The economic, health and social benefits sustainable transport measures bring were highlighted by D2N2 Chairman Peter Richardson – speaking at an awards ceremony celebrating a ‘greener’ approach to work and leisure travel.
Mr Richardson (pictured at the event) was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Connected Business Awards, held at The Carriage Shop Theatre, at The Roundhouse in Derby last night (Tuesday March 8).
Connected is a business, local authority and community group partnership working to promote more and better use of sustainable transport – including walking, cycling, public transport and smarter driving – in and around Derby. The annual awards celebrate and acknowledge the commitment of businesses and other organisations on sustainable transport.
Last night’s 2016 award winners included:
- Derby Museums – receiving the Connected ‘Small Employment Site of the Year’ award.
- Pharmaceutical company, Reckitt Benckiser Ltd – ‘Large Employment Site of the Year’.
- Train leasing company, Angel Trains – ‘Travel Initiative of the Year’, for the launch of their Active Travel for Health campaign.
- Abi Matemezano of call contact centre Webhelp UK – ‘Travel Champion of the Year’ Award, for her work in promoting sustainable travel within the workplace.
Mr Richardson told the event audience that sustainable transport networks were a boon to health and the environment but also brought economic benefits; by enabling social mobility, access to employment for people unable to afford a car, and by reducing commuter and business delivery times.
The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, community groups and others promoting economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – is investing heavily in measures to help people travel and commute more sustainably.
Examples include:
- £5.8million from D2N2’s Local Growth Fund (LGF) allocation for sustainable transport projects across the LEP area;
- D2N2’s contribution towards a £2m expansion of East Midlands Trains’ Castle Line service, including increasing the number of train services running between Nottingham and Newark Castle on weekdays;
- £12m from the LEP towards the £90m Our City Our River project; creating flood defences and a super-connectivity cycle route along the banks of the River Derwent, through Derby City and Pride Park;
- working in collaboration with other LEPs, and with councils and businesses on more integrated public transport, through the Midlands Connect initiative and in supporting HS2 sites in the D2N2 area.
Speaking after the Derby Connected Awards, the D2N2 Chairman said: “As well as the investment which can be attracted by a connected and sustainable transport network, I feel particularly strongly about the social mobility that it provides; giving all members of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s communities the opportunities to access employment they may not otherwise have had.”
For more information on the Connected programme in Derby click HERE.
To learn more about how the D2N2 LEP is building the infrastructure to help economic growth across its area click HERE.
Media wanting more information about the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Manager Sean Kirby on 0115 9578749 or email sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
