A NEW multi-million pound transport plan has been launched by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) to look at the future of travel in the area.

Darlington Borough Council leader Cllr Heather Scott OBE, who is the TVCA cabinet lead for transport, has unveiled the draft Strategic Transport Plan, which is out now for public consultation and includes £257million of schemes to improve transport in the region.

She said: “This Strategic Transport Plan touches on every mode of travel and aspect of how we get around in Tees Valley. It will help us deliver the high-quality, efficient, reliable and well-connected network that both our people and businesses need.

“Good transport links will boost everything that the Combined Authority is doing across business and investment, culture and tourism and education, employment and skills.

"We know getting people where they want to be, when they want to be there, to access the opportunities we are creating is of vital importance. That’s why we have committed £257million to developing a transport network we can be proud of, as outlined in this plan.

“But we need to make sure that our proposals work for everyone in the region, from town centres to rural villages, for decades to come.

"That’s why I’d urge everyone in the Tees Valley to take a look at the document, visit our events to hear first-hand our plans and fill in an online questionnaire.”

The combined authority's plan covers all forms of transport, from roads, rail and air to buses and sustainable travel such as walking and cycling routes.

The proposed document looks at major themes of national rail, major roads, connecting centres, unlocking key sites, and local journeys while delivering social equity and protecting and enhancing the environment.

A series of six events will run across Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees from Monday, September 9.

Copies of documents will be available in municipal buildings across the five Local Authority boroughs and all the consultation documents will be available online until it closes on November 20.

For more information and to fill out a response visit here