Agenda item

The Transport and Infrastructure Manager and Infrastructure Programme Manager will be in attendance to provide an overview of the Middlesbrough Local Implementation Plan (LIP) and the plans for public consultation.

 

Recommendation: for Panel to determine whether further information is required.

The Transport and Infrastructure Manager and Infrastructure Programme Manager provided an overview of the Middlesbrough Local Implementation Plan (LIP) and the plans for public consultation.

 

The Local Implementation Plan was formerly the local transport plan and set out how the Council would implement its transport and infrastructure programme at a local level.  The Tees Valley Combined Authority’s (TVCA) Strategic Transport Plan had received formal approval and all five Local Authorities would be following that plan to ensure that their LIP dovetailed into the hierarchy of the wider TVCA Plan.

 

The LIP was a statutory requirement for all Highways Authorities to complete and set out the Council’s transport ambitions, objectives and goals.  It improved the changes of securing future funding from external sources including the Department for Transport (DfT) and the TVCA.  The Council engaged stakeholders to shape its transport policy.

 

The TVCA’s Strategic Transport Plan was an investment plan for different travel modes and how they helped deliver the key outcomes for the region.  The LIP would do the same but on a local level and the key drivers were:

 

• The Mayors Vision.
• Investment Prospectus.
• Housing Local Plan.
• Network Management Duty – to make sure a suitable transport network was delivered.
• Transport Asset Management Plan – to ensure assets were maintained with the funding available.
• Medium Term Financial Plan.

 

The key components of the LIP focussed on:

 

·         Reducing the number and severity of casualties on the Borough’s highway network.

·         Minimising congestion and managing traffic flow on the highway     network.

·         Improving highway network reliability and resilience.

·         Improving local air quality.

·         Removing transport as a barrier to accessing jobs, education and   training, leisure and retail opportunities.

·         Providing targeted interventions and measures to assist mode shift and allow highway users to make informed travel choices.

 

A hierarchy of need had been identified to help with a change in behaviour or modal shift, to encourage people to use cars less.  Improvements would be made to encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport.  Roads would be used in the best way possible to make improvements for freight and goods, which in turn would improve the local economy and help local businesses to succeed.  It had been identified that building more roads was not sustainable as this would induce further demand.  If road building continued people would use cars all the time and this would not help the aims and objectives of the Council in terms of the green agenda to be met.  There was also a desire to get people as physically active as possible.

 

Traffic congestion was one of the major causes of economic decline, as the movement of people and goods was disrupted.  Building more vehicular infrastructure for cars was not sustainable and only achievable at the expense of public space.  This did not mean that vehicular improvements would stop, but ensure a more holistic approach was adopted for everyone.

 

All schemes would consider highway users in a priority order to ensure that sustainability was ingrained in projects to ensure that the Council would:

 

·         Meet sustainability targets.

·         Meet road safety targets.

·         Meet economic growth targets.

·         Improve accessibility for all.

·         Help behavioural change.

 

There were nine outcomes outlined in the LIP:

 

-       Reduction in the incidence of accidents.

-       Minimal congestion and managed traffic flow.

-       Improved network reliability and resilience.

-       Increased public transport patronage.

-       Ensuring that that the highway network was fit for purpose and there were no structural failures.

-       Improved local air quality.

-       More accessible transport network.

-       Fewer people unemployed.

-       More businesses registered in Middlesbrough.

 

The ambition was to use transport to try and offset some of the impacts of these agendas and the outcomes that the Council was trying to achieve.  The outcomes of the LIP would be monitored over the short, medium and long term.

 

Following Executive approval, the LIP would follow a similar six week consultation process to the TVCA Strategic Transport Plan consultation.  It would predominantly be online due to restrictions currently in place as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.  A questionnaire was being developed which would be circulated to all statutory consultees, community councils and other regular channels of engagement.  Copies of the LIP would be available in public buildings and there would be opportunities for people to call in or discuss via telephone.  There was also potential to host drop in sessions if the pandemic restrictions were lifted.  This would give people the opportunity to help shape transport policy.  The results of the consultation would be presented to the Executive with recommendations and the final LIP would then be published.

 

The significant drop in the number of bus services was highlighted and it was noted that government had recently announced £3 million funding to improve bus usage.  It was confirmed that the Transport and Infrastructure Group, on which all five Local Authorities were represented, had agreed that the best way to access the funding was to apply as a Strategic Transport Authority.  The Quality Bus Partnership in Middlesbrough would also be refreshed.

 

Investment was planned for cycle routes over the next few years and the Council was working with consultants on mobility corridors.  This would look at how improvements could be made for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists along key transport corridors and throughout the town.  Key junctions would be identified to make improvements to connect everything more efficiently.

 

A suggestion was made that the Council should consider low traffic neighbourhoods, in line with the LIP’s hierarchy of need which put pedestrians first.  Careful consideration would need to be given as to where the traffic would re-route to avoid further congestion.

 

It was also highlighted that buses and trains need to be connected by transport hubs and ensure that trains were available that would take cycles.

 

The Chair thanked the Officers for their attendance.

 

AGREED that the information provided was received and noted.