Transport Technical Paper [EXAM 114]

Para 3.1.3This technical note documents CBC’s approach to enabling sustainable travel, particularly in response to the growth proposed in the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and supplements the extensive traffic modelling submitted in support of the Plan, which has identified locations at which growth is expected to create issues on the highway network. This note also provides an overview of current and emerging CBC transport policy and its strong track record in planning, securing funding for and delivering sustainable travel interventions.
1. I am very concerned that CBC will not be able to deliver on sustainable transport as despite strong commitment from Executive Councillors, and amazing hard work from very committed officers, the track record on delivery by CBC is very poor. Despite promises there is still no cycling officer which means that key cycle links in new developments and links and improvements to existing networks and key destinations are missed.
2. With the Eastern Leighton Linslade development despite a year of lobbying by myself as a local CBC Councillor and the very effective Local Cycling campaign group, the planners in charge of this development do not even have a map of the “Green Wheel” referred to in this paper which contains all the cycle routes and plans so that cyclists and walkers can reach their key destinations such as schools employment, station, shops etc. In other words despite asking for it for over a year, the planners of the new housing developments in Leighton Buzzard do not have access to the plans for cycling for the town and so cannot make sure that there are the necessary links from the estate to existing cycle routes and to key destinations.
3. There are such failures in Highways and planning and such a silo mentality that despite some fantastic committed officers who are delivering some great schemes, I as a cllr am having to ask the local cycling group to do a map of the existing cycle routes and plans for cycle routes with the plans for the new estates to give to the planners in order to hope that the links from the new estate fit the existing plans to improve cycling.
4. Furthermore this new estate despite the first tranches of section 106 having been delivered to CBC and over 230 houses being occupied in Clipstone Park has no plans for public transport or travel planning. This is despite the excellent example of Southern Leighton Buzzard where the travel planning cycling and above all the bus service Dash direct delivered a 17-20% reduction in traffic from the TRCIS assessment. This was done through a steering group of CBC, town council, developers, community groups and Arriva.
5. This successful model has not been replicated and new householders are being faced with no travel planning, no advice on cycle routes, no public transport and this is building levels of car ownership far above what was agreed in the plans.
6. There is such a silo mentality that there are no social value calculations or even any understanding of the TOMS framework when assessing bus routes and especially the provision for the elderly. There is a complete inability and total absence of any framework to look at the benefits of sustainable transport across different sectors such as health and well being , cutting carbon, supporting the local economy, reducing loneliness in elderly people, increasing physical activity.
7. I believe as a councillor that SP3 with current management structures is undeliverable. The officers on the ground have huge commitment and so do the Executive Councillors and some schemes despite all the odds are being delivered but the lack of understanding of sustainable transport at a more senior level and the lack of an integrated approach to place delivery, and sustainability makes the aspirations of the plan and the traffic modelling assumptions unrealistic.
8. Southern Leighton Buzzard which is currently still being built out was granted planning permission as an exemplar sustainable transport site with extra funding from DCLG. The plans have been delivered through a steering group of CBC LLTC, community groups, the developers, Arriva and links with local residents. This cut traffic between 17-20% above the TRICS assessment was award winning and the bus service is now running commercially. This was a real practical success and I have attached the report on this from the travel plan coordinator. This is mentioned in section 8 of the table in section 3.3 However CBC has not followed or replicated this model despite significant encouragement from myself as a councillor and despite supportive comments from the executive.
9. The interchange facilities at Leighton Buzzard Railway have been discussed since 2008. There are severe issues with overcrowding of the forecourt. At present there is very little work happening on planning for that scheme mainly due to lack of officers despite section 106 contributions being gathered for it.
10. There has been recently the filling of two long standing vacancies in Highways and a sustainable transport officer but a cycling officer has still not been delivered. It has to be seen whether this will improve delivery and indeed if this is enough officer at the delivery level but I see no change to the silo mentality . There is no understanding that good cycling links and pleasant access to the countryside and town centre encourages high value jobs and skilled professionals to settle in Central Bedfordshire.
11. Highways is top heavy in management at the expense of delivery. It is also encumbered with an ineffective contract that blocks delivery with Ridgeway Jacobs.
12. At present high street pedestrianisation in Leighton Buzzard reveals the present picture clearly. Hugely committed officer working long hours to try to deliver and executive councillors constantly visiting and talking to people, but no cross working from other departments such as regeneration or parking or any attempt to follow the LGA toolkit for town centres. There are not even links between Highways and Comms so the scheme is very poorly communicated leading to increasing hostility to support for pedestrians at the expense of cars.