Eastfield sustainable transport scheme 'will save 35 tonnes of CO2 a year'
A study's concluded there's a 'substantial demand' for e-scooters, e-bikes and electric vehicles car clubs
It is hoped poor transport links in Eastfield will be addressed by a sustainable mobility scheme.
The funding needs to be found though and the scheme could come to Whitby to address congestion and parking issues.
A comprehensive study to assess the business case for e-bikes, e-scooters and electric vehicle car clubs has concluded there is a substantial demand for personal electric transport schemes in Eastfield, near Scarborough.
The review by independent consultants Cenex, on behalf of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, North Yorkshire County Council and Scarborough Borough Council, reported that personal electric transport schemes would bring environmental and social benefits to small towns and communities with poor transport networks.
Harry Barross, Climate Change Programme Manager at Scarborough Borough Council, said: "We saw these really interesting projects around e-scooters, e-bikes and car clubs in some of your bigger cities like London, Nottingham and York and said 'would that work in Eastfield and other places along our coast to help with disconnect problems and also drive carbon reductions?' We've found that with a little bit of support, we think these projects could work going forward.
"Reducing pollution from exhaust fumes, from carbon dioxide that come out of vehicles as you're swapping from cars to e-bikes, e-scooters and to EVs, if this scheme geos really well in Eastfield, which we think it can, then we could save about 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year and that's the equivalent of about 3,500 trees."
Fergus Worthy, Principal Consultant for Shared Mobility at Cenex, said: "If you're just taking a short trip the shops, you might be better doing that on an e-bike and it's probably quicker than driving to be honest and much easier to park. If you have access to a car club, which is a vehicle that you rent by the hour, then you could potentially use that for longer trips or where you need to carry more items.
"We understand particularly in the summer months in Whitby there's huge pressure put on the roads and on parking from the number of visitors coming to the town, so maybe they still drive to Whitby but then they can park their car for the day and visit the beach or the Abbey by bike and take the pressure off."
Beth Morley, Mobility and Human Insights Specialist at Cenex, said: "Cities are at the forefront of shared mobility schemes but small towns should not be left behind in this modal shift.
"Cenex has identified key locations where shared mobility can have the biggest impact and developed a business case for regions where operators may be hesitant to deploy vehicles due to misconceptions about potential returns.
“The business case we've developed can be replicated in other rural regions giving more places the opportunity to see carbon and social benefits from their introduction”.
Councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Scarborough Borough Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for the environment and sustainability, added: “Our plan for the mobility scheme for Eastfield was developed through extensive stakeholder engagement.
“It would provide a substantial boost to transport options in the area and, ultimately, it could save 350 tonnes of CO2 over 10 years.
“Our commitment to involving residents and businesses in the transition to net zero means we now have a strong business case to use to attract funding. I am also pleased to confirm a similar scheme is in development for Whitby.”
David Dickson, Chair of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Infrastructure & Joint Assets Board, said: “The support shown in this study for sustainable transport options helps to build a case for future funding. That’s great news for these communities and can help the region become a greener, fairer, and stronger economy.”
Cenex say they investigated two sites in Eastfield using a newly developed critical success factors tool, weighted for environmental impact and equitability, and outcomes from local focus groups, Cenex recommended deployment of an e-car club vehicle, 8 e-bikes and 16 e-scooters at Eastfield.
The Local Authorities will be seeking to secure £200,000 (60% of total cost) to help realise these ambitions, which could enable the shared mobility to be online by Spring 2024. This will support York and North Yorkshire’s ambition to be England’s first carbon negative region.
A report, ‘Local E-Motion North Yorkshire: Pilot Schemes to Deliver Affordable Personal Electric Transport’, which has been released, summarises the key findings and outputs of the work, including the personal electric transport options and the business case put forward.
People interested in finding out more about the research can register for the launch event, to be held virtually on Friday 14th October, 10am to 12.30pm.