Transport Strategy 2017 to 2032

North Tyneside on the Move

Introduction

  1. The Our North Tyneside Plan 2021 outlines the priorities which the Mayor and Cabinet aim to ensure are delivered, based around five themes: a thriving, family-friendly, caring, secure and green North Tyneside. Critical to delivering this ambition is transport.

  2. Transport is an important part of everyone’s lives. It supports the economy, society and communities.  It is important that the Authority has a clear policy direction to guide its strategic planning and day to day responsibilities.

  3. The North Tyneside Transport Strategy, first adopted in 2017 and revised in 2021, sets out the overall vision for transport in North Tyneside.  It describes the policy context, the challenges North Tyneside faces and the principles to be applied to the Authority’s work on transport. An annual update will be provided to Cabinet to measure progress.

  4. However, the strategy does not exist in a vacuum; there are national, sub-regional and local relationships that must be considered. Most importantly, residents, businesses and visitors expect local authorities to work together to achieve the right outcomes for the wider place.  This strategy has therefore been prepared with a clear eye on the regional and national context. But it has also been done understanding transport can be a very personal issue, for example feeling safe; and it can be a very local issue with significant impact on communities, for example parking.

  5. The North East Transport Plan was prepared by Transport North East (TNE) and was adopted in March 2021, following a public engagement exercise. Its vision is “Moving to a green, healthy, dynamic and thriving North East.”

  6. The North Tyneside Local Plan was adopted in July 2017 and extends to 2032. Subsequently, ‘Our Ambition for North Tyneside’, the regeneration strategy for the borough, was approved in November 2018. A Climate Emergency was declared in July 2019 and the Our North Tyneside Council Plan makes the commitment that the Authority will publish an action plan of the steps we will take and the national investment we will seek to make North Tyneside carbon net-zero by 2030.

  7. The Our North Tyneside Council Plan, adopted in September 2021, is based around five themes and a list of priorities, a number of which are associated with transport. 

  8. The North Tyneside Transport Strategy will be used to explain the overall vision to residents and businesses and other stakeholders, as well as shaping future decisions and supporting future funding bids for transport-related projects or initiatives.

  9. Finally, the strategy contains the governance and performance management arrangements which will be in place in order to judge success.

Vision

  1. The strategic vision for North Tyneside is contained in the Our North Tyneside Plan.  This Plan is based around five themes – a thriving, family‑friendly, caring, secure and green North Tyneside – and a list of priorities. Priorities associated with transport relate to matters including regeneration, roads and pavements, safe walking and cycling, and taking steps and seeking investment to make the borough carbon net-zero by 2030.

  2. Reflecting the priorities of the ‘Our North Tyneside Council Plan 2021 to 2025’; the North East Transport Plan; and the Authority’s declaration of a climate emergency, the vision for the North Tyneside Transport Strategy is:

    “Moving to a green, healthy, dynamic and thriving North Tyneside”

  3. Within the context of the vision, we have updated the principles which will guide our action and against which we will measure our performance. These are:

i. Reduce carbon emissions from transport

This relates to the climate emergency and the Authority’s commitment to publish an action plan of the steps it will take and the national investment it will seek to make North Tyneside carbon net-zero by 2030. The Authority aims to deliver this by, for example, supporting a change in culture which prompts people to use more sustainable forms of transport, and supporting a shift to electric vehicles and other zero-emission vehicles in place of petrol or diesel vehicles.

ii. Improve health outcomes

This relates to people, communities and the local environment.  The Authority aims to deliver this by, for example, encouraging a shift to more sustainable modes of transport by giving them greater priority in design, promotion and partnerships. Traveller safety will also be key to the Authority’s thinking.

iii. Support inclusive economic growth

This addresses effective movement for people, businesses and goods and seeks to support the aims of the Authority’s Inclusive Economy Strategy, the North of Tyne Inclusive Economy Policy Statement and the North East LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan, which sets out the regional aim of ‘more and better jobs’. The Authority aims to deliver this by, for example, further enhancing the attractiveness of town and district centres for residents and visitors and implementing targeted major transport improvement schemes.

iv. Improve connectivity

This ensures that North Tyneside is connected with all parts of the region, the rest of the country and the world. The Authority aims to deliver this by means such as improving interchange between different forms of transport. For example, the construction of a rail station alongside Northumberland Park Metro station will present improved opportunities for interchange with bus and Metro for travel to employment destinations in North Tyneside.

v. Manage demand and enable smart choices for all

This ensures a focus on demand management on transport networks and assets and addressing current and future transport challenges. The Authority aims to deliver this by, for example, supporting the use of smart technology to improve travel information, putting walking and cycling first, and enabling parking at the right time in the right place at the right price.

Governance and Policy Framework

  1. This strategy fits within a complex broader governance and policy structure: 

  • National

Transport policy is set in a national context which includes economic development and planning policy guidance, as well as guidance issued by the Department for Transport.

Transport for the North is the sub-national transport body, with representation from across the North of England on its board. It seeks to drive economic growth by connecting fast, frequent and reliable transport links across the North of England in the context of its Strategic Transport Plan. Its Long-Term Rail Strategy supports its work with the Department for Transport on rail services in the North of England and the delivery of rail improvements.

  • Regional 

Transport North East acts to develop and deliver transport strategy at regional level. This is based on direction from the statutory North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC), which is a joint committee of the North East Combined Authority (NECA, covering the four authorities south of the Tyne) and the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NoTCA, covering Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland). The transport plan for the region is the North East Transport Plan, adopted in March 2021.

Further regional strategies are to be prepared for specific aspects of transport: this will include a Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP), to set the context for the development of an Enhanced Partnership for bus services, as well as a new regional rail strategy which will replace the existing adopted North East Metro and Local Rail Strategy. 

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership has adopted a Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) for the region which is based on the aim of “more and better jobs”.

  • Local 

    Within North Tyneside this strategy links with a range of key strategies and policies, which are regularly reviewed and relate to specific aspects of transport. In particular these are

  • Our North Tyneside Plan

  • North Tyneside Health and Wellbeing Strategy

  • North Tyneside Local Plan

  • Climate Emergency Action Plan 

  • ‘Our Ambition for North Tyneside’ Regeneration Strategy

  • Inclusive Economy Strategy

12. Annex 1 describes how these inform this strategy and its supporting documents. 

Context and Challenges

  1. North Tyneside is already very well connected locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.  Alongside our economy, our environment, our housing offer and our education system, this makes us a destination of choice for people, businesses and visitors.  But to maintain this in the medium to long term there are some challenges that we must address through this transport strategy.  This section sets out the current context for North Tyneside and goes on to outline some of the challenges in relation to transport.

  • The Borough is growing: over the lifetime of the Local Plan, adopted in 2017, there will be more people, more jobs and more houses.  The population is expected to grow from 201,000 in 2011 to 219,500 by 2032.  That will mean an average of 790 more houses are required each year

  • Covid-19 recovery: the Covid-19 pandemic had wide-ranging impacts including on public transport patronage, movement towards a digital commute and wider changes in working patterns. Recovering from the pandemic will pose a number of challenges in terms of transport, particularly public transport, and the wider economy, and there will be a role for the Authority in supporting this recovery process

  • The North Tyneside economy is growing: North Tyneside’s town and district centres play a vital role in the Borough’s economy. North Tyneside is also home to several substantial employment developments, including Cobalt Business Park, Quorum Business Park, Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate and the Tyneview Park government offices. Growing employment sectors include offshore energy and subsea provided by the scale of opportunity on the bank of the River Tyne. North Tyneside offers significant sites to international investors looking to maximise the opportunities presented by the UK Offshore Renewable Energy market, including two Enterprise Zone sites at the Port of Tyne and the ‘Swans’ site, which are in private ownership. Digital technology and advanced manufacturing are also key sectors that will continue to experience growth. Transport options will be key to ensuring this growth is inclusive and provides access to all in terms of employment and skills opportunities.

  • We have declared a Climate Emergency: full Council formally declared a Climate Emergency at its meeting on 25 July 2019. Between 2005 and 2019 carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in North Tyneside have decreased by 41%, however CO2 emissions from transport have declined by only 13%. Transport emissions now make up 35% of the Borough’s carbon footprint, up from 24%. The number of cars and vans in the borough shows a rising trend, having increased by 4.6% between 2017 and 2020. The number which are zero-emission vehicles is also rising, although from a low base, and doubled between Spring 2018 and Autumn 2020.

  • Our transport assets are diverse and important: the Port of Tyne provides an important international link, with its international ferry and cruise ship terminal being located in the borough. North Tyneside also sits under the Newcastle Airport flight path and is crossed by the East Coast Main Line: the Metro network links the borough to both the airport and Newcastle’s Central Station, while the Northumberland Line major project will see passenger trains re-introduced on a currently freight-only line. Important local links are provided by the Tyne Tunnels, Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnels and the Shields Ferry. North Tyneside has an extensive network of public rights of way and of traffic-free paths suitable for cycling, walking and horse riding such as the Waggonways

  • More people are cycling: cycling is becoming even more important as a way of getting around North Tyneside, with indications that, following the Covid-19 pandemic, more people are participating in cycling. Cycling trips in the borough increased by 59% from 2019 (pre-Covid) to 2020, much higher growth than the 32% seen in Tyne and Wear as a whole

  • Public transport remains important: North Tyneside is served by a network of bus routes, including local and longer-distance services; the Shields Ferry; and a loop of the Metro network, linking 17 stations around the borough and offering scope for passenger growth. Public transport patronage declined following the Covid-19 pandemic and associated changes to working practices: while it has since shown some recovery, seeking to raise passenger numbers up to and beyond pre-Covid levels may involve greater focus on discretionary or leisure travel. The £362m full replacement of the Metro fleet, and £94m investment in the Metro Flow project to remove constraints on the network, will support improved Metro connectivity and reliability. The Northumberland Line major project, to reintroduce passenger trains on the existing freight line to Ashington, will provide North Tyneside’s only station on the national rail network, adjacent to Northumberland Park Metro, bus and park and ride interchange

  • Most people travel to work by car: work travel shows a complex pattern, with many people travelling into as well as out of the borough for work. By May 2021, total daily motor traffic levels were 5% greater than previous levels (March 2019 baseline), although distributed differently throughout the day, with a less pronounced morning peak, increased traffic levels through the middle of the day and the evening peak ending earlier than previously. This is likely to relate to changing commuter patterns and increased working from home among those who are able to do so

  • Greater car usage puts increased pressure on our parking arrangements: a significant proportion of North Tyneside was built before the car was invented and certainly before it became common. For that reason many of our streets do not cope easily with greater car ownership. Added to that, employment, visitors, events and other factors make parking a significant challenge

  • Roads, pavements and travel are important to our residents; the 2019 residents’ survey highlighted that road and pavement repairs remain an important concern for residents, having been the most widely cited matter in the survey since 2016. Six in ten residents felt that the condition of roads and pavements needed to be improved. The issue of traffic congestion continues to be cited as a concern by around one in three responses to the survey (32% of residents in 2019 compared with 39% in 2018)

  • The transport network should reflect personal security concerns:  design and staffing of transport systems can have a significant bearing on the extent to which people feel comfortable travelling independently

  • Many residents are above working age: North Tyneside’s population is aging and by the end of the Local Plan period (2032) approximately 25% will be over the age of 65. The implications of this will need to be considered as part of managing the transport network  

  • Travel is very important to our young people: successive Young Mayors, Members of the Youth Parliament and our Youth Councillors have been clear that safe, affordable transport is a priority for them. Specifically travel means independence, the ability to travel to education, to work, to socialise and to enjoy what the area has to offer. They also care passionately about travellers feeling safe. It is important that the borough’s transport plans are designed to also reflect young people’s travel needs, ensuring access for all. In relation to access to education this links to the North Tyneside Home to School/College Transport Policy 

  1. Based on the policy framework, the context and the challenges we have developed five principles to guide our work on transport.

Our Principles

  1. Our current work programme and future activity will be judged against the following principles and the success of our aims.  Our transport investment programme is set out in Annex 3: it is this which will be reported against each year to Cabinet and against which our success will be judged.

    1. Reduce carbon emissions from transport: We will seek to

    1. implement the actions set out in our Climate Emergency Action Plan to decarbonise transport and work towards carbon net-zero 2030

    2. support a change in culture which prompts people to adapt their travel behaviour to use more sustainable forms of transport other than car travel

    3. support the substantial shift to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), in place of petrol or diesel vehicles, which is necessary to meet national and local climate targets

    2. Improve health outcomes: We aim to contribute to improved health and fitness through increasing active travel; by addressing safety concerns for transport users and by contributing to improved local air quality. We will seek to

    a. support health, fitness and mental wellbeing, through promoting active travel and in line with the North Tyneside Health and Wellbeing Strategy and support the commitments within the Healthy Weight Declaration

    b. encourage a shift to more sustainable modes of transport by giving them priority in design, promotional and partnership working

    c. improve safety for all road users, address road safety concerns and reduce casualties while increasing cycling and walking, through design, promotional and partnership working

    d. broaden out our road safety work to consider the safety of travellers across our network, e.g. working with partners, seek to improve personal security for people travelling by public transport

    e. through the Local Plan and associated guidance, support developments which reduce the need for travel, encourage low car dependence and are accessible by walking, cycling and public transport networks

    f. support safeguarding of vulnerable people, e.g. through our hackney carriage and private hire licensing policies and the design of infrastructure

    g. working with partners, seek to reduce pavement parking

    h. monitor local air quality and seek opportunities to deliver air quality improvements

    i. be aware of ecological and environmental effects, e.g. on biodiversity, of our transport system and works, and seek opportunities to minimise adverse impacts and secure improvements where possible

    j. enable North Tyneside to cope better with significant weather events and other emergency situations, e.g. through partnership working, improving network resilience and our Flood Action Plan

    3. Support inclusive economic growth: Linking to our Local Plan, our Inclusive Economy Strategy and the North East Strategic Economic Plan, we seek to continue to grow by building on our strengths, including our world class companies and small and growing businesses.  Our aim is to have the right skills and infrastructure, such as transport links, to support investment and inclusive economic growth, to create and sustain new, good-quality jobs and apprenticeships. A significant barrier to some participating in the economy is a lack of affordable transport options. It is therefore important to ensure the provision of good, high quality, affordable and reliable public transport in helping people access jobs and to reduce inequalities.  We will seek to

    a. connect people with jobs and economic opportunities, through targeted transport investment, continued promotion of sustainable transport initiatives and the Local Plan

    b. connect people with education, skills development and training, in line with the North Tyneside Employment and Skills Strategy, and reduce levels of deprivation through supporting access to education, training, jobs and services

    c. further enhance the attractiveness of our town and district centres as a place to spend time for residents and visitors, supporting accessibility, particularly by more sustainable modes, and sense of place

    d. support the travel needs of tourists and visitors 

    e. support the movement of freight into and out of the borough, through the effective management of and investment in our transport networks and through partnership working

    f. through targeted major transport improvement schemes, support the aims of the Inclusive Economy Strategy by encouraging inclusive economic growth in the borough including existing business expansion and new inward investment

    4. Improve connectivity: Our aim is to ensure people are connected to a wide range of opportunities and are able to access them by the most sustainable means, and to ensure our national and international transport links remain competitive with other areas. We will seek to:

    a. link people to workplaces and destinations in the region and the rest of the North of England, through partnership working and implementation of the Local Plan

    b. ensure that our transport links remain competitive at national level, with the rest of Europe and internationally, through partnership working locally and in the region

    c. improve interchange between forms of transport, through targeted investment and partnership working: including e.g. ticketing options which support interchange between bus, Metro and ferry, and improved links between cycling and public transport 

    d. support equalities and diversity and help to make transport more accessible for all

    e. build on wider work to tackle isolation by helping people feel connected and able to get to where they want to and working with partners on options to support connectivity in areas less well connected by conventional transport services

    f. addressing local connectivity in areas which are less accessible from main centres, including working with providers to address issues where transport services are limited

    g. through partnership working, ensure that a range of affordable and accessible transport options are available to residents and visitors of all levels of income and mobility

    5. Manage demand and enable smart choices for all: Our aim is to use technology to provide improved information, promote more sustainable transport and make our transport networks function more effectively; shape transport demand to encourage and address increased demand for cycling and walking; and have effective, well maintained public transport and highway networks which can continue to serve changing travel demands. We will seek to

    a. enable and encourage informed choice and the wider use of active and sustainable ways to travel, including working with partners to provide improved information and inclusive access to information to  help people plan their journeys more effectively

    b. manage our transport network effectively, considering all forms of travel including public transport, cycling (including e-bikes), scooters, walking, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, horse riding, motorcycling, hackney carriages and private hire vehicles

    c. use digital information to improve the operation of our highway network and support cycling and walking, e.g. improving co‑ordination of traffic signals and travel time monitoring

    d. enable parking at the right time, right place and right price

    e. manage future demand through integration between transport and land use planning strategies

    f. ensure the overall highway network is well maintained, including off-road cycling and walking routes, and adopt asset management principles to ensure we efficiently maintain our network in good condition

    g. support the use of smart technology, e.g. to simplify public transport ticketing

    h. improve bus priority and work with partners to support an integrated public transport network, including Metro and local rail, and increase public transport capacity to meet peak-time travel demand

    i. encourage and address increased demand to cycle and walk by improving the street network and putting cycling and walking first

  2. North Tyneside has a clear commitment to be a listening Authority and to listen to what our residents and businesses tell us they want. Transport features highly in terms of residents’ priorities, particularly in relation to managing transport demand and the condition of our roads and pavements. Public transport is one of the top ten issues that local residents believe is key to making the place a good place to live. Cycling in North Tyneside has shown a pronounced increase. Listening to local residents and businesses is essential in ensuring that we can manage our transport networks to ensure North Tyneside is inclusive and continues to be a great place to live, work and visit.

Governance and performance reporting

  1. Progress against the delivery of this Strategy will be reported annually to Cabinet.  In addition, some of the delivery of this plan lies with our Technical Services partner, Capita: during the annual review of the Service Plan we will ensure that appropriate measures and action plans are in place.

  2. We will update, where appropriate, the strategies and plans which fit within the context of the Transport Strategy:

  • Local Development Document 12 – Transport and Highways

  • North Tyneside Parking Strategy

  • North Tyneside Highway Asset Management Plan

  • North Tyneside Cycling Strategy and Design Guide

  • North Tyneside Travel Safety Strategy

  • North Tyneside Network Management Plan

  • North Tyneside Zero Emission Vehicles Policy (in development)

Annexes