Award Win!

The Tyne and Wear Freight Partnership won the prestigious Transport Planning and Policy Award at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Annual Awards. The Partnership fended off competition from London Docklands Light Railway and Imerys Minerals, who were also shortlisted in the category.

Jonathan James (Project Director, Faber Maunsell), said: “This award recognises the genuine commitment to partnership and the benefits provided by a practical approach to improving efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of freight in Tyne and Wear. It has been a pleasure to work with so many enthusiastic partners from the freight industry and local authorities”.

The event was held at the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square , London on 23 rd October. Awards were presented by HRH The Princess Royal and Ray Stubbs acted as Compare for the evening.

Pictured from left to right are: David Arthur (Faber Maunsell), Michael Page (Faber Maunsell), Graham Wall (PD Ports), John Bourn (Tyne and Wear Local Transport Plan Team), HRH Princess Anne (CILT Patron), Richard Brown (CILT President).

New Tyne Crossing (Traffic Management Issues)

Major construction works are ongoing on the north and south side of the New Tyne Crossing. On the north side, the short link road between the A187 East Howdon roundabout and the A19 Tyne Tunnel roundabout has now been closed. This means that no vehicles can access the existing Tyne Tunnel from the A187 East Howdon roundabout. The closure reflects the final permanent layout of the New Tyne Crossing as this access will not be restored. North Tyneside Council traffic surveys indicate that HGVs have started using the A193 route. Hauliers are reminded that the A187 is the preferred HGV route - although slightly longer, it is still the quickest and most efficient route to reach the tunnel now that congestion has all but disappeared from the former East Howdon roundabout access.

On the south side, drivers whose journeys have not begun in Jarrow or Hebburn are encouraged to access the Tyne Tunnel via the A19, rather than attempting to access the tunnel via local roads.

Travel updates will be published on the TT2 website: www.tynetunnel.info

TT2 have implemented a new hotline – 0191 2624451- select Option 3.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the new traffic management arrangements introduced on the north end of the tunnel in North Tyneside has reduced the waiting time to access the tunnel dramatically.

The TIP, installed earlier this year at Durham Services, has had a number of technical problems relating to the touch screen facility. We are pleased to report that these were resolved in August through the replacement of the monitor screen.

A questionnaire survey of the TIP is being carried out with drivers at the services. Initial findings suggest that the TIP is located in the right position within the services, but signing could be significantly improved to promote awareness. Usage of the facility is monitored on a regular basis – pages most commonly used relate to traffic information and routing. The TIF could therefore be simplified in future to reflect this, which would ease operation. A monitoring report will be prepared in advance of the next Partnership meeting.

Lorry Drivers' Forum have agreed to add details of the TIP to their website.

Lorry Parking Facilities

A possible site for a new driver rest facility has been identified through consultation with operators. An initial feasibility study has been carried out and a brief submitted to the relevant local authority. We hope to announce further details of the proposal in the coming months.

Mapping

Over the last six months, the Partnership has worked on enhancing the level of detail on the tailored destination maps to include individual company names. The updates have been completed and added to the website for the Silverlink, North Tyne, Armstrong, Hertburn, Team Valley North, Team Valley South, Pattinson, Portobello and Rainton Bridge . Maps for Crowther and Tyne Tunnel are currently being updated. The Partnership continues to update and replenish printed stocks of the various freight maps at Durham Services.

Loading and Unloading Arrangements

Effective loading and unloading arrangements in town and city centres are important for the local economy and vital for both operators and retailers alike. With limited road space and competing demands, ensuring appropriate arrangements is very challenging. The Partnership has begun reviewing loading and unloading arrangements within Tyne and Wear in conjunction with operators and local authorities. The aim is to identify and design a number of schemes that will contribute towards improving the efficiency of operations. The Partnership would be keen to hear from operators regarding areas where they currently experience problems with loading and unloading.

Freight on Rail

On 11th September the Department for Transport announced a £67m increase to the Sustainable Distribution Fund, covering the period up to 2014. The fund provides support for a number of schemes that look to improve the efficiency of freight transportation and reduce the number of large freight vehicles on the roads. The Partnership are currently undertaking a piece of work, building upon that completed last year, focussing on schemes that could maximise the contribution of rail freight. This will consider recent developments relating to Teeside and Northumberland, in addition to potential applications for freight grants.

Research has continued into the feasibility of a Consolidation Centre for Eldon Square (excluding M&S, Fenwick's and John Lewis). The next phase of the work will involve approaching potential operators - a number are currently expressing interest. The scheme is expected to be small scale initially and will deal with incoming deliveries only.

The Pilgrim Street development will have a larger footprint than Eldon Square and could potentially be linked to a future Consolidation Centre scheme. An update on progress will be given at the next Partnership meeting.

Get Involved

You are welcome to attend the next meeting, which is to be held on 11th December 2008 (10.30am) at Gateshead Council, Gateshead (The Bridges Room) . For more information please contact Michael Page by email on michael.page@fabermaunsell.com . Alternatively call Mike on 0191 224 6512.