Agenda Item 5 Planning Policy Committee – 23rd January 2012 Northamptonshire Transportation Plan Consultation Purpose of report The purpose of this report is to set out a proposed response to this Consultation Attachment(s) Appendix 1 Northamptonshire Transportation Plan – Draft for consultation Nov 2011 Appendix 2 Proposed Response to Consultation Questionnaire 1.0 Background 1.1 The Northamptonshire Transportation Plan is Northamptonshire's new Local Transport Plan (LTP). When it is adopted by the County Council following the consultation period it will replace the interim Third Local Transport Plan that was published in March 2011. The new plan will set out the County Council's plans and policies for transport in Northamptonshire, as well as how they intend to implement those plans and policies. The content is therefore strategic in nature. It ensures that the County Council meet the statutory requirements of the Transport Act 2000 and Local Transport Act 2008. The Consultation commenced on Monday 28th November 2011 and runs for 8 weeks until Friday 20th January 2012. As the consultation period did not fit the committee cycle of East Northamptonshire Council’s Planning Policy Committee, the County Council has agreed to extend the deadline, in order to receive our comments following the 23rd January 2012. The County Council intend to approve the final Northamptonshire Transportation Plan, subject to the consultation responses, at Full Council on 22nd March 2012. 1.2 Whereas previous Local Transport Plans have been reviewed according to timescales laid down by the Department of Transport, in future the County Council will be able to update when and as needed. The County Council is therefore developing a suite of documents, in order to provide flexibility for updating some plans and policies without the need to change the whole plan. The delivery/implementation plan, for example is expected to be updated to fit in with government spending rounds. However, it is proposed to review all of the documents in the suite every five years from their adoption, even if there are no plans to change them. 2.0 Content 2.1 The Plan period runs to 2026-31 to take into account the Core Strategies for North and West Northamptonshire. In brief, the document sets out: Chapter 1 – Fit for.....Purpose? 1 sets the scene and context. Chapter 2 – Fit for.....Context sets out the 3 main transport priorities for the County, explores the Local Enterprise Partnership and the concept of localism. Chapter 3 – Fit for.....the Public shows the results of the previous ‘You Choose’ public consultation; what the most important services were judged to be and where possible savings should be made. Chapter 4 – Fit for.....Strategy investigates the strategy and shows how the Highways, Transport and Infrastructure service is focused to achieve successful delivery. Chapter 5 – Fit for.....Strategic Policies describes the six overarching Transportation Plan objectives in more detail, showing how they inform with what the Plan is trying to deliver and showing how the Plan’s 20 strategic policies support the objectives. These strategic policies will then be used to inform the other strategies and plans which will be developed as part of the Northamptonshire Transportation Plan. Chapter 6 – Fit to.....Deliver shows the connection between the 6 over-arching transportation objectives and the further strategies and plans which will be produced as part of the suite of documents that make up the Northamptonshire Transportation Plan. Chapter 7 – Fit for.....Best Value describes current budgets for both capital and revenue expenditure, and describes the capital spending programme using Local Transport Plan funding in 2012/13. Chapter 8 – Fit for.....Purpose! gives timetables for the consultation and finalisation of the plan. 2.2 A series of questions have been provided within the document to guide the consultation response and these are attached as Appendix 2 with the proposed responses. 2.3 The document provides a strategic approach to transport matters for the County. However, Members will note from Appendix 2 that a number of comments and proposed changes are being put forward, in particular to include Rushden in the Town Strategies/Plans; to query funding for these; to include opportunities for business and employee engagement, as part of local community consultations etc; and to review the approach to improvements for Oundle and Thrapston. In addition, reference needs to be made in the document to Neighbourhood Plans. 3.0 Conclusion 3.1 The document is very much welcomed and in the main seems “fit for purpose”. A variety of comments and responses are proposed for consideration and inclusion and East Northamptonshire Council look forward to working with Officers at Northamptonshire County Council on these issues. 4.0 Equality and Diversity Implications 4.1 There are potential equality implications for people in Thrapston and Oundle. 5.0 Legal Implications 2 5.1 None 6.0 Risk Management 6.1 None 7.0 Financial Implications 7.1 None 8.0 Corporate Outcomes 8.1 The relevant Corporate Outcomes are: Good quality of life – prosperous, sustainable, healthy Effective partnership working 9.0 Recommendation 9.1 The Committee is recommended to approve the consultation response for submission, subject to any alterations Members may wish to make (Reason – to improve transport within East Northamptonshire and across the County) Power: Transport Act 2000 and Local Transport Act 2008 Legal Other None considerations: Background Papers: None Person Originating Karen Britton – Planning Policy and Conservation Manager Extn: 2142 Report: [email protected] Date: 4 January 2012 CFO MO CX (Committee Report Normal Rev. 22) 3 Northamptonshire Transportation Plan – Draft for consultation Nov 2011 Northamptonshire Transportation Plan Fit for Purpose Northamptonshire Transportation Plan Fit for Purpose Local Transport Plan Draft for Consultation November 2011 i Northamptonshire Transportation Plan – Draft for consultation Nov 2011 (Blank Page) ii Northamptonshire Transportation Plan – Draft for consultation Nov 2011 Contacts and further Information This is Northamptonshire͛s Draft Transportation Plan produced for consultation in November 2011. We would like to hear your comments on the Plan to help us in finalising the document before it is approved by the County Council in March 2012. This document is the overarching strategy document that sets out what the ounty ouncil͛s strategic aims and goals are for Transportation in Northamptonshire. Going forward separate daughter documents will be produced as part of the development of the ͚full suite͛ of documents that will make up the entire Northamptonshire Transportation Plan. These separate daughter documents will give more detail on strategy and policy for specific modes and areas. This draft Plan together with the second Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 and the subsequent progress reports (2008 & 2009), and the Interim Third Local Transport Plan 2011 can be viewed on Northamptonshire County Council͛s website at. http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/Transport/TP/Pages/LTP3.aspx Also available to view are the associated Strategic Environmental Assessments, the Accessibility Strategy 2006 and Transport Strategy for Growth 2007. The timescales for this plan are: Consultation Period ~ 28th November 2011 for 8 weeks Consultation Ends ~ 20th January 2012 Cabinet asked to recommend plan to Full Council ~ 13th March 2012 Full Council asked to adopt Plan ~ 22nd March 2012 Publication ~ by 1st April 2012 We always welcome feedback on what we are doing so let us know what you think. The consultation period for this plan closes on Friday 20th January 2012, and any responses received after that date may not be taken into account in finalising the plan. iii Northamptonshire Transportation Plan – Draft for consultation Nov 2011 If you have any comments that you would like to make or would like to discuss any of the issues outlined in this report, please contact the transport planning team: Northamptonshire Transportation Plan Consultation Transport Planning Highways, Transportation & Infrastructure Northamptonshire County Council Riverside House Northampton NN1 5NX E-mail: [email protected] We look forward to hearing from you. If you incur any problems accessing Northamptonshire County Council͛s website or do not have access to the internet, please contact us using the details that have been given on the previous page. This Transportation plan fulfils the ounty͛s statutory obligation to produce a Local Transport Plan/ Further details on the Local Transport Plan process can be found on the Department for Transport͛s website at. http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/ iv Northamptonshire Transportation Plan – Draft for consultation Nov 2011 Contents Chapter Theme & Content Page Number Chapter 1 Fit for.... Purpose? 1 Introduction............................................................................................... 1 The Local Context.................................................................................. 6 Aims and Objectives of the plan............................................................. 9 Chapter 2 Fit for.... Context 11 Northamptonshire ARC........................................................................... 11 Localism............................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3 Fit for.... You 29 ͚You hoose͛ onsultation.......................................................................