Issue - meetings

ORDERED that:

1.    That the Highway Infrastructure Delivery Plan be amended to include references to motorcycles where appropriate.

2.    Executive approve the updated Highway Infrastructure Delivery Plan and endorses seeking funding to expedite the requirements.

The Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability submitted a report for Executive’s consideration the purpose of which was is to update the Highway Infrastructure Delivery Plan which had been aligned with updated traffic modelling, transport policy and government strategy.

The Plan would support the wider economic growth of Middlesbrough and the pursuit of external funding to enable timely delivery.

Transport modelling had been undertaken on the Council’s Highway to identify current and predicted demand associated with housing and economic growth up to the year 2040. The model had identified locations that required improvements to off-set the impact of increased demand.

Vehicular infrastructure improvements alone would not be sufficient to off-set the anticipated growth. Alternate modes of travel needed to be considered and provided for as part of a modal shift toward more sustainable transport (walking, cycling and public transport). This would be crucial in terms of re-addressing the imbalance and dominance of the private car as a mode of travel, supporting the green agenda, and improving physical activity.

The plan would allow the Council to seek funding from external sources to deliver the improvements.

A Member queried why motorcycles were not specifically mentioned in the plan. It was agreed the plan be amended to make specific reference to motorcycles where appropriate.

A Member asked why motorcycles were not specified as part of the Plan. The Mayor suggested that the Plan be amended to make references to motorcycles, where appropriate.

ORDERED that:

1.    The Highway Infrastructure Delivery Plan be amended to include references to motorcycles where appropriate.

2.    Executive approve the updated Highway Infrastructure Delivery Plan and endorses seeking funding to expedite the requirements.

OPTIONS

Do nothing. If the Council did not approve and endorse the updated plan, this would have resulted in a significant challenge to delivering future infrastructure projects or seeking required funding, due to an approved strategy not being in place.

Not having an approved strategy in place could indicate that the Council had not considered mitigation measures to support new transport and housing schemes across the town. This would result in a disjointed approach between local, regional and national approaches to facilitate economic growth; presenting a weaker methodology for seeking funding from future external funding sources.

REASONS

The approval would reference the required infrastructure changes to ensure the Council’s transport network was fit for purpose, while acknowledging the anticipated demand placed upon it due to ambitious economic and housing growth of the town.

This would support the wider economic growth of Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley, with the pursuit of external funding to enable successful delivery.