2006-2011 Main LTP

Warwickshire and the West Midlands Region

Warwickshire lies to the south and east of the West Midlands conurbation, and has strong links with Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham.  The County forms the gateway from the West Midlands to a number of other prosperous and key growth areas within the UK, as well as Europe and beyond.

Despite the focus of population within the main towns and settlements of the County, a significant part of Warwickshire is rural in nature. The movement away from the provision of services in small towns and villages, along with the centralisation of key facilities such as health-care, has resulted in low levels of accessibility by modes other than the car.

Although having a mix of urban and rural characteristics Warwickshire's location in the centre of the country astride key strategic routes, means that it cannot be considered as having the typical characteristics of a shire authority that may be found elsewhere within the UK.

Warwickshire comprises five District/Borough areas:

• North Warwickshire Borough;
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough;
• Rugby Borough;
• Warwick District; and
• Stratford-on-Avon District.

The administrative areas of Warwickshire and the surrounding counties are shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1 Warwickshire Administrative Areas

Open large scaleable image in Popup

It is more appropriate, however, to consider the County in terms of the predominant travel movements and local characteristics, rather than administrative boundaries, and therefore the LTP uses seven areas as follows:

• The North/South Corridor that encompasses the strategic travel movements between Nuneaton, Bedworth, Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa and Warwick;
• Northern Warwickshire, comprising Atherstone, Polesworth, Coleshill and their rural hinterland;
• The urban areas of Nuneaton and Bedworth;
• Eastern Warwickshire, comprising the urban area of Rugby and its large rural hinterland to the west and north;
• The urban areas of Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Whitnash, along with the market town of Southam;
• Southern Warwickshire, comprising the urban area of Stratford-upon-Avon and its rural hinterland; and,
• Western Warwickshire, incorporating Alcester, Studley and Henley-in-Arden.

The travel areas are illustrated in Figure 3.1 in Part 3 of the LTP.

The Regional and Sub-Regional Context

The regional policy framework is provided by the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), the West Midlands Economic Strategy and the Regional Transport Strategy (RTS), which is contained within RSS. Policy T12 sets out the regional transport priorities that have been identified as necessary to deliver the RSS.  The West Midlands Economic Strategy, Delivering Advantage is consistent with RSS.  Its approach to transport is based on supporting implementation of the RTS and requiring regional partners to focus on delivering all elements of the plan for investment, and to take the lead on national, regional and local priorities. 

The Coventry/Solihull/Warwickshire area is recognised within the Regional Spatial Strategy as a discrete sub-region within the West Midlands that provides a unique contribution towards the national and regional economy. The population of the sub-region, at just over a million people, represents 19% of the West Midlands Region. In terms of its location, size and socio-economic structure, Coventry lies at the centre of the sub-region, with Solihull to the west and Warwickshire to the north, east and south.

The Spatial Strategy identifies the need for Coventry to build upon its reputation as a forward-looking city, which, along with Solihull and Warwickshire, can help create an important growth engine for the Region and link to the economic growth of the South East and East Midlands regions. Over the last 35 years, the population of Coventry has fallen by 10% while over the same period, the population of Warwickshire, currently around 519,000, has shown an increase of 13.5%.  This is about four times the rate of growth of the West Midlands region and England and Wales as a whole.

The RSS states that major shire towns and locations outside the major urban areas of the West Midlands should continue to act as a focus for new investment to support wider regeneration and help to meet the economic, social and cultural needs of the surrounding areas.  The historic heritage of Warwick and Leamington Spa are specifically identified, along with the continued development of Rugby where there is the potential and infrastructure to attract new investment. Rural renaissance, a priority in the RSS, is particularly relevant to Warwickshire where some two thirds of the land area is rural in nature.

There are two important travel corridors: North/South, linking Nuneaton, Bedworth, Coventry, Kenilworth, Warwick and Leamington Spa, and East/West, linking Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International Airport/National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham. 

Whilst the sub-region retains its traditional links with manufacturing (particularly the motor industry), it has experienced a significant growth in the service sector economy over the last 20 years.  Greater accessibility, partially as a result of the completion of the M40 in the early 1990’s and the enhanced rail services between the West Midlands and London, has attracted jobs to the area.  The need for a greater diversity to the economic base was highlighted during the Rover crisis in 2000 and the car manufacturing industry continues to face uncertainties.  From this experience, a number of regeneration corridors and high technology clusters were identified across the West Midlands.  Locally, these cover:

• The Coventry to Nuneaton Regeneration Corridor; and
• The Solihull/Coventry/Warwick High Technology triangle.

Sites for new industry and commerce are available within the sub-region.  The establishment of employment opportunities at new developments and regeneration sites has implications for transport provision and therefore the three local authorities commissioned the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Transportation and Regeneration Study in 2004. This study has played a key role in informing the development of this LTP.  Further details are provided in the North/South Corridor chapter. 

Table 1 Input of Warwickshire County Council to the regional priorities for transport investment

Scheme	Input of Warwickshire County Council
National and Regional Priorities
A programme of measures aimed at achieving behavioural change, including travel awareness, walking/cycling networks, quality public transport and access to regeneration sites	Continuing support for the Travelwise Initiative. Promotion of School/Business Travel Plans. Promotion of Soft Factor Interventions. LTP proposals for improving walking, cycling and public transport. Implementation of the recommendations of the Coventry/Solihull/ Warwickshire Transportation and Regeneration Study to improve/support access to key regeneration corridors and sites.
West Coast Main Line Strategy	Supported by the County Council in principle, however some significant concerns over impacts on local passenger and freight services.
Upgrading rail freight routes to Felixstowe and Southampton	Supported by the County Council in principle.
M40 J15 Longbridge Improvement	Supported by the County Council in principle.
M42 Active Traffic Management Pilot	The County Council will monitor the impact of the pilot in conjunction with the Highways Agency prior to supporting the further development of ATM on other motorways.
M42 widening J3-7	The County Council reserve judgement on this scheme until analysis of the impact of ATM has been completed.
ATM for M5/M6/M42 motorway box	The County Council reserve judgement on this scheme until analysis of the impact of ATM has been completed.
A45/A46 Tollbar End Improvement	Supported by the County Council in principle.
Various route management strategies (RMS), including the A46	The RMS process is supported by the County Council in principle, subject to further consultation with the Highways Agency. Improvements to the A46 at Tollbar End (A46/A45), Longbridge (A46/M40) and Stratford - Alcester are supported in principle.
West Midlands Rail Short and Medium term capacity and performance enhancements	Support is subject to the extent to which the County Council’s consultation responses to the West Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy and Regional Planning Assessment are incorporated in the final versions of both Plans.
Passenger capacity enhancement Birmingham New Street	Supported by the County Council in principle.
West Midlands Rail Strategy – long term capacity needs	Support is subject to the extent to which the County Council’s consultation response to the Regional Planning Assessment is incorporated in the final Plan.
Local congestion charging studies	The County Council reserve view on this until completion of the study.
West to East Midlands MMS Recommendations	The County Council support the recommendations of the study and is working towards the delivery of a number of the key proposals (e.g. Coleshill Parkway).
BIA, development of services and improved surface access, especially by public transport	The County Council support the future expansion of BIA in principle, subject to the agreement of a revised Surface Access Strategy (incorporating the recommendations of the BIANCA Study), and suitable environmental mitigation measures relating to impacts on Warwickshire.
Sub-Regional Priorities in MUAs
Bus showcase/Quality bus network development	Supported by the County Council in principle where cross-boundary benefits are possible.
Strategic Park and Ride – other sites – Centro Study	The County Council is currently working with its rail industry partners to deliver Coleshill Parkway.
Improved access to regeneration sites	Implementation of the recommendations of the Coventry/Solihull/Warwickshire Transportation and Regeneration Study to improve/support access to key regeneration corridors and sites.
Sub-Regional Priorities outside the MUAs
Retention and development of local services, including links between Local Regeneration Areas and areas of opportunity	Implementation of the recommendations of the Coventry/Solihull/Warwickshire Transportation and Regeneration Study to improve/support access to key regeneration corridors and sites.
Enhancement and development of rural public and community transport, particularly links between market towns and their hinterlands	LTP proposals for improving walking, cycling and public/community transport, particularly in the rural parts of the County and the market towns in Warwickshire.
Development of improved road network management and prioritisation, including between nodes in High Technology Corridors	Implementation of the recommendations of the Coventry/Solihull/Warwickshire Transportation and Regeneration Study to improve/support access to key regeneration corridors and sites.
Improved access to regeneration sites	Implementation of the recommendations of the Coventry/Solihull/Warwickshire Transportation and Regeneration Study to improve/support access to key regeneration corridors and sites.

The combination of population growth and migration, changes to the economy, and the ongoing attraction of living and working in Warwickshire will continue to provide challenges to deliver the infrastructure and services necessary to sustain the well being of Warwickshire and the Sub-Region. 

Meeting the aims and objectives of this LTP to provide an efficient and accessible transport system will therefore make an important contribution to:

• Achieving the development of the West Midlands economy as a whole;
• Addressing the socio-economic problems of areas of the County and the Sub-Region in need of regeneration; and
• Relieving the pressures placed on the Sub-Region by further development.

Table 1.1 shows the role of the County Council in delivering the regional priorities for transport investment as set out in Policy T12 of the Regional Spatial Strategy (proposals that are not relevant to Warwickshire have been excluded from the table).

The Existing Transport Network

The  Highway Network

The M1, M6, M40, M42, M45 and M69 motorways pass through the County, while key trunk routes include the A5, A14, A38, A45, A46, A435 and A446.  There are important motorway and trunk road interchanges at Longbridge (M40/A46), Tollbar End (A45/A46) and M1 Junction 19 (M1/M6/A14).  In addition, a comprehensive network of secondary routes serve local destinations. The A46 and A444 both act as key routes in the North-South Corridor and the A46 provides a strategic link between the East Midlands (M1/M69) and the South West (M5).

Other key routes in the County include:

• A452 between Kenilworth, Leamington Spa and the M40;
• A428 linking Coventry with Rugby;
• A45 between Coventry, Dunchurch and Daventry;
• A445 linking the Warwick/Leamington Spa area with Rugby;
• A425 linking Leamington Spa with Southam and Daventry;
• A429 linking Warwick with Moreton-in-Marsh and Cirencester;
• A426 between Southam, Rugby, the M6 and Leicester;
• A446 between the M6/M42 and the A38 (N);
• A422 between Stratford-upon-Avon and Banbury;
• A3400 between south east Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon and The Cotswolds;
• A4177 linking Warwick with Solihull; and
• A422 linking Stratford-upon-Avon with Alcester and Worcester.

The County’s highway network is illustrated in Figure 1.2.

Detrunking

The following trunk routes have been proposed for detrunking by the Highways Agency:

•  A38 from Minworth to Bassett's Pole;
•  A446 from Packington Crossroads to Bassett's Pole; and
•  A435 from the M42 (Junction 3) to the A46 at Alcester.

Under detrunking, the County Council would take over the responsibility for maintaining and improving these routes. Details of the County Council's position in relation to the proposals can be found in the area chapters covering Northern Warwickshire (A38 and A446) and Western Warwickshire (A435) respectively. 

Figure 2 Warwickshire's Highway Network

Open large scaleable image in Popup

The Bus Network

A number of inter-urban movements in the County are served by bus, which are predominantly provided on a commercial basis by a variety of operators. There are bus services linking the urban areas in the North/South Corridor and separate services from Leamington Spa and Warwick allow through journeys to Stratford-upon-Avon, albeit with a change of bus. 

Inter-urban bus services operate on the following main corridors:

• Coventry - Kenilworth - Leamington Spa - Warwick;
• Leamington Spa - Warwick - Stratford-upon-Avon;
• Birmingham - Birmingham International Airport - Coventry - Rugby;
• Rugby - Southam - Leamington Spa;
• Stratford-upon-Avon - Henley in Arden - Shirley - Birmingham;
• Tamworth - Atherstone - Nuneaton;
• Tamworth - Kingsbury - Birmingham;
• Coleshill - Water Orton - Birmingham;
• Leicester - Hinckley - Nuneaton - Bedworth - Coventry;
• Rugby - Daventry - Banbury;
• Stratford-upon-Avon - Evesham; and
• Alcester - Studley - Redditch.

In addition, there are also:

• Local services of varying quality and frequency operating within the main towns;
• Reasonably good bus services linking many of the smaller towns with the main urban areas; these also provide links with the villages and rural areas through which they pass; and
• Generally infrequent services in rural parts of the County, which are neither served by the inter-urban services nor the services linking the smaller towns with the main urban areas.

The County Council financially supports a number of these services, including evening and Sunday services.

Full details of the County Council's Bus Strategy can be found in Annex 2 of the LTP.

The Rail Network

Warwickshire has a mixture of inter-city, cross-country and local rail services that meet a variety of travel demands across the County.

Access to the West Coast Main Line (WCML) is provided at Coventry, Rugby and Nuneaton, with inter-city services to Birmingham New Street, London Euston and the north west of England. Local stopping services between Birmingham and Northampton also serve Coventry and Rugby. A local stopping service on the Trent Valley line between Nuneaton and Stafford serves Atherstone and Polesworth, albeit infrequently.

Services to London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street/Snow Hill are provided from Leamington Spa, Warwick, and Warwick Parkway. Direct services from Stratford-upon-Avon to London Paddington also call at Warwick and Leamington Spa.

As well as long distance services on the WCML, Nuneaton is served by services from Birmingham to East Midlands/East Anglia and local services from Coventry via Bedworth. Water Orton is served by a number of services between Nuneaton and Birmingham.

Coventry and Leamington Spa are served by high frequency cross-country services between the South Coast, the Midlands and the North of England. These link into a UK-wide network of services at Birmingham New Street.

Although outside Warwickshire, the Cotswold Line between Oxford, Worcester, Malvern and Hereford provides an important link for residents in the south of the County. The nearest railway stations to Warwickshire on this line are Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne and Moreton-in-Marsh. Peak and off-peak services to and from London Paddington are provided on this line.

In addition to the above, there are local stopping services between Leamington Spa and Birmingham Snow Hill, between Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, and between Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham Snow Hill. Some services to Birmingham Snow Hill extend to Stourbridge, Kidderminster and Worcester.

A new railway station at Coleshill is due to open in 2006/07, and will be served by train services between Birmingham, Nuneaton and Leicester.

There are currently no through rail services in the North/South Corridor (including connection to Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon), nor is there a rail station at Kenilworth.

Full details of the County Council's Passenger Rail Strategy can be found in Annex 2 of the LTP.

The Pedestrian Network

The following routes are available to and suitable for pedestrians:

• Footways which are part of the vehicular highways;
• Urban footpaths;
• Urban and rural public rights of way - footpath, bridleways and byways; and,
• Shared off-road pedestrian & cycle routes.

In addition, the following are provided by the County Council:

• Pedestrian priority areas, particularly within town centres;
• Pedestrian-only areas;
• Pedestrian signage; and
• Pedestrian crossings and footbridges.

The County Council's Walking Strategy can be found in Annex 2 of the LTP.

The Cycling Network

The existing cycling network in Warwickshire is made up of a combination of facilities that have been provided in partnership by the County Council, the five District/Borough Councils and Sustrans (the promoters of the National Cycle Network). Within the wider highway network, routes particularly suitable for cyclists include:

• Some off-road cycle tracks;
• Bridleways and Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs); and
• Minor vehicular roads.

Facilities provided specifically for cyclists include:

• On-road cycle lanes;
• Off-road cycle lanes (adjacent to the highway);
• Junction treatment and traffic management to make cycling safer, eg. advance cycle-stop lines;
• Permissive off-road cycle tracks such as Sustrans routes
• Signage for cyclists; and
• Secure cycle parking provision, particularly at public transport interchanges and within town and local centres.

The County Council's Cycling Strategy can be found in Annex 2 of the LTP.

Picture 2 Pedestrians in Warwick Town Centre

Open large scaleable image in Popup

The Public Rights of Way Network

Warwickshire has a network of public rights of way extending to a total of 1,750 miles, made up as follows:

• 1442 miles of public footpath, available for the public to use on foot;
• 303 miles of public bridleway, available for the public to use on foot, riding or leading a horse and on a bicycle (provided that cyclists give way to walkers and horse-riders); and
• 3 miles of Byway Open to All Traffic.

The County Council has prepared a Countryside Access and Rights of Way Improvement Plan (see Part 2 of the LTP).

Air Transport

Birmingham International Airport (BIA) is located in Solihull Metropolitan Borough close to the County border and provides scheduled services to numerous British and European destinations, along with selected long-haul locations.  It also serves a substantial network of holiday destinations.  Low-cost carriers are flying an increasing number of routes.

Coventry Airport is considerably smaller than BIA and is used for domestic and European freight traffic, along with low-cost passenger services to a number of European destinations.

The County Council's Aviation (Surface Access) Strategy can be found in Annex 2 of the LTP.

Key Issues

Housing and New Development

Overall, the County has seen considerable growth in housing and employment in recent years. It is anticipated however that the rate of development over the next 5 years should reduce, with the focus being on the main towns, and particularly on brownfield sites.  The Warwickshire Structure Plan encourages most new development to be concentrated in, and adjacent to, the main towns of Atherstone, Polesworth, Dordon, Nuneaton, Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Stratford-upon-Avon. Any development in the rural areas is restricted to local needs.

The County has a target to allow the building of 31,100 new dwellings from 1996 to 2011.  Warwick District completed the highest proportion in the County at 86% of its allocation, closely followed by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough (80%); Stratford District (68%); Rugby Borough (54%) and finally North Warwickshire Borough (41%).  Across the County over recent years around 2,500 dwellings have been built per year.  This is expected to reduce to 1,500 per annum between 2007 to 2011, and reduce further to 1350 per annum between 2011 to 2021. In terms of employment, the Structure Plan identifies a need for 768 hectares of land specifically for employment purposes, of which over half has been completed to date.

The significant expansion of housing and employment in south Leamington, the Cawston area of Rugby and south east Stratford is largely complete.  Future development is likely to be focused in the Rugby area and south west Warwick.  Transport improvements have been identified to support the recent and future growth areas across the County and include the SPARK major public transport scheme in Warwick/Leamington Spa; the Rugby Western Relief Road; and upgrading Junction 15 of the M40.  New employment opportunities have been developed in North Warwickshire at Hams Hall, which will be served by improved bus and rail services associated with Coleshill Parkway. 

The North/South Contrast

The economy of the Warwickshire as a whole is relatively prosperous. The Gross Value Added compares favourably with both the West Midlands region and the UK as a whole. Unemployment is low in the County at 1.6% and also compares favourably with national trends. However, the rates vary in different parts of the County. For example, unemployment is 1.1% in Stratford-on-Avon while it is twice this level (2.2%) in Nuneaton and Bedworth. 

This difference in unemployment levels highlights one of the major issues in Warwickshire; the economic contrast between the generally prosperous areas of the south and the less prosperous areas in the north and east.  This is reflected in a range of indicators.  The mean household income in the County is £32,400 compared with £29,400 for the UK as a whole. However, the mean income is £28,700 in Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough, whilst residents in Warwick District have a mean income of £35,200.

North Warwickshire Borough has the highest proportion of Warwickshire households earning less than £10,000 per year (13.4%), while the lowest proportion is in Stratford-on-Avon District (10.1%). There are also marked differences in the vitality of the main towns in Warwickshire. Retail rent rates provide a useful indicator of town centre performance: average rents in Stratford-upon-Avon are some 60% higher than those in Rugby and Nuneaton.

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) for 2004 also illustrates the differences that exist between north and south (see Table 1.2 below - the higher the IMD score, the higher the level of deprivation).

Table 2 Deprivation in Warwickshire

Index of Multiple Deprivation (Source: 2001 census)
District/Borough	2004 IMD average score
North Warwickshire	16.38
Nuneaton and Bedworth	21.17
Stratford-on-Avon	8.80
Rugby	13.60
Warwick	12.56

Pockets of deprivation exist across the County. Of the Super Area Outputs (SOAs) in Warwickshire, 2, in Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough feature in the worst 10% of all SOAs within England.  A further 15 Warwickshire SOAs are within the worst 20% nationally and a further 20 SOAs fall within the worst 30% category.

Road Traffic Growth

The main travel movements within Warwickshire occur between the urban areas in the North/South Corridor, east/west movements between Rugby and Coventry, and between North Warwickshire and the West Midlands conurbation. Parts of Southern and Western Warwickshire have strong travel links into Redditch, Birmingham and the Black Country.

Increasing use of rural roads and significant growth in traffic on the motorway and trunk road network accounts for much of the traffic growth recorded in Warwickshire. Average growth on the local highway network was 18% between 1994 and 2004. Over the same period average growth in the County’s main towns was lower at 11.9%. These figures compare with national growth of 20% and 10.3% respectively.

Over this 10-year period there has been 7% growth in Kenilworth, 10% growth in Warwick, 9% growth in Leamington Spa, 13% growth in Nuneaton, 11% growth in Stratford-upon-Avon, and 25% growth in Rugby. Traffic growth in Bedworth showed a small decline up to 2002, but has seen a sharp increase over the last three years.

The County Council has developed a number of transport models that cover the main urban areas of Warwickshire. These are used to assess current problems and anticipate future areas of concern. Based on outputs from these models, the forecasted reduction in average journey speeds during the peak periods up to the year 2011 is likely to be highest in the urban areas of Warwick, Leamington and Stratford-upon-Avon. These areas may experience a reduction in peak speeds of over 10%.

Traffic growth in the built-up areas of the County over the last 10 years is shown in Figure 1.3.

Figure 3 Traffic growth in Warwickshire's urban areas 1995 - 2005

Open large scaleable image in Popup

Employment and the Journey to Work

The number of people working in Warwickshire increased from 184,700 to 236,900 (+28%) between 1981 and 2001. This compares with growth in the resident labour supply of 15%, from 224,600 to 258,900. Because the number of residents in employment or looking for work exceeds the number of jobs in Warwickshire, the County is an exporter of labour, with a net outflow of 22,000 workers (or 8% of the resident labour supply). Nuneaton & Bedworth has a shortfall of 17,200 jobs compared to its resident labour supply, a much higher shortfall than any other district/borough.  The main destinations for commuting out of the County are Coventry, Birmingham, Leicestershire and Solihull.

Imbalances between the distribution of jobs and the distribution of the residential population are a primary factor behind commuting patterns. The number of people commuting into Warwickshire also increased between 1981 and 2001, the main origins being Coventry, Birmingham, Leicestershire and Solihull, the same as the destinations of out-going commuters although fewer people commute into the County than out of it.  Warwick District is the only district/borough where the number of local jobs exceeds the resident labour supply, with a surplus of more than 4,000 jobs. This makes Warwick the only significant net importer of labour. 

The car is the dominant mode of transport for the journey to work in Warwickshire and is used for over 70% of such trips. However, there are significant differences across the County with the northern areas having a higher dependence on the car than the south.  This may be due to differences in the types of job found to the north and south, and also because of the relative level of skills and qualifications.  In North Warwickshire and Nuneaton & Bedworth, there are many shift workers whose patterns of work do not coincide with the availability of public transport.   In Stratford District, the proportion of home working is much higher than in the north of the County.

On average, Warwickshire residents live 13.7km from their workplace. 53% of all journeys to work are less than 10 km and 71% less than 30 km.

The modes used for the journey to work are shown in Table 1.3.

Table 3 Modes used for the journey to work

Journey to Work: Modal Split within Warwickshire (Source: 2001 Census)
Area	Car	Public Transport	Bicycle	Walk
English Shire Counties	66.8%	7.6%	3.1%	10.1%
Coventry	65.0%	13.3%	2.8%	10.7%
WARWICKSHIRE	71.2%	4.7%	2.9%	9.7%
North Warwickshire Borough	75.3%	4.5%	1.3%	7.3%
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough	73.4%	5.9%	2.8%	9.3%
Rugby Borough	70.2%	4.8%	4.0%	10.0%
Stratford-on-Avon District	70.4%	3.0%	2.6%	9.4%
Warwick District	68.8%	5.3%	3.5%	11.2%

The Journey to School

The use of the private car for school travel has increased dramatically in the UK over the last 25-30 years. This has been due to a number of factors, including:

• Rising car ownership, and families with more than one car;
• Fears over child road safety and personal security issues;
• The multiple nature of trips made in the morning peak period (e.g. combined school and work-related trips); and
• School admission policies and catchments.

Tables 1.4 and 1.5 highlight the UK and Warwickshire context in relation to travel to school patterns.

Table 4 Modes used for the journey to school nationally

Modal Split - Travel to School: National (Source: Office of National Statistics)
National Modal Split	Walk	Cycle	Bus	Car	Other
UK - 2003	46%	1%	20%	30%	2%
UK - 1975/76	61%	4%	22%	12%	1%

Table 5 Modes used for the journey to school in Warwickshire

Modal Split - Travel to School: Warwickshire (Source: WCC)
Warwickshire Modal Split	Walk	Cycle	Bus	Car	Other
Primary Schools	44%	1%	5%	49%	1%
Secondary Schools	41%	6%	30%	21%	2%
All Schools	43%	4%	15%	37%	1%

Problems of traffic congestion that occur in certain, mainly urban, locations at peak times are noticeably worse during school term time due to the influence of the ‘school run’. In Warwickshire, more children travel to school by car, and fewer walk, than across the country as a whole.  As with the journey to work, there is a discernable north/south variation with more car journeys and less walking in Warwick and Stratford Districts.  This may be partially due to the higher levels of affluence in the south, which is illustrated by a larger number of private schools.  Both the private and state schools draw pupils from wide catchments that include large areas of rural characteristic, which are poorly served by public transport.

Picture 3 Warwickshire County Council School Links buses

Open large scaleable image in Popup

Road and Rail Freight

Warwickshire experiences a high level of through freight traffic movement, both road (M6, M40, M42 and A46) and rail (West Coast Main Line, Midlands to the South Coast).

Nationally, road freight increased between 1990 and 2003 by 17%. Whilst rail freight decreased during the mid 1990's, privatisation has seen levels grow, consolidate, and then grow further, leading to an overall increase of 19% since 1990. However, over 80% of all freight nationally is carried by road. Whilst through movements on the West Coast Main Line provide a large amount of rail freight traffic in the County, movements from the Midlands to the East Anglian and South Coast ports (i.e. Felixstowe and Southampton respectively) are also important.

There are a number of small and medium sized rail freight facilities across the County that predominantly serve specific sites or railheads. The facilities at Hams Hall Rail Freight Terminal (in North Warwickshire Borough) and Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) in Northamptonshire provide dedicated multi-modal freight access to a number of national and international destinations.

Tourism and Events

Warwickshire attracts a large number of tourists primarily due to the Stratford-upon-Avon/ Shakespeare connection and Warwick Castle.  In 2004, Warwick and Stratford together attracted around 4 million visitors and are both in the top 20 visitor destinations within the UK.

The County’s main attractions are:

• Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Anne Hathaway’s cottage at Shottery, and Mary Arden’s house at Wilmcote;
• Warwick and its castle;
• The Spa town of Leamington;
• The historic town of Kenilworth and its Castle remains;
• The birthplace of rugby football at Rugby;
• Nuneaton, with its links to George Eliot;
• The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty;
• A number of well-known National Trust properties; and
• The extensive network of canals and waterways.

Other key tourist destinations, such as Blenheim Palace, are located in neighbouring counties.

There are also a growing number of events that take place in the County that attract large numbers of people who travel during a relatively short period.  Warwick castle regularly stages evening music concerts and firework displays in addition to its historic enactments. The annual Bulldog Bash of motorcyclists at Long Marston attracts some 80,000 over a summer weekend.

Tourism and events bring important economic benefits to the area. Most visitors however, travel by car and this puts pressure on the road network, adds to congestion and problems such as traffic noise and pollution.  Congestion hot spots can occur near to major attractions, particularly during the summer months and at bank holidays or during special events.