Agenda item

Report to follow.

Following consideration of the officer report and appendices and discussion, the Executive agreed:

1.     To endorse and adopt the following set of guiding principles to inform the development of statutory policies and Somerset Council overall approach to transport planning and development planning challenges and opportunities: 

a.     Reducing carbon emissions will be the key priority for the transport and development plans including adoption of a transport decarbonisation pathway. 

b.     We will adopt a holistic approach to policy and strategy development, working beyond just transport.  We will ensure that all our policies are rural-proofed and will continue to build relationships with public health, education services, adults and children’s social care and others within the organisation to deliver co-benefits.

c.     We will adopt a vision-led 'decide and provide' or 'vision and validate' approach to new development whereby a strong vision for great places to live with a reduced need to travel is agreed. This will involve co-locating housing and other facilities to create neighbourhoods where the natural first choice is to walk or cycle to access work, education, learning and healthcare etc.

d.     We will endorse the vision led approach to street and highway design as part of wider high quality placemaking; and agree the vision and principles as set out in Appendix A for consultation with key stakeholders.  Having taken into account comments received authority is given to the Service Directors in conjunction with the Executive Lead Members to adopt the vision and principles as a material planning consideration for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes.

e.     Subject to detailed analysis, priority policy interventions will be related to reducing the need to travel and promoting sustainable travel (active travel for shorter distances, e-bikes and micro mobility for slightly longer distances, shared transport, bus, demand responsive transport, and rail for longer distances; and policy interventions such as parking management that aim to reduce demand for travel by private car). 

f.      We will expect developers to provide high quality active travel and public transport networks within and accessing new development areas, to ensure new development does not create significant additional congestion, rather than creating additional highway capacity for private car traffic. We will expect developers to implement high-quality sustainable travel plans which include a wide range of measures and incentives to enable active travel. 

g.     Increasing highway capacity will only be considered as a last resort and in exceptional circumstances. We will continue to complete highway capacity improvements that are already in the pipeline as funded schemes but it is likely that we will not be seeking Government funding for improvements that increase capacity for private car travel beyond the current pipeline. 

h.     We will build on the successful community -led approach to constructing rural multi-user paths between settlements and will co-develop a proposed network for community-based delivery. We will also consider how to create an improved environment for pedestrian movement in more semi-urban, rural locations where the environment can be dominated by high-speed traffic.

i.      We will aim to secure a devolved Government funding package to implement an ambitious sustainable transport programme, building on our current success with Bus Service Improvement Plan funding and Active Travel funding.

j.      We will oversee delivery of a comprehensive charging network for electric vehicles and will appoint a private sector delivery partner to ensure that public funding is only used where necessary to address market failure in a similar way to that adopted for Broadband rollout.  EV recommendations are set out in Appendix B. 

k.     The Council's own vehicles up to and including 3.1 tonnes GVW and those of our contractors will be electric vehicles as soon as this can be realistically, and cost effectively achieved; and we will consider alternative fuels for larger vehicles at the earliest opportunity in line with the evolution of emerging technology. 

l.      We will work with bus operators to agree the most appropriate alternative fuels pathway for public transport operations and support them in implementing this.

m.   We will develop a new policy seeking greater consistency in highway lighting, creating a default preference for part-night lighting, dimming and user activated lighting. 

n.     We will examine the implications of incorporating explicit requirements for carbon reduction and reduced travel across all the Council's services, including carbon reduction targets within our contracts with suppliers, with a view to implementing changes to our procedures at the earliest opportunity. 

2.     To consult key stakeholders on the Vison and Principles to Placemaking; 

3.     And taking all feedback received into account, the Executive agreed to delegate to the Service Directors for Infrastructure & Transport, and Economy, Employment & Planning in consultation with the Lead Members for Transport & Digital and Economic Development, Planning and Assets the adoption of the Vison and Principles to Placemaking as a material planning consideration. 

The Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Governance and Communications, Cllr Bill Revans, invited the Lead Member for Transport and Digital, Cllr Mike Rigby, to introduce the report.

The Lead Member for Transport and Digital, Cllr Mike Rigby, introduced the report highlighting: that the purpose of the report was to agree on a set of policy principles for Somerset Council to inform the development of the new Local Transport Plan, the overall approach to transport planning development management, consideration of planning proposals and other relevant policy and plans; the opportunity for the  Unitary Council to pull key policies together; the intention to achieve a vision led, decide and provide, approach to develop, plan, and deliver a transport strategy which more fully reflects the needs of a largely rural county, and be more responsive to broader priorities; and that the principles are intended to promote active travel, high-quality design, create better places and support the Council’s declaration of a climate and ecological emergency.

The Lead Member proceeded to invite the Strategic Manager, Highways and Transport, Mike O’Dowd-Jones and the Assistant Director, Strategic Place and Strategic Planning, Alison Blom-Cooper, to present the report.

The Strategic Manager, Highways and Transport,  Mike O’Dowd-Jones and the Assistant Director, Strategic Place and Strategic Planning, Alison Blom-Cooper, proceeded to present the report, highlighting: the draft guiding principles for the planning and transport strategy; the delivery of an all-Member briefing and future Member engagement, stakeholder and public consultation, including attending Scrutiny Committee – Climate and Place and a developer forum; and the work to develop an ambitious devolved long term Government funding settlement. The officers proceeded to summarise the draft set of placemaking principles, noting that these were subject to further engagement, analysis and consultation as part of the formal development of those policies before adoption.

The Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Governance and Communications, Cllr Bill Revans, invited comments from other Members present, questions and points raised included: the consideration of all lighting technology; the ambition to electrify the Somerset Council light vehicle fleet, following current trials and additional improvements in technology; the balanced and rounded approach and the learning from other organisations regarding the adoption and operation of fleet vehicles; the existing network of footpaths and the Rights of Way improvement plan; the Bridge repair and replacement programme and budget; the inclusion of Local Community Networks (LCNs) as part of the engagement process; the adoption of alternative fuel options for the Council fleet; parking standards across Somerset and the impact of parking changes understanding and balancing both the carbon and financial impact; the consideration and recognition of the many different facets of Somerset in its urban and rural geography when working through the local plan, infrastructure planning, planning policies and reducing reliance on private vehicles; consideration of highway capacity and sustainable new development proposals; governance and monitoring of the outcomes and actions; the use of section 106 money for public – private partnerships; the integrated transport strategy, including linked bus timetables; the need for a cohesive strategy and to look at cumulative effects regarding development and parking; and the welcome Audit report on Climate Emergency Governance.

In response, the Strategic Manager, Highways and Transport,  Mike O’Dowd-Jones, and the Assistant Director, Strategic Place and Strategic Planning, Alison Blom-Cooper, advised the Executive that LCNs will  be included in the draft Statement of Community Involvement, which sets out how the Council will consult, and is to be presented to Executive; along with a commitment to share the current stakeholder list with elected Members.

The Associate Lead Member for Localities (LCNs) & Public Health, Cllr Val Keitch, further added to the above points, reporting that there had been a high level of interest in highways and transport issues at the nine LCN meetings that have taken place.

Having been duly proposed and seconded, the Executive unanimously agreed to amend recommendation k ‘and we will adopt alternative fuels such as hydrogen for larger vehicles’ to read and ‘we will consider alternative fuels for larger vehicles’.

This was agreed unanimously. The Executive proceeded to vote on the recommendations, as amended, which were also agreed unanimously. 

The Executive agreed:

1.     To endorse and adopt the following set of guiding principles to inform the development of statutory policies and Somerset Council overall approach to transport planning and development planning challenges and opportunities: 

a.     Reducing carbon emissions will be the key priority for the transport and development plans including adoption of a transport decarbonisation pathway. 

b.     We will adopt a holistic approach to policy and strategy development, working beyond just transport.  We will ensure that all our policies are rural-proofed and will continue to build relationships with public health, education services, adults and children’s social care and others within the organisation to deliver co-benefits.

c.     We will adopt a vision-led 'decide and provide' or 'vision and validate' approach to new development whereby a strong vision for great places to live with a reduced need to travel is agreed. This will involve co-locating housing and other facilities to create neighbourhoods where the natural first choice is to walk or cycle to access work, education, learning and healthcare etc.

d.     We will endorse the vision led approach to street and highway design as part of wider high quality placemaking; and agree the vision and principles as set out in Appendix A for consultation with key stakeholders.  Having taken into account comments received authority is given to the Service Directors in conjunction with the Executive Lead Members to adopt the vision and principles as a material planning consideration for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes.

e.     Subject to detailed analysis, priority policy interventions will be related to reducing the need to travel and promoting sustainable travel (active travel for shorter distances, e-bikes and micro mobility for slightly longer distances, shared transport, bus, demand responsive transport, and rail for longer distances; and policy interventions such as parking management that aim to reduce demand for travel by private car). 

f.      We will expect developers to provide high quality active travel and public transport networks within and accessing new development areas, to ensure new development does not create significant additional congestion, rather than creating additional highway capacity for private car traffic. We will expect developers to implement high-quality sustainable travel plans which include a wide range of measures and incentives to enable active travel. 

g.     Increasing highway capacity will only be considered as a last resort and in exceptional circumstances. We will continue to complete highway capacity improvements that are already in the pipeline as funded schemes but it is likely that we will not be seeking Government funding for improvements that increase capacity for private car travel beyond the current pipeline. 

h.     We will build on the successful community -led approach to constructing rural multi-user paths between settlements and will co-develop a proposed network for community-based delivery. We will also consider how to create an improved environment for pedestrian movement in more semi-urban, rural locations where the environment can be dominated by high-speed traffic.

i.      We will aim to secure a devolved Government funding package to implement an ambitious sustainable transport programme, building on our current success with Bus Service Improvement Plan funding and Active Travel funding.

j.      We will oversee delivery of a comprehensive charging network for electric vehicles and will appoint a private sector delivery partner to ensure that public funding is only used where necessary to address market failure in a similar way to that adopted for Broadband rollout.  EV recommendations are set out in Appendix B. 

k.     The Council's own vehicles up to and including 3.1 tonnes GVW and those of our contractors will be electric vehicles as soon as this can be realistically, and cost effectively achieved; and we will consider alternative fuels for larger vehicles at the earliest opportunity in line with the evolution of emerging technology. 

l.      We will work with bus operators to agree the most appropriate alternative fuels pathway for public transport operations and support them in implementing this.

m.   We will develop a new policy seeking greater consistency in highway lighting, creating a default preference for part-night lighting, dimming and user activated lighting. 

n.     We will examine the implications of incorporating explicit requirements for carbon reduction and reduced travel across all the Council's services, including carbon reduction targets within our contracts with suppliers, with a view to implementing changes to our procedures at the earliest opportunity. 

2.     To consult key stakeholders on the Vison and Principles to Placemaking; 

3.    And taking all feedback received into account, the Executive agreed to delegate to the Service Directors for Infrastructure & Transport, and Economy, Employment & Planning in consultation with the Lead Members for Transport & Digital and Economic Development, Planning and Assets the adoption of the Vison and Principles to Placemaking as a material planning consideration. 

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report.? 

? 

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report.