Joining the dots: a year of rural transport insights
Recently a few of us were in Melton Mowbray, known as the rural capital of food, for an event as part of the GI Smart project. Melton is my hometown, and the local council has spent years planning a bypass to help with local traffic and keep heavy goods vehicles out of the town centre.
Finally, the new road is open and has been amusingly named the Pork Pie Way. But due to various challenges over the lifetime of the project, tough decisions were made, and it wasn’t able to connect up all the main thoroughfares.
Like the rural transport conversation more broadly, it still has some way to go before the dots are joined.
Whenever we are out and about with communities and businesses, transport almost invariably comes up. Sometimes it’s small talk about the journey that day or where people managed to park. Other times it’s part of a much bigger conversation about how we make rural transport systems more sustainable, affordable and inclusive.
This year, transport has surfaced across a wide range of NICRE projects, reminding us that it is rarely just a transport issue. It shapes how people access work, services, nature, opportunities and each other.
Community solutions
For many people living and working in the countryside, cars remain essential. But from questions around fossil fuels to the affordability of electric vehicles (EVs), grid capacity and charging infrastructure, the conversation around cars in rural places is far from straightforward.
Linked to the CAIRN project, a study led by Rural Design Centre explored community-led EV charging possibilities across Durham. It responds to a clear rural challenge: many households can't consider switching to electric cars due to a lack of off-street parking or reliable local charging.
The project found that community-owned charging points at community buildings like village halls could be a practical option, particularly where they can be linked to renewable energy generation. Community engagement, awareness, resourcing and partnerships will be key to taking these ideas further.
New ways of getting around
Through our cargo bike work, we have been supporting rural organisations and service providers to explore alternatives to cars and vans for shorter journeys and last-mile deliveries.
We saw libraries using cargo bikes to carry books to community events in Hexham, enabling more nimble outreach without a car. A Berwick food bank delivered parcels door-to-door to households difficult to reach by van, while Durham County Council’s estates team used cargo bikes for logistics instead of vans.
It's not a wholesale solution to rural transport challenges, but these projects show how different approaches can make everyday journeys and deliveries easier.
Accessing nature and opportunity
School children in Morpeth told us about their experiences cycling along the Wansbeck, from source to sea. Along the way they visited parts of their local area they had never accessed before and learned about the heritage and nature connected to the waterway.
Their experiences highlighted something we don't always talk about when discussing transport: access to nature and connection to place. Safe and accessible walking and cycling routes can support health and wellbeing while also helping to manage transport pressures associated with tourism - a theme we explored through our Sustainable Transport Climathon in 2025.
Transport and rural business
Transport also affects every aspect of rural business life.
Our recent research on rural innovation ecosystems and support found that rural businesses often pay a premium for logistics because of remote locations and poor-quality roads. Businesses told us that transport barriers can limit access to markets, talent and collaboration opportunities.
Other ongoing research with the Countryside & Community Research Institute (CCRI) and Centre for Rural Economy (CRE) has highlighted pressures on transport infrastructure and road traffic as an important social impact of land use change, affecting both local people and businesses.
Joining the dots
Over the summer, we'll be sharing transport insights as part of a stakeholder roundtable on rural employment and housing, where commuting is emerging as an important factor in helping people access work in rural areas.
This Better Transport Week, we'll also be sharing more insights across our social media channels.
What has become clear through all this work is that transport solutions play a vital role in helping rural places thrive. The different pieces of the puzzle matter, but so do the connections between them.
Whether we're talking about EV charging, cargo bikes, access to nature, tourism or business growth, transport keeps appearing as part of a much bigger system. Finding ways to join those dots will be key.
