Agenda item

To consider a report outlining the new local transport plan for Warwickshire, as attached at Appendix A.

Councillor Matecki introduced the report which introduced the new Local Transport Plan for Warwickshire.  He gave an overview of the level of consultation that had taken place including the engagement of a citizens panel of 30 individuals.  Councillor Matecki advised that the plan set out the ambition to become carbon neutral and had been considered by the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee in April 2023.

The report committed to deeper engagement with District and Borough Councils and communities across Warwickshire.

Councillor Holland expressed a number of concerns including the six key strategies which listed ‘Safety’ as fifth on the list.  He also noted that the ‘Travel Choices Hierarchy’ was unchanged from the plan produced twenty years ago and did not feel that the money being spent, matched the plan.

Councillor Holland also highlighted the problem that Warwick District Council had their own transport plan, leading to them following their own priorities and potentially putting County Council officers in an impossible position.  He requested that the LTP4 be deferred for six months to allow the district and borough councils to outline their plans.

Councillor Roodhouse felt some sympathy with the comments made and referred to the wording of ‘action plan’ within the report.  He stated that the wording was unclear at times and the language confusing and asked for clarification as to which ‘action plan’ residents had been consulted on.

Councillor Seccombe reminded the meeting that this was a high level document which touched on the discussions planned with the district and boroughs.  She felt that the document provided flexibility as it outlined principles for moving forwards.

In response to the comments made, Councillor Matecki stated that he had found the plan easy to read and did not agree that the language was confusing.  He advised that this was not a definitive document but rather outlined what the Council was aspiring to. 

Philippa Young, Strategy & Commissioning Manager – Transport and Highways, provided clarification on the documents the Citizen’s Panel had been consulted on and outlined the timeline for future consultation with local stakeholders.

Councillor Matecki moved the recommendations as laid out.

Resolved

That Cabinet considers the proposed new local transport plan for Warwickshire (LTP4) at Appendix A and recommends that it is put forward for adoption by Full Council.