	Definition
Wheeling	Inclusive term covering equivalent mobility of pedestrians/by foot, involving all types of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and rollators.
WGSTB	Western Gateway Sub-National Transport Body – group of nine local authorities in the west of England including Dorset and BCP Councils, working to improve transport and connectivity across the region.
WPL	Workplace parking levy.

Z

Term	Definition
ZEBRA	Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas.
ZEV	Zero emission vehicle.

LTP web pages:

• Local Transport Plan 2026 to 2041 consultation
• Local Transport Plan and Implementation Plan 2026 to 2041
• Local Transport Plan 2026 to 2041 supporting documents