Developing a West of England Bid for the Local Sustainable Transport Fund

The West of England Local Sustainable Transport Fund Key Component Bid was submited to the Department for Transport in April 2011.  The project focuses on six key commuter routes in the West of England serving a number of employment centres that provide 74% of the areas jobs. The bid builds on the work that is taking place on the Great Bristol Bus Network Showcase routes, ongoing work with employers, and the recently agreed Memorandum of Understanding between the local NHS PCT’s and the councils. Read on for how it was developed.

The West of England Large Project Initial Proposal was submitted on June 6, we now wait to see if we are shortlisted in July, when we hope we will be asked to submit a main bid submission by December.

The four West of England authorities are also part of a wider South West bid to introduce smart ticketing technology to public transport across the whole of the South West.

The four councils in partnership as the West of England, decided to submit a 'key component bid' in April 2011, prior to a larger project bid submisison in June 2011.

• Key component bid submisison deadline 18 April 2011
• Decision on key component June 2011
• Larger project
• Submission of Expression of Interest 6 June 2011
• Shortlisting for main bid July 11
• Main bid submission December 11
• Decision on main bid July 2012

An initial presentation on the work taking place to develop a bid was given to the the Joint Transport Executive Committee on 4 March 2011.

A Stakeholder workshop was held in April 2011 to gather ideas and offers and help and support from a wide range of business, groups and individuals. Run by Transport for Quality of Life the workshop set out the essentials of a good bid, explained the shape of the emerging West of England bid and asked for feedback  and input on content from those present.

The West of England Bid is focused around three themes, each with a number of projects

• Low Carbon Commuting
• Area Travel Plans
• Business Travel
• Key Commuter Routes
• Active and Sustainable Commuting
• Vibrant Streets
• Rural Hubs and Links
• Key Centres
• Transitions to Low Carbon Lifestyles
• Secondary School
• Adulthood -preparing for work, training, education
• University
• New Development

During the event people were asked to add ideas on how to expand on activities within the themes and how they might help with making it happen, and these ideas were incorporated in the initial bid. Read a full report of the day.

The stakeholder event was attended by representatives from the following organisations: North Somerset Local Access Forum, Greater Bedminster Community Partnership, Cycle Bath, Ramblers Bristol Group and Avon Area, DHL Urban Consolidation, First Bristol, Somerset and Avon, Bristol Airport Limited, Weston & District Community Transport, Green Capital Momentum Group, Bristol Living Streets, Bristol Civic Society, British Cycling, CTC, Bristol Cycling Campaign, South West RDA, Transition Bristol, UWE Centre for Transport & Society, NHS Bristol, North Somerset Cycle Forum, Sustrans, Weston-super-Mare Chamber of Commerce, The Bristol Port Company, Lifecycle, Bristol Civic Society