Modeshift STARS Business & Community
Swindon Borough Council urges workplaces, organisations and developers in Swindon to complete and implement a Travel Plan through the Modeshift STARS platform. A travel plan is a strategic document that sets out how a business or residential development will promote sustainable travel. The Modeshift STARS online platform gives developers a simple to follow template for their travel plan.
The STARS scheme has five levels of accreditation and is a great scheme through which stakeholders can work together to make the business or community healthier and safer for all.
- Green accreditation (Approved travel plan) – Green is the simplest level to achieve, and shows that a travel plan has been approved as a starting point where the business / site can make plans of actions it is going to take over the coming months.
For planning applications, this is the minimum level we accept. - Bronze accreditation (Good travel plan) – As the initiatives and actions start happening, and the business or community provides evidence through the travel plan coordinator, the site can achieve bronze for its good travel plan.
- Silver accreditation – (Very good travel plan) As more actions are achieved, the silver level denotes a very good travel plan.
- Gold accreditation – (Excellent travel plan) This level shows that the organisation or site has gone over and above, and is demonstrating reduced journeys by car as well as partnership working in the community. A gold travel plan is an excellent travel plan!
- Platinum accreditation – (Outstanding travel plan) Where a travel plan can demonstrate a consistent increase in active travel to school over a four-year period, this is considered outstanding.
Benefits
- Healthier workers / residents – by encouraging active, healthy lifestyles for everyone through more walking and cycling.
- Safer workers / residents – identifying issues and improving the quality of the environment around the site.
- Involving the whole community – everyone working together to make a difference.
- Travel Plan document – automatic generation of a new Travel Plan document which will deliver significant time and costs savings.
- National Accreditation – you will receive the Modeshift STARS plaque, certificate and use of the nationally recognised logo
- Changing behaviour – STARS will provide you with the tools to reduce car use and increase the number of people walking, cycling and using public transport on their journeys to and from the site.
- Access to discounts, practical support and small pots of funding – additional support is available from the Council to help promote sustainable travel.
There is no cost for any Swindon organisation / developments to sign up to Modeshift STARS.
Accreditation
Modeshift STARS offers a nationally recognised system of accreditation. There are five levels (Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) that are outlined above. The developer / organisation receives certificates and plaques when they achieve a new accreditation or reach the next level. Green is the simplest level to achieve and the Council requires new developments to achieve this as a requirement of their planning permission.
