Evaluating the social content of Local Transport Plans (England).

During 2000 the authors of this paper each undertook a study on transport and social exclusion; Social Exclusion and the Provision and Availability of Public Transport (DETR 2000) and Mind the Gap: reconciling environmental and social concerns about transport from the perspective of disadvantaged groups and communities (JRF, forthcoming). Both studies identified clear connections between social exclusion and transport. These connections were found to be particularly marked among the unemployed, families with young children, the young, all those on low incomes, and older people, in all ethnic groups. In rural areas, there were some very strong relationships between transport and social exclusion. For many, both urban and rural, affordability was a key issue. Availability and accessibility also proved to be highly significant. A varied collection of conclusions also included the need to increase physical mobility for a number of people if social mobility is to be enhanced, but also to simultaneously bear in mind that while the improvement of travel possibilities might help some individuals, in some places there is a risk of further acceleration of loss of local facilities, thus disadvantaging others. Follow-up research to consider how social inclusion can be factored into the totality of local transport was commissioned. This is being undertaken by the Transport Studies Group, University of Westminster, Transport Research and Consultancy, University of North London, Social and Transport Research Services and Paul Beecham Associates, in close association with six local authorities. The ultimate aim of the study is to facilitate the realisation of transport-related policies aimed at the reduction of social exclusion. Stage One of the new study has involved a broad social impact assessment of all 85 English LTPs. Stage Two, which will be completed in March 2001, is concerned with an in-depth social evaluation of six local transport plans in collaboration with the relevant local authorities. The outputs of this in-depth evaluation will be a methodology not only for evaluation, but also a pointer to what kind of policies and measures throughout those LTPs could viably be prioritised to produce the greatest reductions in transport-related social exclusion. This paper describes the process, conduct and results of the evaluation and contributes to the development of a more generally applicable social evaluation methodology.