Board Meeting 14th June 2021 11.00am to 12.30pm Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams AGENDA 1. Introductions and Apologies • Welcome to New Members 2. Minutes & Actions of Board Meeting 15th March 2021* • Joint IRP Letter* 3. Williams - Shapps Rail Plan: Great British Railways* • Presentation • Key Issues for TfEM 4. East Midlands Rail Collaboration • Report of the Head of Rail Improvement* • Update from East Midlands Railway 5. Strategic Transport Investment in the East Midlands 2020-30* • Presentation by Highway Agency Strategy & Planning Team 6. Department for Transport Update • Integrated Rail Plan • Transport Decarbonisation Plan • Union Connectivity Review 7. Any Other Business 8. Dates of Future Meetings: • 14th September 2021, 2.00pm to 3.30pm • 6th December 2021, 10.00am to 11.30am *Paper enclosed TfEM Terms of Reference • To provide collective leadership on strategic transport issues for the East Midlands. • To develop and agree strategic transport investment priorities. • To provide collective East Midlands input into Midlands Connect (and other relevant sub- national bodies), the Department for Transport and its delivery bodies, and the work of the National Infrastructure Commission. • To monitor the delivery of strategic transport investment within the East Midlands, and to highlight any concerns to the relevant delivery bodies, the Department for Transport and where necessary the EMC Executive Board. • To provide regular activity updates to Leaders through the EMC Executive Board. TfEM Membership TfEM will comprise elected members nominated by the LTAs - to be determined by each authority but with an expectation it would the relevant portfolio holder. Senior representatives of the Department for Transport, Highways England and Network Rail will be invited to attend as ex-officio members Item 2 Board Meeting 15th March 2021 11.00am to 12.30pm Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams Minutes Present: Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby (Chair) Leicester City Council Councillor Richard Davies (Vice Chair) Lincolnshire County Council Councillor Kay Cutts MBE Nottinghamshire County Council Councillor Simon Spencer Derbyshire County Council Councillor Chris Poulter Derby City Council Councillor Oliver Hemsley Rutland County Council Councillor Nick Rushton Leicestershire County Council Ioan Reed-Aspley East Midlands Airport In attendance: Andrew L Smith Leicester City Council Andy Gutherson Lincolnshire County Council Chris Carter Nottingham City Council Adrian Smith Nottinghamshire County Council Tim Gregory Derbyshire County Council Jim Seymour Derbyshire County Council Richard Mann Midlands Connect Louise Clare Department for Transport Simon Came Highways England Eli Wong Highways England Andrew Commons EMR Laura Etheridge EMR Andrew Pritchard East Midlands Councils Kyle Butterworth East Midlands Councils Apologies: Councillor Rebecca Langton Nottingham City Council Clare James East Midlands Airport 1 ACTION 1. Introductions and Apologies 1.1 Apologies noted as above. 2. Notes of last meeting 14th December 2020 2.1 Andrew Pritchard highlighted three TfEM submissions made following the last Board meeting and included within the papers. • Union Connectivity Review Call for Evidence TfEM Submission • 2021 Budget TfEM Submission • Newark Northern Bypass Public Consultation TfEM Response 2.2 Andrew Pritchard also highlighted the Union Connectivity Review Interim Report published on the 10th March by Sir Peter Hendy. The Interim report proposes the establishment of a UK version of the EU TEN-T network and highlighted connectivity to Scotland via HS2/ECML and the A1 – albeit primarily the sections north of Newcastle. The final report is due to be published in summer 2021. 3. Budget 2021: Implications for TfEM 3.1 Andrew Pritchard highlighted the main elements of the Budget 2021 announcement. Aside from additional resources for West Midlands Combined Authority rail priorities there were few transport announcements, although the Chancellor did confirm Freeport bids for East Midlands Airport and the Humber Ports and a number of Town Deals. 3.2 It is likely there will be a separate transport infrastructure announcement later in the year. 4. Highways England Investment in the East Midlands 4.1 Simon Came, Head of Planning & Development for the East Midlands for Highways England (HE) made a presentation on HE investment in the region. 4.2 Simon highlighted the scale of RIS2 investment in maintenance/renewals and the process for determining priorities for RIS3. Simon confirmed that detailed scheme level information had been sent to each LTA Transport Director, but that responsibility for major enhancement projects (such as he A46 Newark Northern Bypass) fell within the remit of HE’s central Strategy & Planning Team, who were not able to be represented at the meeting. 4.3 Cllr Spencer asked about the low level of resources to improve drainage given the impacts of extreme weather events. Simon explained that nationally the Office of Road & Rail (the regulator) had reduced the allocation for drainage because of the lack of supporting evidence on the condition of drainage assets. 4.4 The Chair sought clarification on the relative scale of investment in the East Midlands compared to other regions. Simon confirmed that in terms of maintenance and renewals, the East Midlands did relatively well, but that unexpected issues such as the condition of the A52 bridge at Clifton can have a major impact on regional budgets. 2 ACTION 4.5 Tim Gregory enquired about how the impacts of the recent freeport designations would be reflected in Highways England investment plans. Simon noted that this would be the responsibility of HE’s central Strategy & Planning Team and offered to broker a discussion HE/EMC prior to the next Board meeting. 4.6 Cllr Cutts emphasised the importance of enhancing the East Midlands strategic roads to facilitate major investment like the Freeports and the Development Corporation - not just maintaining what we already have. 4.7 The Chair thanked Simon for his presentation and asked that a further report be brought EMC to the next meeting of the Board focusing on the work of the HEs central Strategy & Planning team in the East Midlands. 5. Integrated Rail Plan for the North & Midlands 5.1 Andrew Pritchard noted that the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan is now likely to be published after the May Elections. 5.2 In the meantime, efforts by local political leaders to influence the final document through the Midlands Connect, HS2 East and Connecting Britain partnerships continues. 5.3 Cllr Cutts re-affirmed support or the full Eastern Leg of HS2 including Toton and Chesterfield/Staveley, which was endorsed by the Chair. 6. Williams Rail Review 6.1 Andrew Pritchard noted that the Government Rail White Paper had been delayed, but that publication was now said to be ‘imminent’. Whilst the pandemic had already brought an end to the franchising model, the White Paper would need set out a clear vision for the future of the rail industry, including: • The new commercial model to replace franchising; • The nature of the new ‘guiding mind’ arrangements; • The extent of rail devolution to regional bodies and partnerships; • The regional geography for integrating ‘track and train’; and • A strategy for patronage recovery following the pandemic. 6.2 The Chair asked for a report setting out the implications of the White Paper (when published) for TfEM at a future meeting of the Board. EMC 7. East Midlands Rail Collaboration 7.1 Kyle Butterworth, TfEMs Head of Rail Improvement since January 2021, summarised the areas of collaboration which have been undertaken to date, and highlighted the following proposed Opportunity and Exception Reports: • Opportunity: Visibility of the industry led patronage recovery initiatives • Opportunity: Poacher Line West Incremental Improvements • Exception: Post-Covid reinstatement if timetabled stopping patterns 3 ACTION 7.2 Andrew Commons from East Midlands Railway provided an update on patronage, performance, timetable recovery and rolling stock replacement and refurbishment over the last quarter. A full timetable with enhanced Intercity, Regional and Electric services from Corby is planned to be implemented in May 2021. 7.3 Cllr Spencer highlighted the need for a co-ordinated approach across central and local government to encourage people to use public transport again once covid restrictions have been lifted. 7.4 Ioan Reed-Aspley asked about timetable improvements for services calling at East Midlands Parkway. Andrew Commons confirmed that improved calling pattern would be implemented as part of the May 2021 timetable upgrade – but that any early promotion of these services would have to be consistent with the Government’s covid travel advice. 7.5 The TfEM Board agreed to: • Note the areas of rail collaboration in the period. • Endorse the two Opportunities Reports and one Exception Report (noted under 7.1) to be raised to the Department for Transport in the period for a response. 8. Any Other Business 8.1 Andrew Pritchard highlighted Government announcements made just prior to the meeting on a new Bus Strategy and the establishment by DfT of a ‘Second HQ’ in Birmingham and of a ‘Northern Hub’ in Leeds. 8.2 The Chair noted that Cllr Kay Cutts MBE would be standing down at the May elections and that as a consequence this would be her last TfEM Board meeting. The Chair on behalf of the TfEM Board thanked Cllr Cutts for her contribution to TfEM and for speaking up effectively for the East Midlands over a number of years, and wished her well for the future. 9. Dates of Future Meetings 9.1 • 14th June 2021, 11.00am to 12.30pm • 14th September 2021, 2.00pm to 3.30pm • 6th December 2021, 10.00am to 11.30am 4 Item 2a Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA 18th May 2021 Dear Prime Minister HS2 IN THE EAST MIDLANDS Last week’s Queen’s Speech included a Government commitment to bring forward legislation to build and operate the next stage of the High Speed Two (HS2) network from Crewe to Manchester. As your Government makes clear, the main benefits of the Bill will be: • Creating thousands of jobs and providing certainty at a time when people need it the most.