Decision details

Transport for the North - Consultation on the Draft Strategic Transport Plan

Decision Maker: External Scrutiny Committee

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

The Chair welcomed Jonathan Spruce, Interim Strategy Director; Robin Miller-Stott, Senior Policy and Strategy Officer from Transport for the North; and Dave Colbert, Subject Matter Expert/Specialist Advisor: Transport Planning from LCC, to the meeting. The report presented set out the key messages of the draft Strategic Transport Plan for the North; a 30-year vision for transport investment currently out for consultation. A copy of the revised presentation is set out in the minutes.

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There were three core themes identified in the transport plan, connecting people, connecting businesses, and moving goods. There were four objectives set for the transport plan:

 

·  Transforming economic performance;

·  Improving opportunities across the North;

·  Promoting and supporting the built and natural environment; and

·  Increasing efficiency, reliability and resilience of the transport system.

 

Regarding the consultation it was reported that the County Council would respond in a narrative form rather than completing the questionnaire and propose a shortlist of questions to be put forward. The County Council's response would be considered at the meeting of Cabinet on 12 April 2018. Members of the Committee made the following requests for potential inclusion in the in the County Council's response to the Transport for the North consultation:

 

·  The electrification of the Preston to Leeds railway connection and Preston to Colne/Skipton.

·  Improvement of the A585, from Windy Harbour to Junction 3; and connectivity of the A585 into Fleetwood peninsula.

·  Railway connection from Rossendale to Greater Manchester and connection to Metro links.

·  Reducing heavy goods movement on the roads and better ways of distributing freight including the placement of distribution centres and restriction on delivery times in towns and city centres.

·  Encourage Transport for the North to retain fares to enable reinvestment in the north and incentivise rail travel.

·  An integrated green infrastructure developed alongside improvements to the rail and road networks to protect the rural areas.

·  Improvements to the A59 from Liverpool.

·  Improvements to the railway line that travels alongside the A59 from Liverpool to Preston.

·  Connectivity of railways across Wyre district and consideration of farming communities for example in the Over-Wyre area.

·  The Enterprise Zones become an economic hub and the relevant importance of them be brought into the plan.

·  Better connection to Yorkshire of the A59 and A56.

 

It was noted that the plan would be finalised in the Autumn of 2018.

 

Resolved: That;

 

1.  The External Scrutiny Committee's requests as set out in the minutes above be considered for inclusion in the County Council's response to Transport for the North's consultation on the Draft Strategic Transport Plan to be considered by Cabinet at its meeting scheduled for 12 April 2018;

2.  All County Councillors be encouraged to respond in their own capacity to the Transport for the North's consultation; and

3.  Representatives from Transport for the North be invited to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

 

Report author: Gary Halsall

Date of decision: 06/03/2018

Decided at meeting: 06/03/2018 - External Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: