Agenda item

Connecting Oxfordshire: Local Transport Plan 2015-2031 (LTP4) was approved by Cabinet on 21 July 2015 and recommended for adoption by Full Council at its meeting in September 2015. This replaces LTP3 that was adopted as Council policy on 5 April 2011 and subsequent approved revision on 10 July 2012. The 16 year timescale of the Plan gives major benefits in terms of providing a transport strategy that covers the period of the district councils’ Local Plans and allows for long term planning of major infrastructure.

Connecting Oxfordshire has been developed over the past 18 months, in response to the rapidly changing national and local growth, economic development, infrastructure planning and funding agendas. The aim has been to develop a comprehensive policy and strategy framework to maximise opportunities for Oxfordshire, building on the success over the past two years on City Deal and other initiatives, and complement the Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) and supporting documents.

It is next proposed to be updated in spring 2016. In the meantime, the LTP will continue to inform our strategic infrastructure planning work, bids for Growth Funding and other sources, and the updated Strategic Economic Plan. Thereafter, LTP4 will be reviewed and updated regularly (at least on an annual basis), with any interim changes being made with the agreement of the Deputy Director for Strategy & Infrastructure Planning and Cabinet Member for Environment, provided that these are presented to County Council for approval within 12 months.

This report outlines the further changes to LTP4 since approval by Cabinet in July 2015. This includes a proposed timeline for a revised County Rail Strategy (for adoption in spring 2016), and updates to the Local Area and Supporting Strategies, including Freight, as requested at July Cabinet. The annexes to the report have been circulated to all Members of the Council only and are available at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

  (a)                    adopt Connecting Oxfordshire: Local Transport Plan 2015-2031 (LTP4) as council policy; and

  (b)                    instruct the Deputy Director of Environment and Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to keep the document under review and to make any necessary changes, subject to any such changes being reported to County Council for approval within 12 months.

With the agreement of Council, Councillor Nimmo Smith accepted the proposed amendment by Councillor Fooks as follows:

“This Council passed a motion in April 2014 recommending that LTP4 should recognize the need to reduce pollutants from road traffic. 

Whilst admitting that air quality “may well get worse with increasing traffic levels”, LTP4 seriously underestimates the impact on health of exposure to NOx gases and Particulates.

LTP4 estimates that 13,000 premature deaths a year are caused by overall combustion emissions, with road transport being the biggest source, although the estimate until recently was that 29,000 premature deaths are caused each year due to particulates alone. Even this figure is less than half the latest estimate by the “Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants”.

Council therefore requests that LTP4 should be strengthened in its aims to reduce air pollution by more positively:

·         Encouraging walking and cycling;

·         restricting diesel vehicles in town centres;

·         working more proactively with the city and District Councils to

develop and enact Air Quality Action Plans;

·         introducing low-or zero-emission mass transit vehicles.”

Following debate, the motion as amended was put to the vote and was Agreed by 32 votes to 25, with 2 abstentions.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Nimmo Smith, seconded by Councillor Hudspeth and carried by 32 votes to 25, with 2 abstentions) to:

(a)          adopt Connecting Oxfordshire: Local Transport Plan 2015-2031 (LTP4) as council policy; and

(b)          instruct the Deputy Director of Environment and Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to keep the document under review and to make any necessary changes, including the amendment by Councillor Jean Fooks, subject to any such changes being reported to County Council for approval within 12 months.