Consultation Paper. Proposed Removal of Ashchurch Rail Freight Facility Scheme from Gloucestershire s Local Transport Plan

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1 Consultation Paper Proposed Removal of Ashchurch Rail Freight Facility Scheme from Gloucestershire s Local Transport Plan June 2014

2 Consultation Paper Proposed Removal of Ashchurch rail freight facility scheme from Gloucestershire s Local Transport Plan Purpose: This paper sets out the reasons why Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) is consulting on the proposed removal of a potential rail freight facility scheme at Ashchurch from its list of schemes identified in the adopted Local Transport Plan (LTP). How to have your say: GCC is seeking views from stakeholders as to whether there are sound reasons for the proposed rail freight facility scheme to be retained as a potential scheme in the LTP. The consultation will run from the 9 th June 2014 for 6 weeks until 13 th July You can provide your comments through the Consult Gloucestershire website or ed to LTP@gloucestershire.gov.uk Background: Local Transport Plan The LTP is periodically reviewed to ensure it remains fit for purpose and the schemes identified are deliverable. The existing LTP identifies a rail freight facility scheme at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site at Ashchurch in its list of proposed schemes for the period The scheme supports a wider aspiration to encourage a modal shift in freight from road to rail. At the time of writing the LTP there was no commercial freight moved by rail from the Ashchurch MOD site, but due to its location adjacent to the railway line, there is an opportunity for a rail freight facility to be part of any redevelopment of the site. National Policy Context Paragraph 31of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states: Local authorities should work with neighbouring authorities and transport providers to develop strategies for the provision of viable infrastructure necessary to support sustainable development, including large scale facilities such as rail freight interchanges The draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for National Networks December (2013) recognises the importance of rail freight to the national economy as well as the environmental benefits of transferring freight from road to rail. It recognises the strategic importance of the rail network in transporting freight which has increased its market share considerably since the mid nineties. Paragraph 2.51 of the NPS National Networks states: The Government has therefore concluded that there is a compelling need for an expanded network of strategic rail freight interchanges (SRFI). It is important that SRFIs are located near the business markets they will serve major urban centres, or groups of centres and are linked to key supply chain routes. Given the need for effective connections for both rail and road, the number of locations suitable as SRFIs will be limited, which will restrict the scope for developers to identify viable alternative sites.

3 Joint Core Strategy The local authorities of Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury have formed a partnership to produce a Joint Core Strategy (JCS) covering their administrative areas. The emerging JCS identifies a range of possible strategic development sites for housing and employment use up to The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is now closing its depot in Ashchurch with a view to selling it for redevelopment. The Draft JCS has identified this site as a strategic allocation providing a potential 2,125 dwellings and 20 hectares of employment land on the MoD site. The removal of the rail freight spur is essential to maximise the development viability of the site. Following correspondence with GCC regarding the proposed removal of the freight facility, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) commissioned their consultants AMEC to carry out a feasibility study into a potential rail freight facility at the site. The MoD Ashchurch Freight Study was published on 24 th July 2012 by Intermodality and concluded such a facility was commercially and technically unviable at Ashchurch. The main reasons given were: There is no commercial interest in a rail freight facility at this site; Rail access is only provided from one direction (southbound) constraining the operationally of the site; Depending on the type of rail freight facility being considered, the cost of investment, relative distance from communication nodes and a lack of a defined customer demand/need in the local catchment area means that the site is unlikely to be promoted for such a development; The position of the MoD site approximately midway between Birmingham and Bristol both of whom have rail freight facilities and the proximity of the M5 linking these sites reduces the commercial need for a facility at this location. For the JCS to be found sound by a Planning Inspector, sites have to have a deliverable within the timescale of the plan. A request has been made by the JCS authorities to GCC to undertake a review of this scheme to fit the JCS delivery timetable with the aim of removing the scheme from the LTP list of schemes. Consultation For the reasons discussed above the County Council is seeking views from stakeholders as to whether they consider there are good reasons for the proposed rail freight facility to be retained as a potential scheme in the LTP. In line with the recommendations of the MoD Ashchurch Freight Study and the need for residential and employment growth within the JCS area GCC is minded to remove the scheme from it s list of schemes in LTP3. The size of the potential allocation at the MoD site and the contribution it makes to the overall housing and employment land provision in the strategy requires a degree of certainty that the site can be delivered. This is so that the JCS to be found sound and subsequently adopted by the Councils of Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester. The MoD Ashchurch Freight Study concluded that there was no commercial interest in a possible rail freight facility at this location and there are operational constraints which impact on its viability.

4 The redevelopment of the site for housing and employment use will also potentially increase passenger demand at the nearby Ashchurch for Tewkesbury railway station. Therefore this may lead to train operating companies providing additional passenger services which will aid modal shift for longer distance trips. Therefore the benefits of providing a deliverable substantial brownfield site for development as part of the emerging JCS along with the opportunity for improved passenger services need to be balanced against the loss of a potential rail freight facility for the County. The consultation will run from the 9 th June 2014 for 6 weeks until 13 th July Consultation Question: Please set out any sound reasons why you believe the proposed rail freight facility scheme should be retained as a potential scheme in the LTP3? You can provide your comments through the Consult Gloucestershire website or ed to LTP@gloucestershire.gov.uk Next Steps: Following on from the public consultation it is intended that a report will confirm the results of the consultation and give a recommendation on whether to retain the scheme or remove it from the LTP. The recommendation will be considered by GCC s Cabinet in September 2014.

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