Issue - meetings

Bath and North East Somerset Council is asked to consider the final West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Strategic Outline Case to the Department of Transport (DfT) on the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

The Cabinet is asked to approve the elements of the West of England City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement that relate to activity in Bath and North East Somerset for inclusion in the submission to the Department of Transport.

On a motion from Councillor Sarah Warren, seconded by Councillor Manda Rigby, it was:

RESOLVED (unanimously):

(1)  To approve the elements of the West of England City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement that relate to activity in Bath and North East Somerset for inclusion in the submission to the Department for Transport.

(2)  To support the recommendations made in the WECA Committee paper.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is asked to consider the final West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Strategic Outline Case to the Department of Transport (DfT) on the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

The Cabinet is asked to approve the elements of the West of England City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement that relate to activity in Bath and North East Somerset for inclusion in the submission to the Department of Transport.

The Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Sustainable Communities regarding Bath and North East Somerset Council’s approval to the final West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Strategic Outline Case to the Department for Transport on the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

Cllr Sarah Warren introduced the item and made the following statement:

“I am very pleased to be presenting this paper on the City Region Sustainable Transport settlement, that we hope will be approved by WECA, the West of England Combined Authority, on Friday, and that will begin to rectify many decades of underinvestment in this region’s sustainable transport infrastructure as compared to other City Regions.

WECA has been awarded a historic settlement of £540m over 5 years, more per capita than other city regions, to progress an ambitious capital programme that will support a significant reduction in carbon emissions from transport, in line with the region’s climate emergency declarations. The final allocation to schemes in the Bath and North East Somerset area is proposed to be £129 m over the 5 years, which is matched by a £17m local contribution.

The bid’s key focus is on safe, segregated infrastructure for active travel (by which I mean cycling and walking), and continuous, segregated, priority lanes for buses, will reduce journey times and increase the attractiveness of alternatives over the car. They will also support our public health objectives, by increasing physical activity and bringing down air pollution, and they will reduce the congestion, which blights our region and is forecast to increase without action of this sort, costing a huge and increasing amount in time and money.

The scheme will connect households with employment and education and deliver high quality inter-connected alternatives to the car. In Bath & North East Somerset, our approach will revolve around the creation of multi-modal transport interchanges and segregated, fast bus routes along the trunk corridors, served by safe walking and cycling routes in to interchanges from more rural communities. Where distances are too long for walking or cycling, such as in the Chew Valley, this plan provides for sustainable modes and we will look to try out more innovative schemes using the rural fund.

The important elements of the scheme for Bath & North East Somerset include:

·  Improvements to the A4 corridor – as we discussed at last month’s cabinet meeting and incorporating a new sustainable transport hub at Hicks Gate (to replace Brislington Park & Ride).

·  Improvements to Bath bus station

·  Improvements to sustainable transport infrastructure along and to the A37 and A367 corridors, connecting the Somer Valley to Bristol and Bath.

·  Improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure, and provision of secure, dry cycle parking, in and around Bath, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham.

·  Additional funding to extend our liveable neighbourhoods programme, which aims to create residential areas that are healthier and nicer to spend time in on foot - beyond the 15 projects currently timetabled.

·  A common West of England branding to bus services and real time travel information

·  Simpler and integrated bus ticketing,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128