Archived decisions

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL DEMONSTRATION TOWN: EXPRESSION OF INTEREST IN DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT INITIATIVE

1. In order to further promote and develop best practice in sustainable transport, the Department for Transport (DfT) has recently invited expressions of interest from local transport authorities and Passenger Transport Executives in England to work with the Government to establish a sustainable travel demonstration town. The Showcase Towns Initiative will span a period of four to five years with an aim to develop one or two model/showcase sustainable transport towns. Funding of up to £1.5 million a year (revenue funding) for the five year project period has been identified by the DfT to run from 2004/05 to 2008/09. There is an expectation of equivalent match-funding from the successful transport authorities for complementary infrastructure, delivery and maintenance measures.

2. All district councils in Hampshire were approached to establish the level of interest to work in partnership with the County Council on this initiative. Strong interest was indicated by Eastleigh Borough Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. As a result of detailed discussions between the four authorities, Andover was identified as the town that most closely met the DfT's project criteria. On this basis, the County Council has submitted an expression of interest by proposing Andover as the preferred town for this initiative, as the first stage of the bid and selection process. A successful submission by the County Council is likely to have an important influence over programmes of infrastructure delivery for the second Hampshire Local Transport Plan for 2006-2011.

3. The next step in the process will be the assessment of the initial submissions leading to a shortlist of authorities. These authorities will then be invited to submit a fully costed and detailed package of transport proposals for their candidate town after November 2003. As part of the final assessment process, the DfT will visit the short-listed authorities in the New Year with a final decision being made by February 2004.