Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/21/31) which provided an update on the capital programme covering the current financial year and seeking approval for a two-year transport capital programme covering the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 (excluding maintenance), attached.

RESOLVED

(a) that Budgets be allocated to the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Block (LTP ITB) schemes in 2021/22 and 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 1, noting the level of overprogramming planned;

(b) that the 2021/22 capital programme be enhanced in respect of the New Stations Fund awarded to Marsh Barton station, by £3.108 million funded from external grant, £46,666 external contributions and £164,609 from developer contributions and enhance 2022/23 by £240,000 funded from developer contributions and £27,000 funded from external grant (the schemes as listed on page 3 of Appendix 1); and

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, and the Cabinet Member for Highway Management to make amendments to the Integrated Block allocations.

(Councillors Dewhirst, Hannaford and Wrigley attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/21/31) which provided an update on the capital programme covering the current financial year and sought approval for a two-year transport capital programme covering the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 (excluding maintenance). The Report had been circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Cabinet noted that the Transport Capital Programme set out the short-term priority for investment in transport infrastructure. It built on long-term commitments as detailed in adopted strategies such as Local Plans, the Local Transport Plan, the Multi-Use Trail and Network Strategy, and the Transport Infrastructure Plan. The Report also highlighted the climate emergency and the significant role that transport played and therefore built on the change seen in national policy and ensured that a range of sustainable transport schemes had been included, such as walking, cycling and public transport as well as some funding towards electric vehicles and car clubs.

The Report outlined the background against which the programme had been developed, for example, the pandemic (supply chains and resourcing), Government policy (supporting housing delivery and economic growth but a focus on addressing decarbonisation and the climate emergency), new national strategies (e.g. Bus Back Better, Gear Change and the Transport Decarbonisation Plan) all of which provided guidance as to how transport systems should be evolving.

The Integrated Transport Block (ITB) settlement from Government for 2021/22 was £3.628 million.  Although not yet confirmed, it was anticipated that the ITB settlement for 2022/23 would be similar. There was also existing Government and other body funding schemes and the Council had a strong track record of successfully levering in external funding sources, often through competitive bidding processes.  The Report detailed a list of existing funding sources successfully secured from the Growth Deal, Large Local Majors (LLM) Fund, Major Road Network (MRN) Fund, Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), Safer Roads Fund, Emergency Active Travel Fund Tranche 1 & 2, New Stations Fund, Future High Streets Fund and Heritage Action Zone all of which amounted to some £193.3m. The Report also outlined emerging Government funding schemes such as the Peninsula Transport Sub-National Transport Body, Active Travel Fund, the Levelling Up Fund and Plymouth and South Hams Freezone.

The proposed Transport Capital Programme was detailed in full at Appendix 1 of the Report.  It included a range of schemes across the county covering different transport modes and consideration had been given to the cost, deliverability and availability of external match funding of individual schemes to ensure the programme represented value for money overall.  The programme continued to support local strategies, such as Local Plans, the Local Transport Plan, the Transport Infrastructure Plan and the Cycling and Multi-Use Trail Strategy, as well as being cognisant of new national strategies.

The LTP ITB grant budget of £7.223 million for 2021/22 had been allocated and the allocations totalled £8.282 million, an overprogramming of £1.059 million.  The 2022/23 LTP ITB budget had been assumed at £3.628 million (per 2021/22), plus £1 million carried forward from 2020/21, which totalled £4.628 million.  The allocations totalled £5.54 million, which resulted in overprogramming of £0.912 million.  However, historically a number of schemes tended to slip during the year, therefore an overspend was not anticipated.  In addition, a number of external funding sources could potentially be secured during the programme, relieving the LTP ITB requirement for some schemes. The LTP was supplemented by funding from other external sources, such as developer contributions and specific grants.  The total proposed programme totalled £120.205 million across financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 and this included funding of £104.529 million from external sources including grants and developer contributions.

The Council’s funding was £3.826 million, which was already included in the approved capital programme.

The Cabinet noted that an Environmental Impact Assessment had been carried out for the overall strategy contained in the Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 2011-2026. Detailed individual Impact Assessments would be carried out on schemes where required and included with Cabinet and HATOC reports.

The matter having been debated and the options and alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and public health impact) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and referred to above having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Davis, SECONDED by Councillor Hughes, and

RESOLVED

(a) that Budgets be allocated to the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Block (LTP ITB) schemes in 2021/22 and 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 1, noting the level of overprogramming planned;

(b) that the 2021/22 capital programme be enhanced in respect of the New Stations Fund awarded to Marsh Barton station, by £3.108 million funded from external grant, £46,666 external contributions and £164,609 from developer contributions and enhance 2022/23 by £240,000 funded from developer contributions and £27,000 funded from external grant (the schemes as listed on page 3 of Appendix 1); and

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, and the Cabinet Member for Highway Management to make amendments to the Integrated Block allocations.