|
Subject: |
2021/22 Local Transport Plan Capital Programme |
|||
|
Date of Meeting: |
16 March 2021 – Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee
18 March 2021 – Policy & Resources Committee |
|||
|
Report of: |
Executive Director – Economy, Environment & Culture |
|||
|
Contact Officer: |
Name: |
Andrew Renaut |
Tel: |
01273- 292477 |
|
|
Email: |
andrew.renaut@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
||
|
Ward(s) affected: |
All |
|||
FOR GENERAL RELEASE
1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND POLICY CONTEXT
1.1 The council receives capital funding each year for transport schemes through the Government’s Local Transport Plan [LTP] process. The council approved the use of this capital funding (£4.538m) for approved and new transport schemes and projects for 2021/22 on 25 February 2021 as part of the overall budget. In addition, the available funding in 2021/22 has also been increased by approximately £16.000m of additional capital funding for investment in citywide improvements to supplement the planned LTP investment. This report seeks approval of specific allocations of the £4.538m funding to particular maintenance and sustainable transport projects and programmes of work.
1.2 The LTP is a statutory document and the council’s fourth LTP [LTP4] was approved by the council in March 2015, and the development of a new LTP has begun. An LTP must consist of a long-term Strategy (2030 for Brighton & Hove), and a short-term Delivery Plan. Maintaining, managing and improving the city’s transport and highway infrastructure, which is one of the city’s largest assets with an estimated value of over £4 billion, is an essential part of the council’s investment which helps support and provide access to the many activities that are important to the city’s residents and local communities and its wider, sub-regional economic role within the Greater Brighton City Region.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee:
2.1 Recommends that Policy & Resources Committee agrees the 2021/22 Local Transport Plan capital programme budget allocation of £4.538 million, as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.
2.2 Requests that a further report be brought back to a future meeting of this committee in order to consider and agree the detailed allocation of the £3.9 million Sustainability & Carbon Reduction Investment Fund [SCRIF] budget to transport projects and programmes, as summarised in paragraphs 3.8 and 3.9 and Appendix 1 of this report.
That the Policy & Resources Committee:
2.1 Agrees the 2021/22 Local Transport Plan capital programme budget allocation of
£4.538 million, as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.
3. CONTEXT/ BACKGROUND INFORMATION
3.1 The amount of 2021/22 capital funding is initially based on Government estimates of how much investment is required in the city through its Local Transport Plan process. However, over many years, the levels of funding provided have not been sufficient to fully maintain and improve the city’s infrastructure to meet standards and demands. This has resulted in a national £11 billion backlog and the ongoing deterioration of the council’s transport network which becomes more costly to repair or replace over time.
3.2 The council’s funding is focused on maintaining and renewing the road network to a high standard; improving safety; increasing choices for some journeys by providing for, and encouraging, the use of sustainable transport; and creating a more attractive public realm. The proposed, capital programme for 2021/22 allocates funding across a number of areas including capital renewal (maintenance, including potholes); asset management; and sustainable (integrated) transport projects and programmes. It includes commitments to schemes that are already approved, ongoing programmes of works and new projects which will deliver long-term benefits to the city and its residents. The content of the programme is based on a number of factors, which include: -
· recent or past decisions made by this or other council committees, often following public consultation, to deliver transport projects and programmes;
· prioritised projects or programmes identified in investment or action plans to deliver the aims and objectives of approved council strategies or plans following public consultation;
· decisions made by committees in response to the receipt of petitions, deputations or Notices of Motion;
· engagement and discussion with The Connected City’s Transport Partnership;
· requests for improvements from ward councillors or residents which are prioritised according to need or significance, based on committee-approved policies or assessment criteria, if available; and
· technical or statistical data, surveys or evidence which indicate that a significant problem exists and requires capital investment to correct it.
3.3 Investment in short-term, reactive repairs to the transport network in response to relatively minor problems identified by officers or residents is carried out from within existing revenue budgets, which are allocated separately within each financial year via the delegated authority assigned to the Executive Director of Economy, Environment & Culture.
3.4 The capital funding secured through the LTP process and invested in its Strategy and Delivery Plan contributes towards enhancing local neighbourhoods and environments and strengthening the city’s role as a transport hub and centre for economic activity within the wider Greater Brighton City Region. Major schemes include those within the city centre, such as Valley Gardens, and the seafront, including rebuilding and regenerating the city’s historic ‘arches’ (which are highway structures supporting the promenade and A259). Recently, the council has agreed to develop a Liveable City Centre to create a safer and more attractive area for people, where motorised vehicle movement is minimised or limited to main routes, while retaining access where necessary, such as for Blue Badge holders and public transport. More localised investment in neighbourhoods includes bus stops, pedestrian crossings, cycle facilities and Rights of Way improvements.
3.5 In addition, the LTP budget has been used to help secure and deliver significant levels of capital funding from other sources for many different projects. These have included competitive, Government funding rounds, and applications to secure funding allocated to the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership [LEP] as part of the Local Growth Fund, which is the primary funding source for delivering the Valley Gardens project.
· ‘Incentive’ Funding – additional funding allocated to councils that demonstrate: approval of a highway infrastructure asset management strategy; input of stakeholders into the process; collaborative working with construction partners; standard specifications; joint contracts and collaboration with other local authorities.
· Potholes funding – additional funding for minor road surface repairs, or to prevent potholes forming.
3.7 The proposed allocation of funds set out in Appendix 1 is based on a number of factors: 1) the progress made on completing or continuing spend on 2020/21 projects and programmes; 2) previously agreed financial contributions or commitments to begin or continue projects or programmes in 2021/22; and 3) success in securing, or being allocated, additional funding from external sources e.g DfT and LEP (Local Growth Fund [LGF]).
3.8 The capital funding available in 2021/22 will also be increased by £3.900m of additional capital funding for investment in citywide transport improvements to further support the planned LTP investment. This funding is secured through borrowing based on additional raised income and is part of the council’s Sustainability & Carbon Reduction Investment Fund [SCRIF]. This fund is expected to be overseen by the council’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Member Working Group. The £3.900m sum was agreed at Budget Council on 27 February 2020 but was deferred to 2021/22 because the impacts of Covid-19 significantly affected forecast levels of additional income from parking and bus lane enforcement. This funding will be allocated across citywide transport projects and programmes which include infrastructure to expand zero emission transport; improvements to roads; filling potholes, repairing uneven pavements and other works to make cycling, walking and driving safer; improvements to cycling, bus, pedestrian and electric/hydrogen vehicle projects, to support carbon emission reduction; further investment into the bus network, introducing more bus shelters, real-time bus stops and schemes to reduce bus journey times; staff posts (funded through these capital resources) to support the increased spending on transport projects and priorities; increased tree planting, to help absorb toxic emissions and improve air quality; and support for the work and outcomes of the Climate Assembly on transport.
3.9 The inclusion of the £3.900m of SCRIF money in the LTP capital programme was considered and agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee in April 2020. The committee also noted that ‘a final decision on the allocation of £3.900m of the capital programme ……will be made at a future Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee meeting;’. Based on the proposal set out in the report on the 2030 Carbon Neutral Plan on this meeting’s agenda, it is expected that the council’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Member Working Group will consider the proposed allocation of the £3.9m in advance of the next Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee.
3.10 The content of the overall LTP programme is described briefly below, and is consistent with the principles established within the LTP4 Delivery Plan – maintaining the network, managing movement, and improving streets and infrastructure.
CAPITAL RENEWAL (MAINTENANCE) FUNDING
3.11 The proposed allocation of £2.75m of LTP funding for this area of work will also be supplemented by the Government’s Potholes funding sum of £1.455m. This area of funding is focused on maintaining links and routes and reflects the continued and growing need to renew highway infrastructure in order to ensure that it has a longer life. This minimises the need for ongoing/short-term repairs which are funded from revenue budgets. This sum is in addition to £1.722m worth of funding from other approved, council sources for the street lighting improvement programme.
3.12 The programme includes £0.5m for road re-construction. Priority consideration will continue to be given to repairing damage that has occurred to key routes to address the effects of high traffic volumes and recent episodes of winter weather conditions. Sections of roads where the surface requires immediate, major repairs or renewal will be identified based on recent surveys. A further £0.5m will help improve the condition of footways across the city, with a continued focus on well-used corridors. The programme will include the use of appropriate materials to treat tree root areas and reduce flood risk. £0.3m is also allocated to continue investment in addressing problems associated with damaged highway drainage which causes surface water flooding on roads and pavements.
3.13 Significant works to assess and strengthen highway bridges and structures across the city will also continue (requiring £1.1m) to ensure they remain in a safe condition and are fit for purpose. The investment involves the inspection, maintenance or renewal of structures which is currently focused on the seafront, in line with the principles of the council’s Seafront Investment Plan. The ‘arch’ structures support the A259 promenade and road, and the programme includes further work to assess and develop detailed designs for the next phases of the central seafront programme and works are also required at Duke’s Mound to the east. Other sites where structural work on retaining walls are planned include the Dyke Road retaining wall.
3.14 An annual allocation of £0.300m has been previously approved to assist in reducing the ongoing maintenance requirements for the £10m-plus worth of street lighting in the city, primarily funded by an ‘Invest to Save’ initiative. Ongoing surveys and condition assessments identify areas/corridors that require street lighting column replacement. The works include upgraded lighting with more efficient lanterns/lamps to help accelerate reductions in electricity and maintenance costs and achieve the city’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The programme of investment in 2021/22 is currently being planned and finalised.
3.15 The Government requires all Local Highway Authorities to identify and account for their infrastructure (often referred to as ‘assets’) by updating their Highway Asset Management Strategy, which provides a comprehensive inventory of current asset condition. (A report on this issue, entitled ‘Well Managed Highways’, is also on the agenda of this meeting). This will be continued during 2021/22 with £50,000 as it is also a requirement for securing Government funding for maintenance. This strategy is used to prepare medium and long-term programmes of works to maintain the highway to required standards. The council’s self-assessment of its progress is a ‘Band 3’ grading, which is the highest level of Government compliance and is expected to secure additional (‘incentive’) funding for works of £0.364m. This is recognition that the council’s approach is delivering value for money by carrying out cost effective improvements in local highway maintenance.
INTEGRATED (SUSTAINABLE) TRANSPORT FUNDING
3.16 The proposed allocation of almost £1.8m of LTP funding for this area of work includes increased provision for safe, sustainable and healthy forms of transport and will create more efficient movement through junctions and crossings that will help reduce congestion and/or emissions, therefore improving air quality. This total amount of funding will be focused on delivering the following key LTP objectives, and will be supplemented by the separate allocation of the £3.9m worth of money from the council’s SCRIF.
Connecting people with destinations, activities and services
3.17 Targeting transport investment in certain locations will help support the wider needs of the city and deliver a broad range of improved service outcomes. These locations can include important local facilities and/or more significant destinations that help draw people and investment to the city, by improving safety and increasing the transport options available to reach them.
3.18 The ‘School Streets’ programme will continue with a proposed investment of £50,000 in 2021/22, which will be combined with funding from other council budget allocations. Pioneered in Hackney in London, a ‘School Street’ is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. This will help improve the safety and environment around school entrances and complement other measures on routes to and from schools Other measures will assist in encouraging sustainable travel behaviour change, such as workplace and school travel planning, some of which are match-funded by businesses, and which will help support the council’s Government revenue-funded Access Fund for Sustainable Travel project.
3.19 Local parks and open spaces provide opportunities for people of all ages to improve their quality of life in terms of relaxation, fresh air or exercise. Improving access to those locations will enable them to be reached safely and sustainably, or address local perceptions of danger or severance, and therefore be used more regularly. Improving Rights of Way [RoW] in line with the statutory, approved RoW Improvement Plan will continue with £50,000 for road crossings associated with the Woodingdean to Falmer route, which is an important link between the city and the South Downs National Park.
3.20 £70,000 worth of investment is proposed in interchange facilities, where people can transfer between different forms of transport on their journey/visit. This will include investment in more secure, on-street motorcycle parking.
Improving neighbourhoods
3.21 Continued investment is required in targeted road safety engineering schemes to maximise casualty reduction, especially the number of people killed or seriously injured in collisions. £0.1m is proposed to be invested in priority locations, once data have been assessed. A review of the council’s overall approach to improving road safety and reducing road danger is planned to be undertaken this year.
3.22 Managing and reducing through traffic in local neighbourhoods can also reduce perceptions of danger and create more ‘liveable’ areas and cohesive communities. Work will begin more fully on the development of a pilot Low Traffic Neighbourhood [LTN] project in the Hanover area using other council capital funding, in order to address concerns about the impacts of traffic and the need to create a more suitable environment for active travel and community use, such as ‘Parklets’. This pilot will assist in assessing the development and introduction of LTN measures across other areas in the city.
3.23 Tackling pollution levels in the city’s six Air Quality Management Areas [AQMAs] remains a high priority. For example, a minor traffic management scheme in Rottingdean Village will continue to help reduce harmful emissions in the High Street. More strategically, the council has agreed to develop plans for an expanded and more comprehensive Ultra Low Emission Zone in the city to include the AQMAs. This will build on the initial feasibility work undertaken recently and reported to this committee. The expansion of the city’s electric vehicle charging point network will help meet the growing demands for this infrastructure by widening choice, increasing uptake and therefore reducing carbon emissions. A £50,000 allocation will help deliver more charging points and support grant funding secured from the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
Walking and cycling are the best forms of ‘zero or low carbon’ and active travel, as they provide additional personal health benefits for individuals and can help reduce pollution if they replace some car journeys. ‘Dropped’ kerbs at road crossings are important ways of increasing the mobility of local residents and visitors and increasing the attractiveness and convenience of journeys, especially over short distances. A total of £0.485m is planned to be spent specifically in these areas in 2021/22, including funding to renew the Ditchling Road off-road route surface between Hollingbury Golf Course and Stanmer Park. Other named projects within the overall capital programme will also include measures to enable and increase active and healthy travel.
Managing links and improving routes
3.24 Ensuring the efficient movement of people and vehicles across and along key transport corridors helps to keep the city moving and enable or promote regeneration. Progress will continue on developing the detailed design for Phase 3 of the Valley Gardens project between Edward Street and the A259/Palace Pier using funding secured from the LEP. Further work on the council’s Liveable City Centre proposals will also be undertaken during 2021/22.
3.25 An allocation of £0.350m is also proposed to enable further works to measures implemented as part of the council’s Active Travel Fund Tranche 1 works, including surface materials in St James’s Street and the Old Town. Continued £0.3m worth of investment in the use of ‘smart’ technology to manage the city’s transport network is planned to replace and optimise traffic signal-controlled junctions and pedestrian crossings and improve the flows of people and traffic. A prioritised programme of locations is currently being developed.
3.26 A programme of investment in improvements to address locations where buses frequently get delayed and then impact on the reliable operation of the city’s bus network will be funded with LTP money. In 2021/22, this will include £0.1m being invested in locations linked to the council’s Bus Network Review.
General allocations
3.27 Minor investment is often required for some schemes after the main construction works have been completed in the previous financial year e.g safety audits and additional remedial works, and to also allow some initial scoping and preliminary work on new or emerging schemes. Some data collection will also be undertaken to assist in monitoring and assessing the wider effects of some schemes and projects. Just over £40,000 will enable work to continue on investing funding secured from approved planning applications (referred to as ‘Section 106 contributions’) in locations across the city. This will include measures which are primarily focused on sustainable (walking, cycling and public) transport.
Future transport capital programme investment
3.28 In approving its 2021/22 budget, the council has also confirmed that it expects to receive an annual LTP capital allocation from the Government in the order of £5.0m in 2022/23 and beyond. These sums are often confirmed by the Government in various Budget announcements, and will enable the ongoing development and delivery of capital projects, programmes and initiatives in line with the council’s LTP Strategy. The final sums and their allocation will be dependent upon future funding allocations and budget decisions made by the council.
OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING
3.29 The LTP process is one of many funding sources that are used to deliver transport schemes. In addition to the £3.9m of SCRIF money, the council’s overall Budget for 2021/22, agreed last month, includes some significant sums totalling just over £1.3m, to deliver transport improvements across the city. This includes covered cycle storage, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and BikeShare fleet improvements. There are also other Government sources; in 2017 the council was successful with its £1.485m bid for the Government’s Access for Sustainable Travel Fund which supports sustainable and accessible travel projects to help overcome barriers to jobs and economic activity. This has been focused in the Sackville Road and Lewes Road corridors, and Whitehawk/Eastern Road and Portslade areas. The council has recently received an indicative allocation of a further £0.277m worth of revenue for a fifth year of this funding in 2021/22.
3.30 The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the Government making significant amounts of funding available for measures to encourage and provide for safer and greater amounts of local active travel. The funding has been provided in two tranches, including £1.9m of capital money, and the consultation on measures for Tranche 2 of this programme has just been completed.
3.31 As referred to in paragraph 3.27 of this report, investment in local transport is also secured through the planning process via legal agreements. For example, funds from the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital will fund measures within 2km of the site and the Eastern Road corridor. Other sums previously secured for improving bus stops and making pedestrian routes accessible and level will also be used in 2021/22 to continue these important work programmes across the city near development sites. A sum of £20,000 secured via the planning permission for a language school in the Old Steine will also be used as a contribution to the planned works in that location as part of the Valley Gardens Phase 3 project. From October 2020 onwards, some transport funding may also be secured through the Planning process via the Community Infrastructure Levy [CIL].
3.32 The council has also successfully secured funding for major and significant transport schemes by bidding for Local Growth Fund [LGF] money, such as the BikeShare scheme and the three phases of Valley Gardens. This funding has been administered by the LEP.
3.33 In future years, the LTP capital programme may also need to reflect new, or successful bids for, funding, when these opportunities arise. For example, new Government funding streams could result in access to significant levels of investment for transport and travel in the city and wider City Region such as the National Roads Fund for the newly established Major Road Network. The council has registered an interest in this fund via Transport for the South East for the A259 Seafront Highway Arches Renewal Programme [SHARP]. In its March 2021 Budget, the Government has also announced new investment programmes, such as the Community Renewal Fund and Levelling Up Fund. Its new UK Shared Prosperity Fund is expected next year to assist in its support of local economic growth.
4. ANALYSIS & CONSIDERATION OF ANY ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
4.1 The proposed 2021/22 LTP capital programme is consistent with the Strategy and the principles of the Delivery Plan in the current LTP, and the proposed allocation of capital investment will help contribute to meeting local transport and wider policy objectives and outcomes. The programme includes commitments to financial contributions to projects and programmes. These will have either helped secure much larger sums of capital funding from other sources for the council, or will be combined with other sums to invest in comprehensive improvements to the city’s transport network. Maintaining these commitments is essential to deliver those projects and will help support the council’s case for any similar future bids.
5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CONSULTATION
5.1 The majority of the overall level of funding available through the LTP process is the outcome of the council’s budget setting process. The development of this proposed 2021/22 programme was reported to The Connected City’s Transport Partnership on 2 March 2021, and this report has been shared with its members. Engagement and consultation also took place with the Partnership prior to the approval of the current LTP in March 2015. The ET&S Committee has also considered and approved a number of new projects and priorities to be progressed as part of the LTP capital programme/Delivery Plan since then.
5.2 As outlined in paragraph 3.2 of this report, many individual projects and programmes have been, or will be, the subject of engagement and consultation with local communities and ward councillors. Alongside the Maintenance/Renewal programme, the delivery of Integrated/Sustainable Transport schemes will be considered by the council’s Head of Traffic Management in order to minimise the potential effects of works on the overall operation and management of the city’s transport network.
5.3 Multi-agency working remains key to helping achieve improvements in service outcomes and overall performance across the city through scheme development and transport investment. Improving transport infrastructure and services ensures that the council and its partners can meet the varying needs of the city, especially at a time when achieving sustainable economic, environmental and social outcomes, through value for money investment, are high priorities. When required, all projects will be fully co-ordinated with other council schemes and works by other agencies (gas, water etc) to minimise disruption and ensure efficient use of funds.
6. CONCLUSION
6.1 The decision of the committees to consider and approve the allocation of the 2021/22 LTP capital programme funds to projects and programmes will provide a clear indication of the focus for capital investment in transport using the LTP budget, and other sources of funding such as the LGF. The overall programme is based on the relevant allocations made at Budget Council on 25 February 2021 and it will enable works to be continued or started, which will support the council’s, city’s and wider stakeholders’ objectives.
7. FINANCIAL & OTHER IMPLICATIONS:
Financial implications:
7.1 The council received confirmation from the Government on 15 February 2021 of a number of sums of capital grant funding that the council receives annually. The overall level of new funding available for 2021/22 through the LTP process was approved by Budget Council in February 2021. This report sets out the proposed use of the Government funding within the LTP capital programme, totalling £8.257m. It also includes other sources of funding secured or approved, as summarised in the table below. A fuller description and breakdown of these sums is shown in Appendix 1 of this report.
|
Capital Funding blocks/sources |
2021/22 Indicative allocations £'000s |
|
Government LTP Grant Funding |
|
|
LTP Integrated/Sustainable Transport Block |
3,083 |
|
LTP Highway Maintenance Block |
1,455 |
|
Sub-total |
4,538 |
|
Additional Government Transport Funding |
|
|
Incentive Funding [IF] - (assuming Band 3 self-assessment ranking for Highway Asset Management Strategy) |
364 |
|
Potholes funding |
1,455 |
|
Active Travel Fund – Tranche 2 grant from DfT* |
1,900 |
|
Sub-total |
3,719 |
|
GOVERNMENT SUB-TOTAL |
8,257 |
|
Additional council funding |
|
|
Council borrowing – Street lighting ‘Invest to Save’ |
1,722 |
|
Council borrowing – SCRIF** |
3,900 |
|
Covered cycle racks |
500 |
|
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods |
300 |
|
School Streets |
50 |
|
Brighton Bikeshare Replacement Programme |
467 |
|
COUNCIL SUB-TOTAL |
6,939 |
|
LEP funding |
|
|
Local Growth Fund [LGF] – Valley Gardens Phase 3 |
5,250 |
|
OTHER SUB-TOTAL |
5,250 |
|
TOTAL TRANSPORT CAPITAL FUNDING AVAILABLE (Government + Council + Other sub-totals) |
20,446 |
|
|
|
* - plus £475,200 of Government revenue funding.
** - original decision made by 27/2/20 Budget Council for 2020/21. Sum deferred to 2021/22 by P&R Committee (30/4/20) due to effects of Covid-19 on income sources.
7.2 Future years’ capital programmes will require Policy & Resources Committee approval and will be reported at future committees. Any revenue implications as a result of these schemes including financing costs from borrowing will be met from existing revenue budgets.
Finance Officer Consulted: Rob Allen Date: 26/2/2021
Legal Implications:
7.3 The LTP is a statutory requirement and was adopted by Full Council in March 2015. There are no direct legal implications associated with approving the 2021/22 LTP capital programme, which is consistent with the Strategy and the Delivery Plan set out within the LTP4. The committee has previously agreed that the £3.9m of SCRIF money will be allocated in accordance with Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which enables surpluses generated in respect of parking charges to be applied to eligible council expenditure on public transport services, road improvements and local environmental improvements. Where sums of money relate to projects which are funded by the LEP, these are subject to formal Funding Agreements. Any relevant legal implications will be considered when individual schemes are brought forward for implementation.
Lawyer Consulted: Hilary Woodward Date: 10/2/2021
Equalities Implications:
7.4 The proposed programme for 2021/22 does not require an Equalities Impact Assessment. However, in developing specific projects and programmes, the needs of those people and communities who are identified as having ‘protected characteristics’ (those against which discrimination is unlawful) as defined by the Equality Act 2010 will be prioritised from the outset, and wherever possible their needs will be incorporated into designs in order to overcome barriers to movement that may be experienced. In doing so, this will ensure that the transport network is made accessible to everybody, irrespective of any protected characteristic. The council’s newly formed Active & Inclusive Travel Forum will also assist in considering and securing appropriate changes. Improvements to local areas and strategic transport routes will enhance the provision and choice for people, especially those with mobility difficulties, or other disabilities. Road safety schemes will improve conditions for vulnerable road users.
Sustainability Implications:
7.6 The proposed overall programme of investment in highway and structural maintenance and sustainable transport and travel measures will be critical to delivering a step change in the actions that are being taken to reduce transport-related carbon emissions in the city by providing infrastructure to overcome the barriers and challenges that make it more difficult to use active and low emission travel. The programme will contribute in a number of ways, including improving road and pavement surfaces for walking and cycling; making local neighbourhoods safer and more attractive to walk and cycle to local shops; improving public transport passenger infrastructure to make it more accessible and a better alternative to the car for some journeys; and providing electric vehicle charging infrastructure to increase the uptake of low emission vehicles for those who need to drive. The development of measures recommended by the city’s Climate Assembly such as a Liveable City Centre and low traffic/pedestrianised communities also feature in the programme as measures that can address carbon emissions.
Brexit Implications
7.7 There are none.
Any Other Significant Implications:
7.8 The 2021/22 LTP capital programme helps deliver the objectives of the LTP as a strategic document for the city, and transport and travel have a significant role in supporting and helping achieve the city’s and council’s wider objectives across a number of service departments. These are set out below.
Crime & Disorder Implications:
7.9 There are no direct implications arising from the proposed 2021/22 LTP capital programme. However, the LTP4 has a particular focus on improving road safety and personal security and, wherever possible, its projects and programmes will seek to support the aims and priorities of the council’s Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy 2020-23, especially in helping to deliver measures that improve the physical environment, ensure communities are stronger, and help people feel safer. This can include work to design, improve, manage and maintain public spaces and streets so that people feel safe. The positive and active use of spaces is encouraged to ensure that crime and anti-social behaviour are discouraged.
Risk and Opportunity Management Implications:
7.10 The design of transport schemes are road safety audited to ensure they comply with current design standards. Regular monitoring and reporting throughout the year of the LTP capital programme and its projects will minimise any risk of not fully spending the approved investment programme. Maintenance and renewal of the seafront as an asset to the city is identified within the council’s Strategic Risk Register (Risk SR23 - Unable to develop and deliver an effective Regeneration and Investment Strategy for the Seafront and ensure effective maintenance of the seafront infrastructure) because it includes the transport routes and highway structures that are part of its character and physically support parts of it. Investment in the Seafront therefore forms part of the proposed 2021/22 capital programme. Investment in scheduled maintenance of roads, pavements and cycle routes provides safer infrastructure for all users and reduces the need for expensive reactive repairs.
Public Health Implications:
7.11 Transport and travel are critical to delivering the city’s public health objectives as they contribute significantly to some of today‘s greatest challenges to public health, including road traffic injuries, physical inactivity, the adverse effect of traffic on social cohesiveness and the impact on outdoor air and noise pollution. Improving people’s and communities’ health and well-being is a key objective of the LTP4, and the LTP capital programme allows continued investment in transport improvements that provide for and promote active travel, such as walking and cycling. This investment also helps to improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions therefore delivering objectives and actions set out in the council’s Air Quality Action Plan, such as providing for electric vehicles and enabling greater use of alternatives to the car for some journeys. Creating less dangerous and more attractive environments, such as road safety and public realm schemes, will improve individual and community health and quality of life.
Corporate / Citywide Implications:
7.12 The LTP includes principles and objectives that will help support the city’s long-term planned economic growth, social development and environmental enhancement. The annual LTP capital programme plays an important role in delivering the council’s Corporate Plan 2020-23; the City Plan Part 1 (especially Policy CP9 on Sustainable Transport) and Part 2 policies and the schemes/projects identified within its associated Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Some measures will also complement those introduced to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on transport and travel by increasing levels of active travel.
7.13 The LTP capital programme will support the current and emerging priorities and policies of the council, city, and other partners and stakeholders which are set out in other strategies, policy documents or statements such as the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan ‘Gatwick 360’; the Greater Brighton City Region Inward Investment and Trade Strategy and 5-year Strategic Priorities; and the outcomes set out in the 2014-2019 South Downs National Park Partnership Management Plan. The council is also playing an important role within the wider region by its participation in the Shadow Partnership Board and officer groups that are part of the Sub-national Transport Body known as Transport for the South East [TfSE]. This has helped to shape the region’s Transport Strategy, and seek powers to set investment plans for roads and railways, reduce emissions, improve air quality and make travelling simpler and easier which will allow it to transform travel, boost the economy and protect the environment.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendices:
1. Proposed 2021/22 LTP capital programme allocations
Background Documents
1. Report to Budget Council (General fund revenue budget, council tax, capital & treasury management strategy 2020/21) – February 2021
2. Report to Budget Council (General fund revenue budget, council tax, capital & treasury management strategy 2020/21) - February 2020
3. Report to Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee Urgency Sub-committee (2020/21 LTP capital programme) – March 2020
4. Report to Policy & Resources Committee (2020/21 LTP capital programme) – April 2020
5. Brighton & Hove City Council’s Fourth Local Transport Plan [LTP4] – March 2015