5 OBJECTIVE SETTING

Introduction

5.1. STAG appraisals are objective-led rather than solution-led. Therefore, transport planning objectives have been developed to reflect, first the problems, opportunities and parameters analysed at Chapter 4. Second, established policy directives, which are set out in this Chapter.

5.2. This Chapter uses the Ferries Review Routes and Service Methodology to inform the development of the transport planning objectives through identifying gaps in current provision. The transport planning objectives are then set out, including their fit with identified problems, opportunities and parameters and with established policy directives. The transport planning objectives shown in this Chapter were ratified by the Kerrera community at the public meeting (as described at Chapter 2).

Scottish Government Ferries Review Routes and Services Methodology

Introduction

5.3. Based on our research, we have developed a measurement of need and dependency for ferry services to Kerrera in keeping with the prescribed Scottish Ferries Review methodology.

5.4. Information has been collated on the community's needs for connections to the mainland. In the Ferries Review analysis, many of the indicators for each island were measured using Census data or the Ferries Review's own household surveys. However, these data are not available for Kerrera. Therefore, the indicators have been measured based on our own consultations with Kerrera households.

Evidence Base and Need and Dependency Analysis

5.5. In line with the Ferries Review methodology we have used a degree of judgement in scoring the dependencies of Kerrera. A score of between A and E has been given as a measure of each of the four dependencies. The scores and the supporting evidence base are set out at Table 5.1, over.

5.6. This shows the highest degree of dependency and need ("A") for each of:

Commute and frequent business use.
Personal travel.
Tourism activity.

5.7. This reflects the high dependence, noted in earlier Chapters, on access to the mainland for employment and services.

5.8. There is less need and dependency for freight. However, this scores highly ("B") for exports and imports for the farming sector, including the movement of livestock.

**Table 5.1: Evidence Base and Scoring of Need and Dependency Analysis**
Dependency	Indicator 1	Indicator 2	Indicator 3	Judgement Score (A-E)
Commute and frequent business use	Crossing time = <10 mins	Commuting + high frequency users = 41% of households	Business use + high frequency users = 76% of households.	A
Personal	Population=35	Primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare on mainland. 40% of households regularly attend for secondary / tertiary care	3.6 return trips per household per week on average	A
Freight	1/3 households have involvement in freight-intensive industry			Supply chain = E Export/Import = B
Tourism	Over 1/3 households have some reliance on tourism			A

Note: Judgement score based on a range from A = "most dependent" through to E = "least dependent".

Ferry Service Parameters

5.9. The next stage is to develop, broadly, a proposed service to reflect the community's needs and dependencies in terms of: crossing time, sailings per day, length of operating day, and number of operating days per week. These are shown at Table 5.2.

**Table 5.2: Proposed Ferry Service Parameters**
	Crossing Time	Sailings Per Day	Operating Day	Days Per Week
High	Fast crossing time		Long operating day	7 days per week
Middling		Moderate number of crossings per day
Low

5.10. This shows that there is a general requirement for a high specification service, in particular a short crossing time and a long operating day on every day of the week. There appears, however, a requirement for a moderate-rather than high-sailing frequency.

Definition of Current Provision

5.11. On the same basis, we have defined the present level of provision for Kerrera. (This is taken as the level provided prior to the changes introduced in March 2013). It is contained in Table 5.3, over.

**Table 5.3: Definition of Present Level of Provision**
	Crossing Time	Sailings Per Day	Operating Day	Days Per Week
High	Fast crossing time	Vehicle ferry: up to every half-hour in summer Marina service: up to shuttle service in summer	Marina service: long operating day in summer	7 days per week
Middling		Vehicle ferry: moderate in the winter (hourly on demand)	Vehicle ferry: moderate year round Marina service: moderate in winter
Low		Marina service: limited in the winter, on demand for customers, apart from guaranteed first and last sailings

Gap Analysis

5.12. From setting out what the service should look like, and considering the present level of provision, it is possible to then identify gaps in current provision. These are presented at Table 5.4.

**Table 5.4: Gap Analysis**
	Crossing Time	Sailings Per Day	Operating Day	Days Per Week
Gap analysis	No change required	Greater access to crossings required for residents who live towards the north end of the island*	Longer operating day required for access by all residents, nearer 14 hours operation per day, connecting with mainland public transport	No change required; 7 days per week appropriate

* Relates to winter marina service-assumes that the marina service continues to be available to residents

5.13. The issue of number of sailings per day is slightly more nuanced than the Ferries Review methodology suggests. The current limit of 12 passengers on the vehicle ferry and the marina service means that at times a shuttle service has to operate to clear or avoid a backlog of passenger traffic.

Limitations of the Analysis

5.14. The Ferries Review methodology is not designed to account for some of the particularities of the Kerrera context that have been highlighted in this report. First, the present vehicle ferry operation is very tidal in nature. Therefore, the operating day for moving livestock and freight is significantly shorter than the timetable implies. Indeed, it varies on a day-to-day basis.

5.15. Second, the lack of a north-south road means that those in the north end do not have access to the vehicle ferry service at the middle of the island, while those elsewhere on the island do not have good access to the marina service. Thus, the description of existing provision at Table 5.3 overstates the actual provision for individual users.

5.16. Nevertheless, the Ferries Review methodology remains useful in helping to identify gaps in service provision within the overall STAG process. It has informed the development of the transport planning objectives shown at 5.4.

Established Policy Directives

Scottish Government Economic Strategy

5.17. GES is the overarching strategy for the activities of Scottish Government and public services which are to contribute to increasing sustainable economic growth. The relevant policy directives are to be found under the GES' Strategic Priority of Infrastructure Development And Place. These are:

Making connections across, within and to/from Scotland better, improving reliability and journey times, seeking to maximise the opportunities for employment, business, leisure and tourism.
Population growth to maintain the sustainability of rural and coastal communities.
Safeguard transport links to remote and rural communities.
Food and Drink (including agriculture and fisheries) and Sustainable Tourism identified as sectors offering particular opportunities for growth.

HITRANS Regional Transport Strategy

5.18. Relevant policy directives from the RTS are:

Enable people to participate in everyday life.
Improve interconnectivity of the whole region to strategic services & destinations.
Make travel more affordable to individuals, businesses and freight operations.
Enhance effectiveness and efficiency of freight transport.
Protect the environment so it remains an attraction for visitors and contributes to the quality of life and wellbeing of residents.

Argyll and Bute Council Local Development Plan-Written Statement December 2012

5.19. This provides an overall vision, objectives and strategy for how the Council wants to see Argyll and Bute develop to 2024 and beyond, including economic development and transport investment. Based on this document the relevant policy directives are:

Secure the economic and social regeneration of our smaller rural communities-due to an urgent need to reverse static or falling populations in some of our smaller rural communities by making them better places to live particularly for economically active families.
Work in partnership with local communities in a way that recognises their particular needs to deliver successful and sustainable local regeneration.
Support the continued diversification and sustainable growth of Argyll and Bute's economy with a particular focus on our sustainable assets in terms of renewables, tourism, forestry, food and drink.
Ensure the outstanding quality of the natural, historic and cultural environment is protected, conserved and enhanced.
Continue to improve Argyll and Bute's connectivity, transport infrastructure, integration between land use, transportation and associated networks.
Focus investment on our road network where it can achieve the best socio/economic impact.

5.20. The document has a section covering the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Spatial Strategy. Within this the Gallanach ferry terminal is identified as one of a number of "Enhanced Vehicle Ferry Terminals".

Transport Planning Objectives

5.21. Transport planning objectives express the outcomes that are being sought from any future intervention to overcome identified problems or exploit identified opportunities. They should also reflect established policy directives.

5.22. Table 5.5, over, sets out the proposed transport planning objectives. It uses a tick box system to assess the fit of the objectives with the problems and opportunities identified through our research.

5.23. The analysis shows a good level of fit between the objectives and the problems, opportunities and planning parameters.

5.24. Our draft transport planning objectives were presented to the community meeting on Kerrera. There they were confirmed as appropriate, with some minor modifications which are reflected in Table 5.5.

**Table 5.5: Fit Between Transport Planning Objectives and Problems, Opportunities and Parameters**
Objectives/Problems, Opportunities and Parameters	Develop community and economic links within and between Kerrera and the mainland	Allow all residents to benefit from improved access to mainland-based services and facilities	Improve the quality and accessibility of the complete journey from home to destination	Secure for all users affordable and assured means of access to support economic activity and quality of life
√ some fit √√ good fit √√√ strong fit / neutral x slight conflict xx conflict xxx strong conflict
Problems
Lack of financial sustainability of two existing ferry services		√	√	√√√
Lack of north-south road	√√√	√√√	√√√	√√
Timetable does not meet customer needs	√√	√√√	√√
Lack of assured, consistent and equitable access	√		√√	√√
(Very) tidal nature of slipway	√√	√	√√	√
Lack of resilience in emergency response		√√√	√√	√
Limited vehicle carrying capacity on current vehicle ferry	√	√		√√
Lack of communication system for service changes			√√	√
Lack of on-board passenger accommodation on vehicle ferry		√√√	√√
Poor access to ferry from shore	√	√√√	√√√	√√
Poor standard of existing road	√√	√√√	√√√	√
Extra personal cost of having own boat		√√√	√√	√√√
Lack of adequate parking		√√	√√	√√
Opportunities
Retain distinctive sense of place	√√
Increase population	√	√	√	√√
Develop tourism	√		√√	√√√
Develop one person or small scale business	√	√	√	√√√
Parameters
Road link a prerequisite	√√√	√√√	√√√	√√√
Financial support to one ferry	√	√	√	√√
Not fund creation of new pier/ slipway
Support service if fares are RET-based and timetable reflects Ferries Review methodology	√√	√√	√√	√√
Only residents are able to have a car on the island	√	√√		√√√

5.25. Table 5.6, over, also uses a tick box system to show the fit of the objectives with the identified policy directives.

**Table 5.6: Fit Between Transport Planning Objectives and Policy Directives**
Objectives/Policy Directives	Develop community and economic links within and between Kerrera and the mainland	Allow all residents to benefit from improved access to mainland-based services and facilities	Improve the quality and accessibility of the complete journey from home to destination	Secure for all users affordable and assured means of access to support economic activity and quality of life
√ some fit √√ good fit √√√ strong fit / neutral x slight conflict xx conflict xxx strong conflict
Scottish Government Economic Strategy
Making connections across, within and to/from Scotland better		√√√	√√√	√√√
Population growth to maintain the sustainability of rural communities	√√√	√	√	√√√
Safeguard transport links to remote and rural communities	√	√√√	√√√	√√√
Food and Drink and Sustainable Tourism opportunities for growth	√√√	√		√√
Regional Transport Strategy
Enable people to participate in everyday life.	√√	√√√	√√	√√√
Improve interconnectivity of the whole region to strategic services & destinations		√√√	√	√√
Make travel more affordable to individuals, businesses and freight operations	√			√√√
Enhance effectiveness and efficiency of freight transport	√√	√	√√	√√√
Protect the environment so it remains an attraction for visitors
Argyll and Bute Council
Secure the economic and social regeneration of our smaller rural communities… making them better places to live particularly for economically active families	√√	√√	√√	√√√
Work in partnership with local communities in a way that recognises their particular needs to deliver successful and sustainable local regeneration	√√	√√		√√
Support the continued diversification and sustainable growth of Argyll and Bute's economy	√√			√√
Ensure the outstanding quality of the natural, historic and cultural environment is protected, conserved and enhanced	√
Continue to improve Argyll and Bute's connectivity, transport infrastructure, integration between land use, transportation and associated networks		√√√		√√√
Focus investment on our road network where it can achieve the best socio/economic impact		√√	√√	√√

5.26. This shows a good fit between transport planning objectives and the national, regional and local policy directives.

Summary

5.27. The transport planning objectives for the purposes of the initial Part 1 STAG appraisal shown in the subsequent Chapters are:

Develop community and economic links within and between Kerrera and the mainland.
Allow all residents to benefit from improved access to mainland-based services and facilities.
Improve the quality and accessibility of the complete journey from home to destination.
Secure for all users affordable and assured means of access to support economic activity and quality of life.

5.28. The analysis based on the Scottish Ferries Review points to a requirement for the following ferry service provision:

Fast crossing time.
Moderate number of crossings per day.
Long operating day, around 14 hours.
Seven day service.