Freight

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• Freight In Wiltshire
• Wiltshire Freight Gateway
• Freight Quality Partnership for Wiltshire
• Freight strategy policies
• Freight routes in Wiltshire
• Freight Management
• Rail Freight
• Abnormal Loads
• Further information

Freight in Wiltshire

The efficient distribution of goods and services is critical for all the basic essentials of everyday life such as food, drink, clothing and fuel. All that we consume, buy or use has at some point been part of this system of distribution. It helps determine market diversity and consumer choice, and in doing so drives the competitiveness, jobs and prosperity of an area or region.

However, a balance has to be found between the efficient distribution of freight and the effect that this distribution has on the society it serves. There is a need to maintain economic vibrancy and growth, with the realisation that we have to transport our goods and services in the most sustainable way. The council recognises this and takes seriously the need to achieve a more sustainable distribution of freight that balances the needs of the economy, the environment and society.

To address these issues and as part of the Council’s Local Transport Plan 2011-2026 Wiltshire Council have produced a Freight Strategy 2mb and associated policies that attempt to deliver improvements towards freight distribution within the county.

Wiltshire Freight Gateway

In conjunction with Wiltshire’s web pages on freight, a dedicated HGV routing and mapping system will soon be available. The web site is currently undergoing testing and we hope to provide a ‘beta’ version by autumn of 2011

Freight Quality Partnership for Wiltshire & Swindon

Formed in November 2000, the FQP provides a forum for representatives from industry, freight operators, the Police, local government and other interested parties to discuss freight related matters and to promote solutions which reconcile the need for access with local environmental and social concerns. Through regular meetings, the FQP has progressed Wiltshire’s LTP freight strategy and freight action plan as well as overseeing various freight studies that have been undertaken. From February 2009, Swindon Borough Council joined the FQP to form the Wiltshire and Swindon Freight Quality Partnership. This joint FQP provides a forum to discuss cross boundary issues and freight matters, whilst still maintaining a holistic Wiltshire based viewpoint. For more details see the FQP web pages.

Wiltshire Council is also an active member of the South West Freight Forum which informs and discusses freight issues at a regional level between local authorities and the freight industry.

Freight strategy policies

The current Freight Strategy has attempted to redress the balance of the current freight policies to provide a realistic framework under which the dominant mode (road) of freight transportation is recognised whilst combining some of the previous more aspiration based rail policies into a more achievable overall strategy.

The Freight Strategy includes the following freight policies:
FP1: Freight Quality Partnership	Wiltshire Council, in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, will continue to work with the freight industry and freight related stakeholders through the regular meetings of the Wiltshire and Swindon Freight Quality Partnership.
FP2: Freight routes	To develop and implement, through the freight action plan, a comprehensive advisory freight network that will achieve three levels of freight routes within the county to facilitate the efficient movement of freight traffic with the minimum social, environmental and economic cost.
FP3: Freight consolidation	To investigate the possibilities of shared deliveries and ad-hoc freight consolidation.
FP4: Freight Assessment and Priority Mechanism	Wiltshire Council will continue to assess freight issues using the FAPM and will review and update the mechanism where required.
FP5: Lorry parking	Develop a new standard for lorry parking facilities and to ensure that all recognised lorry parking areas obtain a minimum 'Basic' standard with this standard being maintained to benefit all road users.
FP6: Lorry parking at new developments	Ensure that any new industrial / commercial development which falls under the relevant criteria, initiates a transport statement / assessment to consider good quality HGV parking, services and manoeuvring space as an integral part of the proposed development.
FP7: Information	Educate and raise awareness on sustainable freight distribution using available instruments including a dedicated web presence for freight within the county.
FP8: Safeguard land for future rail use	Use relevant planning policies to continue to protect land within Wiltshire where applicable for future rail use and safeguard from inappropriate development.
FP9: Transfer road to rail freight	Wiltshire Council will continue to support and promote where applicable the transfer of road based freight movements onto the rail network

These policies are underpinned by a Freight Action Plan that is agreed annually by the FQP.

Freight routes in Wiltshire

A key component of the Freight Strategy is the establishment of a network of advisory lorry routes. This network currently comprises of a network of strategic and supporting local lorry routes. Freight Route Network Map

This advisory network is currently under review and it is proposed that the addition of a third tier of advisory routing be established to bridge the gap from where the local level of routing ends and the destination/origin of any given trip. The third tier or ‘Access’ routes attempt to have the minimum impact on residents, other road users and the environment whilst maintaining the essential nature of deliveries, economic necessity and vibrancy of the area. The proposed third tier will establish the following hierarchy of freight routes within the county:

• Strategic - roads for long-distance journeys
• Local - roads for local journeys (routes open to lorry traffic but long-distance movements not encouraged)
• Access - roads for access only (through traffic not advised or encouraged)

By using these routes, drivers will reduce the stress of driving by avoiding unsuitable roads and minimise their impact on the environment and local residents while still meeting the economic needs of the County.

HGV Issues

The Council receives many complaints regarding the impact of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV’s) on local communities, with the request that solutions, typically weight limits, be developed to mitigate adverse impacts. Regrettably, the Council does not have the staff or financial resources to undertake studies and develop solutions for every local freight issue raised. To this end, Wiltshire Council has devised a procedure that requires an issue to be submitted in the first instance to the relevant local town / parish council or Area Board for local support. These issues will then be passed on to the council for consideration using a set protocol and if required, the Freight Assessment and Priority Mechanism (FAPM).

The protocol allows the issue to be assessed and in the first instance is generally applied to measures that can be quickly implemented such as providing information or small scale localised signing. Where further assessment or a wider policy context is required the FAPM will be applied.

The diagram below demonstrates how this protocol is applied and the levels of intervention that are typically considered.

Freight Assessment and Priority Mechanism (FAPM)

The FAPM has been developed to allow the Council to assess the numerous requests it receives and inform the Council where it should focus its limited resources. The FAPM is made up of two parts, in the first part, the local freight issues are scored against characteristics including HGV flow, safety and road characteristics. This produces a priority list highlighting the locations/routes where HGV impacts are likely to be most significant. In the second part, the highest scoring freight issues are then considered in the context of any wider policy, operational and/or deliverability issues. All of the freight management requests received by the Council are assessed on an annual basis and surveys are undertaken periodically to keep existing information up-to-date.

For more details on the Wiltshire Council’s FAPM procedure.

Rail Freight

Wiltshire is basically a through-train county for rail freight. A council study in 2008 found that 86% of freight trains in Wiltshire travel through the county and there are no rail freight movements with both end trips in Wiltshire. The first LTP identified local businesses and operations that could potentially transfer from road to rail freight operations. It is to be noted that the majority of those identified have either, significantly reduced their operations, relocated or have closed down. It should also be recognised that these businesses have not been replaced by large scale industry that affords the opportunity of mode transfer.

The difficulties found in progressing the transfer of road to rail is not uncommon in similar rural authorities and the council's influence in progressing such change relies upon the interest and the existence of potential business and industries close to and within Wiltshire, that would be willing to investigate the potential of transfer from road to rail deliveries. Wiltshire Council will continue to pursue the possibility of transfer to rail freight through the Wiltshire and Swindon Freight Quality Partnership and through dialogue with potential business, industries and regional bodies.

Further information

If you would like further information on freight in Wiltshire please contact us using the details below.

Contact Details

Email: transportplanning@wiltshire.gov.uk

Telephone: 01225 713482

Fax: 01225 713207

Postal Address:

Sustainable Transport
Department of Neighbourhood and Planning
Wiltshire Council
County Hall
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JD

Last updated: 21 September 2011