withinreach is a Department for Transport-sponsored programme providing training and advice for English local transport authorities concerned with accessibility planning. It is operated by Steer Davies Gleave on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT).

The aim of withinreach is ‘To support and advise local transport authorities (in England, outside London) in implementing accessibility planning; and to develop and maintain a framework to facilitate development of, and dissemination of good practice on accessibility planning.’

Accessibility planning is viewed within government as being very important. As the Prime Minister stated in his foreword to Making the Connections (Social Exclusion Unit, 2003), accessibility planning...

‘..offers a new way to find and solve local problems, checking whether people experiencing social exclusion can reach the services they need, and identifying action to take if they can’t. Action could be through improving public transport, introducing more innovative travel options, or changing the location or delivery of the services people need.’

The Department for Transport has been charged with the task of taking accessibility planning forward within central government. The DfT sees local transport authorities as leading at the local level, engaging other stakeholders to improve the accessibility of public services. The training and advice provided by the withinreach team will help local transport authorities prepare their accessibility strategies, due to be finalised in July 2006.

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