Infrastructure

A Local Development FrameworkIssues and Options Consultation Paper

November 2009

Richmondshire Local Development Frameworki

What will your town or village be like by 2026?It’s not an easy question, but it is one that weneed to try and answer with your help.Richmondshire’s Local Development framework(LDF) will help shape future development acrossall parts of the District outside of the NationalPark. This includes Richmond, Leyburn, CatterickGarrison and the villages to the north and south.The National Park Authority is responsible fordevelopment in the rest of Richmondshire.

The LDF will be a set of policy documents thatshape an overall direction for development inthese places. These policies will help determinefuture planning applications for, amongst otherthings, housing, economic or green energydevelopments, once the LDF is adopted. Beforewe can write these policies we must understandlocal conditions. We need to find out aboutwhere people live and work and how they travel.We also need to recognise the sensitivity of thelocal environment and our local heritage todevelopment.

This consultation report is one in a series of ten:

1. Achieving Sustainable Communities -Settlement Hierarchy

2. Achieving Sustainable Communities in theCentral Area

3. Achieving Sustainable Communities in LowerWensleydale

4. Achieving Sustainable Communities in theA66 North Richmondshire Area.

5. Scale and Distribution of Development

6. Economy

7. Environmental Assets

8. Housing

9. Infrastructure

10. Climate Change

Each report asks a series of questions aboutissues we need to debate. For example, howshould we treat small villages in terms ofdevelopment? Or how should Richmond andCatterick Garrison grow? You can make detailedresponses to any of the questions using the on-line form on our website or by writing to us usingthe contacts below. Or simply get in touch withus to talk about the LDF.

Please ask if you would like this document in adifferent format or language.

John Hiles 01748 827025, Emma Lundberg 01748 827026

Email: LDF@richmondshire.gov.uk

Write LDF, Richmondshire District Council, Swale House, Frenchgate, Richmond, DL10 4JE

Richmondshire District Council Website:www.richmondshire.gov.uk

Foreword

Richmondshire Local Development Framework i

ii Richmondshire Local Development Framework

Contents1. Introduction 1

2. Main Influences 3

3. Key features of the Infrastructure in the Plan Area 4

Transport Infrastructure 4

Utilities 5

Social Infrastructure 5

The implications of development during the plan period 7

4. Infrastructure Issues in the Plan Area 9

Delivering Development Withinthe Plan Area 9

Access to Services 9

Economy and Tourism 11

Sustainable Modes of Transport 12

Richmondshire Local Development Framework

1.1 This consultation paper aims to discuss theexisting and future strategic infrastructure-related issues within the Plan Area.Planning Policy Statement 12 requires theCore Strategy to include evidence of whatinfrastructure will be needed in order tosupport the successful and sustainabledelivery of development as proposed in theDevelopment Plan. The primary purpose ofthis paper is therefore to begin the processof establishing the current and futurecapacities of the infrastructure facilities andservices within the Plan Area and assesswhether they are able to successfullydeliver the scale, type and location ofdevelopment which will be proposed withinthe Local Development Framework (LDF).This on-going assessment thereforeincludes identifying any current or potentialinfrastructure-related challenges andwhere obstacles exist, discussing ways andmeans of overcoming them. Thisdiscussion should help lead to the creationof an ‘Infrastructure Delivery Strategy’which will outline what level ofinfrastructure is required and in whatlocation. The Strategy should also set outwhere the funding is coming from andwhen it will be provided. This Topic Papercontains a description of what we mean byinfrastructure in this introductory Section 1,followed by a review of strategic policyinfluences in Section 2, and a descriptionof the key features of infrastructure in theRichmondshire plan area in Section 3.Issues which need to be addressed areconsidered in the final Section 4.

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1. Introduction1.2 It is therefore evident that the issue of

infrastructure in particular cannot beconsidered in isolation as it has animportant role to play in helping to bothinfluence and deliver the other policies ofthe LDF. This topic paper needs to be readin conjunction with the other consultationpapers, ie. the paper proposing theestablishment of the Sustainable SettlementHierarchy, the Scale and Distribution ofDevelopment paper, the area-basedpapers (A66 corridor, Lower Wensleydaleand Central Area), and the topic papers(Environment, Economy, Housing andClimate Change.)

1.3 Infrastructure within the Plan Area is alsoinfluenced and affected by the policies,plans and strategies of other organisationsand agencies, many of which have theirown infrastructure-related priorities andbudgets. For instance, North YorkshireCounty Council as Highway Authority isresponsible for the local road networkwithin the Plan Area, whilst the HighwaysAgency is responsible for the strategic roadnetwork. Whilst the infrastructure policiesof the Core Strategy will need to take intoaccount the strategies, policies and budgetconstraints of these other organisations,effective partnerships will need to bedeveloped with these other infrastructurestakeholders to help ensure that the CoreStrategy can influence the local, regionaland national strategies of theseorganisations where they have an impactupon the Plan Area.

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1.4 What is meant by the term infrastructure?For the purpose of the LDF and CoreStrategy, the term infrastructureincorporates the facilities and resourcesthat are needed in order to successfullysupport the communities located within thePlan Area. PPS 12 encourages LocalPlanning Authorities to considerinfrastructure very broadly, encompassinga wide range of physical, environmentaland social facilities. A distinction is madein national and regional planning policybetween ‘grey’, ‘social’ and ‘green’infrastructure. Grey infrastructurecommonly includes the more traditional,‘man-made’ facilities which sustaindevelopment such as transportinfrastructure (highways, footpaths,cycleways, bus routes, parking facilities,etc); utilities infrastructure (water andsewage pipes, sewage treatment works,electrical sub-stations and cables, gaspipes, optical and telephone wires, etc).Social infrastructure commonly includesservices and facilities such as schools,hospitals, GP surgeries, emergencyservices facilities, libraries, post offices,village shops, libraries, religious facilities,village halls, etc. Green Infrastructurerefers to the wide spectrum of greenspaces and facilities that are used bypeople and wildlife and providecommunities with places for outdoorrelaxation and recreation, educationlocal/sustainable food production, as well

as providing habitats for wildlife andassisting towards the changes brought onby climate change (e.g. flood alleviationand cooling urban heat islands). GreenInfrastructure includes parks, open spaces,playing fields, woodlands, allotments andprivate gardens. Green infrastructure andthe related issues are dealt with in moredetail as part of the Environment Assetstopic paper.

1.5 As indicated above, a primary purpose ofaddressing infrastructure within the LDF isto help ensure that the amount, types anddistribution of development as proposedwithin the LDF are achievable anddeliverable. However, the LDF’sconsideration of infrastructure also has animportant contribution to make in helpingto address other issues and policyobjectives within the Plan Area. Providinguniversal access to good quality services isone of the central objectives of theSustainable Community Strategy and theprovision of sustainable grey, green andsocial infrastructure can help address thedifficulties that some of the Plan Area’smore rural communities currently have inthis respect. Producing a modal shift awayfrom the car to more sustainable andgreener alternatives is a fundamentalobjective of North Yorkshire CountyCouncil’s Second Local Transport Plan andthis can be supported and encouraged bythe LDF.

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2. Main Influences2.1 The following help to provide a policy

context for our discussion aboutinfrastructure in the Plan Area:

� Yorkshire and Humber Regional SpatialStrategy (RSS)

� Richmondshire SustainableCommunities Strategy (SCS)

� Richmondshire District CouncilCorporate Plan

� North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan(2006-2011)

� Second North Yorkshire Local TransportPlan

� Regional Transport Strategy� Wensleydale Railway Socio-Economic

Study� Planning Policy Guidance 13: Transport

2.2 The Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS)states that communities should haveaccess to good quality services that meetlocal needs where, when and how theywant them, including adequate access tolife-long learning opportunities, healthcare, cultural, leisure and sporting facilitieswhich are essential for ensuring the healthand well being of the population. Inrelation to ‘Green Living’ the SCSpromotes opportunities for a greener,healthier lifestyle such as walking andseeks to ensure that everyone has theopportunity to minimise their impact on theenvironment. Alternative means oftransport will be encouraged for bothvisitors and local residents alike.

2.3 The Government objectives for transport asoutlined in PPG 13 are to promote moresustainable transport choices for bothpeople and for moving freight, promoteaccessibility to jobs, shopping, leisurefacilities and services by public transport,walking and cycling, and reduce the needto travel, especially by car.

2.4 Consistent with this, the broad transportobjectives of the Regional Spatial Strategy,Second Local Transport Plan and RegionalTransport Strategy are to ensure goodaccess to key services, improve safety,enhance and protect the naturalenvironment, minimise traffic congestion inurban and rural areas, ensure thattransport provision contributes towards thepromotion of healthy and sustainablecommunities, and create an efficienttransport network which contributestowards increased economic prosperityand the efficient use of resources. Modalshift to alternative forms of travel andreducing the need to travel are alsofundamental objectives of the RegionalTransport Strategy.

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Transport Infrastructure

3.1 The transport infrastructure of the Plan Areais dominated by the axes of the A66 and A1which are both important national roadtransport routes in themselves. They alsoprovide links between the Plan Area andDarlington and the Tees Valley to the north-east, Barnard Castle to the north-west andHambleton to the south but are also vital interms of access to jobs and services withinthe Plan Area itself. Plans to upgrade the A1to motorway status within the Plan Area bythe Highway Agency could have importantimplications both nationally and in terms ofaccess within Richmondshire if junctionsconnecting the local road network to the A1are altered or removed. The InfrastructureDelivery Strategy within the Core Strategyshould both influence and take into accountthe major improvement programmes of theHighway Agency and Highways Authorityincluding the final plans for the A1 upgrade.

3.2 Other important road routes within the PlanArea include the A6108 which provides aroad link between Middleham, Leyburn,Richmond and Scotch Corner, the A684which connects Leyburn with the surroundingvillages and hinterland to its east and theA6136 which provides a road link betweenRichmond and Catterick Garrison.

3.3 There are no rail stations that are connectedto the national rail network within the PlanArea, although The Wensleydale RailwayCompany has since 2003 run services onthe Wensleydale line. This provides rail travel

between Redmire and Leeming Bar viaBedale and Leyburn. Although services arenot provided consistently on a daily basis,particularly in the winter months, the railservice and accompanying vintage busservice provides an important andconvenient transport link between theLeyburn and Redmire in the LowerWensleydale area and when used inconjunction with local bus services atLeeming Bar, it provides an additional andrelatively sustainable transport link betweenthe Lower Wensleydale Area andNorthallerton within the Hambleton PlanArea. Future plans are proposed to re-lay alink into Northallerton Station in order toconnect the branch line service with mainline trains. Plans have also been mooted toopen a new station at Newton-le-Willows.

3.4 There are no international airports situatedwithin the plan area, although Durhamand Tees Valley International Airport islocated within the Tees Valley area to thenorth-east of the Plan Area.

3.5 The rural character of the Plan Area, thelack of regular passenger rail services andthe relatively large geographical area ofthe district means that transport isdominated by the car. The rural andsparsely populated settlements within theLower Wensleydale and A66 corridor areasin particular are heavily reliant on the carwhich is reflected in statistics that show arelatively high level of private carownership within the Plan Area.

3. Key features of the Infrastructure in the Plan Area

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3.6 However, there are regular daily busservices which link Richmond and CatterickGarrison to Darlington, and Leyburn (andthe villages within its hinterland) toNorthallerton and Bedale, whilst otherdaily services provide a link betweenReeth, Leyburn, Middleham, Bellerby andRichmond. Whilst bus services do stopwithin the smaller settlements of LowerWensleydale, Leyburn does act as a localtransport hub in relation to the smallersettlements within its hinterland particularlyfor journeys to Richmond, Darlington andNorthallerton. The settlements within theA66 corridor also have daily bus servicesbetween them, Richmond and Darlington.

3.7 There are approximately 17 kilometres ofcycleway in and around Catterick Garrisonwhilst a predominately off-road cycle pathlinking Richmond and Catterick Garrison isbeing taken forward by the RenaissanceMarket Town Programme for Richmondand Catterick Garrison in association withSustrans. This path would also cater forwalkers and horse riders. The routeextends from near Richmond station toHipswell roundabout where it willeventually link with the footpaths/ cycleways to be provided as part of theCatterick Garrison Town CentreDevelopment. It is intended to lead to awider network of routes linking thesettlements of Richmond, CatterickGarrison, Colburn, Brompton andCatterick Village. Planning permission wasgranted earlier in the year for an off-roadsection of this route near Longwood Bank.The Sustrans -sponsored ‘Bridge the Gap’scheme to deck an old metal railwaybridge across the River to create abridleway was granted lottery funding in

2008. The Highway Authority have alsocreated new sections of cycle paths as partof their ongoing highway improvementwork within the Plan Area such as onDarlington Road in Richmond and betweenColburn and Catterick Bridge.

Utilities

3.8 In terms of utility provision within the PlanArea, the electricity is supplied by CEElectric and NEDL whilst the water andsewage is provided by NorthumbrianWater in the northern section of the district(above the A66) and by Yorkshire Water inthe south of the District.Telecommunications including broadbandconnectivity is provided by BT. Thecompanies responsible for gas distributionin the Plan Area are primarily NorthernGas Network and National Grid Gas.

Social Infrastructure

3.9 PPS 12 encourages the LDF to take a wideview of infrastructure including social,leisure and cultural services and facilities.As discussed in the section above, aprimary purpose of consideringinfrastructure within the Core Strategy is toensure that the proposed levels, types anddistribution of development is deliverable,therefore local services such as schools,health care facilities, etc need to be ableto cope with the levels of developmentproposed. If the existing provision ofservices within communities is inadequate,then solutions need to be explored toincrease capacity in consultation with therelevant service providers andstakeholders.

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3.10 Taking each of the proposed Sub Areas(see the Sustainable Settlement Hierarchypaper) in turn, the ‘Plan our Future’ surveyfor the Lower Wensleydale Area collectedinformation from over 500 local people inspring 2009 and the responsesemphasized a perceived limited capacity oflocal centres to fully meet the range ofservices needed by the communities. Themain deficits were perceived to be in retail,health care and leisure facilities. Based onthe proposed Sustainable SettlementHierarchy (and the requirements of theRSS) it is expected that Leyburn (as theLocal Service Centre) would be likely toincorporate the majority of employmentand housing development within the LowerWensleydale area. Therefore it is importantthat the services within Leyburn not onlyhelp to remedy the perceived dearth ofservices in the Lower Wensleydale regionbut also ensure that local services canmeet the increased demand created as aresult of the amount, types and distributionof development proposed in the CoreStrategy. With the exception of Middleham,the other villages within the Plan Area onlyhave minimal services, details of which areexplored in more detail in the LowerWensleydale Spatial Paper.

3.11 The Central Area includes Richmond andCatterick Garrison, identified as a jointPrincipal Town in the RSS (and reflected assuch in the proposed SustainableSettlement Hierarchy), which is intended tobe the main focus for development in thePlan Area. Richmond provides a range ofservices including primary and secondaryschools, primary health care services,

leisure facilities (including a swimmingpool, cinema and theatre) and retail shopswhich are concentrated in and around thehistoric Georgian Market Place. However,responses from the Plan our Futureconsultation highlighted the need toimprove the range of retail opportunitiesoffered in Richmond. Generally speaking,Catterick Garrison and the surroundingparishes of Hipswell, Colburn and Scottonare well served with local services whilst anoutline planning permission for a mixeduse town centre scheme comprising ofcommunity facilities, retail units, a hotel,bar and restaurants is awaiting thecompletion of a Section 106 agreementbefore formal planning permission of thescheme is issued. Details of the specificlocal services within the Central Area arelisted in the Central Area Spatial Paper.The existing range of services offeredwithin the Central Area is generally good,providing a strong base to allow the SubArea to incorporate additional housingand other development. However, similarto the Lower Wensleydale Area, the smallervillages within the Central Area have fewservices and facilities.

3.12 The A66 Area is characterised by small,rural villages with a small and relativelylimited range of services which reflect thesize and rural character of this area. Thecommunities in the area contain betweenthem up to 8 primary schools, villageshops, a health centre, pubs and villagehalls but due to the Area’s close proximityto the A66 and A1 and Darlington/TeesValley, residents tend to access servicesand facilities outside of the villages.

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The implications of developmentduring the plan period

3.13 The Scale and Distribution of Developmenttopic paper provides an early view of thescale and distribution of developmentwhich will need to be addressed by theLDF. It suggests options for consideration,which are likely to involve around 3,774additional general houses plus a further2,250 houses relating to the anticipatedgrowth of Catterick Garrison. This scale ofgrowth, at around 6,000 additionalhouses, must be seen in relation to theexisting housing stock of approximately24,000 houses, ie. representing anincrease of around 25% in the proposedplan period to 2026. In order to initiatethe process of producing an InfrastructureDelivery Strategy which will help to deliverthe levels, types and distribution ofdevelopment that is to emerge from theCore Strategy and Area Action Plan,Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water(as the suppliers of the sewage disposaland water infrastructure in the Plan Area)and NEDL, BT and Northern Gas Networkand National Grid Gas as the electricity,telecommunications and gas providersrespectively are all being contactedthrough this consultation stage to providedetails of any constraints and issues inrelation to the broad scale and distributionof development which is likely to emerge inthe LDF.

3.14 The utility providers are being asked toprovide approximate thresholds abovewhich development would not besustainable in particular areas without

additional investment in the existinginfrastructure. They have also been askedthe question that if housing numbers ordensities were to exceed these thresholds,what upgrades to the system would berequired to be able to support theadditional development? A similar requestfor constraints and threshold informationhas been sent to the Highway Authority. Asand when this threshold and constraintsinformation is provided, it will help toshape the emerging policies andallocations of the Core Strategy. NEDLhave already indicated that the currentelectricity infrastructure in and around theGarrison is likely to be able to support thelevel of new development as outlined inthe RSS due to recent upgrades, but theywould be able to provide more detailedinformation when specific sites are known.Northumbrian Water has also respondedstating that the settlements served by themprimarily in the northern part of the PlanArea are all relatively small and thecompany’s utility infrastructure iscorrespondingly small. Therefore anydevelopment in these settlements couldhave a significant impact on the existingcapacity of the water supply and wastewater systems in these areas.Northumbrian Water’s business planincludes a scheme to improve the sewagetreatment works which serves the village ofBarton. This scheme is due to beimplemented between 2010 and 2015subject to Ofwat approval. More detailedinformation can be provided once specificsites for development in the relevantsettlements served by Northumbrian Waterare known.

3.15 The other infrastructure providers within thePlan Area are also being asked to providedetails of any major infrastructureinvestment programmes that are plannedwithin the Plan Area. Consultation is alsobeing initiated with NYCC’s Children andYoung People Service, the NHS, PrimaryCare Trusts, Emergency Services and otherlocal service providers to ensure that localservices within the Plan Area will be able tosuccessfully accommodate the levels anddistribution of new development asproposed in the Core Strategy.

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Issue 1: Key InfrastructureFeatures in the Plan Area

I1aDoes the above infrastructure portrait ofthe Plan Area address the main strategicelements of infrastructure provision orare there any other aspects that shouldbe reffered to?

I1bShould the Core Strategy aim to protectexisting local services in the Plan Area,particularly those located within smaller,rural settlements?

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Delivering Development Within thePlan Area

4.1 Infrastructure has a vital role to play insupporting the spatial objectives of theSCS, RSS and LDF. The proposed growthand expansion of Catterick Garrison, thecomplementary role of Catterick Garrisonand Richmond as a ‘Principal Town’, thecontinued role of Leyburn as a localservice centre and the localised role oflower order settlements as Service Villageswill require sufficient infrastructure capacityin order to allow these settlements todeliver the growth and roles as proposedin the RSS and the emerging Core Strategy.

4.2 As PPS12 advises, the current and futurecapacities and constraints of the Plan Area’slocal services and transport infrastructure aswell as its water, sewage, gas andtelecommunication infrastructure have to betaken into account in developing the spatialpolicies and options for the plan area toensure that the emerging spatial, economicand housing strategies of the Core Strategyare deliverable and represent the mostappropriate and sustainable solutions.Where capacity is found to be lacking interms of the proposed strategy, for exampleto allow these settlements to carry out theirproposed roles, then infrastructure policyshould look to address this capacity shortfallby sustainable means. The CatterickGarrison and Colburn areas are already atnear capacity in terms of their sewerageinfrastructure (as highlighted in the CatterickGarrison Long Term Development Plan) sopotentially significant investment may haveto be considered when the amount ofdevelopment in these specific areas arediscussed. There are also localisedsewerage issues in other places within thePlan Area such as Middleton Tyas andBarton which may need to be resolved

should development take place in or aroundthese villages. Effective and continuedconsultation with the relevant infrastructureproviders will continue in order to influencetheir own strategic and budgetary priorities,ensure that the development proposed inthe LDF is deliverable and to overcome anypotential obstacles or difficulties. This topicpaper is part of that process.

Access to Services

4.3 Access to good quality services that meet theneeds of the community is an integral aim ofthe Sustainable Community Strategy and theRegional Transport Strategy, and will similarlybe a key objective of the LDF. Access toservices remains a pressing issue within manyof the rural areas of the Plan Area,particularly in the Lower Wensleydale area.The Index of Multiple Deprivation shows thatsome of the District’s rural communities areamongst the 10% most deprived in terms ofaccessibility to services. Although carownership within the District is generally high,those living in rural areas that are without theuse of a car are most at risk. Office ofNational Statistics data for populationprojections show that the already highproportion of elderly residents withinRichmondshire is predicted to grow evenfurther up to 2029. As a group whichgenerally lack access to private transport, thisraises further issues regarding access toservices within the Plan Area.

4. Infrastructure Issues in the Plan Area

Issue 2: Delivering Development

I2What infrastructure capacity issues doyou think should be taken into accountin developing the strategy for thelocation of development in the LDF?

4.4 The Area Profiles that have been carriedout for the Lower Wensleydale and A66Areas asp art of the LDF process haveshown a dearth of primary services andfacilities within these parts of the PlanArea, so it is essential for the health andwell-being of these communities thatregular public transport links are providedto larger settlements such as Richmondand to Darlington and Northallertonoutside the Plan Area either directly or viaother key settlements. Other solutions suchas better provision of telecommunicationsincluding broadband connectivity shouldbe considered as a means of access toservices without reliance on transport.

4.5 The Plan Area cannot be viewed inisolation and relationships withRichmondshire’s immediate neighboursneed to be considered in developing asustainable pattern of settlements andproviding a supporting network ofinfrastructure. Local Transport Planstatistics show a net outward pattern ofcommuting from the Plan Area toemployment predominately within the TeesValley and the District of Hambleton.Evidence gathered through the AreaProfiles and the Lower Wensleydale Studyshow that many parts of the District alsolook for their services and employment asmuch, or even more outside the District

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than they do within. In particular,settlements in the north look to Darlingtonand the Tees Valley; and there is anequally strong pull towards the CountyTown of Northallerton to the east andsouth east of the Plan Area. Outside theLDF area, half of the District lies within theNational Park and there are keyrelationships especially between Richmondand Leyburn and the adjacent parts of thePark to the west such as Reeth.

4.6 Although such strong links betweensettlements within the Plan Area and areaslying outside provides residents with accessto a range of services to meet their needsthat are not currently available within thePlan Area (such as Secondary HealthCare), such a situation could potentiallylead to social, economic, environmental,sustainability and traffic issues if thissituation was to persist or intensify (such ascongestion and air pollution which aregenerally not significant issues within thePlan Area at the present time). The issue ofservice provision is examined in moredetail within the Spatial Topic Papers, butthe trend of cross-boundary commutingand access to services is an importantissue within the Plan Area, particularly asregional and national policy is trying toreduce the need to travel.

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Economy and Tourism

4.7 Infrastructure, particularly, transportinfrastructure is vital to economicperformance within the Plan Area. Tourismspend is a key contributor to the District’seconomy and employs and makes up asignificant proportion of the District’s jobs,particularly in Richmond and the LowerWensleydale area. Therefore transportfacilities and infrastructure within and tothese areas needs to be protected andimproved. Several industrial and businessparks exist throughout the District, mostnotably at Gallowfields in Richmond,Brompton-on-Swale/Gatherley Road,Leyburn, Colburn and Scotch Corner. Dueto the close proximity of the A1 and A66,road access to the majority of thesecommercial areas is generally good.Infrastructure policies will need to co-ordinate with the policies and objectives ofthe economic component of the CoreStrategy and those of the RegionalEconomic Strategy (RES) and RSS, toensure that the economy within the PlanArea is supported.

Issue 3: Access to Services

I3aIs access to services within the Plan Areaa significant problem and should it be apriority issue that developing the strategyfor infrastructure provision shouldaddress through the Core Strategy?

I3bShould improvements to access toservices and jobs be predominatelyachieved by the better provision oftransport services and infrastructure orby providing more local services andjobs to reduce the need to travel?

I3cShould the Core Strategy beencouraging cross-boundary travel toaccess services and jobs or should thesemovements be discouraged?

I3dWhat infrastructure and transportimprovements would most effectivelyimprove access to services within thePlan Area? Issue 4: Economy and Tourism

I4aAre there any existing infrastructureproblems and constraints within the PlanArea that you feel are hindering thegrowth and vitality of the local economyand tourism?

I4bWhat improvements do you feel couldbe made to the existing infrastructuresystems that would help support thelocal economy and facilitate its growth?

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Issue 5: Modal Shift and GreenerTravel

I5aWhat polices and measures could beadopted to encourage a modal shiftaway from the use of the car?

I5bDoes the Wensleydale Railway offer areliable and realistic alternative meansof travel to the communities in LowerWensleydale and should its currentservices and expansion plans besupported through the Core Strategy?

I5cWould the provision of a larger andbetter connected network of cycle routesand pedestrian walkways offer a viableand realistic alternative to the use of thecar within the Plan Area?

Sustainable Modes of Transport

4.8 The RSS, Sustainable Community Strategy,PPG 13, Regional Transport Strategy andLocal Transport Plan all promote a modalshift towards the use of alternative, moresustainable forms of transport such aswalking, cycling and public transport.Recent initiatives by Sustrans and the NorthYorkshire Highway Authority haveimproved cycle, bridleway and pedestrianconnectivity between Richmond andCatterick Garrison as well as improvingcycle and pedestrian infrastructure withinthe general area. Despite the obviousgeographical and topologicaldisadvantages that exist in providingpedestrian and cycling infrastructure withinthe Plan Area, particularly its more ruralparts, there is still potential to extend thecycle route network and pedestrian routesfurther, particularly in the largersettlements. In the Second Local TransportPlan, the Highway Authority hasacknowledged the potential for apedestrian route linking Bellerby andLeyburn, whilst Gilling West Parish Councilhave suggested the creation of pedestrianroute linking Gilling West and Richmond.

4.9 The expansion of the services of theWensleydale Railway and the extension ofthe line into Northallerton could offer analternative and convenient mode oftransport for the residents of LowerWensleydale in terms of accessing servicesin Northallerton.

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Notes

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Notes

Richmondshire District CouncilSwale House, Frenchgate, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4JE

Tel: 01748 829100 Fax: 01748 825071 Email: enquiries@richmondshire.gov.uk