Agenda item

The Committee will receive a report on current work underway to develop schemes to improve the road network and encourage sustainable transport. The report also explains how the transport planning and town planning functions work together to secure the future transport network needs of Buckinghamshire.

Contributors:

Cllr Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport

Richard Lumley, Service Director for Strategic Transport & Infrastructure

Joan Hancox, Head of Transport Strategy

Rebecca Dengler-Jones, Growth and Development Strategy Manager

The Chairman invited the Cabinet Member, Councillor Steve Broadbent, to introduce the report. The Cabinet Member’s presentation highlighted the following:-

·       The scheme intended to support the council’s corporate priorities:

o   Increasing prosperity

o   Improving our environment

·       The ‘Predict and Provide’ methodology was used in transport planning. The policy framework included the Local Transport Plan (2016), the recent Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy and local plans.

·       Suggestions of Highways improvements and sustainable transport schemes from Members were considered but needed to be prioritized.

·       Funding for Highways improvements and sustainable transport schemes came from different sources including Section 106 contributions, developers delivering Section 278 schemes and external grants (such as Department for Transport). £6.66m had recently been secured via external funding sources and the schemes these had been allocated towards were outlined. 

·       The outcome of the bid for Active Travel Fund Tranche 3 was expected later this month.

·       Trinity Road ‘quietway’ in Marlow had been introduced during the pandemic and was planned to become permanent. The quietway had seen a 25% increase in cycling and a 30% increase in pedestrian usage.

·       The Waddesdon Greenway was a good example of rural active travel. The scheme connected Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Waddesdon Manor. This had been funded externally and also had received funding for 10 years of maintenance. Subject to funding, there were proposals to connect the Greenway to Westcott Venture Park.

·       The Ivinghoe Freight Zone had recently finished statutory consultation. The results were being assessed with a view to the scheme being implemented later in 2022 (pending final decision).

·       Feasibility work was being carried out to incorporate active travel options on a disused rail line to create a Greenway between High Wycombe and Bourne End.

·       The Department for Transport had awarded Rural Mobility Funds towards Demand Responsive Travel schemes. The two pilots, in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, sought to link communities outside the town centres. Service contracts needed to be tendered and it was expected the pilots would start summer 2022 and last several years.

·       The strategic aspiration was to connect the length of Buckinghamshire with a greenway spine. This would then link with other schemes such as the Emerald Way proposal which was currently under consultation. The team also worked with neighbouring local authorities to connect active travel schemes across council boundaries.

·       The service also worked across portfolios such as Planning, Environment and Climate Change.

·       The current Local Travel Plan (LTP) 4 was six years old and work was now underway to develop LTP5.

The following points were made during the Committee discussion:-

·       Members requested timescales of known schemes. These would be appended to the minutes.

ACTION: Rebecca Dengler-Jones/Chris Ward

·       Buses on the DfT Rural Scheme were likely to be hybrid.

·       The Waddesdon Greenway had the support of local Members and Parishes, and the proposal to extend this to Westcott would be well received. The Cabinet Member assured this was being actively pursued. 

·       The service was commended for receiving the Rural Mobility Fund and it was hoped lessons learnt from this would assist other rural services. One Member recommended reflecting on the experience of Milton Keynes who had developed an on-demand service. The Cabinet Member was aware of this and as the pilots would run over 3-4 years, expected them to evolve over time to reflect learnings. The pilots expected to supplement public transport options rather than compete with bus operators.

·       Local issues such as non-strategic junction improvements needed to be managed, for example by inclusion within LTP5.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member for the report and thanked the officers for their work.