Guidance

Transport in rural areas: local authority toolkit

Published 13 April 2022

This overview highlights the challenges and opportunities rural areas might experience when decarbonising transport in their area. It also showcases example projects from across the UK, with a focus on technology and innovative solutions.

Rural and remote communities face different challenges compared to urban communities. While some changes to transport networks and travel demand may be happening fastest in urban areas, rural areas present many opportunities for innovation.

Challenges

Residents, businesses and visitors in rural areas experience many interrelated challenges.

The Future of Transport: rural strategy – call for evidence identified the folllowing issues:

  • dependence on private cars, partly associated with older residents and the reduced availability of alternatives, such as public transport and active travel routes between towns and villages
  • access to services and employment – limited public transport can make it difficult to access workplaces and services, especially for the elderly, less mobile and young people
  • social isolation, limited transport options can make feelings of isolation worse and contribute to mental health difficulties

Opportunities

In 2019, the government published the Future of mobility: urban strategy.

This sets out its approach to take advantage of the opportunities from rapid changes in technology, travel demand and new business models while managing potential undesired effects in urban areas.

The government has since publicly consulted on the development of a Future of Transport: rural strategy to provide a unified, principles-driven approach to ensuring the UK is world-leading in future transport technologies.

The rural strategy will help deliver the opportunities and benefits for rural communities that new transport technologies and business models can provide.

It will focus on enabling technologies that could help improve rural mobility, providing greater choice and more sustainable options through new modes of transport.

For example, responses to the call for evidence emphasised the opportunity for e-bikes in rural areas.

It also recognised the potential for connected and self-driving vehicles to benefit older residents who no longer drive. Drone deliveries could also unlock economic opportunities and reduce emissions from deliveries by road.

In 2021, the rural mobility fund awarded £20 million to 17 local authorities to trial on-demand bus services in their suburban and rural areas.

Case studies

There is great diversity among rural areas and local authorities are well placed to identify and address the particular needs of their communities.

The examples throughout the toolkit showcase projects across the UK. They are intended as a starting point for local authorities seeking to develop their own approach and encourage decarbonisation in rural areas.

1. Active travel initiatives

Local authorities can encourage active travel by providing affordable access to new modes of transport, such as e-bikes or e-cargo bikes.

They can also encourage behaviour change through targeted provision of information and supporting services, such as bike repair.

Local authorities may choose to set up initiatives directly or support community initiatives through funding and publicity.

For more information, see the Active travel: local authority toolkit.

Electric cycle loans: E-Move in Wales

E-Move provides residents in and around Rhyl, Barry, Swansea and Newtown the opportunity to trial an e-cycle for free for 4 weeks.

Funded by the Welsh Government, the scheme aims to reduce cost as a barrier to uptake and give individuals the confidence to purchase an e-bike after their trial.

The bikes provide an alternative to some car trips, including for those living in hilly terrain and travelling longer distances. Panniers and stowage trays enable riders to carry equipment and supplies.

The project is also piloting providing e-cargo bikes to local organisations for up to 3 months, including a food co-op, a park ranger and a council.

Cargo bikes: Cargodale in Calderdale

Cargodale was established during 2020 as a grocery and shopping delivery service to residents of Hebden Bridge and Todmorden in Calderdale.

The project is run as a social enterprise and funded through income from:

The scheme also delivers goods for local businesses and market stallholders. It provides a food waste avoidance scheme and assists residents who may have travelled by foot, bike or bus to transport their shopping home.

In its first 6 months (March to August 2020), Cargodale delivery bikes covered just under 1,800 miles. This prevented around 500kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from being produced, compared to using small diesel vans or multipurpose vehicles, such as people carriers.

New development: South Gloucestershire Council

Around Your Way is an initiative by South Gloucestershire Council, in Association with TravelWest, to encourage residents of new housing developments to choose active and sustainable travel options.

It targets individuals moving into new properties, as this is when travel patterns are often being reestablished.

The initiative is funded by developer contributions and works in partnership with transport behaviour change programmes funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), such as Access West and the Capability Fund, as well as working with other relevant local authority teams such as Road Safety.

The package of support for new residents includes:

  • discover guides providing information on local walking and cycling routes, public transport facilities, as well as local amenities such as shops, parks and community facilities. These are complimented with free information leaflets and maps as requested by the resident
  • on-site travel services and events, such as bike servicing days, adult cycle training or sustainable travel events
  • resident travel surveys and automatic traffic counters, which are undertaken to monitor resident travel patterns to evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative and to plan for forthcoming events and offers depending on the new development community needs/interests
  • a range of free offers to support and encourage the uptake of active/sustainable travel modes, which can include: bike loans, bus taster tickets, adult cycle training, personalised travel planning and motorcycle safety training. These offers are revised annually through partnership working with other complementary projects, such as the DfT Access West Programme, Capability Fund and/or other local authority teams
  • some new developments are also provided with the Smarter Travel Voucher Scheme (dependent on the planning agreement with the developer) where residents can purchase items that will support their choice of active or sustainable travel modes (from an agreed list of eligible items) and receive a refund for that item to the value of the voucher

Sustainable travel hub: Climate Action Strathaven

Following a survey of local residents, Climate Action Strathaven in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, introduced several initiatives to promote sustainable travel through a local hub.

Climate Action Strathaven runs a bike repair workshop, an e-bike hire scheme and has an e-cargo bike that local retailers can use for deliveries.

The Strathaven Cycle and General Repair Shop is in the town centre and has become a hub for local residents to engage with the initiative.

In 2021, it also introduced an electric car club vehicle, assisted by the Scottish Government’s Community Climate Asset Fund. The online platform also enables peer-to-peer car sharing.

Funding is provided by Transport Scotland through the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places initiative and delivered by Paths for All.

2. Electric vehicles

The longer travel distances and more dispersed communities of rural areas present a different set of challenges to urban areas for the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).

To be part of the transition to EVs, rural communities require convenient access to reliable public charging infrastructure.

While many households in rural areas have access to a driveway or garage and are likely to be able to install their own home chargepoint, around 15% of households in rural areas have on-street parking.

EVs can also be integrated into car clubs and public transport services serving rural areas.

For more guidance on implementing these measures, see:

EV charging: Plug in Suffolk

In 2018, Plug in Suffolk installed contactless payment at all its chargepoints, making it as simple as possible for residents and visitors to pay.

The network now includes 52 fast (7kW) chargepoints in car parks and community locations, such as libraries and community halls. They are aiming to install up to 100 chargepoints in 2022.

Suffolk County Council has provided grants to some not-for-profit organisations to cover chargepoint installation and hardware costs, drawing on the Council’s 2020 Fund which was established in response to declaring a climate emergency.

Once installed, the host organisation receives any revenue after operating costs and is responsible for maintaining and promoting the chargepoints.

3. Commuting and access to work

To reduce the impact of commuting on carbon emissions, initiatives may focus on providing workspaces closer to homes or improving provision of lower emission transport options. This can also benefit those without access to a vehicle.

Rural local authorities may also find the Lift sharing: local authority toolkit useful.

Wheels to Work: New Forest, Hampshire

Wheels to Work Hampshire loans mopeds to people without access to personal or public transport so they can travel to work, training, an apprenticeship or interviews. This applies to people aged 16 to 25 in New Forest and Test Valley or those over 16 in Winchester and East Hampshire.

The scheme can help people unable to drive or those working shift patterns. It enables individuals to save money to buy their own vehicle or take driving lessons.

Loans last from 3 months to a year and include tax, insurance, breakdown cover, a helmet and other clothing. Compulsory basic training (CBT) is available free of charge.

Operated by Communities First, the scheme is primarily funded by Hampshire County Council.

While the primary objective is to improve rural mobility and access to employment, mopeds have lower carbon emissions than petrol or diesel cars and less impact on congestion.

Co-working: Hook Norton Low Carbon

Hook Norton Low Carbon in Oxfordshire is a mutual society working to decrease the carbon footprints of all members in the community while maintaining and improving quality of life.

It has established a sustainable co-working hub, called Hooky Hub, that can be accessed on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis.

The village-based space offers residents an alternative to returning to car-based commuting post-COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the social and practical benefits of a shared office.

Hook Norton Low Carbon also provides e-bike hire and an electric vehicle car club with 5 vehicles. To use the schemes, individuals sign up to be members of Hook Norton Low Carbon.

4. Decarbonising tourism

Rural areas often face challenges as a result of tourism, such as seasonal peaks in car traffic volume and congestion, which can also have a significant environmental impact.

Reducing the CO2 emissions associated with rural tourism will support wider decarbonisation while also protecting our countryside.

Managing car parking: Snowdonia National Park Authority

Over reliance on cars to access tourist attractions and honeypot sites in the Snowdonia National Park has led to chronic parking problems at busy periods.

Analysis undertaken by the Snowdonia National Park revealed that local communities, the environment and the local economy were suffering the negative effects of high tourist numbers.

Launched in 2018, the Cynllun Yr Wyddfa Partnership Plan aims to ensure that, by 2030, integrated transport infrastructure is well-funded, environmentally friendly, reliable and meets the needs of locals and visitors.

The associated Transport and Parking Review developed for the National Park Authority in 2020, recommends that parking provision in the inner National Park area is reduced. There would be an exception for some special permits or pre-booking and in parallel, that more sustainable transport solutions are introduced.

Measures include improving an interactive travel map and the ‘Snowdon Sherpa’ service. This offers an all-day ‘hop on and hop off’ service for £5 between local villages of Bethesda, Llanberis, Llanrwst, Porthmadog and Waunfawr, alongside single journey tickets.

Enabling EV tourism: businesses charge point funding in Scotland

Hospitality businesses across Scotland have taken advantage of funding from Transport Scotland to install chargepoints for visitors. This enables a shift to EVs by tourists while also benefitting the businesses.

For example, Hotel Eilean Iarmain in the south of Skye has installed a 7kW chargepoint to allow their guests to recharge for free overnight, before continuing on their zero emission journey along the popular North Coast 500 route.

Similarly, East Cambusmoon Holiday Cottages in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, has installed 4 chargepoints, helping to further enhance the environmental credentials of the business. They are holders of a Gold Award from Green Tourism UK.

Chargepoints are an increasingly popular facility for guests looking for convenient recharging facilities when choosing accommodation and they can help to secure repeat customers.

The Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust installed a 22kW chargepoint at their Falls of Shin visitor attraction.

This encourages visitors to travel by EV to the site and to explore while they charge. The expansion of the charging infrastructure within the Highlands helps to increase the confidence of EV drivers visiting remote areas.