Located in the east of England with an area of 3672 square kilometres, Essex is a county with a diverse geography and character. At its southwest corner it borders London, whilst to its east is the North Sea. It has large rural areas interspersed with heavily urbanised areas, the south of the county being particularly urbanised.

Essex is divided into fourteen administrative districts, of which two, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea, are unitary (independent) authorities. The remaining twelve districts make up the administrative County of Essex, which, with a population of 1.3 million, is the second largest shire authority in England and Wales. The four largest towns within the administrative county borders, Chelmsford, Harlow, Basildon and Colchester, are designated as Regional Interchange Centres, although a further twelve towns have populations over 25,000.

The estuary of the rivers Stour and Orwell in northeast Essex is known as the Harwich Haven and marks the border between Essex and the neighbouring county of Suffolk. The estuary and has five ports that together handle 40% of the UK’s container traffic. Three of the ports, Harwich International, Harwich Navyard and Mistley, are in Essex, whilst two, Felixstowe and Ipswich, are in Suffolk. Harwich itself has a heritage that can be traced back over 800 years and has many buildings of historical interest.

Harwich and its hinterland are connected by road, rail and water links, providing vital access to shopping, healthcare, employment and leisure opportunities. The Mayflower rail line is designated as a Trans-European Network (TEN) line and runs from Harwich to Manningtree, where it connects with the main line to London. The line carries both passenger and freight traffic.

A foot ferry operates between Harwich, Shotley Gate and Felixstowe, offering a journey time between Harwich and Felixstowe of approximately 15 minutes, compared with a 26 mile (40 kilometre), 50 minute journey by car. However, the existing service has limited accessibility and does not operate during the Winter Season.

There is also a network of bus services, including direct links between the Harwich ports and the foot ferry and onwards from the foot ferry landing stages at Felixstowe and Shotley Gate. In addition, the ports and the Harwich foot ferry landing stage lie on or very near to a National Cycle Route that links to the North Sea Cycle Route.

The Harwich Haven and its hinterland are a key national and international gateway. Nonetheless, the region suffers from high unemployment and social deprivation and a number of private and public sector organisations, including Essex County Council, have gathered to form the Haven Gateway Partnership to drive forward its regeneration.

Planning approval is currently being sought to expand Felixstowe port and to construct a new container port at Bathside Bay in Harwich. These developments would create several thousand new jobs within the ports themselves and in supporting industries. Plans are also under development to construct several thousand new homes in the region.

This growth will significantly increase the number of passenger and freight movements and will only be achievable if there is a sustainable, integrated transport network to support it. Whilst the foundations of this network are already in place, they must be improved and extended if the region is to deliver its full potential.

Through SustAccess, Essex County Council will work in partnership with other organisations to deliver improvements to the passenger transport network in Harwich and its hinterland. The objectives of these works are to:

• Promote modal shift to public transport by improving the quality of the public transport system, reducing congestion and journey times and enhancing the passengers’ journey experience.
• Improve the transport links between the gateway and the hinterland, opening up shopping, healthcare, employment and leisure opportunities, supporting the planned regeneration of the area.
• Improve the national and international transport links to the region, supporting the planned regeneration of the area by attracting tourists and businesses.

The planned improvements include enhancements to the foot ferry landing stage at Harwich to make it more accessible, the provision of a passenger shelter and improved passenger information. These works will be delivered in partnership with the Harwich Haven Authority and the ferry operator, Harwich Harbour Ferry Services. They are part of a wider long-term programme of incremental improvements that will together deliver an accessible, year-round service.

Two existing bus services will also be upgraded to Quality Bus Partnership (QBP) standard. Under the framework of a signed agreement between Essex County Council, the bus operator, First Essex Buses Ltd, and the District administrative authority, Tendring District Council, a range of improvements will be undertaken aimed at increasing the number of passengers and passenger satisfaction.

Essex County Council will upgrade a number of key bus stops along the routes by providing passenger shelters, installing raised and drop kerbs to enable access by mobility-impaired passengers and providing real-time messaging “Telematics” signs that show a live countdown to the time of the next bus and other messages. In parallel, First Essex Buses Ltd. will provide new low floor, fully accessible buses, customer care training for its drivers and branding and advertising of the bus services.

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