Green Belt across England is being eaten up by an explosion in the growth of 'Park and Ride' schemes.{1}  Rather than solving traffic problems, many schemes simply shift them to the countryside. 

This will be the key message given by CPRE{2} to transport officers at a major conference on Park and Ride in London{3} tomorrow (Thursday).

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NOTES TO EDITORS
The last national survey of Park and Ride showed 40 towns and cities in England had Park and Ride, totalling over 50,000 spaces. A list of Park and Ride by town, city and region can be downloaded from CPRE's website.  Local Transport Plans produced in England have estimated a growth of 150 new bus based schemes between 2000-2005.{4} 

A list of battlegrounds where Park and Ride is threatening Green Belt land, can be downloaded from CPRE'S Website.  Local contacts are available for each. 

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Paul Hamblin, CPRE's Head of Transport Policy, will tell the conference:

'Superficially Park and Ride schemes look an attractive option for urban areas. Traffic generates noise, pollution and is an intrusion for many areas. But out of sight should not mean out of mind — the problem is simply being shifted to the edge of our urban areas, and to the countryside next door.'

'Increasingly large areas of countryside are being buried under tarmac in the name of sustainable transport.  But in reality, almost every trip relies on using the car at one end.  These schemes do not reduce our dependency on the car.'

'Park and Ride is "successful" only for those whose mindset separates our urban areas from the countryside.  Simply allowing rural areas to fill up with traffic offers no solution.'

CPRE is concerned that Park and Ride can:

• intrude into the countryside, and designated Green Belt land in particular;
• generate more traffic overall with increases in traffic outside of the town being greater than the reductions achieved within it;
• lead to an increase in parking provision which is unsustainable unless accompanied by constraints in town centres; and
• urbanise countryside through additional lighting and signage.

Paul Hamblin continued:

'We've seen local authorities invest millions in Park and Ride5 schemes and developing high quality public transport linked to them.  While this sounds good, these can only be accessed if you use your car to drive to the edge of town.  Meanwhile existing rural public transport services are under intense pressure.  We need to reduce traffic levels overall and improve public transport closer to where people live to provide genuine transport choices.'

He concluded:

'Our Green Belts which protect against urban sprawl are under attack like never before with Park and Ride a leading threat.  If this continues — every major town in England will have a necklace of car parks around it — and it won't be a pretty site.'

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE launched its Green Belt campaign on Wednesday 25 May. This aims to protect and celebrate existing Green Belts, and see new ones created to avoid sprawling development. The campaign co-incides with the 50th anniversary of the publication of the key Government circular establishing Green Belts nationally. 

2. CPRE exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. We promote positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside and to ensure change values its natural and built environment. Our Patron is Her Majesty The Queen. We have 59,000 supporters, a branch in every county, eight regional groups, over 200 local groups and a national office in central London. CPRE is a powerful combination of effective local action and strong national campaigning. Our President is Sir Max Hastings.

3. The Conference, Park and Ride 2005, is being held on Thursday 9 June 2005 at the Glaziers Hall, London Bridge, London SE1. It has been organised by Landor Conferences. Paul Hamblin will be speaking on 'Who really benefits from Park and Ride Schemes? Are rural sites being sacrificed to improve urban centres?'. He will be available for interview.

4. Source: Department for Transport, Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report, 2002. This indicates that local authorities' Local Transport Plans included plans for 150 new bus based Park and Ride schemes between 2000/01 — 2005/06. This is above the 100 new schemes assumed in the Government's Ten Year Transport Plan (published in 2000).  

5. According to consultants, TAS, spending on Park and Ride has increased significantly in four years from £10.4m to £37m. In 1998/99 highway authorities spent £8.5m in capital expenditure on building Park and Rides, and £1.9m on maintaining them. By 2002/03 authorities were spending £25.4m in capital expenditure, and £11.6m in maintenance/ subsidy.