Access Alliance Programme

News and Events

AAP Projects Launch Event

The AAP team "fly the flag"

On Wednesday 14 April 2010, some of the key transport projects funded by the Access Alliance Programme were showcased at a launch event at Markham Vale Environment Centre.

With over £1m of funding from the East Midlands Development Agency (emda), the Access Alliance Programme, which is unique in England, has financed and developed a wide range of transport schemes to help people to get to jobs and training. Examples include:

. minibus schemes to transport people to training courses
. scheduled works shuttle bus services
. car sharing schemes for large local employers
. moped and bicycle loan schemes
. reduced bus fares schemes
. new cycling and walking routes

Over its 4 year life, the Access Alliance Programme will have funded over 50 schemes. By the end of 2010, it will have:

. Created 35 new jobs
. Assisted 500 people to access employment opportunities
. Assisted 150 businesses to improve their economic performance
. Assisted 1500 people to develop their skills

It will also have improved the local environment by encouraging people to use greener forms of transport.

The launch included presentations from Councillor Simon Spencer, Deputy Chair of Derbyshire Economic Partnership and Tim Malynn, Director of Communities at Nottinghamshire County Council. A new subsidised fares initiative with Stagecoach was also launched at the event.

Norman James and Clare Waldron, Directors of STAR Independent Consultants Ltd, Managing Agent of the Access Alliance Programme, said:

“We are delighted that we have been able to help so many hundreds of people
to access jobs and training throughout North Nottinghamshire and North
Derbyshire over the past four years. The investment in sustainable transport
schemes which we have been able to make through the Access Alliance
Programme has been excellent news for the local economy, for the local
environment and, most especially, for local people, particularly young people and those without access to their own transport. The Access Alliance Programme is unique withinthe UK in its scope, scale and content; it provides a shining example of how to develop community-based sustainable transport schemes which boost jobs and training prospects.”

Rural Rover

Councillor Simon Spencer of Derbyshire Economic Partnership commented,

“The Access Alliance Programme is vital in helping people to embrace and
maximise opportunities for employment and training where limited access to
transport is a barrier. The sub-region is a predominantly rural area with many
key employment development sites being outside the urban fringes of the
principal towns and transport connectivity is less frequent and direct. Helping
people to access work and training is one of the key means of tackling poverty
and economic exclusion. It is fantastic to see some of the success stories and
the real difference that, for example, providing a demand responsive minibus
service, bus pass, taxi voucher or a bicycle to access employment, makes to
real lives”.

Cllr. Simon Spencer, DEP

Tim Malynn said,

“It is encouraging to see significant volumes of people, particularly in the most
rural parts of the county, accessing a range of learning and employment
opportunities opened up by the improvements to local transport. It sounds
simple, but for want of a reliable lift to work by public, private or community-
based transport, hundreds of local people might otherwise remain trapped in
unemployment or a low skills / low wage rut. That’s why Programmes like
Access Alliance are important to our local economy and by promoting increased
access to sustainable transport they are also vitally important to the
environment.”

Tim Malynn, Notts. County Council

Cheques were presented to 7 projects funded by the Access Alliance Programme by Cllr. Simon Spencer, Deputy Chair of the Derbyshire Economic Partnership and by Tim Malynn, Head of Communities at Nottinghamshire County Council.

Dave Skepper, Stagecoach, AAP Stagecoach Jobseeker Fares

Serving the Community with Transport to Training

Junction 29a Transport to Training

Rural Rover

Alliance Access Bus

Portland Skills Bus

Steetley Access Projects

AAP 3rd Annual Conference

Held on 6 November 2009 at NFPC (National Fluid Power Centre), Worksop.

AAP Study Visits

A series of study visits is being planned within the AAP Programme - these will include Sheffield Community Transport (7 October 2009), Kickstart Norfolk (8 December 2009), Deeside Shuttle, Lincolnshire InterConnect and Killamarsh Greenway. Contact STAR at info@startransport.co.uk to book your place or for more information.

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