Issue - items at meetings - 2020/21 Local Transport Plan Capital Programme

Report of the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture

That the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee Urgency Sub-Committee:

1)             Recommends that Policy & Resources Committee agrees the 2020/21 Local Transport Plan capital programme budget allocation of £8.658 million, as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.

2.1          The Urgency Sub-Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture that requested recommendation to the Policy & Resources Committee of the 2020/21 Local Transport Plan (LTP) capital programme budget of £8.658 million to projects and programmes.

2.2          Councillor West noted that the All-Party Working Group on cycling recommended that Highway Authorities spend approximately £20 per person on cycling improvements every year. The proposal in the report recommended just over £1 per person in Brighton & Hove and was therefore some way off that recommendation and was not sufficient to tackle the health crisis and take action on climate change. Councillor West noted the additional £3.9m capital funding for transport expenditure identified by a Green Group amendment passed at Budget Council and he believed it vital that there be democratic oversight and input as to how that funding was allocated. Councillor West noted that it was critical that funding be invested where it would best benefit meeting carbon neutrality targets and the work of the Climate Assembly and Local Cycling Walking Infrastructure Plan needed to feed into those decisions. Councillor West expressed his opinion that the Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Investment Fund Member Oversight Group (SCRIF MOG) should steer the committee on the allocations proposed at paragraph 3.8.

2.3          The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture confirmed that SCRIF MOG would steer the allocations in line with the objectives identified at paragraph 3.8 and those allocations would be submitted to the committee to decide upon.

2.4          Councillor Wares asked for confirmation that the high-risk road safety sites identified would be in addition to the eleven sites agreed by the committee in 2016 and asked if site priority would remain the same. Councillor Wares noted that £180,000 was allocated to freestanding pedestrian crossing sites and asked where these sites specifically were. Councillor Wares noted that the Bikeshare report listed separately on the agenda referred to an investment from the LTP and asked where this investment would be made as it was not clear within the report. In addition, Councillor Wares noted that this was now the third year in succession that the LTP had been used to fund the overspend on the redevelopment of Shelter Hall and asked if that repayment could be restructured to boost the overall LTP budget figure given it was an internal borrowing debt.

2.5          The Head of Transport Policy & Strategy explained that priority schemes previously agreed by the committee would be continued and met within the LTP budget. Road safety and collision sites were reviewed on an annual basis using the most up to date information and data and the programme for specific use of the allocation of £173,000 was still being drawn up by council officers. In relation to pedestrian crossing prioritisation, the primary scheme that was intended to be taken forward was improvements adjacent to Hove Station, a site that was currently in the top ten pedestrian crossing priority sites list with the remaining sum to be used to supplement improvements at the junction of Hangleton Link Road and Hangleton Lane following developments in the nearby school. In relation to payments for the Shelter Hall projects, the Assistant Director, City Transport clarified that the project was nearing an end and this year’s payment would be the final one made from the LTP. In answer to the query raised in relation to the Bikeshare scheme, the Head of Transport Policy & Strategy explained that this related to two amendments passed at Budget Council to consider feasibility and options for expansion of the scheme and would be revenue not capital funding.

2.6          Councillor Wares explained that in relation to the Shelter Hall repayments, his question specifically concerned whether the £1m payment to reserves could be restructured to release in-year expenditure for the LTP.

2.7          The Assistant Director, City Transport explained that the repayment terms reflected decisions previously made however, the feasibility of restructuring would be taken up with the council’s finance officers.

2.8          Councillor Wares expressed his concern regarding the response provided on high-risk road safety sites as it appeared that projects previously agreed by committee were being shifted from one year to the next without being completed and restating financial commitments to decisions made in 2016. Councillor Wares added that the report should have been clear that a decision on location for pedestrian crossing improvements had been made.

2.9          The Head of Transport Policy & Strategy stated that it may be useful to hold a briefing with Members for officers to go through road safety schemes and the differences and changes that had occurred since 2016. 

2.10      Councillor West stated that Hove Station Footbridge required a proper proposal for replacement or other solution as using capital funding to prop up the structure was not sustainable. Councillor West noted that he was aware that £900,000 of damage was caused by pavement parking every year. It was therefore very likely that the proposed £600,000 capital allocation would be for repairing damage and not for improvement or new pedestrian facilities. Returning to the SCRIF MOG, Councillor West stated that the new investment meant that the Group’s terms of reference required revising and updating. Councillor West stated that the target for carbon neutrality by 2030 would very likely need community ownership and community initiatives in working with the council and it was important for those groups to be able to access funding from the council.

2.11      The Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture explained that the LTP was capital funding and therefore could only be used for capital projects as set out in Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

2.12      RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND-

That the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee Urgency Sub-Committee:

1)             Recommends that Policy & Resources Committee agrees the 2020/21 Local Transport Plan capital programme budget allocation of £8.658 million, as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.