Common use of Supporting Policies Clause in Contracts

Supporting Policies. ‌ 4.1. DCC’s BSIP sits within national, sub-national and local policy contexts. It has been developed to complement existing and emerging priorities, aiming to harness the power of buses to improve social mobility and economic productivity and support sustainable development. 4.2. The BSIP is aligned with the National Bus Strategy, incorporating proposals to make bus services more frequent, more comprehensive, easier to use and better integrated with other modes. The BSIP aims to deliver a step change in bus service provision, helping to grow patronage and making buses an attractive alternative to the car for more people. 4.3. At the Sub-National level, the Peninsula Transport Strategic Transport Board has recently adopted a vision to “Transform transport across the peninsula to enable our society and economy to thrive and our unique and outstanding environment to flourish”. 4.4. Underpinning this vision are five goals, which recognise the importance of improving access to education, skills, and employment, supporting growth of new homes and the role of public transport in enabling communities to thrive with better, cleaner, more affordable choices of transport which are integrated with walking and cycling networks. 4.5. Locally, the emerging Devon Carbon Plan, produced in response to the climate emergency, recognises overall public transport has not been attractive enough and has not received a proportionate level of investment versus local roads. The interim plan seeks to incentivise modal shift to public transport and the transition to low emission vehicles. 4.6. The BSIP also builds upon proposals laid out by regional strategies, for example the Exeter Transport Strategy, which aims to improve sustainable transport options for journeys into and within Exeter. The proposals include more frequent buses between Exeter and surrounding local market and coastal towns, expansion of Park & Ride and improved multimodal ticketing. 4.7. Many proposed BSIP improvements will improve bus links to strategic housing and employment sites, including the Exeter and East Devon Economic Growth Area. They will facilitate the delivery of low-car and car-free developments, such as those laid out in the emerging Liveable Exeter Housing Delivery Programme, by providing attractive alternatives to the car for accessing jobs and services 4.8. The Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 3, 2011-2026 seeks to make public transport a general alternative and better transport choice than the car. The LTP will shortly be updated to account for the increase in importance of transport decarbonisation, and improvements to Devon’s sustainable transport network. 4.9. This Plan is future proofed for the next five years against national, sub national and local policy, though the Scheme is likely to flex based on shorter term changes to funding and the local bus network.

Supporting Policies. ‌ 4.1. DCC’s BSIP sits within national, sub-national and 4.1 Complementary policies regarding local policy contexts. It has been developed to complement existing and emerging priorities, aiming to harness the power of buses to improve social mobility and economic productivity and support sustainable developmentbus services will be pursued in The Plan. 4.24.2 Local policies recognise the high level of car use across Somerset (e.g., 82% in Yeovil and similar in Taunton), plus a large amount of cross-boundary travel. The BSIP Strong emphasis is aligned with given to meeting accessibility needs for all members of the National Bus Strategy, incorporating proposals community. 4.3 Increased bus use represents one of only two ways (alongside alternative fuels) to make bus services more frequent, more comprehensive, easier to use and better integrated with other modesreduce carbon emissions from trips made between our dispersed communities which presents the biggest challenge for decarbonisation. The BSIP ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇’s recent climate emergency strategy highlights the critical role of increasing mode share by public transport as part of our decarbonisation pathway. 4.4 Somerset’s Growth Plan (2017-2030) aims to deliver have a step change in bus service provisionproductive and innovative business economy, helping a skilled labour force and supporting infrastructures which businesses will need to grow patronage thrive. A key barrier is the rural nature of Somerset and making buses an attractive alternative to the car for more people. 4.3. At the Sub-National level, the Peninsula Transport Strategic Transport Board has recently adopted a vision to “Transform transport across the peninsula to enable our society and economy to thrive and our unique and outstanding environment to flourish”. 4.4. Underpinning this vision are five goals, which recognise the importance of improving access to education, skills, and employment, supporting growth of new homes and the role limited provision of public transport – those without private car access cannot get to colleges, training or employment in enabling communities to thrive a timely way. The Recovery and Growth Plan (2021) further notes underlying economic challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic, with better, cleaner, more affordable choices of public transport which are integrated with walking accessibility and cycling networksusage severely reduced. 4.5. Locally, the emerging Devon Carbon Plan, produced in response to the climate emergency, recognises overall public transport has not been attractive enough and has not received a proportionate level of investment versus local roads. The interim plan seeks to incentivise modal shift to public transport and the transition to low emission vehicles. 4.6. The BSIP also builds upon proposals laid out by regional strategies, for example the Exeter Transport Strategy, which aims to improve sustainable transport options for journeys into and within Exeter. The proposals include more frequent buses between Exeter and surrounding local market and coastal towns, expansion of Park & Ride and improved multimodal ticketing. 4.7. Many proposed BSIP improvements will improve bus links to strategic housing and employment sites4.5 Several policies, including the Exeter and East Devon Economic Growth Area. They will facilitate the delivery of low-car and car-free developments, such as those laid out in the emerging Liveable Exeter Housing Delivery Programme, by providing attractive alternatives to the car for accessing jobs and services 4.8. The Devon and Torbay SCC’s Local Transport Plan 3(LTP) and associated Schedule of Transport Policies (March 2011) highlight the overall expenditure on passenger transport. Somerset ranks in the top half of English shire counties in terms of passenger transport funding, 2011-2026 seeks however, relative spending on passenger information was very low and is reflected in the poor public ratings on this service attribute. 4.6 The Somerset Bus Strategy (2018) was published during the Government’s austerity programme at a time of severe financial constraint with the aim to make public “Maintain services most essential in meeting transport a general alternative needs where the commercial market is unable to provide; and better transport choice than the car. The LTP will shortly be updated work closely with [others] to account change established models of rural bus service provision for the increase benefit of our communities”. This needs to be developed in importance line with latest national policies, structured around the three national themes of transport decarbonisationBus Reform, Future of Mobility and improvements Net Zero. Details of Community Transport (CT) and Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) are also included in the Bus Strategy. 4.7 Regarding the Somerset Rail, Cycling and Walking Strategies (due to Devon’s sustainable transport be refreshed shortly), there is an opportunity to take a more integrated approach with buses. Links with active modes are not evident, so emphasis is needed on how/where active travel developments best serve people who could most benefit from it, along with a comprehensive programme which shows how active travel links to the bus network. 4.94.8 The Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy (2018) sets out how existing highway assets will be managed/maintained, including bus priority as an asset type. This Plan is future proofed for the next five years against nationalSome district level parking policies also relate to bus travel, sub national including reduction of commuter parking where alternatives exist, repurposing smaller car parks as P&R sites (at certain times), increased town centre parking charges, and local policy, though the Scheme is likely increased bicycle parking at bus/rail stations. Local district development plans also contain a range of policies related to flex based on shorter term changes to funding and the local bus networkincreased public transport provision/use.