18th May 2012
Companies at Priory Business Park learn the benefits of more sustainable business travel
9th Mar 2006
Bedford’s Priory Business Park was the venue for a special seminar where local business managers could speak with an environment management specialist and learn new strategies to lower logistical costs, staff travelling times, whilst helping protect the environment.
The Business Travel Initiative, run by Bedfordshire County Council, with support from the European Social Fund, provided some of Bedford’s top business professionals, with a unique and free opportunity to reduce their business transport costs for staff, products and services in the future.
Training Co-ordinator, Steve Macey said: ”It was very pleasing to see so many of Bedford’s top business leaders attending this unique event. Businesses that show a sound understanding of their impacts on the wider community are time and time again proven to be successful organisations with a long term sustainable future.
“If a business can become more successful by being more efficient, it has wider benefits to the local community, by bringing greater economic prosperity and greater employment opportunities to Bedfordshire.”
Greener transport was the focus of this inaugural seminar managed by Bedfordshire Borough Council and supported by the Bedford Development Agency. Delegates gained an understanding of the measures that focus on sustainable and efficient transport use and an opportunity to discuss how these could be implemented within their organisation.
By facilitating cohesive working with business’s on the estate and service providers it has been proven that you can achieve real change at a local level. Working with many representatives from one specific estate enables greater impact via critical mass.
One of the key achievements of the inaugural seminar was the agreement to form an Industrial Estate Partnership. The partnership will be led by business and this in itself would promote ownership of measures. One of the primary ideas the partnership is looking to drive forward is that of Car Sharing.
There are many misconceptions and assumptions made regarding staff attitudes to alternatives to single car use and the presentation highlighted the successful Birchwood Park Development in Warrington. Previously 82% of employees travelled to work by single occupied cars. However, when staff were consulted on a proposal of measures to reduce congestion, a Travel Plan, 45% of staff indicated they would Car Share if a database were established. The details of the Birchwood scheme are downloadable from www.est.org.uk.
It is often the case that lack of information on facilities servicing an estate are the main barrier to reducing congestion and the Partnership hopes to raise awareness to all employees. Reducing congestion will bring many benefits; time, money and environmental savings to all involved. But the same formula can be replicated on any estate.
As always the important thing to remember is with all the best will in the world you won’t get everyone car sharing to work everyday, but if everybody tried just one day in 20 then that would reduce local congestion by 5%.
