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Hydrock Byways and Highways (Cornwall Office) recently undertook a complete 5-year review of the existing Eden Project Travel Plan in order to ensure ongoing approval from Cornwall Council. 

It was very important to specifically tailor the Travel Plan to fit the individual requirements of the Eden site so as to promote realistic, sustainable travel to this incredible project that has been described as "A Living Theatre of Plants and People".  Located in south Cornwall, approximately 4 miles north of St Austell, the site was a former china clay pit at Bodelva which had been a man-made scar on the landscape.

Eden Project is a tourist oriented conservation project that opened its doors to visitors at Easter 2001.  The aim was to attract 750,000 visitors a year but in fact it attracted 1.7 million visitors in the first 9 months of opening!  Since then the number of people visiting Eden has steadily averaged out to over 1.25 million visitors per year.  As well as people visiting Eden, there is also staff travel to consider – there are now over 600 workers in the peak season.

Due to the scale of Eden's success, it was obvious that it should try to minimise its transport impact, encourage sustainable transport methods and thereby reduce congestion and carbon footprints by walking, cycling or using Public Transport whenever possible.  To this end, reduced price admission for cyclists and walkers and also combined bus, rail and entrance tickets offering discounts have been introduced.

Bearing all this in mind, we had to set clear objectives to represent the high level aims of the Travel Plan from the particular circumstances of the site and the different characteristics of visitor and staff travel patterns by setting and achieving  sustainable travel goals and targets of national and county policy. 

The main objectives are:

• to reduce the proportion of visitors and staff arriving by car;
• to deliver a long term commitment to encouraging visitors and staff to travel within, to and from the Eden Project in a sustainable manner – where possible using Public Transport, cycling or walking in a safe and secure manner;
• to educate visitors and staff of the way in which their individual travel choices can make a difference and help reduce the social and environmental impacts of travel.

A Travel Plan is an ongoing and evolving strategy and a full time Travel Plan Coordinator is now in place at Eden with a brief that includes implementing all Travel Plan measures.  Eden's aims and actions will require regular review as progress is made in order to achieve its maximum potential, maintain its momentum and fully promote and publicise what is on offer.

We must all consider our travel choices and be open to change if we can – even a small change can make a difference and this, together with Eden's exceptional environmental philosophy will enable millions more adults and, more importantly children, to visit the Eden Project sustainably for many more years to come!

For further information please contact: jonpearson@hydrockbh.com or markrowe@hydrockbh.com.