Climate Emergency Action Plan (July 2021)

Transport

Key messages

To achieve carbon neutrality within the borough, the large majority of vehicles on the road will need to be zero emission by 2030. This in turn requires an infrastructure to enable this transition.

The burden on transition and infrastructure development can be reduced in part by encouraging a shift to public transport and active travel (walking and cycling). However, the rural nature of some areas of the borough may see the continuing reliance on private vehicles.

The pandemic has required new ways of working for many people, including for some the ability to work from home or undertake less work-related travel. This reduction in work related travel should be supported as part of this action plan and the wider green recovery.

Commitment	Action	Partners	Timescale or target date
Electric Vehicles
Improved access to EV charging points across the borough	200 public electric vehicles (EV) charging points to be provided across the borough by 2030	Central Government, LCC, local businesses	Ongoing Annual
EV provision as part of developments within the borough	EV charging facilities to be required as part of developments within the borough, as per the SRBC EV charging point developer guidance		Ongoing Annual
Decarbonisation of SRBC fleet	100% SRBC fleet to be electric vehicles by 2030 (subject to suitable technology)		Ongoing Annual
Redistribution of Council owned parking spaces	(With the exception of accessible parking spaces) prioritise electric vehicle and cycle parking on Council owned car parks Post pandemic, this will be reviewed to consider car sharing prioritisation too		Short term
introduction of EV lease scheme	Introduction of staff lease scheme for electric and low emission vehicles Longer term, consideration of an electric vehicle only staff lease scheme		Medium term Long term
Promotion of EV funding opportunities	To promote opportunities throughout the borough as they become available	Schools and colleges, local businesses, residents	Ongoing Annual
Active Transport
Encouraging active transport	Completion of the green links programme, to provide 8km cycling routes and 5km Walking routes around the Borough. Use of planning process to ensure developments provide for active transport Consider provision of adult Bikeability refresher training		Short term March 2022 Ongoing
Delivery of central Lancashire strategy to promote active transport	Use of planning process to ensure developments provide for access to public transport	LCC	Ongoing Annual
Improved access to secure cycle storage facilities	A minimum of 35 public secure cycle storage facilities to be provided across the borough by 2027	Local businesses	Medium term
Further promote cycling incentives	Including the cycle to work scheme and cycle mileage, as appropriate		Ongoing Annual
Encouraging behavioural change
Provision of a communication platform to facilitate car sharing	Post pandemic, research potential platforms for use across the borough, with a view to promoting car sharing in the future	Local businesses, residents	Short term (subject to pandemic restrictions and advice)
Investment in communications technology to allow remote staff working	Assessment of equipment, infrastructure and training required to enable remote staff working as appropriate.		Ongoing Annual
Produce a business travel plan	Undertake a corporate travel audit to establish a baseline, review current travel and options for further reductions		short term
Offer personalised travel plans for staff and elected members	Encouraging staff and elected members to make more journeys using active transport, public transport or in shared car journeys.		short term
Encourage use of business travel plans	Encourage businesses within the borough to make use of travel plans for their operations and staff. To facilitate this through the planning process; provision of guidance documentation/templates; and advertising	Local businesses	Short term
Consideration of corporate mileage rates	Consideration of incentivised mileage rates for electric vehicles and low emissions vehicles Consideration of removing mileage rates for carbon based fuel vehicles		Medium term Long term
Information and awareness raising	To facilitate use of public transport, car sharing, schemes, active transport and electric vehicles	LCC, schools and colleges, local businesses, residents	Short term
Working for national change
Lobby national Government	To provide fiscal incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles, provision of an adequate infrastructure and use of active transport. To provide a level playing field for the provision and use of public transport across the country		Ongoing Annual
Respond to transport related consultations	To facilitate / promote delivery of above actions at earliest opportunity		Ongoing Annual

In addition to the above actions, the council has already committed to a large number of other transport related improvements across the borough as part of its air quality action plan. For ease, these are provided as Appendix 1 to provide a full account of all proposed transport related actions.