Access all areas

Accessibility is a priority for central and local government and lies at the heart of the second local transport plans (LTP2). Worcestershire County Council has developed its first accessibility strategy, involving public, private and voluntary sectors within the county. The county is a mix of urban centres, market towns and rural villages. An inclusive and extensive consultation process was adopted to create the backbone of the accessibility strategy. Local residents' opinions were reinforced by the technical mapping of accessibility, using the UK Government's Accession software. Worcestershire is tackling accessibility issues in two ways. In the short term, the provision of public transport services will be improved. In the long term, planning will reduce the demands for travel. This is illustrated for accessibility to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital. A countywide accessibility partnership has been formed with representatives from transport, health, education, economic development and social services. Accessibility mapping is being used to audit and assess individual planning applications.