Decision details

The West of England Joint Committee RESOLVED (unanimously):

1. That the final version of the Joint Local Transport Plan (JLTP4) be adopted subject to minor amendments as set out in the addendum to the report (the full detail of the addendum is set out below).  

ADDENDUM - minor amendments to the Joint Local Transport Plan:

Changes to the final version of the Joint Local Transport Plan 4 (JLTP4) following its publication are set out below.

In respect of minor amendments relating to the Paris Agreement:

Amendment 1: The first minor amendment is to add a new paragraph on page 6 of the document into the opening section detailing ‘Climate Change and the Challenge Ahead’, to be titled:

JLTP4 and the Paris Agreement

And to read:

In line with and taking account of the Paris Agreement, the JLTP4 is fully committed to reducing carbon.  The JLTP4 has a significantly positive role to play in meeting the UK’s international obligations through providing a well-connected and sustainable transport network which accelerates the shift towards low carbon trips, supporting sustainable development and the take up of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles to decarbonise transport.  In many respects, with the commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030, the JLTP4 goes beyond the Paris Agreement.  Looking ahead, the next JLTP as outlined above will serve to strengthen this role.  As described in the following section, Central Government will be expected to play its role.

Amendment 2: The second minor amendment relates to the JLTP’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (the SEA).  This is covered in Section 13: Environmental, equalities and health impact assessments of the JLTP4.  A new paragraph to be added to the introduction section on page 147.  This to read:

The SEA takes into account the requirements of the Paris Agreement through including climatic factors as one of the environmental baseline topic areas.  Alongside this are the two SEA objectives to ‘Reduce transport related carbon emissions in line with national targets’ (SEAO3) and ‘Adapt transport network to effects of climate change and minimise the vulnerability of transport network to flood risk’ (SEAO4).  For SEA03, the SEA noted that numerous policies within the JLTP4 will have a minor or potential major positive effect whilst for SEAO4 strategic and major transport infrastructure schemes will have to be designed to take into account the effects of climate change in line with national policy and best practice design.

In respect of minor amendments that were considered as part of the West of England authorities’ governance processes:

Amendment 3: The third minor amendment relates to the Case Study: South East Bristol Orbital Low Carbon Corridor case study.  The following wording on p75 of the document to be deleted:

An orbital corridor to the South East of Bristol, which could connect the A4 to the A37 and further into South Bristol forms part of the JTS.

Amendment 4: The fourth minor amendment relates to Section 8: Local Connectivity 

The current paragraph on page p87 of the document which reads:

We will work with key housing developers, employers, education providers and leisure sites from an early stage of planning to ensure that funding for walking and cycling infrastructure is considered from the outset. This will ensure that new developments prioritise walking and cycling.

To be amended to read:

We will work with key housing developers, employers, education providers and leisure sites from an early stage of planning to ensure that funding for walking and cycling infrastructure forms part of the design from the outset. This will ensure that new developments prioritise walking and cycling.

2. That delegation is given to the WECA Director of Infrastructure and WECA Director of Investment and Corporate Services to identify the resources required, through re-prioritisation of investment funding, to sufficiently progress the JLTP5 process; the anticipated breakdown of spend to be reported to the June WECA committee, prior to which all spend will be agreed by the WECA Chief Executive in consultation with constituent authority Chief Executives.