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View our Strategic Investment Plan
View our Strategic Investment Plan

Transport strategy

A bold vision for a brighter future

We think that to achieve a flourishing economy you need a bold, future-focused transport strategy built around people and the places they live, work and do business. 

This strategy is an important way point in the development of our strategic investment plan and is where the journey towards a brighter, more sustainable future for the South East started.

This is our thirty-year transport strategy for the South East.

The front cover of the Transport Strategy for the South East with a cartoon scene of a busy town with lots of transport.
Read our transport strategy ‘at a glance’
The front cover of the Transport Strategy for the South East with a cartoon scene of a busy town with lots of transport.
Read the full transport strategy

A full suite of supporting technical documents can be found here.

A cartoon of a woman having a hot drink and reading the Transport for the South East, Transport Strategy.
£183 billion Gross Value Added (GVA)
474,000 jobs created
Net zero carbon emissions

Investing in the future we want

In the past, transport strategies were devised on a “predict and provide” basis. Planners made forecasts about future transport demand based on past trends, with investment focused on expanding existing transport systems.

We’re taking a different approach. By deciding on the future we want for our region, we’ll be able to plan a transport system that helps make it happen – putting people and places, not vehicles, at the heart of what we do.

At the heart of our strategy is our thirty-year vision for the region. 

Our vision for the South East in 2050

By 2050, the South East of England will be a leading global region for net-zero carbon, sustainable economic growth where integrated transport, digital and energy networks have delivered a step change in connectivity and environmental quality.

A high-quality, reliable, safe and accessible transport network will offer seamless door-to-door journeys enabling our businesses to compete and trade more effectively in the global marketplace and give our residents and visitors the highest quality of life.

An infographic displaying the environmental, social and economic priorities of the Transport Strategy.

Environmental priorities

  • Reducing carbon emission to net zero by 2050 at the latest.
  • Reducing the impact of, and the need to, travel.
  • Protecting our natural, built and historic environments.
  • Improving biodiversity.
  • Minimising resource and energy consumption.

Social priorities

  • Promoting active travel and healthier lifestyles.
  • Improving air quality.
  • An affordable, accessible transport network that’s simpler to use.
  • A more integrated transport network where it is easier to plan and pay for door-to-door journeys.
  • A safer transport network.

Economic priorities

  • Improving connectivity between major economic hubs, ports and airports.
  • More reliable journeys.
  • A more resilient network.
  • Better integrated land use and transport planning.
  • A digitally smart transport network.

Making our plan a reality

This strategy is an important waypoint on a longer journey, culminating in the publication of our strategic investment plan for the South East in 2022. This will set out, for the very first time, a prioritised programme of investment for our area, created by those who know it best.

The building blocks of the strategic investment plan will come from a series of area studies. These will see us working with partners at a local level to understand the specific schemes and initiatives which will help us deliver our vision. We’ll also feed in the results of two key thematic studies – covering future mobility and freight & logistics – to build a comprehensive, effective and futureproof investment plan.

We’re planning to publish our draft investment plan for public consultation in summer 2022 with the aim of submitted the final plan to government in early 2023.