1 Introduction
1. Local transport is one of the most commonly used
services provided by councils. As soon as we emerge from a front
door we are using local transport facilities. Local authorities
are responsible, at least in part, for provision and maintenance
of pavements and local roads, traffic signals and signs, pedestrian
crossings, car parking, cycle lanes, transport interchanges, local
air quality, road safety, light rail, park and ride facilities
and bus services.[1]
2. The Government's programme of reform of public
services has meant changes to funding and strategic planning in
many policy areas and transport is no exception. In 2000 the Government
devised a new framework for transport planning by local authorities
called the Local Transport Plan (LTP). Introduced through the
Transport Act 2000, the framework requires most local authorities
to produce LTPs every five years.[2]
The first Plans were submitted for the period 2001-02 to 2005-06;
the second round for the period 2006-07 to 2010-11. A separate
local planning and funding system, the Local Implementation Plan
(LIP), exists in London.[3]
3. It is anticipated that local transport planning
and funding will be affected by three major pieces of work due
to be published during 2006:
- the report of the Lyons Inquiry
into local government functions and finance;[4]
- the Department of Communities and Local Government
is expected to produce a White Paper on the functions and role
of local government, which may consider City-Regions;[5]
and
- the Eddington Review is considering the long-term
impact of transport decisions on the UK's productivity, stability
and growth and may influence government policy and spending decisions.[6]
4. With the first round of the Local Transport Plans
now complete, the Committee decided to examine the effects of
the new planning and funding framework and the progress that has
been made in delivering transport improvements. We set out the
following terms of reference for the inquiry:
Local transport funding
- Have the local transport capital
settlements met what was expected and allowed delivery of the
planned projects? What have been the impacts on major transport
schemes, and smaller schemes? Have the full allocations been spent
as planned? How have cost increases been settled?
- Is the formulaic funding approach the most suitable
method for allocating transport investment? What has been the
impact of the performance-related component?
- Do local authorities have adequate powers to
raise resources to fund local transport infrastructure? What other
powers could be useful?
- Has the balance between revenue funding and capital
funding for transport proposals been appropriate? How well have
the different funding streams from the Department for Transport
and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister supported local transport
projects? Are transport services successful in securing sufficient
revenue funding?
- How efficient is the bidding and scheme preparation
stage? What could be done to avoid local authorities wasting significant
resources on preparing and designing transport schemes which do
not get approval?
Local transport planning
- Were the administrative process
and timetable for delivering Local Transport Plans appropriate?
How helpful was the guidance from the Department for Transport?
How did the second round of Local Transport Plans learn from the
first, and how could the process be further improved?
- How well have the Local Transport Plans delivered
better access to jobs and services, improved public transport,
and reduced problems of congestion, pollution and safety? To what
extent has the Government's Transport Strategy fed into the second
round Local Transport Plans?
- How effective is the Local Transport Plan performance
management regime? Do the Annual Progress Reports give the necessary
transparency and rigour in assessing performance?
- How successful is the balance between infrastructure
projects and travel planning initiatives?
We are grateful to all those who submitted written
and oral evidence to this inquiry[7]
and to our Specialist Advisers: Maureen Wellen, CIPFA, and Francis
Terry.
1 In metropolitan areas, Passenger Transport Executives
share some of these responsibilities with local authorities. Back
2
The requirement to develop Plans applies to county councils, unitary
authorities, passenger transport authorities and metropolitan
district councils jointly in each former metropolitan county.
Councils classified as 'excellent' by the Comprehensive Performance
Assessment are not required to produce Plans. Back
3
See Chapter 2 for more details. Back
4
Sir Michael Lyons was commissioned in July 2004 by the Chancellor
and Deputy Prime Minister to consider the case for changes to
local government funding in England and to make recommendations
for any necessary changes. The remit was extended in September
2005 to cover the role and function of local government, with
particular reference to the strategic role of local government,
the role of devolution and decentralisation and the management
of pressures on local services. He will make final recommendations
to Ministers in December 2006. Back
5
Local Government Association (2006) Improving local transport:
how small reforms could make a big difference, page 23 Back
6
Oral evidence from Sir Rod Eddington, Government Specialist Transport
Adviser, 30 November 2005 HC 737-i, Q3 Back
7
Listed at the end of this Report Back
|
