Agenda item

This report presents the ‘New Rail Strategy for Surrey’, setting out our future ambition and priorities for rail across the county. It updates the original Rail Strategy published in 2013 and the partial update of 2016.

[The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

RESOLVED:

1. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is adopted and the strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities identified are welcomed;

2. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is used as a framework to support local economic and spatial development decisions and as an advocacy document to lobby Government, the rail industry and others to assist in delivering the strategic aims;
   
   
3. That the development of a future work programme that will set out the council’s involvement in the interventions identified in New Rail Strategy for Surrey, led by the Cabinet Member for Highways, the objective being to create an implementation plan that is integrated with the emerging Surrey Local Transport Plan 4 and the Surrey Infrastructure Plan is agreed.

Reason for decision:

Good rail services with supporting infrastructure are vital for maintaining and growing Surrey's economy. They provide efficient and sustainable links to jobs, education and leisure, they reduce the number of car journeys on our roads and they support our climate change agenda. The rail network is also a key factor in the decisions made by business and residents choosing to live and work in the county. Although uncertainties around the long-term economic impacts of Covid19 remain, particularly in terms of how businesses will respond and how commuting patterns will adapt, the importance of rail in Surrey will remain high.

Therefore, whilst the council has no statutory role in planning or delivering rail services or projects, we must continue to actively engage with the rail industry and Government to ensure that our priorities are reflected in rail service delivery, infrastructure investment and in planning for the future.

To ensure we succeed in doing so, it is crucial that the council has a relevant and coherent rail strategy, which can be used as an advocacy document and to support partnership work and future investment with the rail industry. The New Rail Strategy for Surrey encompasses a clear set of strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities. It will provide a platform to deliver our ambitions in rail. Moreover, our New Rail Strategy for Surrey will enable the council to take advantage of other opportunities as they arise to support our 2030 Community Vision and our 2050 Place Ambition.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

The Cabinet Member for Highways introduced the new Rail Strategy for Surrey, setting out the future ambition and priorities for rail across Surrey. It updated the original Rail Strategy published in 2013 and the partial update of 2016. It was important that the council had an up to date rail strategy that fully reflected the objectives of the council as articulated through the 2030 Community Vision and the 2050 Place Ambition. The strategy would be used as a powerful advocacy document to support local economic and spatial development decisions that would maximise the potential impact of improvements and investments in the county, alongside partnership work and levering future investment from the rail industry and others. The New Rail Strategy for Surrey also supports the council’s priority objective of enabling a greener future with net zero carbon as a strong feature throughout the new strategy.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change welcomed the strategy adding that it supported the councils climate change agenda and would reduce the number of car journeys in Surrey. The Leader stated that the strategy would support the broader public transport strategy giving people a choice of the transport they used.

The meeting adjourned at 3.19pm due to audio issues with the live webcast and  resumed at 3.25pm.

RESOLVED:

1. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is adopted and the strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities identified are welcomed;

2. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is used as a framework to support local economic and spatial development decisions and as an advocacy document to lobby Government, the rail industry and others to assist in delivering the strategic aims;
   
   
3. That the development of a future work programme that will set out the council’s involvement in the interventions identified in New Rail Strategy for Surrey, led by the Cabinet Member for Highways, the objective being to create an implementation plan that is integrated with the emerging Surrey Local Transport Plan 4 and the Surrey Infrastructure Plan is agreed.

Reason for decision:

Good rail services with supporting infrastructure are vital for maintaining and growing Surrey's economy. They provide efficient and sustainable links to jobs, education and leisure, they reduce the number of car journeys on our roads and they support our climate change agenda. The rail network is also a key factor in the decisions made by business and residents choosing to live and work in the county. Although uncertainties around the long-term economic impacts of Covid19 remain, particularly in terms of how businesses will respond and how commuting patterns will adapt, the importance of rail in Surrey will remain high.

Therefore, whilst the council has no statutory role in planning or delivering rail services or projects, we must continue to actively engage with the rail industry and Government to ensure that our priorities are reflected in rail service delivery, infrastructure investment and in planning for the future.

To ensure we succeed in doing so, it is crucial that the council has a relevant and coherent rail strategy, which can be used as an advocacy document and to support partnership work and future investment with the rail industry. The New Rail Strategy for Surrey encompasses a clear set of strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities. It will provide a platform to deliver our ambitions in rail. Moreover, our New Rail Strategy for Surrey will enable the council to take advantage of other opportunities as they arise to support our 2030 Community Vision and our 2050 Place Ambition.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]