Memorandum submitted by Mersey Dee Alliance (CBPS 69)

1 Brief Introduction to submitter

1.1 The Mersey Dee Alliance (MDA) was born out of the recognition of shared economic and community interests across the West Cheshire, Wirral and North East Wales Area. The Alliance is led by the local authorities of Cheshire, Chester, Denbighshire, Ellesmere Port & Neston, Flintshire, Wirral, Wrexham, and the Welsh Assembly Government and Merseytravel.

1.2 The partnership recognises that the area represents a single economic sub-region with a population of approximately 930,000 which is divided by a national boundary. Partners agree to work together on common strategic interests to sustain the economic future of the area, and facilitate a coherent approach to social, economic and environmental issues.

1.3 Key strategic programmes and project areas focus particularly on removing barriers to economic growth and sustainability covering four over-arching themes.

· Labour market productivity / skills availability

· Strategic business sites

· Transport and accessibility to employment

· Sustainability and environment / place marketing coherence

1.4 From April 2007 the former Mersey Dee Alliance (Chester, Cheshire, Ellesmere Port and Neston local authorities, Wirral and Merseytravel) and the Four Counties Partnership (Chester, Cheshire, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Flintshire and Wrexham local authorities and the Welsh Assembly Government) were merged and with the addition of Denbighshire, formed the new Mersey Dee Alliance.

1.5 The former MDA delivered the North West Development Agency funded BESS programme (Business Employment Support Strategy) which is now being evaluated by Amion Consultancy. The Four Counties Partnership was involved in the development of the North East Wales / West Cheshire Sub Regional Spatial Strategy (SRSS). Chester City Council is the Accountable Body for the Partnership.

1.6 The MDA's long term vision to 2021 is informed by the North East Wales / West Cheshire Sub Regional Spatial Strategy (SRSS) which was produced in 2006 and evolved from six years of partnership working and a study undertaken by GVA Grimley in 2004. Its purpose is to provide a non-statutory framework for greater cross-border co-operation and development between North East Wales and West Cheshire over the next 15 years (2006-21), and to inform the Wales Spatial Plan and the North West Plan.

1.7 For all enquiries regarding the Mersey Dee Alliance please contact:

2 Factual Information

2.1 A critical component of the overall economic success of the North East Wales / West Cheshire sub-region is that good quality transport services are vital to meet the needs of a very mobile population on both sides of the border. In practice, the border is simply a line on a map within an extensive and dynamic sub-regional travel to work area. Within this area there are considerable levels of cross-boundary trips occurring on a daily basis. At the same time the SRSS recognises the challenges in respect of differing legislation, land use and transport planning and funding arrangements, to successfully support and respond to the cross-border transport needs of this sub-region.

3 Highway network

3.1 The West Cheshire / North East Wales sub-region has a relatively good highway network of motorways and dual carriageway A roads linking the major centres of population and links to the M6 motorway and thus to the conurbations in the North West and West Midlands.

3.2 While the main network links (M53, M56, A55, A483, A548 and A550) are considered to be generally satisfactory, there are capacity hotspots arising from congestion at key junctions which needs to be addressed. The MDA recognise that the Highways Agency's Deeside junctions scheme will significantly improve vehicle movements between the A55 and M56 and will help reduce congestion at existing junctions along this corridor.

4 Travel to work patterns

4.1 Travel to work patterns vary and reflect the range of employment opportunities that exist on either side of the border. In the sub-region, the major journey to work flow is a west to east flow that exists between Flintshire and Chester. 84% of these trips are by car. Further significant flows exist between the Wirral / Ellesmere Port and Chester and between Flintshire and Wrexham.

4.2 One response will be that Cheshire County Council will work closely with the MDA as it begins to prepare a new transport strategy for Chester. This will consider the full travel to work area of the City. This will also include a thorough examination of the relative merits of the provision of the Chester Western Relief Road, including an assessment of whether there are wider benefits to the sub-region brought about by revising its proposed route.

5 The impact of development proposals

5.1 A number of development proposals will act to influence cross-border travel patterns in the years to come. These include development aspirations such as Deeside Gateway and the proposed business park at Warren Hall, and new or expanding retail developments (eg Eagle Meadow in Wrexham, the Northgate Development in Chester, Liverpool One and further expansion at Cheshire Oaks). There is also considerable housing growth planned and the potential allocation of housing growth points in West Cheshire (including Chester/Ellesmere Port/Vale Royal) and Liverpool/Wirral (with a further problem being the high price of housing within Chester itself).

5.2 These development proposals will add increased pressures to already congested locations, especially at peak times.

5.3 Better integration of transport systems is required to facilitate development, particularly rail and bus networks if highway safety and capacity issues are not to act as a constraint on development. Accessibility by public transport, walking and cycling must be a key criterion for choosing future development sites, and increased emphasis should be placed on developing new and improved public transport links, rather than just relying on existing network links. Travel planning will be an important means of delivering sustainable access.

5.4 While the Sub Regional Spatial Strategy acts to provide a framework for greater cross-boundary co-operation and development, this remains a non-statutory document. The challenge ahead is how best the MDA can bring together a more focussed and joined up approach. This needs to recognise that ways of aligning differing approaches to land use planning and transport investment need to be identified if a genuine joined up approach is to be established. Effective and co-ordinated land use frameworks need to be established on both sides of the border to: 

· ensure through our close collaboration, that we help to bring forward the most appropriate sites for development, based on their merits, rather than having regard to administrative boundaries and to local allocation targets;

· state the importance of consistent planning decisions being taken across the MDA area (ie in terms of a consistent approach to parking standards, minimum levels of public transport accessibility and developer contributions); and

· state the importance of making accessibility a core consideration in the selection of sites (ie sites that are accessible by sustainable modes of transport), to avoid the creation of barriers to training and employment and the need to retro-fit costly accessibility measures.

5.5 There is a need to ensure that transport networks support economic growth not constrain it. Noting current Regional Funding Allocations, opportunities for capacity improvements will be limited and demand management and promoting the smarter choices agenda will be critical to the overall approach taken. Planning policies will also need to direct new development to the most accessible locations.

5.6 As a result, a major challenge for the MDA is the ability to provide and encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport to mitigate potential congestion problems.

5.7 Opportunities to do so will have to take account of differences between the focus of Department for Transport's agenda for the English authorities and that of the Welsh Assembly Government. For example, there is currently a differing approach to the use of workplace travel plans, parking standards and demand management options between English and Welsh authorities. As a result it is difficult to provide citizens across the MDA area with the same opportunity to access the range of employment opportunities available across the sub region.

5.8 While the MDA will continue to promote the use of more sustainable forms of transport, there needs to be further work undertaken to consider how the policy frameworks on either side of the border can complement common objectives and interests over and above the non-statutory framework in the Spatial Strategy. Publication of the Wales Transport Strategy is imminent and the Taith (North Wales Regional Transport Consortium) Regional Transport Plan is being prepared. It is important to ensure that these documents recognise cross-border issues. It is welcomed that Taith are proposing to take account of the MDA area within their draft transport plan.

6 Accessibility

6.1 From an MDA perspective, improved accessibility to jobs, training and key services is a priority for the sub-region. Improved linkages and widening travel horizons will be critical to ensure that areas of deprivation on both sides of the border are provided with the ability to reach job opportunities without having to rely on car borne trips.

6.2 In this respect, proposals to prepare an Accessibility Strategy for the MDA area are anticipated to provide the basis for improving accessibility planning throughout the sub-region.

6.3 Merseytravel and the five Merseyside local authorities have very recently all been awarded Beacon Status for Improving Accessibility - clearly, much innovation was piloted in the MDA area through measures like WorkWise, Scooter Commuter, "How to Get To" access guides and travel tickets to work and to interviews.

7 Cross-border rail links

7.1 There is an extensive rail network providing cross boundary links serving the sub-region. This includes the North Wales Coast Railway linking Holyhead to Chester / Crewe and beyond; the Wrexham - Bidston (Borderlands) line; and the Chester - Shrewsbury line (which also serves Gobowen, Chirk, Ruabon and Wrexham Central).

7.2 The forthcoming Wales and Merseyside Network Rail Route Utilisation Strategies will consider how to make best use of the rail network. There are also studies of the Borderlands line (between Wrexham and Bidston) developing options for improving journey times and performance, and assessing the potential for electrification, with an aim of improving linkages between the Deeside Development Zone and areas of the MDA area that have relatively high levels of unemployment such as Wirral and some wards within Wrexham County Borough. The potential for providing a new halt on the Borderlands line to serve the Deeside Development Zone, providing access to circa 15,000 jobs is also being considered.

7.3 A new direct rail service between Wrexham and London is imminent and improved links between Chester and London will come into effect later in 2008. The benefits for wider connectivity are welcomed.

8 Cross-border bus links

8.1 It is recognised that the bus remains the main form of public transport for the sub-region. There is an extensive pattern of intra and inter urban bus networks in operation combining commercial and supported services. Cross-boundary supported services are jointly funded using a formula based on mileage. However, the arrangements for cross border concessionary travel are different for Welsh and English schemes, and will not provide for full interoperability. After 1^st April 2008, the current "journeys which start or finish in Wales / England" will still apply to Welsh and Cheshire passes. However, non-Cheshire English passes will not be valid over the Welsh border. There will also be time restrictions on the English scheme which don't apply in Wales.

8.2 The MDA are also examining the benefits of developing a sub-regional approach to the provision of demand responsive transport (DRT) services. Early outcomes include the creation of a new DRT link between Chester and Deeside.

8.3 The implementation of bus priority and other support measures are being developed and further initiatives are being considered by Taith, Cheshire County Council and in the Mersey Dee Alliance Strategy. A large part of the sub-region is rural and has all the associated public transport accessibility problems. Park and Ride has developed around the main urban area of Chester, but there is the potential for a more strategic approach to park and ride locations serving not just town and city centres but strategic employment sites and other significant traffic generators.

9 Links to airports

9.1 Manchester Airport is the major international airport serving the sub-region, but there is currently significant growth at Liverpool John Lennon Airport which has links to many European destinations served by "no frills" airlines. There is a need to provide good service links (by all modes) to both these airports but, currently, there are limited opportunities to reach either airport by passenger transport.

9.2 Work being carried out for Taith is now examining the provision of direct bus / coach links to Liverpool and Manchester Airports. However, in the longer term there are aspirations to return the Halton Curve rail link to passenger use which has the potential to enhance rail access to the Airport from North Wales / West Cheshire via Liverpool South Parkway interchange.

9.3 The proposed Mersey Gateway crossing would be a major benefit with regard to car borne access from the sub-region to Liverpool Airport.

9.4 In the longer-term, there are also aspirations to improve the Chester - Northwich - Manchester (Mid-Cheshire) line with the creation of a new western rail spur to provide direct rail access into Manchester Airport.

Recommendations:

That the Welsh Affairs Committee:

i. Notes the challenges and opportunities for cross border transport within the North East Wales / West Cheshire sub-region;

ii. Recognises the shared economic and community interests and objectives of the MDA across the North East Wales, West Cheshire and Wirral area;

iii. Notes the MDA current transport priorities for establishing the feasibility for the electrification of the Wrexham to Bidston railway line, the development of a sub-regional accessibility strategy and the opportunities presented by a co-ordinated approach to the provision of demand responsive transport; and

iv. Considers what opportunities there are to improve mechanisms that will enhance future cross boundary land-use and transport planning and the co-ordinated delivery of schemes for the benefit of communities on both sides of the border.

April 2008