Community Newsletter March 2008

Introduction

Thank you to those of you who attended the exhibitions held at the Stadium towards the end of January. We hope you found them informative and helpful. The exhibitions focused on the proposed amendments to the scheme that was granted planning permission. Since then we have held a similar exhibition for the supporters and we have met with various people to explain the proposed amendments to the permitted scheme.

We also met in mid February with Councillor Dennis Brown and Councillor Paul Harrod who had carried out a survey of some of the local residents in some of the roads immediately adjacent to the edge of the agreed Matchday Residents Parking Zone. We found this to be a very positive discussion and we agreed it would be helpful if the Football Club sent out another newsletter that brings together the package of mitigation measures that will be implemented as part of the regeneration scheme for the Memorial Stadium.

We have also identified our preferred operator of the student accommodation - the Opal Group. Opal is a nationally recognised provider and operator of student accommodation throughout the country and has offered to mount an exhibition of their operations and their experience to local residents and any other interested parties. This exhibition will be held in the main Clubhouse at the Stadium on 17th March from 4pm until 8pm. Members of the Opal team will be on hand to explain their company operations and answer any questions about student management that you may have.

The Package of Transport and Parking Measures to be provided through the Planning Permission:

A package of measures has been agreed between the Football Club and the City Council as part of the legally binding agreement under section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act. This seeks to reduce the numbers of people trying access the stadium by car and to improve the existing transportation facilities in the vicinity of the stadium.

The package of measures seeks to:
· provide a range of incentives to discourage travel by car, especially by promoting greater bus use;
· restrict the ability for spectators to park in residential streets close to the ground on match days and provide funding to enable the council to better enforce existing and new restrictions; and
· improve facilities close to the ground for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

This was agreed as part of the planning permission granted in January 2007 and given legal effect with the completion of the s106 agreement in January 2008. The proposed amendments now embodied in the new planning application do not affect the transport and parking issues already agreed and so the package of measures agreed for the permitted scheme will also be provided in respect of the new application in the event that permission is granted.

Here is a summary of each of the measures agreed as part of the s106 agreement (including the Framework Travel Plan):

Supporters' Buses:
The provision of supporters' buses will form an integral part of the approach adopted to reduce car dependency, by providing bus services to the stadium from the main areas of spectator population throughout the city for every football and rugby home match. The number of buses provided and the areas covered will increase to up to 11 buses in accordance with the average attendance at the stadium. The first bus will be provided when the average home attendance for the previous season exceeds 8,000. The second bus will be provided when that average home attendance reaches 9,000, a third bus at 10,000 and so on. We believe this contrasts favourably with the current situation where attendances of just under 12,000 can attend the stadium with no additional provision.

Park and Ride Bus Service:
In addition to the Supporters' buses and applying similar criteria in relation to the average home attendances from the previous season, a minimum of four Park and Ride buses will be provided for each Club's fixture when the attendance exceeds 8,000, 5 buses when average attendances exceed 12,000; 6 buses at 13,000 and so on up to eleven buses. Again, we believe this contrasts favourably with the current situation where no park and ride facility is provided.

Matchday Residents' Parking Zone (MPRZ):
The MRPZ has been agreed with the Council and will be implemented upon occupation of the stadium. This will be of benefit to local residents and local road safety because it will alleviate parking demand and prevent illegal parking within the area covered, which will improve access for spectators on foot, general traffic in the area and the emergency services. This will be enforced by additional parking attendants funded by the Club for two hours before, two hours during and one hour after a match.

The MRPZ area was expanded during discussions between the Football Club and the City Council in 2006 and now includes Wellington Hill, Wellington Crescent, Churchways Avenue and Churchways Crescent.

Each property within the defined area will be able to apply for a free parking permit which will enable them to park one car within the identified zone without restriction, other than in areas where there are existing double yellow lines, bus stop/lane demarcation, zigzag markings or during periods of single yellow line restrictions. Residents will be able to apply to the Council for additional or visitor permits although this is expected to be subject to a charge.

The Football Club, as part of the s106 obligations has agreed to contribute £100,000 towards the implementation of the MRPZ and a further contribution of £40,000 per year for its enforcement and administration.

There has been much debate about the size of the MRPZ but the agreed boundaries are the result of detailed discussions with the City Council's Highways officers and what is often overlooked is that there is already provision within the current arrangements for the boundaries to be amended if the scheme is deemed not to be working satisfactorily (see Travel Plan below). This will be monitored through the Stadium Monitoring Group (SMG) and amendments will be considered in the first instance through that medium. See more about the SMG below.

Student Parking and Car Ownership Restriction:
The student accommodation comprising part of the stadium regeneration scheme will be a car free development and it will be made clear to potential tenants and occupants that the keeping of a motor vehicle within 1.5 kilometres of the site will be prohibited and that it will not be possible for occupants to apply for a Matchday Residents Parking Permit.

The above restrictions will form a legal commitment as part of each occupier's tenancy agreement, with breaches of this condition punishable through the extinguishment of that tenancy agreement. As noted above, the Opal Group who are the Football Club's preferred operator of the student accommodation are to hold an exhibition of their company experience and expertise on 17 March.

Travel Plan:
As agreed between the Football Club and the City Council, a Framework Travel Plan has been prepared which includes a comprehensive package of initiatives and measures aimed at reducing the transport impact of the stadium redevelopment. The Travel Plan will be a bespoke document for the Football Club, which will continually evolve over time, and which will monitor and review initiatives and measures for sustainable travel on a regular basis. The initiatives and measures may be subject to change if they are found to be impracticable or if improvements are identified. For example, through the Travel Plan there will be the ability to alter the boundary of the MRPZ following its implementation.

Traffic Management Plan:
In addition to the above, the Club will adopt a Traffic Management Plan which confirms the arrangements required to manage traffic attracted to the Memorial Stadium on match days following completion of the new stadium.

Stadium Monitoring Group (SMG):
The SMG is to be formed shortly and will comprise a representative of Bristol Rovers, Bristol Rugby Club, local residents, the City Council and the police to meet four times a year to monitor, amongst other issues, any transport issues and identify solutions. Where practicable, adjustments to the existing transportation measures can be agreed and implemented accordingly.

It is planned to issue a further community newsletter shortly setting out the ideas on how the SMG should operate and what its remit should be.

Financial Contributions to Transportation:
In addition to the above, the following financial contributions have been agreed between the Football Club and the City Council:

£10,000 Contribution to Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs):
The stadium regeneration scheme includes provision for a reasonable contribution towards an increase in on-street waiting restrictions within a 1.5 kilometre area of the Stadium. This could be used to improve junction safety, protect visibility, facilitate emergency access, keep bends clear or free bulk movement routes. In order to bring these improvements about TROs need to be introduced and agreed by the relevant authorities. The TROs could comprise either permanent or temporary event-day restrictions to enforce existing areas of coning. The exact nature and location of TROs will be subject to agreement with the City Council's highway officers and the Police. The additional parking attendants funded by the Football Club will also be able to operate in this area ie outside the MRPZ. This is an important point in terms of having the ability to enforce the various road and parking restrictions, many of which already exist.

As at present, the City Council has the power to remove any vehicles it considers are compromising highway safety through obstructing the through flow of traffic, parking on footways or blocking driveways and accesses.

£30,000 Contribution to Public Transport:
A financial contribution of £30,000 has been agreed for the improvement of public transport facilities in the vicinity of the stadium. This is expected to contribute towards the provision of modern bus stop facilities, the installation of real-time bus information, raised kerbs and improved lighting/timetable information, as agreed with the City Council to be appropriate at the time

£10,000 Contribution to Pedestrian Facilities:
A financial contribution of £10,000 has also been agreed for the improvement of existing pedestrian facilities. This is expected to contribute towards improved crossing facilities at junctions, local safety schemes and footway improvements in the vicinity of the stadium as appropriate.

£5,000 Contribution to SCOOT Facilities:
A financial contribution of £5,000 has been agreed towards the implementation and management of a SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique) system locally. This results in improvements to the operation of traffic signals which will result in a more adaptive system that responds to fluctuations in traffic flows through the use of on-street detectors which are embedded in the carriageway and will help reduce congestion at peak times throughout the week.

Summary

We hope that the more detailed explanation of the transport and parking mitigation measures that are to be provided through the stadium regeneration scheme permitted by the City Council is helpful. The same measures will be provided under the new planning application should approval be given to that application by the City Council.

The package of measures is also flexible in that once the new stadium is operational, if elements are found not to be working effectively or if improvements are proposed, those elements can be changed through recommendations made by the Stadium Monitoring Group to the Football Club and the City Council. This will follow discussion and agreement at the Stadium Monitoring Group.

The parking attendants funded through the Matchday Residents' Parking Zone will not be restricted to the RPZ itself but will be able to operate in the area outside it to enforce the other controls and restrictions in that wider area, many of which already exist.