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Introduction

Here in Dorset transport alone is responsible for an estimated 765 kilotons of CO2e each year, making it the single biggest contributor to our county’s footprint. To reach zero-carbon, fossil fuel use in the transport sector will need to be eliminated. This will not be as simple as just switching to different fuels or energy sources. It will require significant changes in attitudes, planning and infrastructure, economic incentives and political and institutional changes.

Significant action will be required from the Council to eliminate associated emissions from its own activities & services, as well as working with partners and using its influence to facilitate change on a county-wide level.

After detailed evidence and information gathering exercises, led by the EAP and carried out by officer working groups, it has been recommended that the Council implement the following 30 actions in relation to Transport.

Milestones have been identified for each action. This plan shows the immediate  targets we will need to achieve by 2023 to keep us on track.

Objective 1

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

Influence national government to secure additional funding

 Partnership/influence Medium Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing Medium
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 

Lobby government
e.g. for Rail improvements

 Partnership/influence Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None Lobby paper presented to government 

by 2021

Respond to government calls and submit high quality grant applications

e.g. for sustainable travel schemes

 Partnership/influence High Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability Medium Bids made as & when required

Redirect investment from strategic road schemes to low carbon transport (Work with Subnational Transport Body (STB) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

 Partnership/influence High Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability None Meetings held with STB & LEP 

by 2021

Objective 2

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

Improve low carbon transport infrastructure

 Direct, indirect  Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing Medium
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 

Reinforce low carbon transport policies through statutory planning documents including refreshed LTP and new Local Plan

 Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing

Medium
  • Permanent staff resource in place
  • Low-carbon transport policies developed by 2023

Ensure access to sustainable transport is considered in planning applications

 Direct Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None

Planning process  to ensure sustainable transport is included as a priority for planning applications
by Sept 2022

Investigate potential for small scale park & ride hubs with electric vehicle charging point availability

 Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing Low

Investigation complete by Dec 2021

Through Local plan ensure (as far as possible) that developments provide high quality spaces, routes & facilities, or contribute towards facilities for pedestrians, cycles and other car-free modes, EV charging and cycle parking

 Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None

Transport policies
developed to guide
planners
by Dec 2021
for adoption by 2023

Objective 3

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

Encourage decarbonisation of road transport in Dorset

 Indirect, partnership/influence Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing High
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 
Encourage decarbonisation of road transport through development of public EV charging network & promotion of ultra low emissions vehicles, and including on-going management Indirect High Improves ecology High
  • EV charging network identified
  • Plan created
  • Promotional materials created & communicated
  • Contract manager and communications resource in place
  • 20 x EVCPs purchased (10 per year) by 2023
Encourage use of ultra low emission public transport vehicles (including taxis) – particularly smaller buses Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing  None Future target 

beyond 2023
Encourage low carbon freight and logistics Partnership/influence Medium Enhances health and wellbeing None Freight strategy 

reviewed and amended
by 2022

Objective 4

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

Encourage behaviour change

 Indirect, partnership/influence  Medium Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing  High
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 
Encourage and enable more walking and cycling through the production of local cycling and walking investment plans, related bids and initiating infrastructure delivery. Behaviour change through communications. Indirect Medium Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing High
  • Staff resource in place by Sept 2021
  • Walking and cycling schemes identified and behaviour change programme in place by June 2022

Expand cycle training and independent travel training programmes

 Indirect  Low Encourages economic sustainability High

Training programmes expanded by March 2023
Explore introduction of a bike share scheme in larger settlements Indirect  Low Encourages economic sustainability Medium

Study of bike share scheme completed & implementation initiated by 2022

Improve the quality and availability of public transport with a focus on maintaining the core network, better using S106 funds, and creating a new Enhanced Partnership scheme to make services more attractive to the travelling public.

 Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing Medium
  • Staff resource in place  
  • Enhanced partnership created by 2022

Encourage behaviour change through active & sustainable travel campaigns and initiatives.

 Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing High
  • External body recruited
  • Campaigns & initiatives developed and delivered by 2022

Deploy Mobility as a Service (MaaS) applications that provide clear information across a range of travel modes & promote use of the most sustainable travel options

 Indirect Low Enhances health and wellbeing  Medium  Deployment plan 

created & initiated
by 2023

Review of parking policy to support mode shift

 Indirect Medium Enhances health and wellbeing None Parking policy 

reviewed & policy agreed by March 2021

Through the Local Plan ensure (as far as possible) developments are located in sustainable locations close to key services & the need to travel by car is reduced

 Indirect Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None Policies developed 

& agreed
by 2023

Work with schools, parents and partners to reduce the carbon foot print of the daily school commute

 Partnership/influence Medium Enhances health and wellbeing

Medium
  • Carbon footprint of daily commute calculated
  • Plan developed & initiated by March 2023
Engage with businesses to support sustainable business travel and active travel through the Business Travel Network (BTN)or successor groups Partnership/influence Low  None Medium

Future target
beyond 2023

Objective 5

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

Reduce the need to travel in Dorset

 Partnership/influence  Medium Enhances health and wellbeing None
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 

Working closely with Dorset Business Travel Network and Digital Dorset to promote the use of ICT to individuals and businesses to avoid travel / encourage working from home

 Partnership/influence  Medium Enhances health and wellbeing  None
  • Communications plan
  • Promotional materials created & communicated by 2021

Objective 6

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 
Increase climate resilience of transport infrastructure Direct None Improves ecology, builds resilience Low
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 

Understand key risks and potential costs posed by climate change to transport & travel in Dorset

 Direct None Improves ecology, builds resilience Low

Future target
beyond 2023

Objective 7

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

To lead by example

 Direct  Low Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 

Review & amend procurement procedures to prioritise carbon reduction for Transport Purchases & Leasing

 Direct  Low Improves ecology None

Procurement procedure reviewed & amended to prioritise carbon reduction by March 2022

Reduce carbon emissions from transport infrastructure construction and maintenance

 Direct  Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None

Ongoing review of warm mix asphalt with view to move to cool mix beyond 2023

Objective 8

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 

To green the Council fleet

 Direct Low Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing High 
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 
Maximise ultra low carbon vehicle replacement within the Dorset Council fleet - To replace all fleet cars and small vans with battery electric or best possible ULEV alternative by 2025/26 Direct Low Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing High 
  • 80+ vehicles replaced (40+ per year)
  • Fleet review completed by 2023

Maximise ultra low carbon vehicle replacement within the Dorset Council fleet - Staged replacement of all remaining classes of fleet vehicles other than cars or light vans with electric or best possible ULEV alternative by 2025/26

 Direct Low Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing High

Future target
beyond 2023
Expand electric vehicle charging points and other ultra-low emission fuel alternatives across the Council property estate. Direct Low Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing High
  • Feasibility Study identifying electrical capacity completed
  • Review carried out identifying number and location of electric vehicles
  • EV charging points installed at 5 Council sites
  • 20 EV Charing points (10 per year fitted) by 2023

Minimise personal vehicle use for business travel through the introduction of ULEV pool fleet

 Direct  Low Improves ecology

High

  
  • Policy agreed
  • 200 vehicles leased
  • charging points at 80 sites by 2023

Objective 9

Objective overview
Objective Action type CO2 saving potential Co-benefits  Cost 
To challenge business as usual Direct Low Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing Medium
Actions for the prior objective
 Actions Action type CO2 saving potential  Co-benefits  Cost  2021-23 target 
Encourage and facilitate behavioural change in way staff travel to and for work including grey fleet reduction, strategic travel planning with partner organisations Direct Low Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing Medium

Dorset Council Travel Plan created & initiated by March 2022
Reduce the need for staff to travel to and for work through remote working and the use of digital Direct Medium Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing None Agree future working arrangements  through the Workplace Transformation Programme 

by Sept 2021