Accessibility planning is seen by Government as a crucial process to address the lack of joined-up understanding and action which the Social Exclusion Unit report 'Making the Connections' highlighted. While local transport authorities are charged with preparing accessibility strategies as part of the current Local Transport Plan preparation, other agencies also have a crucial role to play in jointly identifying problems and opportunities and in developing solutions. Improving accessibility to health, education, schools, food and leisure requires common understanding of what are sometime complex problems, followed by shared priorities and complementary action to address them.

This conference will provide full coverage of the Government guidance, the results of research and development work behind it, and the practical outcomes of work carried out to date. It will review thoroughly the two main strands of modelling accessibility and of building partnerships. The experience of local transport authority managers will be complemented by view points from the perspective of those in the health, employment and education fields.

Speakers include: Helen Smith, Head of Accessibility Planning Branch, DfT; Mike Slinn, Technical Director, MVA; Kiron Chatterjee and Reg Harman, Centre for Transport & Society, University of the West of England, Bristol; Trevor Mason, Principal Engineer, Transport Policy and Monitoring, Hertfordshire County Council; Kris Beuret, Director, Social Research Associates; Paul Clark, Chairman, POS Integrated Land Use & Transport Group; Mary Farrell, Manager, Knowsley Health Partnership; Kate Robinson, Acting Team Manager, Public Transport Strategy Team, Nottinghamshire County Council; Sian Thornthwaite, Consultant; Paul Crowther, Principal Public Transport Officer, Brighton & Hove Council & Don Nutt, Director, Steer Davies Gleave.

Chairs: Stephen Joseph, Director, Transport 2000 & John Deegan, Director of Planning, Transport and Economic Strategy, Warwickshire County Council