Stratford’s transport strategy aims to cut congestion and pollution

The thought-provoking statistic is why Stratford needs a bypass, according to a transport vision which includes eight proposals designed to shape the town’s future.

Stratford Town Transport Group (TTG) also recommends pedestrianisation, the removal of HGVs from Clopton Bridge, improved public transport and rail links, and greater emphasis on active travel. The proposals form Stratford’s Integrated Transport Strategy and Action Plan which was launched last night (Wednesday).

The group conducted an intense study of the town’s traffic, starting in 2022, and earlier this year a working party selected the essential proposals needed to get the town moving again from an original list of 60.

The plan identifies key areas the transport group believes will improve the environment for residents and visitors and play a significant role in revitalising the town centre.

Colin Stewart, chair of TTG, told the Herald: “The bypass is the first in the plan’s order because it’s the one that forms a catalyst for other things to happen.

“Take traffic out of the town, you cut pollution and free-up space for cycleways, pedestrianisation and walkabouts.

“Although lorries aren’t causing as much pollution as they used to, we have an open-air café culture in Stratford where people want to enjoy drinks and food outside but they’re still close to traffic in some places.”

But will a bypass happen, and will the plan make a difference? Mr Stewart believes it will.

“If everything happens it will make a difference. If we have sustainable transport, improved public transport, active travel and a bypass is taken on, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t happen.

“Not all of the things are expensive to implement especially if we have a plan in place. There is funding available and if you have a plan you can go to government and get funding.”

In terms of timescales, the consultation and research involved for a bypass shouldn’t take longer than 12 months as a lot of the information is already available – “it’s not like we’re building HS2 or a new motorway,” Mr Stewart said.

He believes without a transport strategy traffic and transport will only get worse in Stratford when some of the issues could have been addressed 15 to 20 years ago.

“We live in one of the most congested towns in the country,” Mr Stewart said. “Over 21,000 vehicles cross over the Clopton Bridge on a road the same width of an estate road. What we need is for the district council and county council to get on board with our plan, pick it up and run with it.

“Shrewsbury has received £110 million from the DfT for a bypass around the town and we hope our strategy becomes the transport plan for Stratford. We’ve been working on the proposal since February 2022.”

He added: “This is an integrated plan which is intended to deliver the transport needs of both residents and visitors, as the economy of the town relies on both.

“As well as more effective public transport and connected active travel, a well-planned inner circle of short-term shoppers car parks is proposed with an outer ring of longer-term parking and enhanced park & ride.”

Greater use of public transport, park & ride, buses and trains also feature.

Peter Morris, chair of the Shakespeare Line Rail User Group, told the Herald: “By implementing a strategy to separate visitor and resident traffic and enhancing railway services, we can transform Stratford’s current inadequate transportation infrastructure into a system that minimises congestion and travel times, offering a promising future for the town’s transportation.”

He outlined some of the potential options, which include:

Reopening the link between Stratford and Long Marston which would provide direct services between Stratford and Oxford, the South West and South Wales via Cheltenham. It could also provide a direct rail link to Stratford and Birmingham servicing new housing in and around Long Marston, Mickleton, and Honeybourne, and enable a direct Birmingham rail service from Evesham.

Increasing the frequency of train services between Stratford and Leamington, where there are frequent connections with Cross Country train services.

However, the former government ruled out reopening the Stratford-Long Marston link and users of the Greenway, on the site of the old railway line, would fight it all the way should the new government think differently.

There is also concern that building a new road would not be a particularly green answer to Stratford’s traffic problems.

Stephen Norrie, of Stratford Climate Action, said: “Whether our focus is reducing emissions or congestion, building roads is generally not the answer as it tends to make driving more convenient, it also tends to induce more people to drive. The impact on congestion a new road might achieve tends to be undermined within around five years. That means we need improvements to public transport – buses and trains – and to the provision for active travel – cycling, walking and scooting. The same number of people take up less road space on bikes or buses than in cars.

“The bike buses now taking children to school in Wellesbourne and several places in Warwick district are a brilliant example.”

While the funding may not be instantly available to start delving deeper into the vision and getting elements off the ground, there is a wealth of political will.

Tim Sinclair (Cons), Warwickshire county councillor for Stratford North and a member of TTG, said: “I’ve been very pleased to contribute to the development of this draft transport strategy. It sits within the broader vision work for Stratford produced by the Stratford Strategic Partnership, and as such it’s one of the big areas we need to focus on in order to improve the town.”

He added: “It’s important to know what we want, but it’s even more critical to be able to implement it. That often comes down to funding as well as a willingness to make some difficult decisions. Parking is a great example. If we want the county council’s park and ride facility better used by day trippers, the district council might have to accept a different charging model in its town centre car parks to encourage that.

“The strategy for me is like the complete jigsaw puzzle picture. Once you’ve got that, it’s possible to tackle the pieces of that puzzle, bit by bit, in a joined-up way. So, this work is a great start. We now need to get feedback on it and then set about making it a reality.”

Fellow county councillor, Kate Rolfe (Lib Dem, Stratford South) is also a member of TTG. She said: “I welcome this plan because in principle it demonstrates an understanding of all the detailed requirements that are necessary to improve access to the town and within the town.”