Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to seek approval for the updated Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP 4) Implementation Plan 2022/23 - 2024/25 following the approvel of the 2023/24 budget at the 28 February 2023 Full Council meeting.
The report notes the following funding allocations by Full Council on 28 February 2023 as part of the council's 2023/24 Capital Programme which contribute to the delivery of the adopted Portsmouth Transport Strategy (LTP4):
· £635,000 for the 2023/24 LTP4 implementation plan
· £250,000 for the delivery of transport schemes
· £360,000 for Transport Infrastructure Investment
This report details the proposed programme of LTP4 implementation plan funded transport schemes to be delivered.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation:
1. Approves and adopts the attached Local Transport Plan (LTP4) funded schemes 2023/24 (Appendix A) as part of Portsmouth's LTP4 Implementation Plan 2022/23 - 2024/25;
2. Authority is delegated to the Assistant Director of Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation and the Section 151 Officer to update the Local Transport Plan 4 Implementation Plan with the attached proposed Local Transport Plan funded scheme list (Appendix A);
3. Authority is delegated to the Assistant Director of Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation and the Section 151 Officer to agree any minor amendments to the Implementation Plan that may be required to take account of future funding changes and relevant national policy guidance, including reprofiling of indicative scheme delivery timescales;
4. Notes that the funded Transport Infrastructure Programme, Transport Hub and other revenue and externally funded highways and transport work programmes contribute to the delivery of the LTP4 and the implementation plan 2022/23 - 2024/25 will be updated to include these.
Minutes:
Jo Eldridge, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer presented her report and advised the purpose of the report was to seek approval for the updated Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) Implementation Plan 2022/23 - 2024/25 following the approval of the 2023/24 budget at the 28 February 2023 Full Council meeting.
The report noted the funding allocations by Full Council on 28 February 2023 as part of the Council's 2023/24 Capital Programme which contributes to the delivery of the adopted Portsmouth Transport Strategy. The report also detailed the proposed programme of LTP4 implementation plan funded transport schemes to be delivered.
Deputation
Cabinet Member for Traffic & Transportation, 23 March 2023 on Livestream
Members' questions
Councillor Heaney asked the Chair if she had been consulted, as Cabinet Member, about the decision to reduce the funding for the LTP4 and Cycle Improvements. The Chair confirmed that she had been and that it was discussed with the S151 Officer as every department had had to take cuts in relation to the Budget.
In relation to Member's questions, officers clarified:
· The split of the individual items in the Capital Programme had been factored down by the amount taken out of the budget.
Members' comments
Councillor Bosher noted that the report refers to 'All Wards' which should include those wards off Portsea Island as well.
There was discussion around the number 23 bus service, with Councillor Bosher asking whether officers had engaged with Stagecoach, in relation to this particular service, to ask if it would be possible for the service to do a loop of QA instead of dropping passengers at Cosham.
The Chair advised that she had previously discussed this with Stagecoach a number of years previously and was told it would entail an additional bus, with additional cost and due to the number of passengers using the service, this was not commercially viable.
Officers advised they are in conversation with the bus operators all the time and reiterated the comment from the Chair, that the extra cost would have to be passed on to passengers. They noted that, through the SEHRT funding, one of the proposals was for a fast service from Leigh Park to Portsmouth and Southsea which may make it more feasible for the 23 to be revised. As part of BSIP, officers work with operators to identify where there are gaps in the service.
Councillor Heaney welcomed the proposal but was disappointed in the last-minute cuts in the budget.
The Chair approved the recommendations and noted the comments from Members' and asked officers to consider these and report back as and when progress is made.
Decision
The Cabinet Member:
Supporting documents: