Archived decisions

Contact: Alan Tilly, ext 6047 email: [email protected]

1. Background

1.1 As part of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process, local transport authorities are required by the Department for Transport (DfT) to produce a Delivery Report, describing progress towards implementing the strategies in the LTP. The first of these Delivery Reports is required to be submitted to the DfT by 31 July 2006, with a copy to the Government Office for the South East. This report assesses the progress that has been made in delivering the first Local Transport Plan (LTP1) which covered the period from 2001 to 2006.

1.2 The DfT expects that in future Delivery Reports will be required every two years and will cover the preceding two year periods. This replaces the current system of Annual Progress Reports (APRs).

1.3 The format of the Delivery Report has been largely prescribed by DfT guidance. The intention is that these reports should concentrate on the outcomes achieved by LTPs and, in particular, the impact on policy areas other than transport, such as economic development and the protection of the environment. This is in contrast with the APRs which were heavily based on the transport activities undertaken. For example, they considered the levels of expenditure in different categories and the number of "deliverables", such as kilometres of cycle-paths, number of bus shelters built, etc.

1.4 As an authority rated "four stars" by the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), the County Council could choose not to produce a Delivery Report. However, this could reduce the capital allocations provided by the DfT. Authorities who do not produce a Delivery Report would not be given the opportunity to earn supplementary reward funding. It is expected that the DfT will provide additional reward funding of up to a further 25% on top of the authority's integrated transport budget. This will be partly based on the full LTP (submitted in March 2006) and the Delivery Report.

1.5 A reward allocation of 25% would produce an annual additional £3 million on top of the County Council's integrated transport allocation of £12 million. It is expected that this reward would be for two years, resulting in a possible £6 million, of which £3 million is likely to be due to the strength of the Delivery Report. The expectation is that reward funding would be provided as grant rather than borrowing approvals. However, competition for reward funding is fierce and few authorities can expect to receive the full 25%.

1.6 Authorities who do not perform well in their LTP and Delivery Reports can receive reductions from their allocations, instead of additional payments. As a "four star" authority the County Council is exempt from such a reduction.

1.7 Hampshire County Council has a good story to tell in its Delivery Report. The Council used all of its LTP allocation across the five years of the first LTP, and supplemented these resources with a high level of developer funding, revenue funding and funding from the authority's own resources.

1.8 The County Council delivered numerous innovative transport schemes during this period, including:

(i) Winchester Park and Ride extension;

(ii) the reopening of Chandlers Ford railway station;

(iii) the A3 bus priority scheme;

(iv) Portchester Home Zone;

(v) MIRACLES;

(vi) introduction of CANGO services;

(vii) Quality Bus Partnerships and the Infomotion scheme; and

(viii) Solent Transport Partnership and the Solent Travelcard.

1.9 Good progress has been made on a number of core performance targets, notably on road maintenance and casualty reduction. Less good progress has been made on the level of cycling and bus patronage. This is largely due to changes in employment patterns in the Gosport peninsula. Before these changes there was a much higher level of cycling to work than the national average.

1.10 The targets set in the first LTP were generally long-term, often to 2010. While ambitious, these were based on the Government's own targets and anticipated action on the line of the 1998 White Paper "A New Deal for Transport - Better for Everyone".

1.11 In the years following the LTP submission the Government changed its way of approaching targets. It now requires short-term progress on bus patronage and cycling which was not envisaged at the time the LTP was written.

1.12 It is difficult to identify the impact that the LTP has had on wider policy objectives, such as economic performance and sustainability. This problem is not unique to the County Council. It is more difficult to produce significant changes in travel patterns over a large area and population, such as Hampshire, than for example a small unitary authority. The County Council's annual LTP1 allocation for integrated transport was around £13 million, which equates to £10 per resident. This sum is much lower than the amount that individuals, companies and households spend annually on transport.

1.13 A copy of the Delivery Report is attached (only for Executive Members for Environment). The document can be viewed on the Internet (http://www3.hants.gov.uk/ltp06-deliveryreport.pdf). The section "Progress on Core Indicators" outlines the progress made towards achieving the core targets contained in the LTP. The final section on "Delivery" describes what the LTP delivered in the three strategy areas of public transport, road safety and sustainability. The Council was invited to report upon two further strategy areas. School travel plans and road maintenance/bridge strengthening were chosen as these are good examples of strong performance.

2. Impact Assessments

2.1 Assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered in the production of this Delivery Report but no adverse impact has been identified in terms of race, creed or gender.

Recommendation

That the Local Transport Plan Delivery Report be submitted to the Department for Transport by 31 July 2006.

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