Agreement Part 7

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 17/01/2003

THIS agreement contains the conditions the N.E Lincs Council are imposing on the developer and the club in return for planning permission. This is Page 7.

GREEN TRANSPORT PLAN

Part I: Principles of the Green Transport Plan for the Stadium

1. The overall objective of the Green Transport Plan for the Stadium Site will be to encourage sustainable means and modes of access to the Stadium site for visitors and staff. It will outline measures which will be refined over the course of operation to achieve the following objectives:

1.1 minimise unnecessary and inefficient car use

1.2 encourage visits to the Stadium Site by means of walking, cycling, buses, trains or other means of non-car transport

1.3 identify a maximum percentage of spectators arriving by car at the Stadium Site at each Programmed Football Event

1.4 the active promotion of the use of sustainable forms of transport including the development of the Advertising Strategy

2. The Green Transport Plan may include such of the following provisions as may from time to time be appropriate:

· physical measures to reduce reliance on vehicular travel modes

· physical measures to encourage alternative non-car modes

· physical measures to manage travel demand efficiently

· car park management measures, including a pricing policy designed to:

- encourage high car occupancy levels

- discourage car use

- encourage use of the Shuttle Bus Service

· physical measures making provision for safe and secure walking and cycling

· the provision of information to visitors to the Stadium Site to encourage appropriate travel behaviour

Part II: Principles of the Green Transport Plan for the Retail Site

1. The overall objective of the Green Transport Plan for the Retail Site will be to encourage both staff and customer trips to the Retail Site by sustainable means of transport.

2. It will outline measures (including recruitment policies) designed to encourage staff to use means of transport other than the car for journeys to work or to encourage high occupancy of vehicles used.

Part III: First draft Green Transport Plan for the Stadium and Retail Development

The First draft of the Green Transport Plan is set out below. It is expected that this will continue to be refined post completion of the agreement. It is included as a benchmark of what is proposed.

Draft Green Transport Plan

1. Terms of Reference

The Green Transport Plans cover two distinct areas of the proposed development:

· the new stadium

· the retail development

2. Local Authority Approval

Green Transport Plans, for both elements noted above, will be submitted for the approval of the Council.3. Objectives

The Green Transport Plans will be designed to meet the following overall objectives:

· reduce car travel

· optimise car occupancy

· maximise the opportunities and incentives for alternative non-car travel modes

· manage travel demand as efficiently as possible

· be effective from first opening to establish sustainable travel habits

4. In view of the differences between the two identified elements of the development, there will be particular objectives for each of the Plans. For the new stadium, the objectives are as follows:

· maximise access by non-car modes for supporters and staff

· ensure that the allocation of car parking spaces is efficiently managed to ensure that it operates successfully

· employ techniques designed to maximise the car occupancy for all vehicles using the car park

· aim to minimise the travel impacts on adjoining highways and residential areas

· maintain a flexible approach and enhance and refine the Plan in reaction to actual operational patterns

5. For the retail development, the objectives are as follows:

· Promote opportunities for access by non-car modes for customers and staff

· Provide all necessary on-site facilities to encourage use of walk and cycle modes for customers and staff

· Encourage, wherever possible, a flexible approach to deal with more environmentally friendly deliveries and home delivery

· Encourage a co-ordinated approach amongst tenants to ensure that the maximum opportunities exist for collective staff travel habits (ie, car sharing)

· Ensure that the allocation of parking spaces is efficiently managed.

Specific Requirements

6. The multiple occupancy characteristics of the development and the need to retain a flexible and creative approach to the development of the Green Transport Plans, means that it is not possible (nor desirable) to be exact about the full specification of the Plans over their full life.

7. The following packages set out the incentives, provisions and techniques that would feature in the first year plans. Clearly many will be applicable for much of the life of the development, particularly the infrastructure. In subsequent years some of the initiatives are likely to be replaced to address new travel issues.

8. Broadly, the measures fall into two categories:

· Physical measures or infrastructure

· Control and management

Football Stadium

Aspirational targets for modal split are given at Appendix A to this section: more precise figures can only be developed after further research and testing has been completed

Public Transport

9. It is intended that a shuttle bus service will be provided to run at high frequency between the Stadium and various parts of Grimsby/Cleethorpes. This will operate before matches to bring supporters to the ground and return them to the various locations afterwards. Physical works necessary to provide storage capacity to ensure that buses have priority will be provided within the development.

10. Coaches will primarily be used by visiting supporters. Details of how information will be provided to visiting clubs regarding the excellent coach facilities are outlined below.

11. Discussions will continue with the relevant train operating company regarding the case for stopping existing train services at Great Coates in order to make use of the station's excellent location in relation to the Stadium. To assist in this process, within 5 years of the Stadium opening, a survey will be undertaken to investigate the benefits of rail travel to and from the Stadium.

12. A well lit footpath/cycleway links the development site to Great Coates Station.

13. A new footpath/cycle way from the development site to Woad Lane is proposed. This will link, via the South Humberside Industrial Estate, to a footpath/cycleway to the town centre.

14. Secure cycle facilities will be provided within the stadium.

Management and Control

15. The Stadium car park will be controlled. The control mechanism will be designed to encourage shared use within cars. Whilst the ideal car occupancy would be four people, the target will be three people per car.

16. A charging policy will be applied to assist compliance with this target. This charging policy will also ensure that it is not cheaper to travel by car than by bus and will be subject both to review and the Council's agreement. If appropriate, car-parking charges will be increased to encourage greater use of public transport. Charging will allow ticketing initiatives to be adopted aimed at maximising car occupancy, for example, providing a single car park pass with every three-advance tickets sold, or a single car park pass for a block of three season tickets ordered. Ticket initiatives aimed at linking prices to use of public transport may also be adopted. The car park control will extend to the commercial development car parks to ensure that football supporters do not use them.

Off Site Parking Controls

17. To ensure there are no adverse impacts arising on residential amenity, it is intended that a match day controlled parking zone (CPZ) be created. This will operate on the basis of resident parking permits in residential areas combined with appropriate road signage. It is recognised that strict enforcement of the CPZ will be needed. Given the length of time over which a football match takes place, providing the traffic wardens are mobile, it is possible for five wardens to comfortably manage the full area (three of whom will be paid for by the Club). Such enforcement should be rigorously and comprehensively applied from the first occasion the Stadium is used to influence people's habits.

Demand Management

18. It is recognised that measures to encourage early arrival for matches and delayed departure will assist in smoothing out demand peaks on both highway and public transport infrastructure. GTFC will provide pre and post match entertainment to encourage a proportion of the supporters to follow this profile of activity. Full details will be given in the Marketing Strategy.

Promotion and Marketing

(a) Home Supporters

19. GTFC will work with supporters groups to promote this Green Transport Plan and full information will be provided in the local press prior to the stadium's opening and on the Mariners Net web site on the following:

· Bus services (and train timetables if Northern Spirit provide additional stopping services)

· Off site parking restrictions

· On site parking availability

· Access by foot and bicycle

20. This will be repeated periodically throughout the year, most likely at Christmas and Easter. Ongoing information in respect of the above will be provided in matchday programmes, announcements and advertising in the Stadium.

The initiatives that are aimed at increasing car occupancy and will be encouraged through:

· pre season correspondence with existing season ticket holders

· promotion through matchday programmes

· matchday announcements

· a programme of advertising within the stadium

· advertising on the Mariners Net web site

(b) Away supporters

21. Advance information will be provided to the visiting football clubs and their visiting supporters' clubs in respect of the following:

· The excellent coach facilities and the priority that will be given to public transport leaving the site

· Off site car parking restrictions including the adjoining commercial development

· On site parking availability and cost - with the specific aim of increasing car occupancy

22. It is expected that the details would be incorporated into the visiting team's previous home game programme. These details will also be provided for inclusion in the various football guides as well as being available on the Mariners Net web site.

Monitoring and Review

23. The operation of this plan will be reviewed at quarterly meetings of the Joint Working Party to ensure that the objectives are being met and to consider appropriate changes.

Retail Development

Public Transport

24. Routes 1/2 are services that are proposed to be extended to serve the nearby Europarc development. The provision of these services is dependent upon subsidising any losses. The developers propose to subsidise the services and their extension into Europarc. It is also proposed the route 45 be diverted to run into the development.

Walking and Cycling

25. The provision of the footpath and cycleway links outlined under the stadium proposals also benefits the retail development.

26. Facilities will be provided for secure cycle storage, showers and changing rooms and irons for pressing uniforms. These may be provided as part of the Park and Ride Infrastructure.

Car Parking Provision

27. The parking provision associated with the non-food retail portion of the development provides 475 parking spaces. This is below the standards typically adopted for this form of retailing as well as the standards within Annex B of Draft PPG 13. The provision has been deliberately set at a standard that encourages efficient use of the car park. The car park will also be managed during football matches to ensure it is not used for parking associated with the Stadium.

Steering Group

28. A steering group will be set up under the terms of the land ownerships to individual firms occupying the development. The developer to administer its costs and implement measures to achieve the objectives of the Green Travel Plan will provide a grant of £2,000. The steering group will sit on a quarterly basis to review travel habits and performance, discuss new initiatives and to provide structured feedback to key audiences.

Travel Co-ordinators

29. Each occupant will be encouraged to provide a nominated member of staff to act as travel co-ordinator and representative on the steering group. It will be their responsibility to act as a link to the wide staff of the individual company and the steering group.

Staff Travel Database

30. Occupants will be encouraged to enlist all staff on a central database. This will facilitate the dissemination of information on travel facilities and promote car sharing initiatives. A staff travel survey will be carried out within 6 months of the retail development becoming operational with further surveys being undertaken at intervals of not more than [ ] to assist in target setting, monitoring and assessment of the Green Travel Plan.

Car Sharing

31. A formal scheme will be implemented whereby the occupants' Travel Co-ordinator will be encouraged to collate staff details from the travel database and introduce potential car sharing schemes.

32. The steering group would form cycle groups and cycle 'buddy' schemes.

Guaranteed Ride Home

33. A major obstacle to staff travelling by means other than their car is the fear that they need to get home quickly in an emergency. To overcome this problem, a guaranteed ride home service can be offered using local taxi services.

Travel Awareness Information

34. Information will be made available on all transport initiatives and facilities for all staff on starting their employment. The information would highlight pedestrian and cycle routes in the area, bus routes and frequencies and also train timetables. Information will also be displayed for customers on public transport routes and other area wide initiatives as might be adopted by the Council.

Monitoring and Review

35. The operation of this plan will be reviewed at regular quarterly meetings between the Steering Group, representatives of GTFC, the Council, local residents, the police and other emergency services to ensure that the objectives are being met and to consider appropriate changes.

36. Monitoring will take place in accordance with the attached annex. Any measure required to deal with works required under the monitoring provisions will be funded from the Mitigation Bond.

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