Report to follow.

The cabinet member for transport and infrastructure gave an overview of the report, in which it was explained that the Local Transport Plan had had a rocky start due to the delay and subsequent cancellation of a new Department of Transport process document.

The link and connectivity between the Local Plan and the Local Transport Plan was highlighted. Referring to the key considerations in the main report, the cabinet member also noted the alignment between the Local Transport Plan and other strategies such as the Big Economic Plan and the joint Health and Well-being Strategy.

It was pointed out that producing a Local Transport Plan was a statutory requirement that needed to be met in order to secure funding from the Department of Transport.

The cabinet member for transport and infrastructure explained that it was hoped the Local Transport Plan would be coming forward in late summer for consideration and drew attention to and read out the recommended objectives of the plan as set out in para 19 of the main report.

The cabinet members welcomed the inclusion of objective (III) at para 19, which focused on tackling climate change and protecting and enhancing the natural built environment. The alignment of environmental themes running through many large plans and the focus on environmental impact at para 21 and 22 were also supported.

The cabinet members noted that objective (I) at para 19 regarding supporting a thriving and prosperous economy, chimed with the views of speakers at last year’s County Council Conference, who had suggested that infrastructure was fundamental to growth.   

Group leaders discussed the order of the objectives in the report. There was support for a thriving and prosperous economy, but it was felt that the objectives didn’t focus heavily enough on people and how transport needs and requirements varied around the county. It was felt that issues such as road safety/reducing road deaths and climate change should be highlighted more specifically within the plan.

Group leaders felt that stronger language in relation to climate change and commitments to net zero was required to ensure that the Local Transport Plan was compatible with national policy.

Disappointment was expressed about the apparent side-lining of recommendations from the Connected Communities Scrutiny Committee (CCSC) regarding engagement with stakeholders on the Local Transport Plan. It was stressed that there was a need to actively reach out and listen to people from across the county about what they needed from strategy documents.

It was noted that there were aspects of each of the recommended objectives that contributed to delivering sustainable communities and there was a need for articulation on how the Local Transport Plan could achieve this ambition.

The cabinet member for transport and infrastructure clarified that the objectives within the report were not listed in any particular order of importance. It was also stated that meeting all of the differing transport needs of residents around the county would be difficult to achieve, but that the plan would aim to meet as many of those needs as was possible.

In response to comments on climate change, the cabinet member pointed to a report from carbon.org about CO2 levels in the world being lower now than in Victorian times. The cabinet member stated that he was unclear whether anything said on the climate subject was accurate or not.

In response to comments on sustainable communities, the cabinet member stated the intention to build on those ambitions as the plan progressed and that ambitions would be shaped by input from people who were asked to consult on what their views were for their communities.

As a closing comment, the cabinet member for transport and infrastructure pointed out that the bypass was a specific project, with its own set of objectives, which would differ from those of the Local Transport Plan.  

It was unanimously resolved that:

(a)    Cabinet approves the objectives (as set out at para 19) for the new Local Transport Plan as recommended in the report and

(b)    Cabinet notes changes to the DfT’s anticipated timetable (as set out at paras. 9 and 10) for producing the new Local Transport Plan.