Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Environment advising on the contents of the Local Transport Plan (LTP2) Interim Review Report and seeking approval to submit the report to Government Office North West (GONW) by the deadline of 30^th September 2008.

It was noted that the Local Transport Plan was a statutory document setting out Halton’s objectives, strategies and policies for transport. Halton’s LTP2 covered the period from 2005/06 to 2010/11 and gave a summary of the initiatives that would be delivered along with projected expenditure, performance indicators and targets.

Under the reporting arrangements agreed for LTP2, the Council had to review progress in 2008 and submit a report to GONW. The indicators and targets reported on in the Interim Review were taken from the original LTP2 produced in 2005, 17 of which were mandatory indicators required by the Department forTransport (DfT) and the rest being local indicators agreed with DfT. Authorities had been told that the DfT expected authorities to continue to collect and report on these indicators for the remainder of LTP2. However, the DfT had acknowledged that some local authorities may wish to stop or amend the monitoring of certain indicators based on the Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) which were not part of the new National Indicator set, or make amendments to local indicators where circumstances had changed. Any proposed changes must have a clear rationale set out in the Interim Review Report.

Unlike previous LTP reporting, the LTP2 2008 Interim Review Reports would not be formally classified by the DfT and LTP funding would not be allocated on the basis of the report.

The Interim Review Report had been structured around the 4-shared transport priorities agreed between Government and local authorities. Throughout the report, key links between the LTP and the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) priorities had been identified and highlighted. Analysis of the indicators presented in the Interim Review Report showed that, over the two year period 2006/07 and 2007/08:

• 72% of LTP mandatory indicator targets had been met or were on target to be met; and
• 73% of LTP local indicator targets had been met or were on target to be met.

Further information in relation to spend, key highlights from the LTP period, and proposed changes to indicators were also outlined within the report for Members’ consideration.

In producing the final version of the report, consultation had taken place internally with key contacts within the Council and with the Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board at its meeting on 17^th September 2008. Should the report be approved, copies would be distributed internally and sent to all individuals currently on the LTP external mailing list. The final document would also be made available to view/download on the Council website.

Following the submission of the final report and completion of the presentation of Senior Officers to GONW, GONW would make an assessment of the review. It had been indicated that the results of the assessment would be sent to the Authority by the end of December 2008.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the contents of the LTP2 Interim Review Report be noted; and

(2) the LTP2 Interim Review Report and its submission to Government Office North West (GONW) be approved subject to any minor amendments being delegated to the Operational Director of Highways, Transportation and Logistics in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Planning, Transportation, Regeneration and Renewal.