To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Bruce Baker.

To receive details of councillors nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

Councillor Allan Williams was present as the substitute member for Councillor Bruce Baker.

To receive declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were made.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 2023.

The minutes of the previous meeting were received.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 2023 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairperson.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

No questions had been received from members of the public.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

No questions had been received from councillors.

The report sets out the progress to date on the development of the Herefordshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and seeks comments or recommendations on the plan before its completion in December 2023.

The Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure and the Interim Head of Transportation and Parking introduced the item.  The committee was advised that the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) was a strategic approach to identifying improvements, driven by data and analysis of commuting, leisure, and everyday trips.

The principal points of the discussion are summarised below:

1.           A committee member noted that the Technical Guidance for Local Authorities (link to the Department of Transport (DfT) guidance) suggested various data sources, with one being app-based data for existing cycle trips (e.g. Strava).  Comments were made about the potential over-reliance on app-based data and the need to mitigate related biases, including the possibility that certain groups of people could be missed, such as serving personnel who may avoid the use of geo-tagging apps.  The PJA Consultant provided the committee with an overview of the demand-led approach to identifying desire lines.

2.           The Interim Head of Transport and Parking reported that there would be engagement with some stakeholder groups on the LCWIP before broader consultation and engagement aligned to the Local Transport Plan (LTP) and the Local Plan.  With attention drawn to the LCWIP programme and progress (paragraph 10, agenda page 15), committee members expressed concerns about the lack of engagement to date and commented on the need for key stakeholders, including town and parish councils, to be enabled to input concerns and ideas.  The Chairperson considered that consultation on the LCWIP should be on a standalone basis and undertaken as soon as possible.

3.           The Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure acknowledged the need for effective engagement, including with stakeholders in rural areas, and the challenges associated with the timescales for key strategies and plans.

4.           The Interim Head of Transport and Parking reported that Herefordshire Council was working on cross-border linkages with neighbouring local authorities in Monmouthshire, Powys, and Shropshire as part of the Marches Forward Partnership.  It was noted that work was outstanding with Gloucestershire.  The Chairperson commented on the need to coordinate with all neighbouring authorities.

5.           The Vice-Chairperson noted that a key output would be ‘a prioritised programme of infrastructure improvements for future investment’ (paragraph 31 b, agenda page 19) and suggested that this could be considered for future scrutiny activity.

6.           The Interim Head of Transport and Parking reported that cycling and walking network mapping had not yet been received; the consultant, Phil Jones Associates (PJA), was auditing possible cycling routes to confirm that they were achievable.

7.           In response to a comment about the interfaces between cycle routes and busy roads, the Service Director Environment and Highways provided an outline of the proposed infrastructure improvements on Holme Lacy Road in Hereford.

8.           The Interim Head of Transport and Parking advised the committee that the outputs from the LCWIP would help to inform the LTP; evidence would be assessed in relation to different ideas (e.g. a north to south cycle route, utilising disused railway lines, etc), including opportunities to attract investment.  The Chairperson commented on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

The report sets out the progress to date on the development of the new Local Transport Plan (LTP) and seeks comments and recommendations from scrutiny that Cabinet may include as part of its considerations of the new LTP vision and objectives.

The Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure and the Interim Head of Transportation and Parking introduced the item.  The committee was advised that the Local Transport Plan (LTP) was as a key strategy document to access transport funding for the county, guidance on the preparation of new LTPs was awaited from the Department for Transport (DfT), there were linkages between the new Herefordshire LTP and other strategies and plans, and attention was drawn to factors in the wider context of the plan (paragraph 23, agenda page 26).

The principal points of the discussion are summarised below:

1.           The Interim Head of Transportation and Parking reported that the LTP was in the early stages of development, there had been an extensive carbon emissions modelling exercise, and the objectives for the LTP would be considered by Cabinet (link to the issue details).

2.           The Interim Head of Transportation and Parking advised that other data would be used in subsequent stages to develop the long list of potential interventions, alongside consultation, feedback, and prioritisation.  Committee members commented on the need for contextual data to help frame discussions about the objectives.  The committee was advised that carbon emissions data had not been published with the agenda, as officers considered that supporting narrative was needed from the specialist consultants, WSP.  The Chairperson emphasised the need to conduct business in an open and transparent manner, and requested that all background materials be published in full for subsequent meetings.

3.           The Vice-Chairperson noted that reducing carbon emissions would form a key part of the LTP and questioned the research being undertaken in the context of the other goals, such as supporting economic growth, promoting equality of opportunity, contributing to better health, safety, and security, and improving quality of life and a healthy natural environment.  The Interim Head of Transportation and Parking acknowledged that, as a significant change to previous plans, the report had focussed on carbon emissions but there would be cross-references to other strategies and plans, such as the Big Economic Plan.  The Vice-Chairperson commented on the need to explore potential initiatives, such as convenient and reliable public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and co-working hubs.

4.           The Chairperson drew attention to paragraph 14 (agenda page 25) which stated ‘… transport in Herefordshire represented around 26% of total emissions’, to the council’s website which stated ‘In Herefordshire, transport accounts for 36% of our emissions’ (link to the website’), and to paragraph 24 e) (agenda page 26) which stated ‘41% of emissions are for trips greater than 50 miles'.  The Chairperson expressed concerns about the inconsistency in the way that carbon emissions had been presented, with a mix of territorial and consumption calculations. The WSP Technical Director reported that the quantification of emissions was based on the recommended standard set out in unpublished, draft guidance.  The Chairperson emphasised the need to address the inconsistency, particularly given the potential implications for the prioritisation of effort.  The committee discussed the differences in approach and the importance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

This report provides the Connected Communities Scrutiny Committee with its work programme until May 2024.

The committee considered the work programme for the remainder of the municipal year 2023/24:

·             A councillor had suggested ‘Public Rights of Way’ as a topic for potential scrutiny activity.

·             A committee member suggested that ‘Bus Franchising’ be added to the long list.

·             A committee member suggested that the item on ‘Herefordshire County Business Improvement District’ should instead focus on ‘Hereford Enterprise Zone’.

·             The agenda items for January 2024* (Planning – Delivery of Section 106-Funded Projects) and March 2024 (Skills and Apprenticeships) were agreed; for the latter, the Statutory Scrutiny Officer noted that matters relating to care leavers could be reported into the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.

Resolved:  That the work programme for January 2024* and March 2024 be agreed.

Wednesday 10 January 2024 10.00 am

The date of the next scheduled meeting was identified as Wednesday 10 January 2024.*

[*Note: The next meeting was rescheduled from Wednesday 10 January 2024 to Tuesday 27 February 2024, 2.00 pm]