Essex County Council
Essex Highways

Creating a transport strategy for Braintree

Future Transport Strategies have been positively established in other areas of Essex and are a good way of planning, setting out a blueprint against which future projects will be identified and prioritised for funding.

Created jointly with Braintree District Council, the Braintree Future Transport Strategy focusses on Braintree town, looking at how people travel, the transport challenges and opportunities in the town, and sets out a vision and objectives to help guide future developments.

In order to deliver the vision, we are introducing a zonal approach, with each strategic zone focussing on different transport priorities. This will help to support sustainable travel choices from short journeys through the town, as well as longer distance journeys for those living and working in surrounding areas.

This strategy will ultimately provide a framework that will enable potential schemes to be identified and prioritised as well as supporting future funding bids.

Consultation on the strategy was undertaken in 2022/23 helping to further shape the strategy. The consultation report can be seen in the document section below.

How we travel in Braintree

Due to its large rural location and fragmented bus and cycle networks, Braintree has a high reliance on car use, with car ownership higher in Braintree (at 83%) than the regional or national average.

With traffic returning to pre-pandemic levels, this is contributing to increased levels of delay and congestion on the road network. Reducing the volume of car commuting and increasing active and sustainable travel would relieve congestion and provide environmental benefits.

Walking, cycling, or using public transport for a short journey just twice a week could see a reduction of 50,000 car journeys from within the town.

Vision for Braintree

A long-term transport vision for Braintree has been created to help guide future transport developments.

For Braintree to be an attractive and safe place for people to live, work, study and enjoy, with a high-quality and innovative transport system that responds to the challenges of climate change and offers enhanced connectivity, accessibility and sustainable growth.

This vision has been underpinned by a set of seven objectives to measure all potential future transport schemes against:

  • Active Travel - Promote, deliver and improve alternative and sustainable modes of transport to reduce the number of car journeys made, alleviate traffic congestion and provide health benefits.
  • Innovative & Sustainable Solutions - Encourage new technologies to support sustainable solutions, including an upgraded network to accommodate Electric Vehicles and charging infrastructure, alongside the promotion of sustainable fuels.
  • Attractive Environment - Protect Braintree’s culture and heritage, whilst improving the quality of natural, built, and historic environments. Tackle air and noise pollution to enhance quality of life and to align with wider government objectives for decarbonisation.
  • Safer Travel Environment - Promote and deliver a safer and more secure travelling environment in Braintree to reduce accidents and encourage a good perception of safety. Ensure existing and new infrastructure is well maintained.
  • Economic Growth & Connectivity - Maximise the potential of Braintree's strategic location by improving the connectivity of all transport networks - accommodating new and existing housing and employment, whilst increasing access to key sites and services.
  • Managing Demand - Encourage alternative modes of transport and improve the frequency, capacity and quality of public transport to reduce congestion, maximise the efficiency and resilience of the road network and improve journey time reliability.
  • Inclusivity - Provide a transport environment that enhances accessibility and is inclusive for all.

A zonal approach for the town

To deliver the strategy, we are implementing a zonal strategy for the town. Click on each zone to read more

Zones

  • Zone 1 (Braintree Town Centre)

    In Zone 1, the environment and the public realm is important to attract business and visitors, so there will be a primary focus on walking, accessibility to shops/key services, and public realm improvements to promote Braintree as a high-quality place and stimulate economic growth. There will be increased focus on sustainable and active travel options, enabling a more pedestrian-friendly centre, improving air quality, encouraging people to spend time in the town centre and supporting health and wellbeing.

  • Zone 2 (Wider Urban Area)

    In Zone 2, this is a wider urban area, so the priority should be to minimise the high levels of car usage and increase sustainable transport provision. Journeys from the residential areas to the town centre should be made by sustainable means wherever possible, so investment should focus on providing residents with a quicker and cheaper alternative to the private car. There will be a focus on promoting active travel and supporting passenger transport into the town centre for short trips, to reduce car usage and improve air quality.

  • Zone 3 (Strategic Corridors)

    In Zone 3, there will be a focus on capacity improvements to support strategic growth within Braintree's wider area and promote sustainable travel alternatives for medium/long-distance trips. The Strategic Corridors should facilitate reliable and sustainable connections between the town centre and the wider suburban and rural areas of Braintree – given Braintree’s strategic locations as a crossroads within Essex. There should be a greater shift towards public transport. Investment should be made for sustainable transport packages which could be implemented alongside road capacity improvements schemes to improve journey times on the roads and alleviate congestion and rat-running through the town centre.

Documents

Braintree Town Future Transport Strategy - PDF(11.3MB)

Braintree Future Transport Strategy Consultation Report - PDF(2.2MB)