Agenda item

11:10

Report by Corporate Director Communities

This report updates Performance Scrutiny Committee on development of the new Oxfordshire Local Transport Plan- called the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan. Specifically, it outlines the context and key points included in a proposed Vision Document (Annex 1), on which it is proposed to undertake public consultation. It also includes a summary of the engagement exercise undertaken in Spring 2020 (Annex 2), and a summary of key evidence that has been reviewed to support development of the Vision. (Annex 3)

A brief presentation also will be given outlining the proposed delivery arrangements for the Active Travel Tranche 2 programme.  The presentation will set out the approach to governance, communications and engagement, provide a high level overview of the delivery programme and include a summary of progress to date.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED

a)                    to note progress on the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan and the timetable leading to Plan adoption set out in Annex 1,

b)                   to comment on any points on the Vision Document included in Annex 1 in an addenda to be submitted along with the Cabinet report of 19^th January, when they consider the Vision Document as the basis for public consultation in February 2021.

Local Transport Connectivity Plan

Jason Russell, Corporate Director, Communities, introduced the item.  James Gagg, Infrastructure Strategy Team Leader, gave a presentation summarising the report.  Officers responded to Members’ questions as follows:

·         A plan focussed on walking, cycling and public transport was good in terms of equality because it favoured those who did not have access to a car.  There will be an Equality Impact Assessment alongside the development of the LTCP.

·         The baseline report recognised the issue of public transport in rural areas and there was a specific question in the consultation to get feedback on that.  A new government bus strategy was due shortly and that was expected to include rural transport.

·         There was a separate strategy on electric vehicles which is planned to come to Cabinet later this year.

·         A number of smaller electric buses were being trialed for school transport and it was hoped to roll that out more widely.

·         There were opportunities to make changes to new developments to ensure that they tied in with new policies and other developments.

·         There was work on-going in partnership with bus companies to look at new routes but there will be places where it was not viable and where there was a need to look at alternatives such as shared transport.  It was possible to “pump prime” services for new developments as had been done recently in Didcot.

·         The consultation process was set out in the papers and there will be work with engagement colleagues on how to ensure a fair and transparent consultation.

·         Officers had received training on the healthy streets approach which will help inform how transport schemes were developed.

·         There was now a better engagement with the freight industry through their attendance at Strategic Transport Forum meetings and there was an opportunity to build on examples of freight consolidation in Oxford.

Members made the following suggestions which will be brought to the Cabinet discussion:

·         The reduction of inequalities needs to be more strongly reflected and the public health team should be engaged in LTCP development to ensure it is in line with the Director for Public Health’s emphasis on reducing inequalities.  For example, a person’s employment prospects may be seriously limited by poor public transport connections where they live.

·         There is a need for an equality impact assessment on the consultation itself to ensure that it reaches all communities.  The consultation should include Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

·         More needs to be done on connectivity into and between main towns.  Nearly all of the money for buses seems to be going to Oxford or for services to and from Oxford.

·         Congestion on the Oxford Ring Road needs to be tackled and it was noted that much of the congestion takes place in areas experiencing deprivation.

·         Members would support moves to develop delivery hubs to reduce the number of large lorries in built-up areas.  More access control is needed to combat “rat running” by HGVs.

·         Trees have an important role to play alongside main roads to assist in air quality.

·         To assist the switch to electric vehicles there is a need to provide charging points for those who do not have a garage or driveway.

·         School transport is generally operated with older vehicles but they should not have to wait a long time for electric buses.

·         There is a need to ensure that connectivity improvements include out of town retail centres and that existing new development proposals are updated to reflect new policy priorities. 

·         Development needs to have more mixed use and to move away from large housing-only estates, looking more at place shaping, including better designed streets.

Active Travel

Eric Owens, Assistant Director, Growth and Place, gave a presentation on the latest developments and responded to Members’ questions as follows:

·         A resourcing assessment had been conducted and identified skills needs in transport planning, programme management and communications and engagement.  Business plans were being finalised.  The fact that the Department for Transport had put back the delivery deadline to March 2022 had helped with resourcing.

·         He was happy to arrange a meeting afterwards to discuss the detail around concerns with plans for Bicester.  The current scheme for Bicester was drawn from the LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walk Infrastructure Plan) and there were plans being developed to enhance the Market Square.

·         There was a process to decide the selection of bids and prioritise those with the best chance of winning funding.  With regard to Abingdon, an LCWIP was being developed which can then act as a vehicle for funding bids.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment (including Transport), thanked Members for their comments which will help to ensure that the reach in these programmes is as wide as possible.  She added that the Active Travel funds were specifically aimed at increasing access to public transport and that was why Oxford was prioritised.  There was an LCWIP for Bicester, one was being completed for Didcot and Abingdon was next on the list.

The Chairman asked that all Members be circulated with the street tags in their area to ensure that they are engaged in new developments (ACTION).  She thanked the officers for all the work that had gone into the plans and noted that the Committee should review the plans at a future date.

RESOLVED:

a)           to note progress on the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan and the timetable leading to Plan adoption set out in Annex 1,

b)           to comment on any points on the Vision Document included in Annex 1 in an addenda to be submitted along with the Cabinet report of 19^th January, when they consider the Vision Document as the basis for public consultation in February 2021.