Agenda item

This report details the work of the Committee’s task group established in November 2013 to oversee the development of a transport strategy for Surrey County Council’s schools place programme. 

The report recommends the Children & Education and Environment & Transport Select Committees are invited to comment on the accompanying strategy prior to a three month public consultation between July and September 2014.

Declarations of interest:

None

Officers:

Hannah Philpott, Senior Policy Manager 

Nancy el Shatoury, Principal Lawyer

Caroline Smith, Transport Development Planning Team Manager

Alan Stones, Planning Development Control Team Manager

Stephen Jenkins, Deputy Planning Development Control Team Manager

Key Points raised during the discussion:

1.    The report was introduced by the Senior Policy Manager who listed the key findings and recommendations of the report. Key issues raised in the report included the need to put together travel plans before school applications go to Committee and recognising that onsite parking/drop offs should be judged on a case by case approach.

2.    The Transport Development Planning Team Manager explained that generally academy and free school planning applications went through the district and borough planning process, although the County Council would still have some involvement in the application as the designated highway authority.    

3.    Some Members of the Committee felt that pickup and drop off points should have been considered in more detail in the report especially when taking account of safety around schools.

4.    Concerns were raised around the cut to bus budgets proposed by the County Council and the implications this would have on increased car journeys to and from schools.

5.    The Chairman explained that the Committee was restricted in its powers and officers would take a flexible approach when considering parking and pick up/drop off points. 

6.    A Member of the Committee asked when work included on the process map, figure 3, would come into force. The Senior Policy Manager explained that a lot of the work on the process map was already being done. Monitoring, auditing and reviewing travel plans have been included as part of the travel plan process. It was further explained that the county did not have any statutory powers to enforce travel plans.

7.    Members asked that schools ensure necessary action is taken to budget for transport impacts and any necessary travel measures required.

8.    A Member of the Committee asked whether statistics relating to accidents outside of schools was available. The Transport Development Planning Team Manager explained that any transport assessment relating to a school application had to take account of accident rates. The accident rates around schools in Surrey were low with a majority of the accidents not involving children.

9.    Concerns were raised around whether the Cycling Guidance mentioned in the strategy was being viewed in respect of school place planning or the county as a whole. The Senior Policy Manager explained that Cycling Guidance would be viewed in respect of schools.

10.  A number of options including ‘drive by drop offs’ had been considered by the travel planning team who were now focussing on new ways of doing things.

11.  Concerns were raised around new housing developments and the increase in school spaces this would create. The Transport Development Planning Team Manager explained that discussions were ongoing to ensure that enough consideration was being given to new housing provisions.

12.  Members queried whether training on unilateral undertaking could be given to the Committee. The Principal Lawyer explained that in any unilateral undertaking the parties involved had to be two distinct entities. Therefore the county council could not undertake this process with itself in regards to school planning. 

13.  It was suggested that training on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) be organised for the Committee.

14.  The Senior Policy Manager explained that if a school planning application did not go to the planning and regulatory Committee the travel planning team could include the application on their priority list and ensure there was engagement with the creation of the school travel plan.

15.  On page 47 of the report a Member of the Committee asked for clarification around ‘largely revenue/capital neutral’ and asked for this to be amended as necessary.    

16.  It was explained that a great amount of work would go into the public consultation for the strategy. Organisations and groups signed onto the list of consultees including voluntary, resident organisations and planning groups would be consulted as part of the process. Media publicity around the consultation would also be undertaken.

17.  The Committee thanked the Member Reference Group and officers for their hard work pulling together the draft strategy.

Actions/Further information to be provided:

For training on CIL to be organised for the Committee. 

RESOLVED:

1. That Planning & Regulatory Committee invites Children & Education and Environment & Transport Select Committees to comment on the transport strategy for schools place programme.
2. That it be agreed that a three month public consultation is held on the strategy document to enable its adoption as part of Surrey’s Local Transport Plan.