Essex businesses, residents and visitors are being given a first opportunity to help shape an upcoming strategy guiding the future of transport in the county.

Essex County Council has launched a public consultation on its Essex Transport Strategy, formally known as the Local Transport Plan.

The strategy will provide an overarching plan for transport across Essex and outline the council’s vision.

The consultation focuses on key themes and outcomes as an opportunity for the public to provide feedback, helping inform further development of the strategy.

The consultation also proposes a new ‘Place and Movement’ approach. This would introduce a more flexible and people-focused way to categorise roads and streets in Essex.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “Transport is critical to all aspects of our everyday lives. It determines how we travel to and from work, do the school run or visit the local shops, as well as how businesses move goods and services around. Transport underpins it all.

“Our new and emerging Essex Transport Strategy will play a vital role in setting important transport priorities for Essex. It reflects the opportunities and challenges we face now while building upon our Safer, Greener and Healthier vision.

“It will help inform our future decisions and actions while unlocking funding opportunities to support us in providing the transport network our county needs.

“We are still in the process of developing the strategy and this public consultation is an early opportunity for you to provide feedback on the key principles. I would encourage everyone to have their say.”

The initial public consultation will run for seven weeks, closing on Sunday 22 September 2024, and can be accessed here. 

A second consultation on the full draft strategy and a programme of planned investment in different parts of Essex is expected to take place early next year.