The following is a detailed analysis and full consideration of all the responses received as part of the consultation exercise. A number of amendments were made to the draft strategy. These are detailed below.
- New branding applied.
- Local examples from consultation included eg Prestwich Circle Volunteer Drivers Service as an example of community transport.
- More content included on personal safety.
- More content included on technology.
- Document updated to reflect where schemes have been delivered.
- Minimal content deleted, mainly out of date content eg on commercial bus operations and the initial proposals for the three CRSTS active travel schemes in view of our intention to consult on more developed ideas later this year.
Updated where necessary to reflect the amendments below.
Updated to reflect that this is now the final strategy, not a draft.
- Amended paragraph on GM2040 Transport Strategy to clarify that we have already signed up to its ambitions and policies.
- Added new page on the consultation process.
- Updated to better reflect the link between Bury Local Transport Strategy and GM2040 Transport Strategy (LTP4), including a new document hierarchy image.
- Added new content on updating Local Transport Plans and government requirement for new LTP5 by next summer, including a new image on updating GM2040.
- Added new pages:
- Bury’s GM2040 Local Implementation Plan.
- funding for transport improvements, Government funding and conditions such as promoting sustainable travel and public transport, including reallocating road space to sustainable modes.
- Metrolink – added more issues raised during consultation including cost, reliability, overcrowding at peak times, anti-social behaviour at stops and enforcement of Metrolink Park and Ride facilities.
- Bus – added anti-social behaviour to the issues and referred to the GM Bus Plan target for bus patronage.
- Congestion page renamed ‘Congestion and journey time reliability’.
- Walking, wheeling and cycling – road safety and personal safety added to the issues.
- New issue added: Balancing competing demands for roadspace.
- Personal safety – more content added, including on the work of the Bury Community Safety Partnership and the additional enforcement officers to be deployed as part of franchising.
- More content included on inequality issues raised during the consultation such as transport affordability, inclusion and accessibility.
- New issues and challenges added:
- Physical inactivity.
- Embracing new technology
Changes to the vision statement
- The transport vision has been amended to better reflect the LET’s Do It Strategy transport vision and consultation / stakeholder feedback, including to provide assurance that the strategy:
- is about enabling more short trips more to be made by cycling and walking by those who are able to walk or cycle.
- is about providing a much better public transport offer that offers a real alternative to car travel.
- is not about forcing people out of their cars.
- ‘Attractive and efficient’ has been replaced by what people told us an attractive and efficient public transport system looks like ie ‘affordable, safe, reliable and well-maintained and low carbon transport system’
New vision statement
By 2040, the Borough’s Townships will be connected to each other, to Greater Manchester and beyond by an affordable, safe, reliable and well-maintained low carbon transport system. It will be easy to get around by public transport, on foot and by bike. Walking and cycling will be the first choice for short journeys for those who are able to walk and cycle. Investment in transport will help to grow the economy, reduce deprivation and improve the health and well-being of residents.
Original vision statement
By 2040, Bury will be an attractive, well connected and innovative Borough where people aspire to live, work and visit. The Borough’s townships will be connected by a modern and efficient transport network, providing attractive, sustainable transport links both within and beyond the Borough. The improvements to transport and connectivity will help to grow the economy and reduce deprivation.
Changes to the strategic transport objectives
The strategic transport objectives have been amended to incorporate public consultation, stakeholder and partner feedback and better reflect issues such as inclusion, air quality, journey time reliability (congestion), personal and road safety, accessibility and disabled access.
New objectives
To support sustainable and inclusive economic growth and regeneration.
- To reduce the impact of transport on the environment.
- To support healthy and active lifestyles.
- To improve connectivity.
- To provide a well-maintained, reliable and resilient transport system.
- To provide a transport system that is safe, secure and accessible to all.
Original objectives
- To support sustainable economic growth and regeneration.
- To reduce carbon emissions.
- To encourage healthy and active lifestyles.
- To improve connectivity.
- To improve the maintenance and management of the transport network.
- To improve road safety.
- Investment priority 2: Improvements to stops on the Bury line – added reference to TravelSafe.
- Investment priority 3: Connections to Metrolink stops – added reference to personal safety.
- Investment priority 4: A new Metrolink stop at Elton Reservoir - added statement that the allocation of the site will be determined by the Places for Everyone Plan (PfE) and a new stop and Travel Hub/Park and Ride will only go ahead if the Plan is formally adopted and the development goes ahead.
- Investment priority 5: Travel Hubs – included a paragraph on Prestwich Travel Hub proposal and referred to bikes on trams pilot scheme.
- Out of date pre-franchising content deleted.
- New content added on GM Bus Strategy and adoption of GM target of 30% increase in bus patronage by 2030, including post-franchising Bee Network Reviews, the intention to establish a local Bee Network Forum and all the benefits of franchising.
- Investment priority 2: Better bus services – references added to Digital Demand Responsive Bus Services, Fairfield General Hospital, and Prestwich Circle Volunteer Drivers Service.
- Investment priority 4: Bus priority measures – assurance given that the Angouleme Way Masterplan proposal to prioritise active travel to the south of the town centre is only a potential proposal and would need further investigation and studies to determine if it is feasible.
- Introduction – added content on health and physical activity and the link with active travel.
- Investment priority page – added that the GM2040 target for active travel is for walking trips to increase by a third and cycling trips to double and double again from 2018 levels.
- Investment priority 1:
- Added reference to GM Active Travel Commissioner’s Active Travel Mission, TfGM’s intention to publish an updated Bee Active Network vision following recent audit activity, active travel and health, and safe and fully accessible crossing points.
- Assurance given that any schemes involving the reallocation of road space would be modelled to ensure that the impacts on general traffic were fully understood and an informed decision could be made on whether the scheme should go ahead. Reference also made to current national design and safety standards LTN1/20.
- Included the benefits of the new Cyclops junction at Angouleme Way/Market Street.
- Text added to advise that all CRSTS active travel schemes will subject to a design review/assurance process and public consultation.
- New page added on ‘Activation’ (behavioural change) activity associated with new infrastructure.
- Investment priority 2: Access to New Development Sites – added that routes will need to be ‘well maintained in the future’.
- Investment priority 4: Better access to bikes – added text on e-bikes.
- Investment priority 6: Connecting blue and green infrastructure networks – added more content on the role of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal as an active travel route and included the Village Link as an example of a walking route.
- Title changed to ‘Highways’ but developing a boroughwide parking strategy is still an investment priority.
- Overview of highways: added reference to road freight traffic and included text on the need to balance the often-conflicting parking needs of residents, local businesses, commuters, and visitors across the Borough. Deleted text inferring a link between parking provision and economic growth.
- Investment priorities 2 and 5 reworded:
- IP2 now ‘Provide infrastructure to facilitate new development’ not ‘new or improved highways to accommodate new development sites’
- IP5 now ‘Develop a Boroughwide Parking Strategy’ not ‘Development of parking strategies in key locations’.
- Investment priority 1: addressing congestion and severance:
- more content added on how we are addressing congestion including the role of buses, GMRAPs and consultation on taking up moving traffic offence powers.
- Assurance given that the Bury Town Centre Masterplan proposal to prioritise active travel to the south of the town centre is only a potential proposal and would need further investigation and studies to determine if it is feasible.
- Investment priority 3: Deliver road safety improvements:
- more content included on ensuring that signalised junctions are fully accessible and safe for everyone to use.
- more content included on the GM Vision Zero road safety target, GM Active Travel Commissioner’s refreshed Active Travel Mission and school travel.
- Investment priority 5: Develop a Boroughwide Parking Strategy:
- content added on the Council’s parking responsibilities (including car parks, coach parking, disabled spaces, electric vehicle charging spaces).
- Added more text on developing different parking strategies for different towns, the Prestwich Travel Hub proposals, and parking issues at Fairfield General Hospital.
- Investment priority 6: Electric Vehicle Charging Points – updated text to reflect progress made in procuring a supplier to install rapid chargers and to reflect additional funding secured, which will be targeted at providing publicly available charge points in residential areas without off-street parking.
- A new chapter added to explain how different modes of transport will be integrated through initiatives such as integrated ticketing, shared mobility and using new technology.
- A new chapter added that sets out funding already secured up to March 2027 to deliver some elements of the Strategy and the need for an unfunded pipeline to be developed to inform future bidding opportunities.
- Chapter updated and intention to prepare an annual progress report added.
Townships
Ramsbottom and Tottington
- Included the Village Link as an example of a walking route.
- Lack of public transport to towns and villages including Ramsbottom, Tottington, Greenmount, Holcombe and Walmersley added to the issues table.
- Initial proposals for the CRSTS active travel schemes removed in view of our intention to consult on more developed ideas later this year.
Bury
- More content added on Fairfield General Hospital.
- Journey time reliability added as an issue.
- Bury Bike Library included as another bike library example.
- Included reference to the benefits of the new Cyclops junction at Angouleme Way/Market Street.
- Initial proposals for the CRSTS active travel schemes removed in view of our intention to consult on more developed ideas later this year.
Radcliffe
- Places for Everyone Elton Reservoir page moved to the strategic sites appendix.
- Added more content on the role of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal as an active travel route.
- Initial proposals for the CRSTS active travel schemes removed in view of our intention to consult on more developed ideas later this year.
- Reference added to the CRSTS proposal to provide a new signalised crossing at Water Street to help connect the town’s active network to the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal active travel route.
Whitefield
- Added reference to Whitefield community involvement in preparing the Whitefield town centre plan.
- Included more issues identified in the draft Town Plan.
- Added development of a parking strategy to the proposal summary table.
Prestwich
- Updated content on regeneration plans and the proposed travel hub at Fairfax Road.
Strategic sites
Northern Gateway
- Additional ‘fixed track’ proposals added to key proposals list.
Simister / Bowlee
- New slide added.
Elton Reservoir
- Inserted slide removed from Radcliffe Township Chapter.
Walshaw
- New slide added.