Rushden Lakes Commended for Green Travel

Rushden Lakes, has received an accreditation for its sustainable travel plan, making it the first retail and leisure destination to achieve this endorsement.

Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accredited and Recognised) accredited Rushden Lakes with a Bronze level for its sustainable travel plan, implemented last year. This plan aimed to reduce car journeys to Rushden Lakes by 7%, and make active and sustainable travel a feasible choice for as many customers and visitors as possible.

The team have worked with customers and visitors to raise awareness, highlight the benefits, and help to remove barriers to sustainable travel. As part of this a number of initiatives have been introduced at Rushden Lakes to promote sustainable travel, which have included; onsite free bike repairs and maintenance sessions, bike safety training, and providing vouchers from AJ Cycles and Decathlon.

The Crown Estate, working with Savills, has also been making improvements across all its places, to facilitate and promote more sustainable modes of transport for everyone travelling to its destinations.

Image: Modeshift award. A gold star with blue highlighted text.
Image: Modeshift accreditation. A gold star with blue highlighted text.

 

Modeshift STARS is the Centre of Excellence for the delivery of effective travel plans in education, business and community settings. The scheme recognises schools, businesses and other organisations that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel.

Jo Francis, Property Management Director at The Crown Estate, said: “As part of making our places more sustainable in the future, we need to work with partners to develop resilient travel infrastructure that offers people more options to either walk, cycle, use electric vehicles or easily access public transport”.

“It is great to see the hard work of the team at Rushden Lakes accredited through Modeshift. We look forward to continuing to work collectively with everyone who use our spaces to help shape our sustainable travel plans for the future”

A spokesperson from Modeshift said: “Here at Modeshift, we have seen a record number of Accreditation approvals and are very proud to have 1,182 sites currently accredited, including 406 workplaces”

“Rushden Lakes is the first shopping centre to achieve National STARS Accreditation, and due to their hard work and commitment to sustainable and active travel, have achieved a Good Travel Plan standard. We look forward to seeing how their travel plan develops and the positive changes they can have on their workforce, and the community around it”

Find out more Here.

Image: Rushden Lakes' Centre Manager Donna French receiving the Modeshift bronze accreditation.
Image: Rushden Lakes’ Centre Manager Donna French receiving the Modeshift bronze accreditation.