Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Growth & Infrastructure

Forward Plan Ref 2009/129

Contact: Joanne Clegg, Project Manager (Local Transport Plan),

(01865 815546)

Report by Head of Transport (CA7).

This report sets out the results of the initial stages of consultation on the draft objectives for Oxfordshire's third Local Transport Plan (LTP3) and seeks a decision on the prioritisation of those objectives.  It also informs members of the environmental criteria that will be used for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the LTP and sets out the stages of developing the SEA.

Two series of consultations have recently taken place in relation to LTP3.  Comments have been invited on the draft set of ten objectives for the LTP and on the scoping report for the SEA.  Public focus groups were asked for their views on how the relative priorities of the objectives apply in each of the four settlement types that have been identified to help with recognising the differentiation between parts of Oxfordshire (Oxford, larger towns, market towns and rural Oxfordshire).

An update on the consultation results from both series of consultations will be provided at the meeting.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)              approve the prioritisation of the objectives for each of the four types of settlement as set out in the report, subject to consideration of the views of the Growth & Infrastructure Committee; and that the Head of Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Growth & Infrastructure and Transport Implementation be authorised to make any necessary changes; and

(b)       note the consultation undertaken on the Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Councillor Purse welcomed the Plan, especially the suggested changes to the wording of the objectives as set out in the Schedule of Addenda.  She queried whether town and parish councils had had a proper opportunity to take part in the consultation, given that it took place mainly over the summer holiday period.  She was keen to take every opportunity to promote rail inks, and the Plan should do this.

Mr. Joyce was pleased with the proposed objectives; he thought the original proposed objectives had been too general in nature.  He did not think the Plan went far enough in relation to carbon reduction and rail transport.  He added that there was no specific reference to ‘modal change’ and multi-modal journeys need encouragement.

Mr. Smith stated that this was extremely important and that the objectives needed to be generally more uplifting.  He made the same point as Mr. Joyce about multi-modal journeys and asked that the approval of the objectives be deferred to another date.

Councillor Hudspeth replied that this was a Plan for Oxfordshire as a whole, and the challenge was to look at all types of journeys across the county; Councillor Mitchell endorsed this.

The Cabinet considered a report (CA7) which set out the results of the initial stages of consultation on the draft objectives for Oxfordshire's third Local Transport Plan (LTP3) and seeks a decision on the prioritisation of those objectives.  It also informs members of the environmental criteria that will be used for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the LTP and sets out the stages of developing the SEA.

Two series of consultations have recently taken place in relation to LTP3.  Comments have been invited on the draft set of ten objectives for the LTP and on the scoping report for the SEA.  Public focus groups were asked for their views on how the relative priorities of the objectives apply in each of the four settlement types that have been identified to help with recognising the differentiation between parts of Oxfordshire (Oxford, larger towns, market towns and rural Oxfordshire).

Following the close of the consultation period, there were some suggested changes to the wording of the objectives in the report circulated with the agenda, and these were set out in Schedule of Addenda.

RESOLVED:            to

(a)               approve the prioritisation of the objectives for each of the four types of settlement as set out in the report, subject to consideration of the views of the Growth & Infrastructure Committee;

(b)               delegate authority to the Head of Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Growth & Infrastructure and Transport Implementation, to make any changes necessary; and

(c)               note the consultation undertaken on the Strategic Environmental Assessment.