Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009
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Manchester City Council Item 7, Appendix 4 Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009 Transport Services Business Plan 2009/10-2011/12 MASTER DRAFT – 22 nd December 2008 Final Version 238 Manchester City Council Item 7, Appendix 4 Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009 Foreword The agenda for 2009/10 and beyond in transport is undoubtedly one that creates opportunities – opportunities that the ambitious Transport Services teams are keen to embrace. The TIF bid, Local Transport Bill, Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement and, the creation of our new Local Development Framework, all create an environment in which Transport Services must reformulate its approach. The City Council has a key role to play in seizing these opportunities and turning them to the advantage of the individuals, communities and businesses in Manchester – in other words to deliver the aims of the Community Strategy. The opportunities that Manchester must seize on relate to: • better delivery to customers of transport services • better planning and resourcing of future transport • the opportunity to better capitalise on the chance to take more control of decision-making in transport. Better service delivery to customers At the centre of improving service to customers across the community is the outcome of the work of the Highways Service Improvement Project. This project brings with it both a series of efficiency savings that are incorporated into this plan and a better focus on the customer and customer service. Members of the public, as well as Councillors and internal clients will, from March 2009, have a single point of contact when dealing with a host of highways issues ranging from roads maintenance to promoting new works. The new customer-focussed team will be complemented by new client and network operations and works delivery functions which will be developed in 2009/10. The aim is to continue to develop the newly established joined-up service for all highway matters leading to better management and investment decisions in relation to the way that Manchester’s highway assets contribute to the Council’s Community Strategy. Delivery of the Local Transport Plan 2 (2006/07 – 2011/12) is at the heart of much of the work of the transport services team. An annual survey is carried out to review whether Manchester is on track in delivering against this plan – this year’s review, which is nearing completion, suggests the following priorities for 2009/10: • Building on the success of recent years, further reducing the number of casualties and fatalities associated with road traffic incidents. This links to the Community Strategy and Corporate Plan priorities and in particular travel planning work and the implementation of the ‘safe routes to school’ programme • Continuing to support a range of measures, which encourage a higher proportion of journeys to be made by public transport, on foot or by bike. Whilst this has an obvious impact on road congestion it also has a major 239 Manchester City Council Item 7, Appendix 4 Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009 impact on the environment – and takes its place in the “greening the city” agenda. • Supporting physical improvements to local centres and neighbourhoods – enhancing the sense of community well-being and cohesiveness that is a key theme in the Community Strategy • Improving the way in which we monitor against plan delivery and set in place remedial actions where we are falling short of our targets. The introduction of the Neighbourhood Funding Strategy has highlighted that the local demand for Highway Services exceeds the resources available to maintain local road, footway and alleyway surfaces, including drainage, and to provide local traffic calming, pedestrian crossings and on-street residential parking as well as to improve the open spaces and provide street trees. A review of funding priorities and sources is a high priority for 2009. Finally, much of the delivery of transport in Manchester depends on skilled partnership working between the city and other bodies – both in the public and private sector. These partners include: the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities; Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority; local schools and businesses; regional bodies; Manchester Airport Group; and bus and rail operating companies. These core skills of partnership working need to be honed across the Transport Services teams. It is relevant to this business plan that in a number of cases this partnership working brings with it substantial third party incomes to the Transport Services team. Better planning and resourcing of transport At the end of July 2007 the Greater Manchester Authorities submitted a bid to the Government’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). The bid was for a package of around £3bn of transport investment coupled with the introduction of a peak hour congestion-charging scheme. Following the outcome of the referendum, AGMA decided not to proceed with the TIF bid and work will now need to be put in place to examine other ways of funding the transport investment required to maintain the economic competitiveness of the city- region. A major area of work for the transport team is the Regional Centre Transport Strategy (RCTS). The need for the RCTS is to support the Council’s ambition for Manchester to become a world-class city, supported by a world-class transport system. The Strategy will support the creation of new public squares and other public realm improvements, making it a safer, more attractive city centre for pedestrians and cyclists, whilst maintaining essential accessibility for city centre businesses and residents, together with meeting the additional public transport capacity demand created by policies to switch commuter journey’s from car to public transport. These themes also relate very strongly to imperatives in the Community Strategy around Manchester residents feeling a sense of connection to their neighbourhoods and their city. Looking forward, it is also important that the work of the Transport Policy Unit can be focussed on meeting the aspirations of the Community Strategy/LAA 240 Manchester City Council Item 7, Appendix 4 Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009 and Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF), to ensure that transport plays a key role in tackling social exclusion and deprivation. One of the key objectives of WNF is to reduce the barriers that poor understanding of transport options can present to those seeking to overcome the trap of worklessness. Finally, in planning for the future the transport teams need to strengthen the linkages between transport planning and the development of the City’s physical and social fabric. Transport leads in the city must play their part in the development of the Greater Manchester Strategic Plan – a plan that must also set out an agenda for Greater Manchester taking more control of its destiny. In the city itself it is vital that the Planning and Transport teams work more closely together in the development of the Local Development Framework. Likewise there is a need to ensure that transport plays its role in the implementation of the Community Strategy – through the Manchester Partnership, the newly inaugurated Economic Development Board, and the Transport Thematic Partnership. There is an opportunity through all of this work to better connect transport to the needs of businesses, communities, and the health, education and training sectors. More control of transport decision-making The Local Transport Act creates an opportunity for Greater Manchester to review the way in which it makes decisions around transport. The Act contains proposals to give local authorities a greater say in the way that local bus services are provided and sets out a process for reforming the way by which local transport services are delivered in the major city regions. A pre- requisite for making such changes is gaining the confidence of the Secretary of State for Transport – as any new arrangements must be approved by him/her. A well functioning Transport Services team, pushing the boundaries of what might otherwise be interpreted as a narrow remit, is key to gaining this confidence in order that Manchester is best served in future. Changes required in Transport Services The business plan makes a case for filling most of the small number of existing vacancies within the Transport Policy Unit in order to deliver Manchester’s key priorities around Metrolink Phase 3a, the RCTS, including the remodelling of Piccadilly Gardens, City Crossing consultation and addressing worklessness. This move will inevitably create a modest budget pressure but it is essential if we are to cope with the significant external pressures (see section 1.2 below). …………………………… …………………………… ……………………………… Stephen Clark Chris Barber Councillor Richard Cowell Head of Transport Head of Highway Services Executive Member for Environment 241 Manchester City Council Item 7, Appendix 4 Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009 CONTENTS Page Foreword Section 1 Business Analysis 1.1 Introduction to the Business 6 1.2 Key Drivers for Change 7 1.3 Contribution to the Corporate Plan 9 1.4 Strategic Risk Analysis 21 1.5 Customer and Neighbourhood Analysis 23 1.6 Performance Analysis 26 1.7 Value for Money Analysis 28 1.8 Work Force Analysis 31 1.9 Financial Drivers 33 1.10 Partnerships, Key Linkages and Cross Cutting Issues 35 1.11 Business Continuity 35 Section 2 Business Objectives and Performances Measures 36 Section 3 Operational Plans 3.1 Business Financial Plan 46 3.2 Business Work Force Plan 54 3.3 Business Risk Register 62 Appendix A 65 242 Manchester City Council Item 7, Appendix 4 Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee 6 January 2009 Section 1: Business Analysis 1.1 Introduction To The Business Our VISION for our service is: To achieve a world class transport network that allows all residents, businesses and visitors to access economic, learning and recreational opportunities across the city in a manner that is environmentally- friendly, safe and affordable.