Issue - meetings

Purpose of report:To seek the views of the Select Committee on the scope, content and structure of a proposed Delivery Plan for the Surrey Transport Plan. This insight will help to shape the drafting of a Delivery Plan this year, which will be presented to the Select Committee in 2024 for review and scrutiny.

Witnesses:

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth

Katie Stewart, Executive Director – Environment, Transport & Infrastructure

Paul Millin, Assistant Director, Strategic Transport

Lucy Monie, Director, Highways and Transport

Steve Howard, Transport Strategy Manager, Environment, Transport & Infrastructure

Key points made in the discussion:

General

1. The Chairman asked a question on the impact of delays in the development of the Surrey Transport Plan. The Transport Strategy Manager, Environment, Transport & Infrastructure said that the Council had been waiting 18 months for the Department for Transport to issue guidance and an associated carbon reduction toolkit . The Cabinet Member had written to the Secretary of State. The response would be shared with the Committee.

2. A Member asked how national attitudes would affect motivations for delivery. The Cabinet Member emphasised that the service was offering residents as many sustainable transport options as possible. The Member noted that some residents had encountered issues with EV cables running over pavements. This was considered an obstruction. The Cabinet Member explained that the Trojan Trial Project which allowed residents to charge their vehicles by way of a gulley laid across the pavement. A trial was underway. The Cabinet Member agreed to revert to the Member with the cost to resident of implementing this approach.

Delivery Plan Approach

3. A Member asked a question about pace of delivery of the Transport Plan – numbers of car movements in Surrey had increased not decreased. The Cabinet Member said that progress was being made where there was public support for example for walking and electric biking schemes. The Executive Director for Environment, Transport and Infrastructure noted that even though there was no formal delivery plan yet in place, delivery was nonetheless taking place.

4. A Member asked if the Council would bid for additional funding for the Transport Plan. The Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth answered that HS2 diverted funds would be bid for by the Council for major infrastructure improvements. Additionally, the Council had recently been awarded £3.9 billion for bus services in Surrey and the £2 bus cap fare remained in place.

Engagement

5. A Member asked how consultation could be managed in the context of residents feeling that car ownership was under attack. The Cabinet Member stressed that motorists were not being attacked.  A new and slower co-design process was being adopted. This involved longer and more thorough consultation to make sure residents were on board with any plans.

Governance, Monitoring & Measuring Success

6. A Member asked a question on what measures might be considered to make short car journeys less attractive. A range of possible options were flagged including reducing parking, traffic calming and management measures and road user charging. The Cabinet Member emphasised that this was not currently under consideration. The Member also asked how the Council would define the acceptable level of public support from residents for any new measures. The Cabinet Member answered that Councillors had an important role in deciding what was acceptable in their division.  An effective codesign process was critical.

7. A Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32