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We have been encouraging our employees, occupiers’ employees, local communities, visitors and shoppers at our retail properties to use sustainable transport since the launch of our first Green Travel Plan in 2001. In 2007/08 30% of our managed properties were covered by a Green Travel Plan. We work with environmental experts and our local property management teams to develop and deliver these plans, often in partnership with local authorities and transport providers.

Central London offices account for 33% of our property portfolio, with the majority of these located at our Broadgate and Regent’s Place estates. These properties are well served by the London public transport network and so the focus of our on-site teams is on providing travel information, increasing cycling facilities and working with Transport for London, the Corporation of London and other local authorities to further improve services. There are 1,000 cycle spaces at Broadgate and Regent’s Place, and the 36,500 people who work on-site can get real-time travel information through the Vicinitee website. In 2007 we worked with Transport for London and Camden Council on a project to improve pedestrian access at the Euston Road underpass adjacent to Regent’s Place, and with the Corporation of London to support a new Crossrail station for Broadgate.

Out of town retail now accounts for 46% of our portfolio. Currently most people travel to our out of town shopping parks by car. In 2007 our management teams stepped up efforts to increase the proportion of journeys people make to our shopping parks by bus and bicycle. Since 1998 the number of visitors travelling to Fort Kinnaird Shopping Park by public transport has increased by 56%, with 11% of visitors using the bus service in 2007. In 2007 the teams at Birstall and Glasgow Fort carried out staff travel surveys, encouraging staff to travel by bus, bicycle or shared car and the team at Teesside began part funding a half hourly bus service to the Park in conjunction with Stockton Borough Council. Over 6,600 people used the service in the first five months, reducing their carbon emissions, and making a huge difference to those without a car who are seeking employment.

This will not only help shoppers, it will make a huge difference to those who are seeking employment at Teesside Park but cannot travel there without a car. At present, more than 1,000 people work there and now they will have the option to use a more environmentally friendly form of transport.

Councillor Bob Cook, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Stockton Council

In August 2007 the Meadowhall Shopping Centre team launched a ‘Travel Service Network’ to encourage retailers’ employees to leave their cars at home. So far, 2,410 people from six major retailers have been involved. Over 20% completed travel surveys and over 10% requested personalised travel plans with discounted travel tickets and advice on sustainable methods. Over 50% of single car travellers requested advice or support on more sustainable methods. These included using public transport, cycling, walking, eco-driving techniques and car sharing. Using eco-driving techniques, such as accelerating smoothly and not breaking sharply, can reduce carbon emissions by 10% to 25% depending on the present technique and age and condition of the car. The team hopes that providing discounted public transport tickets to over 1,000 retailers’ employees will improve recruitment and retention, as well as helping the environment.

In spring 2007 we moved our Head Office to York House in London W1 and launched our York House Green Travel Plan. 175 members of staff completed a travel survey in July 2007, revealing that 84% of people used public transport to travel to work, over 9% walked or cycled and only 7% came by car, motorbike or moped. Detailed findings are shown in Figure 1 below. 65 Executives also completed diaries of their business trips, recording 442 journeys and revealing that 32% of business trips were made by public transport and 24% on foot. 31% of trips were made by taxi, 8% by car or motorbike and 5% by plane. We already provide secure cycle spaces, a drying room and lockers in the basement of York House. In 2008 we will try to increase the proportion of journeys by public transport and bicycle by providing staff with Oyster public transport cards and purchasing folding bicycles for staff to use in Central London.