Connectivity Plan Consultation

Overview

Somerset Council is creating a new Somerset Connectivity and Integrated Transport Strategy (SCITS).

Building on the work already done for Local Transport Plan 4, SCITS is about making it easier for people to get around by making different types of transport work better together. It will look at how people travel day‑to‑day, how they could mix different ways of getting around (like walking, buses, cycling, or trains), and what infrastructure and services they need for access.

Instead of planning transport projects in isolation, SCITS will help the Council plan improvements that link up across entire corridors and areas.

The development of SCITS follows the publication of the Government’s Better Connected: A Strategy for Integrated Transport. SCITS will closely align with the strategy and focus on how people experience Somerset’s transport system overall, rather than looking at each type of transport separately.

Overall, SCITS will help Somerset Council set clear transport priorities, secure funding, and create a strong pipeline of future transport projects to improve connectivity across our most important transport corridors.

Why your views matter

SCITS is still in the early stages, and Somerset Council wants you to be involved right from the start. Somerset Council is keen to understand whether initial ideas match what matters most to local communities.

This questionnaire is the first step in that conversation, with more engagement planned later in the year. Before filling it in, please review the slide deck below.

The questionnaire asks for your views on whether the suggested corridors reflect the routes people actually use, and whether there are any missing places, links, or travel modes that should be included. It also aims to gather local insights about current connectivity challenges and opportunities.

The suggested corridors are not set in stone and are a starting point for discussions. We encourage you to let us know if there are other significant corridors that you use and why they are important e.g. access to education, main link to healthcare, etc. We are not looking for every connection but the most important to you socially, economically, health or healthcare, educationally, for employment and for enabling access to services. Please do not hesitate to identify corridors or connections that cross Somerset borders.

The questionnaire opens Friday 17 April with responses requested by Friday 22 May.

• • The consultation is an opportunity to shape transport policy and delivery over the next 20 years

• • Your response will represent the wants and needs of the residents and businesses in your LCN area, therefore it must seek to be as inclusive as possible

• • It should not be personal or single issue led, there is space for suggestions and ideas but we need to capture all the issues

• • This is an opportunity to shape what the council will do before any decisions or plans have been agreed

• • This engagement questionnaire is part of the collection of data and evidence, we will be using it alongside traffic data, planning, health and economic information and projections as well as engaging with mode, accessibility, network and safety specialists.

• • Once the Strategy is prepared, we will be consulting with the general public, that may directly reference the thoughts and/or ideas contained withing your responses.  

Please note that there is a 250-word limit for each answer where applicable.