The origins of the current Strategy date back to 1999 when the Panel Report on the November draft Regional Planning Guidance document for the East Midlands, RPG8, identified the need for a Regional Freight Study.

The Study was duly commissioned in March 2002, with a contract let to consultants Sinclair Knight Merz. The steering group comprised;

• East Midlands Regional Local Government Association (EMRLGA), (responsibility later passing to East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA) upon it assuming the function of Regional Planning Body)
• East Midlands Development Agency (emda)
• Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM)
• Department for Transport (DfT)
• Representatives of the local transport authorities in the region.

Funding was provided by EMRLGA, emda, and DfT.

The project brief did not require primary research, instead placing emphasis on analysis of existing data to highlight trends and issues, and then to propose strategic interventions in accord with regional planning and economic
development policy. As well as taking a regional overview, the brief required sub-area analysis in line with the approach adopted by RPG8.

The consultants’ final report ‘ State of Freight in the East Midlands’ was submitted in June 2002 and comprised two parts :-

Report 1 : State of Freight Picture

Report 1 provided a comprehensive overview of freight in the region, a snapshot in effect, by demand, supply and mode. It addressed the key issue of analysing the potential for both greater efficiency of freight movements and modal shift towards more sustainable modes. Detailed forecasts were made for various rail flows, identifying specific constraints on growth and reviewing rail improvement plans. Similar assessments were made for waterways.

Report 2 : Strategy Options

Report 2 developed a full range of possible interventions (varying from low to high level) and through tests of feasibility and level of likely acceptance by the relevant authorities and users, consolidated these into a broad action plan
grouped into five emerging themes. The five themes identified by the Study were:-

1. Environmental Impact of Road Freight and Growing Demand
2. Efficient Movement of Freight by Road
3. Encouraging Movement by Water
4. Rail Terminals' Issues
5. Linking Transport and Economic Development
   

The Regional Freight Strategy endorses and expands these themes to establish eight Key Policy areas. It adds an underpinning Policy Area
to cover the vital task of implementing and monitoring the Strategy, and introduces consideration of the role of pipelines. Air freight receives separate consideration, and the final theme above is broadened to include the relationship with the full range of other land-use, environmental and economic strategies.

The headline output from the State of Freight Study was used to inform the broad Regional Transport Strategy integral to the revised Public Consultation Draft RPG8 published in April 2003. Policy 52, therein indicates that:-

"The Regional Planning Body should work with emda, Transport Authorities, other public bodies and representatives of the freight industry to develop a broadly based Regional Freight Strategy in order to inform the next round of Local Transport Plans. The Strategy should contain detailed proposals to promote a more sustainable and efficient distribution industry in the East Midlands."

One of the study's key objectives was to identify opportunities for modal shift away from roadbased transport. It confirmed that rail was the most viable alternative to road for most freight movements and Policy 51 set a new target for this:-

"The SRA, service providers and local authorities should work together to ensure that a minimum of 30 extra 500 tonne freight trains per day should start or finish in the East Midlands by 2010. This rate of growth should be continued in future years."

Whilst neither of RPG's freight policies (51 and 52) were selected as main topics for Panel discussion, freight issues nevertheless arose at the RPG Examination in Public in November/December 2003, with the subsequent Panel Report of March 2004 noting that:-

"...The general approach of the RTS (to freight) is welcomed, and there was considerable support for the proposed Regional Freight Strategy."

"In relation to Policy 51, the general aim of a target to support the national objective of an 80% growth in tonne kilometres was welcomed, but participants saw some difficulty with the proposed target of an extra 30 freight trains per day in the Region.We take the view that the target is a worthwhile attempt at a regionally specific measure in pursuit of the national strategy. If more
appropriate targets within the East Midlands emerge from the detailed work on the Freight Strategy, this should be incorporated in the RTS at a future date."

"The proposed freight strategy is clearly an essential complement to the RTS. One of the key issues is the need for further rail freight terminal capacity in the Region..." and

"...clearly it is not possible for RPG to settle on particular sites for (industrial) development. These matters involve not only land use planning but also rail network and capacity issues, including the feasibility of providing for international standard 9'6" containers. They will need to be taken forward in the context of the new freight strategy with the close involvement of the rail and freight industries..."

Following submission to Government of the Panel Report on the draft RPG8, the Government's response in the form of the "Schedule of Proposed Changes and Reasons for Change" document was issued in July 2004. It endorsed the Public Consultation Draft RPG8 and the Panel's Report thereon in respect of the RTS freight policies. Accordingly, the concurrent "Revised Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands to 2021, Draft Proposed Changes", contained no changes in respect of freight policies.

EMRA considered that the mandate given by the Panel Report and the Public Consultative Draft to the RTS in general, and its freight content in particular, gave sufficient confidence to press ahead with the Freight Strategy in advance of the publication of the Regional Spatial Strategy.

There was also the opportunity of giving some timely guidance in respect of Local Transport Authorities' work on their second 5-year Local Transport Plan provisional documents submitted by 31st July 2005, (final versions by 31st March 2006), through the Regional Freight Strategy, albeit in draft form. Furthermore, early completion of the Freight Strategy was seen to be helpful in terms of having a more fully developed Regional Transport Strategy to feed in to the review of the RSS which commenced in April 2005.

The Regional Spatial Strategy was published in March 2005 during the consultation period on the Draft Freight Strategy and changes in emphasis or detail (Policies 51 and 52 have been merged into a new Policy 54) are reflected in this Freight Strategy which was approved by EMRA's Regional Planning Board in May 2005.