Agenda item
Gloucestershire Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee Update
To receive an update from the Council’s representative on matters considered at the last meeting.
Minutes:
56.1 The Chair indicated that he had chaired the last meeting of the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee - a joint meeting with the Gloucestershire Environment Scrutiny Committee - which the Council’s representative had been unable to attend. The meeting had focused on Gloucestershire’s Local Transport Plan Review and the presentation had been circulated to the Committee. He intended to briefly outline the issues that had been raised and to take any questions arising.
56.2 The presentation at the joint meeting had covered the following key points:
· Local Transport Plan Vision and Objectives – Support sustainable economic growth; conserve the environment; enable community connectivity; and improve community health and wellbeing.
· Objectives – Consider national, regional, county and local priorities and policies that have changed during the plan period; strengthen climate change agenda; reflect adopted local plans and their infrastructure requirements; look toward a new time horizon to 2041 to discuss future transport technologies and likely growth scenarios; and link to the newly introduced cycling and walking infrastructure plans.
· Shaping the Way to 2041 – Challenges: economic prosperity and the need for improved connectivity; inclusion; changes in attitude and consumer behaviour; innovation. Opportunities: better integration of all modes; SMART places and innovation; new vehicle technologies; shared mobility.
· Public and Community Transport – transport interchange hubs; three tiered bus stations; bus priority; total transport; Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) bus lanes.
· Cycle Policy – Strengthen Gloucestershire’s cycle network - £50m investment to connect Cotswolds to Tewkesbury and sub-routes once main routes in place; follow green infrastructure principles.
· Freight and Highways – Freight: Gloucestershire’s freight network; advisory freight route map; journey routing information; low carbon and ULEV. Highways: document review; movement of certain policies into more appropriate document e.g. overarching strategy, public and community transport and walking policy document; £150m investment in the highway network.
· Rail – Rail connectivity long term aims – including Ashchurch for Tewkesbury – upgrade offer and connectivity.
· Scheme Prioritisation – Move away from short/long term time periods for scheme delivery to new categorisation developed by a scale of impact indicator to provide objective classifications. Strategic scheme priorities less than £20m; major scheme priorities £5m-£20m; local scheme priorities £200,000-£5m; countywide scheme priorities – non-place specific, revenue projects.
56.3 A Member questioned how they could comment on the proposals and put forward suggestions as he was under pressure from residents in Shurdington to get the proposal for a bypass reconsidered. The Chair advised that there would be public consultation and suggested that it might be possible to invite the County Council to give a short presentation to Members - he would also be happy to feedback on specific issues. The Deputy Chief Executive felt that it would be prudent to wait to see exactly what the consultation was on, and whether it would be appropriate to comment on particular issues such as Shurdington, in order not to raise expectations. A Member welcomed the planned improvements to cycle networks but felt there was more to be done within smaller areas, i.e. between housing estates, and the Chair indicated there would be a second tranche but it was hoped that new developments would not have the same problems as older ones.
56.4 Members generally felt that the plan was very positive and looked forward to seeing how it progressed. It was subsequently
RESOLVED That the update from the joint meeting of the Gloucestershire Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Committees be NOTED.