Consultation begins on Darlington Transport Plan
A greener, cleaner, safer network – just some of the aims of a new Darlington Transport Plan.
Consultation on a new strategic plan for the town’s transport network is underway, with residents asked to give their views on the proposals.
The Darlington Transport Plan is made up of three documents – a broad strategy that sets out the vision and objectives for the whole borough, supported by more specific reports covering parking, both in car parks and on public streets, and a strategy looking at the aspirations for transport in the town centre.
The plan looks at the current challenges across the local transport network, as well as making provisions for future issues that may arise given national and international strains and policy changes.
Among the objectives set out in the main document are to reduce the impact that transport has on the environment and to support the health and wellbeing of residents; to improve safety for all road users; to connect people with job and training opportunities and to link communities; support a revitalised and transformed town centre and to maintain and effectively manage a resilient public transport system.
The plan will replace the old Local Implementation Plan with the aim of creating a set of streamlined objectives for the transport network in Darlington and its surrounding villages, as well as being more informative and easy to read.
The consultation begins on Tuesday, August 9 and is open to residents to give their views on the contents of the three documents, which will be taken into account before the final drafts are produced.
The Darlington Transport Plan will then be debated by councillors and a vote held. If the plan is adopted the council will be held to achieving the objectives set out within.
Councillor Andy Keir, cabinet member for local services, said: “Transport affects every one of us every day, whether you drive, walk, cycle or take the bus – it’s how we get about, access services and take part in daily life.
“Not only that, every item we buy, every piece of food we eat has been moved about using the road or rail network.
“The Darlington Transport Plan is a strategic document that aims to set out our objectives for our town – we want it to be a safe, green, resilient network that allows people to get where they need to be.
“These are detailed documents with some ambitious targets. I’d encourage people to take the time to read them through and share their thoughts as part of the consultation.”
To read the three documents – and shorter summary reports of each – and to have your say as part of the consultation, please visit www.darlington.gov.uk/transportplan
The consultation will close on Friday, September 9.