Car Park Study
6. PUTTING THE STRATEGY INTO ACTION - A PRIORITISED PLAN
We suggest a Seven Point Programme of Action, starting in Spring 2002, and continuing perhaps over a eight to ten year period into the life of the next Herefordshire and Worcestershire Local Transport Plans 2005-10.
It is difficult to offer clear guidance on priorities, as Action Points 1 - 6 require initial but continuing action starting in the very near future (i.e. during the Spring and Summer of 2002, whilst Action Point Seven will form part of a longer term implementation programme.
Action One - establishing a Partnership for a Visitor Management and Transport Strategy for the Malvern Hills AONB
We suggest an early meeting with representatives of the following key stakeholders - Malvern Hills Conservators, Malvern Hills AONB Partnership, Herefordshire Council, Worcestershire Council, Malvern District Council, Countryside Agency, Malvern and Hereford Rural Transport Partnerships.
The initial purpose of this informal group will be to:
- Review the proposals set out in this report
- Produce or commission a Visitor and Traffic Management Plan for the AONB which will lead to a formal submission as part of the next Herefordshire/Worcestershire LTPs, and will form part of the next Malvern Hills AONB Management Plan and MHC Management Plan.
- Work together to implement the further Action Points identified below.
Action Two - establishing a fuller data base of visitor travel patterns within the AONB
Current data traffic and visitor movement is incomplete and makes it difficult to define effective strategies or indeed to have good baseline information against which to monitor future outputs as and when new measures are introduced, or to set against agreed targets. Such information is essential for external funding from almost all sources. The AONB Partnership and the MHC should therefore:
Commission professional or student help during the summer of 2002 to carry out detailed surveys of visitor and local parking behaviour at all eight MHC and subsidiary car parks and informal on road parking within the AONB, with vehicle counts at formal and informal car parking areas, noting registration numbers, at hourly intervals on a variety of days - weekends, a Bank Holiday, and in contrasting weather conditions. Provide statistical analysis of this data to feed into the proposed Visitor and Traffic Management Plan.Action Three - Develop and agree an Agency Agreement with Malvern Hill DC to operate and manage the eight MHC car parks, This will include:
- Revision of current MHC car park pricing and conditions
- cash collection
- vehicle counts and surveys
- machine maintenance
- advice on requirements for overall security and maintenance.
Action Four - Produce a "green travel" guide to the AONB aimed at local people and visitors. This will indicate:
- all public car parks within Great Malvern and the AONB, explaining the tariff rates, availability of tickets, the visitor-payback scheme,
- main walks and access points from the town centre car park onto the Hills and from the main car parks/bus stops to key trails and viewpoints
- details of regular bus services to access the Hills (primarily services 675, 144 and the Hills Hopper)
- Distribute to TICs in the region, all guest houses and hotels in Malvern, post offices, library, supermarkets, MHC, MHDC and Town Council offices, by post at time of renewal to all season ticket and local parking pass powers, and have copies available in leaflet dispensers at main car parks and rail stations. Much of the content could also be included in the 2003 Malvern Tourist Brochure.
Action Five - developing the Hill Hopper
- Seek immediate Wider Welcome funding to increase the current (summer 2002) service to hourly
- Work with the two Rural Transport Partnership to secure a daily service through the summer season and all year if practical
- Consider how the Hopper can be adapted to create a more frequent park and ride service between Malvern Town, North Quarry, Wyche Cutting and British Camp at the busiest times
Action Six - undertaking a visitor management plan for Hollybush and Castlemorton Commons.
This may form an integral part of an overall Visitor and Traffic Management Plan for the AONB but, given the particular vulnerability of this area, and its immediate problems, we would recommend it be prioritised in order to ensure key measures of control, and indeed revenue collection, are implemented, at an early date.
- Examine the special problems of this area in order to balance the need for informal enjoyment and access by motorised visitors with the need to protect a vulnerable eco system and special landscape heritage.
Action Seven - investing in the MHC Car Parks as Gateways to the Malvern Hills
- Develop a rolling programme of capital investment in each of the main car parks to reduce their environmental impact and improve their aesthetic appearance to a standard equal to the environment they serve.
- Use income from the car parks as matching funding to develop all eight car parks - which are also linked by the Hopper bus - as part of an integral, sustainable network to enhance the visitor and local community experience of the Malvern Hills and to assist their conservation by effective visitor management, interpretation and education.
Car park study index
