Archived decisions

Item 11

Report to the

Transport for South Hampshire Joint Committee

Date: 14 April 2008

Report by: John Slater, Head of Planning Service, Portsmouth City Council

tel: 02392 834297 email: [email protected]

Subject: Integrated Transport Authority Status

Purpose of the Report

This report appraises Members as to the Local Transport Governance proposals contained in the Local Transport Bill and to discuss their implications for South Hampshire. It recommends that further work be carried out to understand the advantages and disadvantages of Transport for South Hampshire seeking Integrated Transport Authority status.

Recommendations

1. That the report be noted.

2. That officers of the three respective authorities be authorised to continue to liaise with the Department for Transport and the Government Office for the South East on the potential advantages and disadvantages of Transport for South Hampshire seeking Integrated Transport Authority status on a without prejudice basis.

3. That Members carry out a site visit to a suitable Passenger Transport Executive/Passenger Transport Authority along with appropriate officers.

Introduction

1. The Local Transport Bill currently making its way through Parliament introduces proposals to review Local Transport Governance. This covers both the areas covered by Passenger Transport Authorities (PTAs) and their associated Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs), which cover a number of metropolitan areas outside London. It also allows two or more county or unitary authorities to come together to establish what will in future be known as Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs).

2. The Bill gives ITAs the overall responsibility for developing policies for the promotion and encouragement of safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport to, from and within their areas, this covers policies for the whole range of transport matters within their area including local roads and freight. It would be responsible for the production of the Local Transport Plan for the whole area.

3. The actual form of governance and the extent of powers to be transferred to the ITA are required to be the subject of specific consideration for each ITA area, ie there will not be a national blueprint. The pattern of governance and the form and delegation of powers are to be the subject of separate reviews on an area by area basis for those areas that are proposed to become ITAs.

4. The Department for Transport has identified the South Hampshire sub region as a potential area where an ITA could be considered. Other non PTA areas being currently considered include the Bristol conurbation, Hull/Humberside, Tees Valley and Nottingham. Representatives from TfSH authorities have attended an initial meeting with DfT officials and further discussions are planned as the Bill proceeds through its legislative route.

Impact on South Hampshire

5. There is a certain logic to the suggestion that Transport for South Hampshire could form the basis for an ITA covering South Hampshire. It would be a natural evolution to the collaborative work carried out both by Solent Transport in preparing the Solent Transport Strategy as well as the new governance arrangements embodied within this Joint Committee.

6. However there are a number of major issues that need to be addressed before a firm recommendation as to whether an ITA would be right for this area. Major issues that are immediately apparent include boundaries. DfT is suggesting that the area of jurisdiction must be coterminous with district council boundaries (initially its legislation did not allow county areas to be sub-divided). This would have major implications for the TfSH area which is aligned with the PUSH area but which sub-divides the following district councils: Winchester, Test Valley, New Forest and East Hampshire.

7. It is also necessary to understand the extent of powers that would lay with the ITA and how that would sit with the local arrangements, eg Portsmouth's highway maintenance being the subject of a Private Finance Initiative.

8. There are issues regarding the consistency of service provision across the county area, ie between those parts covered by TfSH and the remainder of Hampshire.

9. It does seem sensible to continue the dialogue with the Government on a without prejudice basis to fully understand what ITA status could add to the provision of transport across all modes in this sub region.

10. To facilitate that understanding it is considered lessons might be usefully learnt from the experience of existing PTA/PTE authorities which are already operating public transport across a wide area. It is felt that a site visit could usefully be made to visit operations, perhaps in the West Midlands, Manchester or Merseyside areas for example. This could involve an overnight stop the cost of which could be accommodated within existing budgets.

9426Rpt/JGS