Issue - meetings

(1)          Mr Payne moved and Mr Dance seconded the following motion:

“The County Council is asked to approve and adopt Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth without Gridlock (2016 – 2031) as a plan included in the Policy Framework of the Constitution of the Kent County Council.”

(2)          Following the debate the Chairman put the motion set out above to the vote and the voting was as follows:

For (62)

Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr P Barrington-King, Mr P Bartlett, Mrs C Bell, Mrs R Binks, Mr R Bird, Mr T Bond, Mr A Bowles, Mr D Butler, Miss S Carey, Mr P Carter, Mrs S Chandler, Mr N Chard, Mr I Chittenden,  Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr A Cook, Mr G Cooke, Mr P Cooper, Mrs M Crabtree, Mr D Daley, Mr M Dance, Miss E Dawson, Mrs T Dean, Mrs L Game, Mrs S Gent, Mr G Gibbens, Mr R Gough, Mr K Gregory, Ms S Hamilton, Mr M Hill, Mr T Hills, Mrs S Hohler,  Mr S Holden, Mr P Homewood, Mr M,  Horwood, Mr E Hotson, Mr J Kite, Mr G Koowaree, Mr P Lake, Mr R Long, Mr R Love, Mr G Lymer, Mr A Marsh, , Mr J McInroy, Mr P Messenger, Mr D Murphy, Mr M Northey, Mr P Oakford, Mr J Ozog, Mr D Pascoe, Mr M Payne,  Mrs S, Prendergast, Mr K Pugh, Mr H Rayner, Mr C Simkins, Mr J Simmonds, Mrs P Stockell, Mr I Thomas, Mr M Whiting, Mr J Wright.

Against (9)

Ms K Constantine, Mr T Dhesi, Mr A Hook, Mr B Lewis, Ms  D Marsh, Mr A Ridgers, Dr L Sullivan, Mr B Sweetland, Mr  M Whybrow,

Abstain (1)

Mr D Farrell

(3)          RESOLVED that the Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth without Gridlock (2016 – 2031) be adopted as a plan included in the Policy Framework of the Constitution of the Kent County Council.

To consider and recommend the draft Local Transport Plan 4 to County Council for adoption.

(Item 6 – report of Mr Matthew Balfour, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and Barbara Cooper, Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport)

Cabinet received a report on the statutory duty to have a Local Transport Plan (LTP). The current LTP3 (2011-16) needed replacing.  A new draft LTP, Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth without Gridlock (2016-31), had been produced incorporating a refresh of 2010’s Growth without Gridlock: A transport delivery plan for Kent. The draft LTP4 had been considered by Cabinet Committee on 8 July 2016, and then a full 12 week public consultation had been undertaken. The Consultation Report and a summary of the results were presented to Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee on 12 January 2017. Since then, the consultation comments had been reviewed and revisions made to LTP4. The revised LTP4 was presented to Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee on 13 March 2017.

Mr Matthew Balfour, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and Joe Ratcliffe, Transport Strategy Manager, introduced the report.  In particular they referred to the following:

• The changes arising from consultation which were summarised in Appendix B to the report
• Reminding Cabinet members of the three levels of transport priorities: strategic, county-wide and local.
• Details of district wide schemes would be worked up in close cooperation with district councils to support the growth identified in their local plans

In response to questions from Cabinet members Mr Balfour and officers gave the following responses:

• Whilst the responsibility for Local Transport Plans rested with upper tier authorities, district councils needed to identify mitigation measures in relation to growth, including the impact on transport, as identified in their local plans.  There was a duty of cooperation between the two tiers of government and subject to approval by the planning inspectorate.
• The decision of the Lower Thames Crossing was still awaited.

It was RESOLVED

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member, Environment and Transport and the Corporate Director, Growth, Environment and Transport which asks the Committee to consider and make recommendations on the revised Local Transport Plan 4 before it is considered by Cabinet and County Council

Katie Stewart (Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement) and Katie Pettitt (Principal Transport Planner) were in attendance for this item.

(1)       Officers introduced the report which asked the Committee to consider and make recommendations on the revised Local Transport Plan 4 before it was to be considered by Cabinet and County Council.

(2)       In response to questions, the Cabinet Member and officers provided the following:

·           A lorry park at Detling aerodrome had previously been ruled out by Government of practicability grounds

·           The summary names given to projects in this report would be expanded and clarified as the projects were developed

·           There had been a move away from planning road safety measures purely on deaths and serious injuries data towards a more balanced risk assessment

·           There was a group meeting under the direction of the Rt Hon Greg Clark, MP, to examine options for the further development of the A228

·           The danger of using mobile phones in cars was covered in the general safety provisions and should not be specified separately.

(3)          Mr Caller moved and Mr Baldock seconded the following amendment to the recommendations: “that every reference to option C in relation to the New Lower Thames Crossing should be amended to the previously consulted option A14”.

For (2) Mr M Baldock and Mr C Caller; Against (10) Mr C Pearman, Mr A Bowles, Mr I Chittenden, Mr P Homewood, Mr B MacDowall, Mr J Ozog, Mr C Simkins, Mrs C Waters, Mr M Whybrow and Mr A Wickham; Abstentions (0)

The amendment was lost

(4)          Resolved that

·   the Local Transport Plan 4 be endorsed and submitted to the Cabinet and County Council.

·   approval be endorsed for the County Council to authorise the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to make any further minor modifications which may be needed such as formatting changes and typographical errors in order to publish the Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth without Gridlock.

For (10) Mr C Pearman, Mr A Bowles, Mr I Chittenden, Mr P Homewood, Mr B MacDowall, Mr J Ozog, Mr C Simkins, Mrs C Waters, Mr M Whybrow and Mr A Wickham; Against (2) Mr M Baldock and Mr C Caller; Abstentions (0)

To note the summary of consultation comments on the draft LTP4

Katie Stewart (Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement) and Katie Pettit (Principal Transport Planner – Strategy) were in attendance for this item

(1)       Mr Pearman (Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport) introduced the report which set out a high level summary of the consultation on a new draft Local Transport Plan (LTP4).  He said that consultation had been extensive with responses from a range of organisations and individuals.  He thanked the Members and officers involved in the task and finish group.

(2)       Officers said the draft LTP4 had been presented to the Cabinet Committee before the consultation and the final draft would also be presented to it before it was considered by Cabinet and adopted by County Council.

(3)       In response to comments and questions, Mr Balfour said that Gravesham Borough Council’s response to the consultation, including any comments about the siting of the Lower Thames Crossing, would be considered and taken into account.  He said that the government announcement on the preferred site might be made and that he would talk to Mr Caller and Mr Sweetland (Member for Gravesham Rural) about the Lower Thames Crossing before the LTP4 was finalised.

(4)       Comments were also made about transport issues in particular areas, including traffic access to Dover, dualling of the A256, the A20 tunnel to connect Dover town centre to the seafront, traffic flows at the Dartford Tunnel and the Thanet Parkway. 

(5)       Resolved that the summary of consultation comments on the draft LTP4 be noted.