Agenda item - Local Transport Plan

Extract from the proceedings of the Cabinet Meeting held on the 17^th March 2011, together with a report of the Strategic Director: Place (copies attached).

4.1             Councillor Davey introduced the report and stated that he welcomed the opportunity to speak as the Cabinet Member for Transport and Public Realm and to support the Local Transport Plan, which was a key strategic document.  He wished to acknowledge the work to date in bringing the plan forward and hoped that the bids to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund would prove to be successful.  However, he also wanted to ensure that there was an opportunity to debate fully the aspects of the plan and to enable a city-wide consultation and input into developing it for the benefit of the whole city.

4.2             Councillor Mitchell stated that the Labour Group supported the broad principles of the document but wanted to see an early and more detailed action plan for implementation.  She felt that there had been a 4-year transport policy vacuum which needed to be addressed so that the public had a clear understanding of what was to be delivered and by when.  She noted that the Green Group had not sought to amend the plan and would wait to see how matters were taken forward.

4.3             Councillor G Theobald welcomed the Cabinet Member’s support for the plan which had been developed by the previous administration and questioned why at budget setting the Green Group had supported the removal of £1.1m funding from the plan for other projects.  He stated that he would be watching carefully to see how the funding from Government would be spent on supporting transport projects across the city.

4.4             Councillor Davey noted the comments and stated that in reality there were aspects of the plan that everyone could support and others that there would be disagreements on.  He hoped that as part of the transport policy review it would lead to an integrated plan for the future.

4.5             The Mayor then put the recommendations to the vote which were carried.

4.6             RESOLVED: That the draft of the Local Transport Plan as detailed in appendix 3 to the report be approved.