Establishing a Car Club in Bournemouth
Invitation for expressions of Interest (28 September 2012)
1. Introduction
Bournemouth Borough Council has recently been successful in securing
significant levels of funding through the Better Bus Area and Local Sustainable
Transport Funds. These projects seek to enhance and promote sustainable
travel options, with the overarching goals of contributing to supporting the
local economy and reducing carbon emissions.
Between 2012 and 2015 the projects will deliver targeted infrastructure
improvements including enhanced walking and cycling routes; upgraded bus
shelters and interchanges, bus priority measures, cycle parking schemes etc
backed up with marketing and promotion. Enhanced real time information will
also be provided, in addition to travel planning and promotion activities with
businesses, schools and other organisations.
This funding can be summarised as follows:
o Next Stop – Better Bus Area fund - £3.46m (SE Dorset Conurbation)
o 3 Towns Corridor – Large LSTF Project - £12.122m (Bournemouth, Poole
and Christchurch A35 Corridor)
o BESMArT – Tranche 2 LSTF Project – £4.64m (Bournemouth Borough
Council)
The overarching aim is to reduce the number of car journeys, and encourage
people to use the bus / rail / cycling / walking as their preferred mode of
travel. Where car use is essential, people will be encouraged to consider how
they can use the car more efficiently (e.g. by car sharing or making use of car
club vehicles).
Integral to the BESMArT LSTF project Bournemouth Borough Council (BBC) is
seeking to establish a car club in the Bournemouth area this forming part of a
wider package of measures with the aim of reducing congestion and the
inherent car parking issues through reduced car dependency. As such, we wish
to determine the level of interest for the implementation of a membership
based pay-as-you-go Car Club in partnership with a commercial car club
operator.
In order to facilitate this, the Council is looking to support the delivery of such
a scheme through the BESMArT LSTF project. Ultimately, the intention is for
such a scheme to be self-sustaining at the end of the LSTF project (April 2015),
with the local authority facilitating the set up (bays, telemetry etc) and
continuing to support the expansion to areas where it and the operator
consider there is evidence of demand. The car club will be marketed to local
residents, businesses and tourists through our Smarter Choices campaign.
Additionally BBC is also exploring options for the use of community car club
vehicles to address grey fleet issues. If acceptable to the car club service
providers and BBC, the car club option could be connected to the LSTF proposal
by allowing both Council employees and the wider community dual use of the
vehicles at different times. Vehicles could be used by BBC employees during
weekdays, so that that the availability of vehicles could be guaranteed for
business purposes. There are also a number of other large employers in the
area that may also be interested in using car club vehicles
2. Background
Approximately 85,200 people live and work within Bournemouth and a further
20,800 people commute into Bournemouth from neighbouring areas. Two major
employment growth centres are located on the borders of the Borough;
Ferndown (20 hectares) and Bournemouth Airport (15 hectares).
The Local Development Framework (LDF) details the projected employment
and housing growth in the Borough and the additional demands this will place
on the transport network. Future predictions suggest that the population will
grow by approximately 8% over the next 20 years. To accommodate this
growth, we will encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport. This
will also improve accessibility and health, as well as freeing up the transport
network to facilitate business, commercial and tourism related trips.
Local developers have for some time been considering car clubs as a means of
providing mobility for future residents. At least one development already has
planning consent with an associated car club and others are currently under
consideration.
In addition the borough is home to 11 major employers with a total of
approximately 19,200 employees. The Council has actively engaged with these
larger employers through the establishment of a Large Employers Forum with a
view to working together to provide enhanced travel choices for employees at
these sites. Principally these major employment sites are concentrated in the
Town Centre, Lansdowne, Westbourne, Wallisdown/Ringwood Road and
Chaseside/Deansleigh Road, as shown on Figure 1.
Figure 1 – Major employment sites in Bournemouth
Bournemouth Borough Council, 2012
Trips to the major centres of employment contribute towards problems with
congestion and operationally result in issues related to the pressures of
accommodating on-site parking. This has impacted on neighbouring residential
areas.
As mentioned above there is an established Workplace Travel Forum for the
large employers in Bournemouth and those bordering with other authorities.
The members of this forum include; JP Morgan, RIAS, Bournemouth Hospital,
Nationwide, PRU Health, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth Arts Institute,
among others. These members all have a large number of staff and travel
across the borough and to neighbouring offices. As such, we are keen to
explore the benefits of providing a car club near to major employment sites
which could ultimately lead to the club’s growth.
3. Additional information
The preferred approach for this project would be for BBC to work with a car
club provider to identify sites in the Borough to realise the highest potential
success for such a scheme in the Borough. It is anticipated that such an
approach would be informed by the scoping survey prepared by the Council in
2012 (which considered parking pressure, public transport use, residential
density, employment density, demographics and car ownership).
Bournemouth Borough Council will be responsible for / assist with:  Making applications for the provision of parking bays designated for Car
Club vehicles subject to relevant Bournemouth Borough Council
approvals and necessary Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO’s).

Establishing a permit system that will initially be free during the lifetime
of the agreement. After three years the Council may require the
operator to contribute to the costs of the permit system administration.
The Council will also consider establishing a link between any car club
permit charge that is introduced, the Council’s residential permit
charges and vehicle emission bands.

Working with the operator to support the Car Club as part of the
Council’s wider Smarter Travel initiative.

Providing support in progressing opportunities with private developers,
potential business users and other key markets.

Promoting, membership and use of the Car Club by commuters, where
feasible and cost effective.

Establishing a Car Club Advisory Group to oversee development and
performance of the Car Club, with representation from departments of
the council, other adjacent councils if appropriate and relevant
community representatives.
The Council can offer support with the delivery of Car Clubs in new
developments subject to the parking requirements of the development and the
suitability of the inclusion of a Car Club in the planning agreement.
4. Additional support for preferred operator
At its discretion the Council has identified other forms of support to ensure
effective “kick-starting” of the project. The Council is seeking a partner
capable of developing the scheme in such a way that it continues on a selffinancing basis at the end of the period of support.
This package of support potentially available may include a combination of the
following measures:
(a) cost of installing telematics for up to 15 vehicles
(b) vehicle acquisition and leasing
(c) costs of a part-time development worker on an annually reducing basis
(d) targeted promotion to public sector and larger private sector employers
5. Length of agreement
The Council is considering entering into a three-year agreement with the
preferred operator, with an option for a one-year extension at the Council’s
discretion.
6. Background information: Policy Context
A range of key documents outline the policy context within which a
Bournemouth Car Club must sit. They are listed below.
Local Sustainable Transport Fund– BE SMArT Project
http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/StreetsTransport/TransportPolicyGreenTrave
l/LSTF-bid/LocalSustainableTransportFundBid.aspx
The project is designed to enhance and promote local sustainable transport
options such as walking, cycling within the Borough.
The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Local Transport Plan (LTP3)
http://www.dorsetforyou.com/localtransportplan
The LTP sets out seven key strategy objectives which a car club will contribute
towards. These are:
 Reducing the need to travel;
 Managing and maintaining the existing network more efficiently;
 Active travel and 'greener' travel choices;
 Promoting public transport alternatives to the car;
 Car parking measures;
 Travel safety measures;
 Strategic infrastructure improvements.
Local Development Framework - The Bournemouth Plan (Core Strategy)
http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/PlanningBuildings/Planning/Policy/Local/Cor
eStrategy/CoreStrategy.aspx
The Bournemouth Plan seeks to accommodate an additional 14,600 dwellings
(net) in the existing urban area and 23,000 jobs in the travel to work area
(TTWA) between 2006 and 2026. Planning to promote sustainable modes of
travel can have many positive local impacts, such as reductions in traffic
congestion, emissions including CO2 and its impact on global warming, safety,
improvements to urban living environments and health and reduced obesity
levels. Influencing the location, density, design and mix of land uses can make
it safer, easier and more attractive for all members of the public to access
jobs, shops, leisure facilities and other services by walking, cycling and public
transport.
Local Development Framework – Town Centre Area Action Plan
http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/PlanningBuildings/Planning/Policy/Local/TC
AAP/TCAAP.aspx
People travel to Bournemouth Town Centre for a wide variety of reasons,
including making journeys to and from work, accessing educational, shopping
and leisure facilities, and returning home. Making sure that the Town Centre is
accessible to a wide range of people is therefore essential for facilitating
growth, supporting economic success and allowing people to meet their social
needs.
South East Dorset Multi Modal Transport Study
http://www.sedorsetmms.com
The South East Dorset Multi-Modal Transport Study (SEDMMTS) examined the
wider impact of the anticipated development within the sub-region on the
transport network. Car clubs, personalised travel planning, residential, school,
& workplace travel plans, car share and other smarter choices options are
encouraged heavily as low cost methods of converting car journeys into public
transport, walking & cycling or high occupancy journeys.
7. Expressions of Interest: evaluation criteria
Interested car club providers are expected to provide evidence that they meet
the following qualification criteria:
 Accreditation by Carplus by the date of the award of the Framework (to
ensure bona fide operator with certain standards). Organisations not
Carplus-accredited can apply if they expect to be accredited by the date
of award;
 Evidence of economic and financial standing in respect of viability to
perform the Services including the submission and evaluation of the most
recently approved annual financial accounts;
 Suitable insurance cover. Public Liability to a minimum of £5,000,000
per occurrence, Employers Liability to a minimum of £10,000,000 (or
statements that these will be obtained if awarded the relevant
contract);
 Commitment to operate from a minimum of 15 on-street parking bays in
Bournemouth (to ensure a viable club for members if their first-choice
car is not available);
 A sound record of and clear policies of quality standards including
complaint handling, environmental, health & safety and equalities.
It is considered that having a single operator would offer benefits of coverage
of service and expedience in developing car clubs in the Borough while a higher
number of on-street operators might risk diluting the service offered by each.
Other operators (including new entrants to the market) would still be free to
operate from off-street spaces, including those required through the planning
process.
8. Contact details
Organisations wishing to submit an expression of interest should send or email a
response to each of the points outlined in point 7 to the person listed below.
Full documentation will be required at a later date. :
Bob Askew, BESMArT LSTF Project Manager
Bournemouth Borough Council, Planning and Transport
St Stephens Road, Bournemouth, BH2 6EA
bob.askew@bournemouth.gov.uk
Tel: 01202 454925
The closing date for submissions is: Friday 19th October 2012.
Questions regarding this work should be directed to Bob Askew at the above
address.