7. Transport trends in West Suffolk
Key baseline data sources used in this section:
- Distance travelled to work – Census Maps, Office of National Statistics (ONS) 2021
- Number of cars or vans - census maps, ONS 2021
Travel to work
7.1. Travel to work patterns in West Suffolk reflect the district’s mixed urban and rural character, with commuting distances and car ownership levels differing from national averages. Overall, 31.8 per cent of employed residents travel less than 10 kilometres (km) to work, which is lower than the England average, while 22.2 per cent commute between 10km and 30km and 7.2 per cent travel more than 30km, indicating a greater prevalence of medium and long‑distance commuting. Homeworking is a significant feature, with 23.5 per cent of residents working mainly from home, broadly comparable to national levels recorded in the 2021 Census.
7.2. Commuting distances are generally shorter in the district’s larger towns. In Bury St Edmunds, 42.8 per cent of residents travel less than 10km to work, reflecting its role as the principal employment centre. Haverhill and Newmarket show lower proportions of short-distance commuting and higher levels of travel between 10km and 30km. In contrast, key service centres and rural areas exhibit longer travel distances and higher levels of home working, patterns that are more pronounced than the England average and reflect greater distances to employment opportunities.
Table 5: travel to work distance - per cent of people aged 16 years and over in employment
| less than 10km | 10km to 30km | 30km and over | works mainly from home | works mainly offshore, no fixed place or outside the UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Suffolk | 31.8 | 22.2 | 7.2 | 23.5 | 15.3 |
| Towns | |||||
| Brandon | 30.7 | 26.3 | 10.0 | 15.5 | 17.5 |
| Bury St Edmunds Central | 39.9 | 16.9 | 6.9 | 25.5 | 10.8 |
| Bury St Edmunds Howard Estate and Northgate | 49.1 | 14.0 | 6.7 | 14.5 | 15.6 |
| Bury St Edmunds Eastgate and Southgate | 44.9 | 14.2 | 6.6 | 23.0 | 11.2 |
| Bury St Edmunds west | 43.0 | 13.6 | 6.7 | 23.4 | 13.3 |
| Bury St Edmunds Moreton Hall | 36.9 | 14.3 | 7.2 | 29.2 | 12.5 |
| Bury St Edmunds average | 42.8 | 14.6 | 6.8 | 23.1 | 12.7 |
| Haverhill West | 28.1 | 28.9 | 6.1 | 21.5 | 15.3 |
| Haverhill North | 31.5 | 28.7 | 5.9 | 19.1 | 14.8 |
| Haverhill East and South | 30.4 | 28.1 | 5.9 | 15.4 | 16.5 |
| Haverhill average | 30.0 | 28.6 | 6.0 | 18.7 | 15.5 |
| Mildenhall | 21.5 | 9.4 | 16.3 | 16.5 | |
| Newmarket North, Studlands and Exning | 33.2 | 24.3 | 4.4 | 22.8 | 15.4 |
| Newmarket South and racecourse | 32.2 | 27.0 | 4.1 | 23.2 | 13.6 |
| Newmarket average | 33.9 | 24.3 | 6.0 | 20.8 | 15.2 |
| Key service centres | |||||
| Barrow, Chedburgh and Sicklesmere | 26.4 | 17.8 | 7.8 | 33.3 | 14.6 |
| Clare, Cavendish and Wickhambrook | 13.5 | 24.8 | 8.4 | 36.2 | 17.1 |
| Ixworth, Honington and Barnham | 20.9 | 25.0 | 8.6 | 30.6 | 15.0 |
| Kedington, Hundon and Withersfield | 20.7 | 25.6 | 6.5 | 30.2 | 17.1 |
| Lakenheath | 39.9 | 15.7 | 8.5 | 15.2 | 20.7 |
| Red Lodge, Icklingham and Moulton | 22.7 | 28.4 | 7.1 | 27.4 | 14.4 |
| Stanton and Barningham (includes Coney Weston, Bardwell, Hopton, Market Weston, Knettishall, Hepworth and others) | 14.3 | 30.5 | 9.8 | 27.7 | 17.8 |
Source: Distance travelled to work - Census Maps, Office of National Statistics (ONS)
Car ownership
7.3. Car ownership in West Suffolk is higher that the national average and illustrate the district's reliance on private vehicles. At a district level, only 14.9 per cent of households have no access to a car or van, compared with a higher proportion nationally, while 43.4 percent of households own two or more vehicles. Car ownership is lowest in the large towns, particularly central areas of Bury St Edmunds, where access to services and employment is more concentrated. In contrast, rural areas and key service centres have higher levels of multiple car ownership, exceeding national averages, reflecting limited public transports provision and longer travel distances. Overall, these patters highlight a stronger dependence on private car use in West Suffolk than is typical at the national level, particularly outside the main towns.
Table 6: car ownership by middle layer super output area (Census 2021)
| Percentage of household that have no car | Percentage of household that have one car or van | Percentage of household that have two cars or vans | Percentage of household that have three or more cars or vans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Suffolk | 14.9 | 41.7 | 31.7 | 11.7 |
| Towns | ||||
| Brandon | 16.6 | 46.2 | 27.2 | 10.0 |
| Bury St Edmunds Central | 25.5 | 50.1 | 19.9 | 4.5 |
| Bury St Edmunds Howard Estate and Northgate | 23.5 | 43.1 | 25.7 | 7.8 |
| Bury St Edmunds Eastgate and Southgate | 22.0 | 46.8 | 23.8 | 7.4 |
| Bury St Edmunds west | 20.4 | 44.6 | 27.2 | 7.8 |
| Bury St Edmunds Moreton Hall | 8.2 | 43.6 | 36.6 | 11.5 |
| Bury St Edmunds average | 24.9 | 57.05 | 33.3 | 9.75 |
| Haverhill West | 14.9 | 38.6 | 33.5 | 13.0 |
| Haverhill North | 19.2 | 42.7 | 28.0 | 10.0 |
| Haverhill East and South | 20.7 | 42.5 | 27.0 | 9.9 |
| Haverhill average | 18.2 | 41.2 | 29.5 | 10.9 |
| Mildenhall | 16.8 | 45.8 | 28.1 | 9.2 |
| Newmarket North, Studlands and Exning | 17.8 | 44.6 | 29.7 | 7.8 |
| Newmarket South and racecourse | 23.0 | 46.1 | 24.5 | 6.5 |
| Newmarket average | 20.4 | 45.3 | 27.1 | 7.15 |
| Key service centres | ||||
| Barrow, Chedburgh and Sicklesmere | 7.1 | 34.1 | 38.2 | 20.6 |
| Clare, Cavendish and Wickhambrook | 11.5 | 37.5 | 34.2 | 16.8 |
| Ixworth, Honington and Barnham | 8.9 | 38.3 | 36.2 | 16.7 |
| Kedington, Hundon and Withersfield | 6.4 | 33.6 | 38.9 | 21.1 |
| Lakenheath | 7.6 | 40.2 | 39.4 | 12.8 |
| Red Lodge, Icklingham and Moulton | 5.8 | 37.9 | 43.3 | 13.0 |
| Stanton and Barningham (includes Coney Weston, Bardwell, Hopton, Market Weston, Knettishall, Hepworth and others) | 9.3 | 39.4 | 34.0 | 17.3 |
Source: Number of cars or vans - Census Maps, Office of National Statistics (ONS).
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