Agenda item

This report provides an update to the West Sussex Transport Plan (WSTP) review, which has recently commenced. 

The current WSTP 2011-2026 period needs to be reviewed to take account of changes to national and local policy, such as the Government’s legally-binding commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. 

The first step in the WSTP review is to ask stakeholders to complete a survey, which will identify key issues and priorities.  The survey results will help to shape the draft version of the plan, which is due to be published for consultation in summer 2021. 

This report provides the response to the survey, which will be submitted to West Sussex County Council.

It was anticipated that this report would also include an update on the Strategic Outline Business Case for the A259 Bognor Regis to Littlehampton Corridor Enhancement Scheme, for noting.  An update on this matter has been slightly delayed, due unforeseen changes to timescales at West Sussex County Council.  However, if key milestones are met in the next week, an update can be presented to Planning Policy Sub Committee, as an urgent item.

The Sub-Committee received a report from the Principal Planning Officer which provided an update to the West Sussex Transport Plan (WSTP) review, which had recently commenced.  The current WSTP 2011-2026 period needed to be reviewed to take account of changes to national and local policy, such as the government’s legally binding commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.

            The first step in the WSTP review was to ask stakeholders to complete a survey, which would identify key issue and priorities.  The survey results would help to shape the draft version of the plan, which was due to be published for consultation in Summer 2021.

            The report provided the response to the survey which the Sub-Committee was being asked to note so that it could be submitted to WSCC by its deadline date of 17 December 2020.

            In summary, the response included the following key issues to be considered by the County Council as they prepared the draft WSTP:

·         Consider impact of future population growth on the highway network (by taking into account the proposed Standard Housing Methodology, as set out by the Government in its latest consultation, published on 6 August 2020);

·         Taking into account new technologies in relation to transportation – in particular a focus on electric vehicles, and the availability of electric vehicle charging points across the county; 

·         Consider equitable provision and the availability of electricity supplies for electric vehicles (looking ahead to 2030 when new diesel and petrol cars will no longer be on sale);

·         Give greater priority in the plan to the impact of the economy, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – this will have long term impacts on transport and travel;

·         The WSTP should identify the barriers that level crossings continue to have in terms of movement of traffic within the district;

·         The revised plan should address the challenge of integrated transport systems which provide mobility and connectivity to people, through the provision of transport hubs and shared transport opportunities (eg. bike share, car share, bus shelters and efficient links to other public transport nodes); and finally

·         the response explains that Arun District Council officers are investigating the principle of ‘twenty-minute neighbourhoods’, where all essential, day-to-day facilities are located within a twenty-minute walk from home.  This involves unlocking walking and cycling routes within, and between, communities to allow residents to walk and cycle to key services (schools, shops, leisure facilities etc).  This may be increasingly achievable as working from home becomes more commonplace.

In considering the report, the Sub-Committee welcomed the idea of 20 minute neighbourhoods where people could live having easy access through either walking or cycling to a wealth of amenities such as work; education; leisure and shops. There were also concerns expressed over out commuting from the District and the way in which some priorities had been ranked.

Although the Sub-Committee agreed that the Council’s response was good, questions were asked over the next steps in terms of where this response tied in with other responses that were ongoing and involved West Sussex highways interlinking with other projects. The timeline for this project was explained by the Planning Policy Team Leader who confirmed that he felt that the complete process would take some time [until Sumer 2021] and in terms of how this related to other studies.

            Following further discussion,

            The Sub-Committee

RESOLVED

That the response to the West Sussex Transport Plan Review Survey, to be submitted to the County Council by the deadline date of 17 December 2020 be noted.