5.1         National and local transport policies promote the need to reduce travel and to use sustainable modes of transport where travelling is necessary. For some people and in relation to some trips, the car will remain an important mode of transport. Consistent with the Action Plan’s strategic objectives the Council wants to promote the Central Area as accessible to ensure its attractiveness to employers, commuters, shoppers, visitors and residents.

5.2         At its heart the Central Area will be a walkable place through its high quality pedestrian environment. Good air quality is vital to supporting this ambition; road transport is a principal contributor to pollution within three Air Quality Management Areas located within the Central Area. Managing traffic capacity and flow will be important if air quality is to improve over time. In addition, the existing historical features within the Central Area, which people value as part of its distinctive character and sense of place, are in themselves significant constraints on providing for substantial increases in highway capacity.

5.3         The challenge for the Council and its partners is to efficiently manage the capacity of the current transport network against a backdrop of growth, both within the Central Area and wider Northampton, and address the future demand to use the network in the Central Area. This challenge can be met through:
• Reducing the overall need to travel
• Improving the management of existing transport infrastructure
• Investing in key transport infrastructure

5.4         This Chapter sets out specific policies to improve accessibility within the Central Area particularly for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport, whilst continuing to recognise the important role of the private car.

Inner Ring Road

5.5         At present the inner ring road around the town centre, whilst being effective at moving traffic around, is a significant barrier to pedestrian movement in and out of the Central Area. The severance of pedestrian routes between the Upper Mounts, the Waterside and Spring Boroughs from the town centre is a major problem. In addition, some parts of the road network currently have a harsh character. In parts, it is heavily engineered with a design consistent with major distributor roads. This is poor in terms of environmental quality and encourages vehicle speeds that are not appropriate in a built up location.

5.6         Travel by car will have to be planned for, particularly in opening up some of the development opportunities that have been identified in the Action Plan. New junctions will be required at Bedford Road/ Nunn Mills Road and in association with St Johns/ Angel Street/ Bridge Street and the Grosvenor Centre development. These junctions will positively accommodate the plan’s aim to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport.

5.7         In dealing with the issues identified above, the Council’s intention is to change the character of the inner ring road through major landscape and environmental improvement schemes. These will lessen the impact of vehicular traffic with the focus on reducing speed, maintaining a smooth traffic flow and making the roads more pedestrian/ cyclist friendly, whilst supporting improved public transport provision. A Supplementary Planning Document produced by Northampton Borough Council, in association with Northamptonshire County Council will provide more detailed schemes for delivery. Many of the design principles for the Supplementary Planning Document are currently set out in the Public Realm Implementation Framework.

5.8            Subways link Spring Boroughs to the Town Centre and within the Grosvenor Centre development site at Greyfriars, Lady’s Lane and Wellington Street. They have poor natural surveillance and therefore feel unsafe, lengthen journeys and provide an unattractive environment for pedestrians. Their removal will result in an improved streetscape and an environment where connectivity and pedestrian/ cycle accessibility is radically improved.

5.9         Facilitating the delivery of high quality, reliable and high frequency bus services together with improving associated facilities will provide the opportunity to increase public transport patronage. Attractive alternatives to the private car are essential to reduce pressure on the highway network within the Central Area.

5.10         Recent transport modelling indicates that the growth agenda will result in an increase of patronage to 40% by 2026. The Council will work in partnership with Northamptonshire County Council, employers and the bus operators to improve local bus services and associated infrastructure in line with the Bus Development Plan.

5.11         Greyfriars Bus Station is scheduled for demolition as part of the wider Grosvenor Centre redevelopment. The Council and its partners will provide a new bus interchange facility in the Central Area. The bus interchange will be expected to provide the ancillary facilities referred to in Policy 7, including public toilets and a cafeteria.

5.12         In June 2011, MGWSP undertook an appraisal of 5 potential bus interchange locations, The Bus Interchange Site Selection Study20. The outcome of this appraisal evidenced that the Fishmarket site (junction of Sheep Street and Bradshaw Street) would provide the most appropriate location for a new bus interchange. The findings of the study were subsequently approved by Northampton Borough Council, West Northamptonshire Development Corporation and Northamptonshire County Council.

Figure 5.1 - Bus Interchange : Fishmarket Development Principles

 3D Visual of the inside of the new Interchange

5.13           In order to meet projected demand for rail services there is a need to improve the Castle Station in terms of on site facilities and its accessibility and linkages to the town centre. The policy framework for this improvement is set out in Policy 19 ‘Castle Station’ of this Action Plan.

5.14              Within the Central Area, a rail corridor exists between Castle Station and Brackmills. A large part of this corridor, from Cotton End through to Brackmills has not been used for many years. The Council believes that there is no reasonable prospect of trains ever using this part of the rail corridor. Continued operational status would have substantial negative implications for regeneration of the Central Area, particularly at the Avon/ Nunn Mills/ Ransome Road site. In mid-2012 Network Rail gave notice of its intention to remove operational status from the line between Cotton End and Brackmills. The Office of Rail Regulation in November 2012 gave notice of its consent for disposal of this part of the line. The Council does recognise that the line could, in the longer term, provide an opportunity for an alternative public transport/ cycling/ walking route between the Central Area and Brackmills and will seek to ensure that it is safeguarded for these purposes.

5.15        Taxis are an important means of public transport. As well as providing a service for people who wish to travel privately they offer an alternative sustainable choice. They serve an important role in the development of a vibrant and diverse evening economy. There are two ranks supporting 122 Hackney Cabs. Investigation of appropriate additional locations will be undertaken should need for additional ranks be evident.

5.16              National policy recognises the potential for many car trips of less than 2 km to be walked, and if less than 5 km, cycled. Existing facilities, particularly for cyclists, are inadequate and opportunities to cross the River Nene are limited.

5.17              The Council will seek the provision of an attractive, legible, safe and continuous pedestrian and cycle network within the Central Area in line with the ‘Pedestrian and Cycling Movement Framework’. (Figure 5.2) The Framework has been produced following a detailed assessment of townscape features such as green infrastructure corridors and open spaces, and by analysing existing pedestrian and cycle routes between major destinations in the Central Area.

Figure 5.2 Pedestrian and Cycle Movement Framework

5.18          The provision of car parking is critical to the vitality and viability of the Central Area for employers, commuters, shoppers and visitors to the town. The Central Area does suffer a competitive disadvantage against out-of-centre areas and developments that do not have comparable parking constraints.  However, there is a need to balance the requirements for car parking against protecting the Central Area’s overall environment, encouraging modal shift and the avoidance of congestion. This means providing the right type of parking in appropriate locations at the right time and balancing the availability of short and long term parking options at an appropriate cost. 

5.19           The Northampton Parking Strategy has established that whilst there might be pressure points within the town centre when sometimes car parks might reach overall capacity, generally there is an over supply of parking within the town centre. This means that there is no need to increase the overall number of spaces within the town centre. However, there might be opportunities to increase public parking provision in some areas and reduce it in others.  Spaces could be used more efficiently through improving signage to guide people to spaces; reviewing parking charges and payment methods; reviewing opening hours for certain car parks to support weekend and evening users, and using the guidelines set out in the Park Mark scheme, developing a programme of improvements to parking stock to deter criminal activity and create a safer cleaner environment.

5.20          Given the existing parking excess, there is little justification in allowing any further provision of private business parking within the town centre boundary other than in exceptional circumstances. For clarity’s sake, private business parking is considered to be parking that is not open to any member of the general public to use without paying a fee, the level of which has been agreed with the planning authority and / or the highway authority. In the medium to long-term, following the delivery of a much improved public transport system and subsequent modal shift, there will be merit in seeking to reorganise and reduce the amount of car parking throughout the Central Area.

5.21          Where car parking is provided in association with business developments within the Central Area - particularly within the town centre and edge-of-town centre boundaries - multiple use will be encouraged, for example, office parking by day, leisure, recreation and residential parking by night.   This will reduce land take and make developments more cost effective. There is also merit in seeking to ensure that parking within commercial developments is managed through controls on its availability and  pricing to allow more sustainable patterns of transport to be delivered in the long term, for example, park and ride.