Handy Cross Hub – High Wycombe Regional Coachway & Park & Ride (Coachway)

Handy Cross Hub is the name given to the whole Sports Centre Site which includes both the proposed High Wycombe Regional Coachway Park & Ride and the proposed Business Park.

Since the concept of improved coach connections in the Thames Valley was first identified by Central Government in 2002, Buckinghamshire County Council and Wycombe District Council have had an aspiration to develop a regional Coachway Park and Ride facility at Handy Cross, High Wycombe.

A coachway is defined as a coach station built adjacent to a motorway interchange to allow regional coach services to serve the local area while allowing the integration of local feeder services serving the adjoining urban and rural areas. This will enable residents of the area to have access to existing regional coach services and also to potential new services. It is our aspiration that the coachway facility will enable local residents to access a regional coach network, with services to Oxford and London, to the Thames Valley and potentially north of High Wycombe. Access to key facilities such as airports is also expected to be improved.

Within High Wycombe an interim Park & Ride was established at Cressex Island in September 2005. It is expected that once the coachway is opened the interim Park & Ride will relocate to the Coachway site to enable the integration of the two facilities. The location of the Park & Ride on the Handy Cross site also helps support the development of the vision for a cross-town north-south Park & Ride bus link.

It is anticipated that the scheme could be constructed as early as 2011/12, although this would be dependent on success with various statutory processes for planning and funding.

Scheme Proposals

The coachway and park & ride facility will offer the following facilities:

• High quality interchange for regional and long-distance coaches
• Re-location of existing local Park & Ride service to site to allow for integration of facilities
• Interchange facilities for local bus services with links for cycling and walking
• Prioritised access /egress point for buses and coaches into the site to allow for quick and easy pick ups/drop offs
• High quality waiting facilities for passengers
• 8 bays for Coaches, local bus services and Park & Ride buses
• 550 space car park with specific spaces for disabled drivers, electric vehicles and bicycles
• Real Time Passenger Information
• Refreshment facilities

The scheme requires that 2 new junctions will be installed on A404 Marlow Hill to prioritise access/egress for buses and coaches as well as enhancements to the existing Sports Centre access road junction.  The existing Sports Centre will remain in situ but the car parks that serve it will need to be amended to enable the access road to Coachway to be constructed.

Background to the Scheme

Various studies and strategies have been undertaken in the past five years to review and analyse current accessibility problems and to put forward possible opportunities and solutions to these problems.
Studies have included:

• The ORBIT Study (2002)
• Thames Valley Multi Modal Study (2003)
• Express Bus and Coach Study (2003)   
• Thames Valley Express Coaches - Analysis of Proposed Coach Network (2005)

The Regional Context

The South East England Partnership Board Regional Assembly (SEERA) are currently developing the South East Plan, which aims to set out the vision for the future of the South East region to 2026, outlining the response to challenges facing the region such as housing, the economy, transport and protecting the environment. The Partnership Board brings together councillors and the Regional Development Agency to prepare, deliver and monitor a regional strategy which will make the South East a better and more sustainable place to live and work.

The updated draft South East Plan (2006) identifies High Wycombe as a regional hub, including regional spokes to the east (London), west (Oxford) and the north (Aylesbury, Milton Keynes). Following the Examination in Public on the draft South East Plan held in 2007, the Panel Report recommended the inclusion of a spoke from High Wycombe to the Thames Valley at Maidenhead.

Hubs are be defined as settlements where the provision of (or potential to provide) a range of multi-modal transport services supports the concentration of land uses and economic activity in a suitable manner. More particularly, regional hubs should be the focus for development and investment in the transport system that leads to an increase in the overall level of accessibility by all modes between regional, sub-regional and local hubs along transport spokes. The transport corridors between regional hubs and sub-regional hubs and links to key destinations and growth areas outside the sub-region were also seen as a main focus for transport investment.
The Regional Transport Strategy recognises that the coach network plays a distinctive role in the South East with a current focus on Heathrow and Gatwick Airports and commuter services to/from London. The development of scheduled coach and express bus services along spokes and inter-regional corridors are sought along with associated interchange facilities and rail services to provide better and intra-regional connections. The development of high quality interchange facilities within regional hubs are seen as a key priority. Likely locations include rail based parkway stations or inter urban bus and coach interchange points close to motorways. The RTS makes reference to broad locations arising from findings of the multi-modal studies, including M4 junction 11 south of Reading and M40 junction at Handy Cross, High Wycombe.

The processes involved

Development of a Major Scheme Business Case

To secure Central Government Funding from the Department for Transport (DfT), any transport scheme costing over £5million requires the development and submission of a Major Scheme Business Case (MSBC).
The MSBC process consists of 3 stages

• Programme Entry (broadly equivalent to the former Provisional Approval) once the
  initial case has been made to The Department
• Conditional Approval once statutory powers are in place
• Full Approval once final supplier prices have been secured.

The MSBC for Coachway for Programme Entry was submitted to DfT on 21 December 2009.  The County Council has received feedback on the Programme Entry submission and it is currently working on re-submitting a combined Programme Entry/Conditional Approval bid by the end of May 2010.
The MSBC is available to download at the bottom of this page

It is expected that the Full Approval Business case will be submitted to DfT in Autumn 2010.

The MSBC sets out to prove that proceeding with the project is justified, and that the scheme presented:

• Is the best solution to the identified problems / meeting the objectives
• Has a reasonable chance of success
• Has confirmed funding
• Remains justifiable under a range of outcomes

Planning Permission

The Coachway building and car park scheme also requires planning permission before it can be constructed.  In addition, the existing running track is proposed to be relocated to Sir William Ramsey school to enable the relocation of the Synthetic Turf Pitch(STP) which is currently within the footprint of Coachway.  Wycombe District Council is currently seeking planning permission for the relocation of the running track.

Progress to date

MSBC for Programme Entry

The MSBC for Coachway for Programme Entry was submitted to DfT on 21 December 2009.

Planning Permission

A planning application for the whole Handy Cross Hub site was submitted to Wycombe District Council on 4 December 2009.  The planning application was determined on 24 February 2010.  Planning permission was granted, subject to the resolution of an air quality issue which is expected to be resolved by May 2010.
The Planning Application for the relocation of the athletics track goes to WDC’s planning committee on 24 March 2010.