2006-2011 LTP Annex 2

Introduction

The purpose of Warwickshire’s Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy is to set out our approach to the issue of improving access to the two major airports that lie within or close to the County boundary.  While many people travelling to and from Warwickshire make use of a variety of UK airports, issues concerning longer distance travel are more appropriately addressed within other Warwickshire LTP Strategies, such as Passenger Rail, Bus and Network Management.  The Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy, therefore, is concerned primarily with access to Birmingham International and Coventry airports.

An effective transport network is essential in order to give people, in all parts of Warwickshire, access to the opportunities and benefits that contribute to the enjoyment of a better quality of life.  Surface access to aviation facilities will continue to be met by car, bus/coach, rail, community transport services, taxis/private hire vehicles, cycling and walking, or any appropriate combination of these modes. This Strategy deals with the contribution that these modes can make in providing access to aviation facilities, with the emphasis on encouraging more trips to be made by public transport.  The effectiveness of transport links extends, not only to its provision, but also to difficulties in physically accessing what is provided, and other equally important issues such as the level of fares, journey time, personal security and comfort.

This strategy will assist in the delivery of the transport objectives of both Central and Regional Government and the County Council.  The timeframe of the Strategy will extend over the next five years and beyond, to ensure that the needs of both passengers and freight / cargo operators, are addressed in a planned, integrated and sustainable manner.

This document outlines:

• The objectives of the strategy;
• A brief overview of the relevant policy framework;
• The context for Birmingham International and Coventry Airports;
• The Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy developed in response to this context;
• Constraints on delivering the Strategy;
• The Action Plan for delivery, and proposed schemes and measures; and
• Monitoring and review of the Action Plan.

The Action Plan is a realistic implementation mechanism in the light of the constraints, with a monitoring and review process against set targets.

Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy Objectives

The starting point for this Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy is the overall transport objectives of the Local Transport Plan 2005 that have been developed to reflect national, regional and local policy. These are:

• To improve accessibility to the transport system in order to promote a fairer, more inclusive society;
• To seek a transport system which will promote full employment and a strong, sustainable local and sub-regional economy;
• To reduce the impact of transport on the environment through the management and control of adverse impacts;
• To improve the safety and security of people when they are using the transport system; and
• To encourage the integration of transport, both in terms of policy planning and the physical interchange of modes.

Policy Overview

The Strategy has been developed within the National, Regional and Local policy environment and aims to be consistent with the wider framework.  An overview of the policy background is provided in Annex 1 of the LTP.  The Government’s White Paper ‘The Future of Air Transport’, published in 2003, endorsed a balanced approach to air transport, recognising the importance of aviation to the national and regional economy and the need to reduce or minimise the impacts of airports on those who live nearby and on the natural environment.  The White Paper supports further expansion of Birmingham International Airport to provide the new runway capacity that is predicted to be required by 2016. Policy T11 of the Regional Transport Strategy which deals with airports, is due to be reviewed in the light of the White Paper but supports the expansion of Birmingham and calls for a target of 20% trips to BIA by public transport.

Significant development of Coventry Airport is not envisaged in the White Paper.  In 1995, the Warwickshire Structure Plan set a target for implementation of a Surface Access Strategy for the airport once a threshold for passenger aircraft movements was reached. 

Birmingham International Airport

Birmingham International Airport, which is located just outside the County boundary in Solihull Metropolitan Borough, is the fifth largest passenger airport in the UK, carrying over 9 million passengers last year.   It provides passenger and cargo flights, principally to British and European destinations, although the number of long-haul routes is steadily increasing.  The airport also has some facilities for recreational flying and training. The airport has recently undergone an expansion of both runway capacity and passenger facilities. These enhancements have been accompanied by a number of transport and accessibility improvements, including:

• The provision of a new multi-modal interchange at Birmingham International rail station, integrating bus, rail and taxi services in a single facility; and,
• The provision of Air-Rail Link, a fixed-link public transport system between the railway station, the multi-modal interchange and the main passenger terminal.

BIA has carried out a planning review in order to develop a strategy for accommodating the expansion outlined in the White Paper.  In late 2005, the Airport Company published a Draft Master Plan covering the period up to 2030.  The document confirms BIA’s desire to extend the existing runway and develop a second runway subject to addressing environmental issues and providing mitigation measures. 

The Draft Master Plan identifies a range of potential surface access improvements to support the proposed expansion, and the need for the Airport Company to operate in partnership with other transport agencies to deliver them. The County Council is an important stakeholder in the work to improve surface access to BIA, and continues to input to the process accordingly.  The County Council’s continued development of a new multi-modal interchange at Coleshill Parkway on the Birmingham to Nuneaton railway line is closely linked to further development at BIA and the NEC, particularly in terms of the network of bus links which will be enhanced when the station opens.

It is estimated that, by 2030, over 30 million passengers will use the airport every year.  This has very significant implications for surface access from and through Warwickshire and the surrounding area. As such, the County Council has provided a set of detailed comments on the Draft Master Plan through the appropriate consultation process. The County Council will continue to work with BIA in the development of a new Surface Access Strategy for the Airport.

Coventry Airport

Coventry Airport is located at Baginton in Warwickshire, close to the County boundary with Coventry. The facility is considerably smaller than BIA and is used primarily for domestic and European freight traffic, along with some recreational flying and training. In 2003/4 new owners of the airport began to operate and expand scheduled passenger services to a number of European destinations including Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona.

The Warwickshire Structure Plan Policy T12 sets a threshold (1000 passenger air transport movements PATMs) for when a Surface Access Strategy for Coventry Airport should be prepared and implemented. Improvements to surface access to the airport for passengers is particularly important, given that the new airport owner-operators are seeking a further expansion in the number of passengers carried.  The County Council will work with the airport operators and other key partners through the Air Transport Forum to deliver the measures contained in the surface access strategy. 

Problems and Opportunities

Surface access to BIA and Coventry airports has a number of associated problems and opportunities. These are summarised below.

Problems

• The predominant mode of access by passengers and employees to both BIA and Coventry Airport is by car. Public transport mode share at BIA in 2004 was 11.5% for passengers, and 18.6% for employees;
• Highway access to BIA can often be limited by congestion on the Motorway and Trunk road network, including the M42, M6 and A45, and through the proximity of the airport to the National Exhibition Centre;
• Highway access to Coventry Airport is constrained by its proximity to the congested A45/A46 roundabout at Toll Bar End, and a generally inappropriate local road network of ‘B’ and ‘C’ classified roads;
• There is currently very limited public transport access to Coventry Airport;
• Whilst bus and rail access to BIA is generally good, public transport access from the North East Catchment Area (i.e. Derby/Nottingham/Leicester) is poor and needs improvement;
• The use of public transport to Coventry Airport and BIA is constrained by shift working patterns because public transport in the early morning and late at night is not commercially viable;
• Access to Coventry Airport and BIA by walking and cycling is currently limited;
• Taxi and private hire vehicle fares from parts of Warwickshire to BIA are generally expensive, but form the only viable alternative to the car in the absence of public transport (particularly during the night); and
• Air cargo at Coventry Airport and BIA generally arrive at these facilities by road (HGV), albeit predominantly at night.

Opportunities

• Highway access to BIA should be improved following implementation of an Active Traffic Management (ATM) scheme for the M42. The impact of the opening of the M6 Toll on traffic levels on the M6 is being monitored;
• Highway access to Coventry Airport will be partially improved by the major works proposed at the A45/A46 Toll Bar End roundabout. This is due to be completed by 2010;
• Public transport access to BIA will be further improved through the implementation of the existing BIA Surface Access Strategy, the completion of the West Coast Route Rail Modernisation programme, and the opening of Coleshill Parkway in 2006 including the provision of associated bus/coach links to BIA;
• A number of improvements to local bus services, walking and cycling are to be implemented by BIA as part of the continuing commitment to the BIA Surface Access Strategy;
• The development of a Surface Access Strategy for Coventry Airport should identify the need for a step-change in public transport (bus) provision (services and infrastructure), as well access improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
• The recent introduction of a Coventry Airport Express Bus Service linking the airport with Coventry Railway Station, Coventry city centre and Pool Meadow bus station may help to encourage less car trips; and, 
• The introduction of a Green Travel Plan for Coventry Airport can reduce reliance on the private car and increase use of public transport, cycling and walking to access the airport.

The Strategy

The overall vision of Warwickshire County Council’s Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy is to provide:

‘Affordable, accessible, safe, convenient and sustainable surface access provision to airport facilities in or near the County, capable of meeting local and longer distance demand, improving accessibility and reducing social exclusion, thereby contributing to the achievement of the objectives of  Warwickshire’s Local Transport Plan 2006-2011’.

The Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy Policies

Details of the specific policies are set out below.

Quality of Surface Access

a. Accessible

The design of multi-modal interchange and remote check-in facilities at airports must enable passengers to board or alight from the vehicle unaided or with a reasonable level of assistance. Interchange infrastructure should provide for ‘seamless’ changes between transport modes.

Public transport services to aviation facilities should be co-ordinated to encourage interchange consistent with the aims of the County Council’s Public Transport Interchange Strategy, Bus Strategy, Passenger Rail Strategy and Community Transport Strategy, with the object of increasing the range of travel opportunities and options for travellers.

Pedestrian and cycling routes to aviation facilities shall accord with the standards set out in the Walking Strategy and the Cycling Strategy.

b. Available

Public transport services to aviation facilities should provide a coverage and level of service that reflects the access needs of airport passengers and employees, both during the day, and at night.

c. Acceptable

Interchanges facilities at airports and remote check-in facilities should provide reasonable shelter, comfort, suitable heating (where appropriate) and ventilation for the season of the year, and facilities to address personal safety and security issues.

Staff at these interchange facilities should be helpful and courteous and preferably have received customer service training.

Where possible, the journey time by public transport to aviation facilities should be similar to the equivalent journey by car.

d. Simple to Use

Public transport timetables, routes and fares should be readily available, easy to understand and be simple to use.

Integrated ticketing between modes including rail, bus and community transport services should be available where it is necessary to use a combination of different modes to complete a journey.

The Action Plan

The Aviation (Surface Access) Action Plan is geared towards addressing the key issues within the context of the known constraints and opportunities.

The delivery of surface access initiatives to aviation facilities involves a wide range of stakeholders. In these circumstances, the timescales for the schemes and measures set out below will need to be flexible to take advantage of the implementation opportunities as they arise.

ASA Action A1 - Partnership

The role of the County Council, working in partnership with the airport owners, operators, adjoining Transport Authorities, local planning authorities, the Highways Agency and other stakeholders, is to help develop and deliver sustainable improvements to airport surface access where it is feasible and desirable to do so.

The County Council will work with its partners to secure funding through the Local Transport Plan and other appropriate sources of funding (including contributions from airport owners and operators) towards improvements to surface access services and facilities.

For each specific initiative set out in the Actions below, the likely timescale for delivery is identified as short, medium or long term.  For the purposes of this strategy, short term will be the period up to 2011, medium term will be the period from 2011 to 2016 and long term will be the period from 2016 onwards.

ASA Action A2 - Quality of Service 

ASA Action A3 - Preparation and Implementation of Airport Surface Access Strategies

ASA Action A4 - Public Transport Access to Birmingham International Airport from the North East Catchment Area

Table 6 Action A4 - Public Transport Access to BIA from North East Catchment Area

ASA Action A4
Action	Schemes & Measures	Timescale
Improve public transport provision to Birmingham International Airport from the North East Catchment Area	Introduce Dedicated Integrated Coach Link between BIA/NEC and Coleshill Parkway. Develop and support direct express bus/coach services to locations that are not rail served. Improve the bus network for commuters by securing the hourly service to Tamworth and developing demand responsive services and/or extending the hours of operation of existing services. Investigate improvements to Birmingham – Leicester – Peterborough (Stansted) services and the International Connection.	2004-2011 (Short)
	Continue to operate the Dedicated Integrated Coach Link. Improve the timetable of the Dedicated Integrated Coach Link to meet all trains calling at Coleshill Parkway. Introduce additional hourly Birmingham – Leicester – Peterborough (Stansted) services. Develop the International Connection scheme through detailed design and Transport & Works Act. Make incremental improvements to the bus network to widen the catchment area and improve the attractiveness of the service timetables.	2012-2021 (Medium/Long)
	Remove the Dedicated Integrated Coach Link and bus/coach services, and replace with through rail services using the International Connection. Make further incremental improvements to the local bus network.	2022-2031 (Long)

ASA Action A5 - The Role of Coleshill Parkway in improving access to Birmingham International Airport

Indicators and Monitoring

Monitoring the delivery of the actions outlined in the Action Plan will be an important part of the management and control process. Progress against the identified actions and standards will be reviewed on a regular basis (at least annually) to make certain that the Action Plan is achieving the desired outcome.

The monitoring, benchmarking and measuring of indicators will allow changes to be identified, incorporated and updated in due course.

Table 2.8 sets out the main indicators that will be used to assess progress with the Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy.