Council response

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Thank you for your petition regarding putting in place safer travel options for non-drivers along Merafield and Haye Road to provide a link between Plympton, Plymstock and Sherford due to the opening of the new crematorium and the growing Sherford community.

2. BACKGROUND
Plymouth City Council are committed to encouraging, enabling and enthusing people to travel sustainably. This is demonstrated by the declaration of a climate emergency and policies within the Plymouth Plan (The Plymouth Plan | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK) including policy HEA 6 – Delivering a safe, efficient, accessible and health-enabling transport system.

The council’s aspirations and immediate actions for Plymouth’s bus services are set out in the Plymouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (Plymouth Bus Service Improvement Plan Summer 2024) whilst the Council’s evolving Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK) and complementary travel behaviour change, ‘Plymotion’ programme (Plymotion | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK), describe the active travel routes the council are looking to provide and the programmes that are being delivered to give people the confidence and skills to use them.

3. PROPOSED CHANGES AND REASONS
I’m therefore pleased to advise that, in accordance with the council’s policies and sustainable transport delivery plans, the Council has announced, during the Budget Scrutiny session on Wednesday 22 January, and subsequently in a press release issued on the same date (New bus links between Plympton and Plymstock), the introduction of two bus services which will shortly connect Plympton and Plymstock, with one of these services providing a connection to Sherford as well. These services will form part of the council’s tendered bus service network, which are bus services which, without financial support from the Council, would not otherwise operate.

From Sunday 30 March, the number 19 service (which previously ran between the City Centre and Merafield) will be reinstated albeit by way of a revised route from the City Centre to serve Plymstock Broadway and then continue to Plympton Ridgeway, via Haye Road and Merafield Road.

The service will be operated by Stagecoach Southwest. It will run roughly every 75 minutes from 9.30am to just after 5pm every day (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day).

The service 19 will provide a connection to the new crematorium with buses stopping at The Park once necessary bus stop infrastructure has been provided, which is expected to be in the Spring. The contract for the Service 19 has been awarded for one year as it is being fully funded through the Department for Transport’s 2025/2026 Bus Grant. It is hoped that after the first year of operation, passenger numbers will reach a level that mean the service can be sustained commercially by the bus operator in the longer term.
The current tendered bus route, Service 4, will also be extended beyond Plymstock Broadway to serve Plympton Ridgeway via Sherford and Sandy Road, providing new links for workers at Langage and for pupils travelling to and from school.

This service will be operated by Stagecoach Southwest. It will run hourly between 6am and 9pm from Monday to Friday, 7am and 9pm on Saturdays and 9am to 7pm on Sundays and bank holidays. It will operate every day (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day). The contract for the service 4 has been awarded for three years.

With regard to the prioritisation of the provision of a safe walking and cycling route along Merafield Road and Haye Road, the Council’s Composite Map (Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK) includes a route incorporating Merafield Road, part of Haye Road and Colesdown Hill. The Composite Map forms part of the Plymouth Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and is the Plymouth Network Plan for walking and cycling which identifies preferred routes and core zones for further development. The purpose of the map is to identify key routes and links where investment in walking and cycling infrastructure will be prioritised as/when funding becomes available. It is intended as a guide to policymakers, developers and planners to inform where we are seeking to prioritise improvements and investments.

The route along Merafield Road and Haye Road is not currently being developed and delivery would be dependent on securing external funding, hence it is not possible to provide a date for when an improved active travel route will be provided. However, I hope that it’s inclusion on the composite map demonstrates the Council’s commitment to this route, as and when funding becomes available.

Furthermore, some limited pedestrian improvements on Haye Road, in the vicinity of The Park crematorium, is also proposed as part of the provision of new bus stop infrastructure to be used by the Service 19. These improvements should be provided this Spring.

Thank you again for your petition regarding putting in place safer travel options for non-drivers along Merafield and Haye Road. I hope the information above is helpful in addressing the concerns you had raised.