Local transport plan to be considered

Shropshire’s transport and highways objectives and policies for the next 15 years will be considered by councillors today.

At their meeting today (Thursday 3 March), members of Shropshire Council’s enterprise and growth scrutiny committee will be asked to give their views on the council’s provisional Local Transport Plan (LTP) Core Strategy, plus the provisional Implementation Plan.

Comments made by the scrutiny committee will be taken into account before the draft LTP is considered by the council’s Cabinet on 16 March. There will then be a period of public consultation, before the final plan is adopted.

The LTP covers all aspects of transport and highways in the Shropshire Council area, including walking, cycling, public transport, car-based travel and freight, plus highways maintenance and management.

The implementation plan covers detailed transport priorities and an outline capital programme for the next four years.

The report to scrutiny shows that, under the council’s capital settlement for 2011/12 to 2014/15, the council will receive a significantly reduced amount of money from the Government to spend on transport and highways projects.

The total received for transport and highways in 2011/12 is £15.1m, falling to £14.35m in 2014/15. Funding for highways maintenance is 13% lower than received for the four years between 2006 and 2010. Funding for transport improvement works is 58% lower.

However, the report says that Shropshire Council will seek additional grants to supplement the Government’s settlement, and grants of £810,000 towards projects in the next two years have already been secured Despite the funding cuts, the draft LTP proposes significant investment in safety improvements including village and rural speed limits and safer routes to schools.

It proposes two major projects in Shrewsbury town centre to improve traffic flow and enhance pedestrian and cycle access at the Chester Street gyratory system by the rail station, and at the junction of Raven Meadows and Smithfield Road, by the bus station.

It also includes funding for the construction of a new footway and cycleway alongside the A488 between Minsterley and Pontesbury, helping to connect these communities.

Councillor Alan Mosley, chairman of the enterprise and growth scrutiny committee, said:

“Significant reduction in Government funding will obviously have a big impact on what can be achieved. We will be examining what is proposed under the provisional local transport plan, and whether the priorities are appropriate. We will also want to examine whether the proposed consultation exercise is rigorous.”