Sellafield has committed itself to “ambitious” targets on promoting sustainable travel, including a focus on encouraging a reduction in car use by its workforce.
The latest version of Sellafield’s Travel Plan outlines a number of goals the firm is aiming for in the coming years, including a target to reduce the number of vehicles entering the site each day from more than 6,000 to as low as 4,000.
The plan has been shared with Cumbria County Council, and its local committee for Copeland, made up of county councillors representing the area, considered the proposals at its meeting last week.
Committee members welcomed the plan, though several noted ongoing concerns surrounding “rat-runs” close to the Sellafield site, and the impact this flow of traffic had on local communities in the area.
Contained within Sellafield’s Travel Plan is a proposal to continue moving workers off the main site who can be based elsewhere.
A key aim of the Travel Plan, which is described by county council officers as “ambitious”, is to reduce the impact Sellafield has on the local road network, particularly the A595 north of Sellafield.
This includes all traffic relating to Sellafield’s operations, from the movement of its workforce to the movement of material.
Sellafield is keen to promote the use of more sustainable modes of transport, and encourage a reduction in the use of “privately owned and single occupancy vehicles” by those travelling to the site and to off-site premises, according to a report prepared in advance of the meeting by county council officers.
The plan also commits Sellafield to working with local authorities and others to “develop sustainable transport options”.
Principal targets in the plan include an aim to have ensured that from February 2020 to February 2023, there is a reduction in the number of vehicles entering Sellafield each day from more than 6,000 to between 4,000 and 5,000.
There are also targets to increase sustainable forms of travel used by 10 per cent, and increase Sellafield’s park and ride capacity by 60 per cent, from 750 to more than 1,200 spaces.
There is also an aim to reduce contractors’ vehicles entering the site from 700 to 600 per day.
Included in the Travel Plan is a commitment from Sellafield to working with Cumbria County Council to develop “transport infrastructure improvements”, including Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans, a business case for the Cumbrian Coast Line railway, station improvements and improvements to the A595, including the development of the Whitehaven Relief Road.
Sellafield is also keen to work with the council on the development of a masterplan for the Port of Workington, and to explore increased uses of the port.
The Travel Plan is also keen to promote bus priority routes along the A595, and Sellafield is keen to work with the council on the provision of additional bus stops and shelters.
The plan commits Sellafield to about 60 actions designed to help tackle the impact Sellafield has on Cumbria’s transport network, and to better promote sustainable transport.
These various commitments will help to guide future planning applications submitted by Sellafield in relation to future developments.
Discussing the latest iteration of Sellafield’s Travel Plan, Conservative councillor for the Gosforth division, Paul Turner, noted that continued to have concerns about “rat-runs” or “shortcuts” used by many people to reach Sellafield, in particular the route passing over Cold Fell.
“No matter how many vehicles the reduce on Sellafield we’re still going to have issues, in particular Cold Fell is one, all sorts has been tried,” he said.
“We put a 40mph speed limit over there, but it’s totally unenforceable.
“It needs something more drastic to stop the problems and concerns.”
However, Mr Turner said the county council needs “help to do something practical”.
“We need some financial input into resolving some of these issues,” he said, adding that “the county council haven’t got the money” to tackle the issue alone.
Fellow Conservative councillors Arthur Lamb and Chris Whiteside also noted their concerns surrounding parking across Copeland in connection to Sellafield.
Mr Whiteside, who represents the Egremont North and St Bees division, said that there had been “unintended consequences” as a result of Sellafield’s previous Travel Plan.
He said there had been “irresponsible parking all over Copeland, as a result of people who would drive part of a way from their homes to Sellafield, meet up with somebody else, and then leave two or three cars parked where they met up when they drove the last part of the way”.
There was agreement to include in the county council’s response to Sellafield’s Travel Plan a request that moving forward, the firm monitors the impacts of the Travel Plan on the transport arrangements of those travelling to Sellafield.
Mr Lamb, who represents the Cleator Moor East and Frizington division, added that the Ennerdale Bridge area was one in particular experiencing unsuitable parking at present.
