22 October 2007

CSS WELCOMES CONSULTATION ON NEXT STEPS FOR LOCAL TRANSPORT PLANNING

The Government’s consultation on Local Transport Planning: The Next Steps which sets out the proposals for LTP progress reporting in 2008, highways capital maintenance funding distribution, and changes to the legislative basis of LTPs arising from the draft Local Transport Bill, has been broadly welcomed by CSS.

Graeme Fitton, Chairman of the CSS Transport Committee, said he was pleased to see that the input provided by CSS in the development of the proposals for LTP reporting in 2008 had been taken on board in the consultation document. He also commented that the regional seminars that were organised prior to the publication of the consultation document had proved successful in engaging CSS and other stakeholders in the process.

“The flexibility offered through the revised reporting process is a positive step towards recognising that the characteristics and problems faced by Transport Authorities are diverse and complex. This continues the approach established by the reporting requirements for the LTP1 Delivery Report last year.”

In its response to the consultation, CSS has raised a number of issues regarding the integration of LTPs into the Local Area Agreement process.

Graeme Fitton said: “The proposal to monitor certain LTP indicators as part of the LAA process is broadly welcomed. Care however must be taken to ensure that the choice of indicators to be monitored in the LAA basket reflect the diversity of transport issues which different local authorities are trying to address through their Local Transport Plan and that we don’t lose sight of those indicators not in the basket. One of the key challenges of integrating transport into the LAA process will be to ensure that funding for transport is maintained and that in meeting local priorities, strategic targets are not compromised.”

In relation to the proposals for the distribution of highways capital maintenance funding for the last three years of the five year LTP period, CSS is supportive of the suggested way forward. In its response, CSS highlighted that a major problem with maintenance funding in the recent past is that it has tended to 'penalise' authorities who were successfully maintaining their highway network. The present proposals, particularly in relation to the unclassified road network, are considered to go a long way towards removing this concern.

Full support is given to the proposal to prepare a third round of Local Transport Plans. CSS would not however wish to see the LTP subsumed into the LAA process, where it is felt the profile of transport will inevitably be lost.

CSS consider that it is vital that draft guidance on LTP3 be published by DfT no later than 2008/09 to allow Transport Authorities to prepare meaningful and locally supported Plans by either July 2010 or March 2011.

The proposals for legislative change in relation to the wording of the requirement to prepare an LTP, the more flexible approach to prepare a Plan every five years, and the proposed repealing of the requirement to produce a separate Bus Strategy are all supported by CSS.

ends

Media contact

Barrie Hedges, Daybreak Communications office 0845 644 3845; mobile 07899 923756; barrie.hedges@daybreakcomm.co.uk

Notes to editors

• CSS represents local authority chief officers who manage some of the most pressing issues facing the UK today. Membership is drawn from all four corners of the United Kingdom with members responsible for three-quarters of the road network, two thirds of the land area and just under half of the population of England and Wales.  Operating at the strategic tier of local government, they are closely involved in crucial transport, waste management, environment, planning, energy and economic development issues.
• The 82 second local transport plans for transport authorities in England (outside London), which cover the period up to 2010/11, are now being delivered. DfT has consulted on proposals for a number of issues associated with the operation of the second local transport plans that were not dealt with in the 2006 LTP capital settlement issued in December 2006. The consultation document has also looked at how the local transport plan framework might be developed for the period beyond 2010/11.
• The three main issues covered in the consultation were:
• LTP Progress reporting due in 2008;
• The basis of the forthcoming distribution of the highways capital maintenance funding for the last three years of the five year LTP period; and
• The opportunity provided by the draft Local Transport Bill to make changes to the legislative basis of local transport plans.

• The Government proposes to finalise its guidance about progress reporting following the consultation, and is intending to publish guidance on LTP reporting in 2008 towards the end of the year.
• The highways maintenance block capital allocations for each local authority for the three years 2008/09 to 2010/11 will be announced towards the end of 2007 following the consultation.Possible changes to the legislation related to local transport plans will be included in the Local Transport Bill.
• DfT expects to consult further about future local transport planning in 2008, so that authorities have ample time to implement any changes before the second plan period ends in Spring 2011.