Decision details

The County Council's Specialist Adviser, Transportation presented a report on a proposal to develop a Key Route Network for Lancashire.

The Committee was informed that as part of the development of a Strategic Transport Plan for the North, Transport for the North (TfN) had recently commenced work on defining a strategically important Key Route Network (KRN) for the North of England.  This network would extend beyond Highways England's Strategic Road Network (SRN) to include the most important local highway authority roads considered to perform a 'strategic' role.

It was hoped that that the establishment of such a network would enable TfN to articulate a compelling argument to government for funding to support pan-northern connectivity and economic growth across local authority boundaries

As Lancashire does not currently have a defined Key Route Network, it was proposed that Transport for Lancashire should progress with defining a draft Lancashire Key Route Network within TfN's timescale, i.e. by early 2017. It was agreed that not to do so would risk TfN's consultants defining a network in Lancashire as part of their current commission that may not necessarily take local requirements into account. The Committee was therefore asked to agree an approach and selection criteria and proposals for both were set out in the report to the Committee.

It was proposed that the draft Key Route Network would be presented to the next meeting of the Committee on the 11 January 2017 when approval would be sought to share this with TfN, Highways England, the shadow Lancashire Combined Authority and district councils. Discussions would also be held with other interested parties including adjacent Combined Authority and Local Authority areas.

Resolved: That the approach and selection criteria for defining a Lancashire Key Route Network as set out in the report to the Committee be approved.