The decision to approve an Active Travel Strategy for Kent County Council will strongly support a number of KCC’s strategic outcomes.
1. Children and young people in Kent get the best start in life:
· Kent young people are confident and ambitious with choices and access to work, education and training opportunities.
2. Kent communities feel the benefits of economic growth by being in-work, healthy and enjoying a good quality of life:
· Physical and mental health is improved by supporting people to take more responsibility for their own health and wellbeing,
· We support well planned housing growth so Kent residents can live in the home of their choice,
· Kent’s physical and natural environment is protected, enhanced and enjoyed by residents and visitors
3. Older and vulnerable residents are safe and supported with choices to live independently:
· Older and vulnerable residents feel socially included.
The strategy also relates to the Local Transport Plan for Kent 2011-2016 ‘A Safer and Healthier County’ objective.
In terms of Facing the Challenge, this strategy will act as a commissioning document that will both guide and inform the evaluation of future commissions.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 20/11/2015
Consultation process
Financial Implications
The Strategy will be developed as a cost-neutral document and require no additional investment from Kent County Council budgets. The strategy will act as a commissioning framework to provide strategic guidance on where existing programmes of work can deliver higher returns and maximise existing investment in projects
Furthermore, the Strategy will be used to support bids for
external income, including anticipated Government funding through
the Infrastructure Act (2015) which specifically provides for
investment in walking and cycling.
Legal implications
None.
Equalities implications
An EqIA has been carried out and is appended to this report. Emerging issues included that any measures to promote active travel should address the gender gap in rates of cycle commuting and that active travel infrastructure should be accessible to all user groups, including older people and disabled people.
Consultees
The Project Group would now like approval to go out to public consultation to engage with stakeholders and to further develop the Strategy.
An 8 week consultation is planned following approval from the Cabinet member. The consultation will be promoted through KCC digital and social media platforms, through the Libraries service and by directly contacting a number of key organisations for a response. These will include Kent County Council staff, the Kent Youth County Council, and all attendees of the stakeholder engagement workshops. Kent County Council’s business intelligence team will assist with analysing the responses.
The Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee will discuss the report on 4 May 2016