The proposal is to carry out
a feasibility study of travel activities in Alyth in order to develop proposals
for a number of projects and particularly a partnership project between Alyth
community and a number of large employers (public and private) that currently
have a high level of commuting Alyth residents, to create an outpost ‘hot office’
in the community where employees can ‘hot desk’ in a local based cost shared office
building equipped with modern ICT equipment and support services. This approach
has the multiple benefits of lower carbon costs, lower real costs and time
saving, but as a preference to working from home, it also has the potential
benefits of increased awareness between public service providers (leading to a
more integrated delivery of services), an enjoyable social office environment
(as against being own your own at home) more economic investment into smaller
communities (use of local services at lunchtime etc) and lower overall heating
costs.
To reach this final objective
the first stage will require the collection of evidence of the current travel
patters of Alyth residents and an identification of the main employers and
commuter routes. Once this information is in place the main employers will be
approached and will be invited to form a working group with the community with
the task of reducing commuter traffic, and primarily to consider jointly
setting up a ‘hot office’ in Alyth. This first stage will be the foundation for
a number of other sustainable transport projects all designed to reduce carbon
emissions.
AEG will employ a
consultant to carry out a feasibility study and then initiate a partnership project
with Alyth community and a number of large employers (public and private) that
currently have a high level of commuting Alyth residents. The objective will be
to create an outpost ‘hot office’ in the community where employees can ‘hot
desk’ in a local based cost shared office building equipped with modern ICT
equipment and support services. This approach has the multiple benefits of
lower carbon costs, lower real costs and time saving, but as a preference to
working from home, it also has the potential benefits of increased awareness
between public service providers (leading to a more integrated delivery of
services), an enjoyable social office environment (as against being own your
own at home) and more economic investment into smaller communities (use of
local services at lunchtime etc).
The initial phase of this
project will have 3 outcomes;
Evidence base of Alyth residents travel patterns
The informing of large employers that an
opportunity exists to make travel pattern changes (it will ultimately be
up to the employer organisations to engage in the project and help implement
any initiatives such as a ‘hot office’)
Provide the foundation for planning and delivering
other sustainable transport carbon reduction initiatives and projects,
such as local cycle schemes, local lift share schemes, rationalising
public transport services and business transport projects
AEG will manage and steer
the project and the wider community will participate in the travel pattern
survey.
This project has enormous
potential to have lasting social and economic benefits. The main one being to
make Alyth a more desirable place to live by reducing traffic and keeping
economic activity within the town.