Remember, remember, the 5th of November…

The clocks have gone back, the nights continue to draw in and people have started letting off fireworks ahead of Firework Night- there is a definite sense that autumn has arrived.  The world continues to find itself in a challenging state, including the news that England’s 2024 harvest was the second worst on record. Output of five staple arable crops was down by up to 30% in 2024 compared to 2023.  So much for the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”!  If a risk to UK food security doesn’t galvanise action on carbon reduction, it’s hard to imagine what will.

Labour’s first 100 days 

The new Government has continued to make the headlines, not always in ways it would like.  Harold MacMillan’s “events, dear boy, events” have meant that their honeymoon period has been short-lived.

Despite some turbulence, the TPS’s view is that the Government’s first 100 days have on balance been positive as far as sustainable transport is concerned.  Secretary of State Louise Haigh MP has set out some clear priorities for creating a sustainable transport system that enables delivery of broader societal goals.  There has been a string of positive ministerial appointments, including ATE CEO Danny Williams as Director for the National Integrated Transport Strategy.  And commitments such as re-nationalisation of the rail system, roll-out of bus franchising and “unprecedented” investment in active travel give grounds for cautious optimism.  You can see the TPS’s assessment of Labour’s first 100 days here.

This week’s Budget will be a critical sign of the new Government’s intent.  The Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP has made clear that she plans to change the rules governing Government debt to free up the investment so urgently needed in the public sphere.   Two key issues will be how that investment is prioritised and whether increased capital investment will be matched by the revenue investment needed to support transport planning and transport operations.  Developing the capacity of local and regional government is a high priority here.  I have written to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget on behalf of the TPS, setting out the TPS’s views on transport revenue and investment.  You can see the letter here. 

Board and business plan 

Positive work is continuing developing the TPS’s strategy and business plan.  Lisa Martin has concluded her work looking at how we can develop our corporate supporters’ proposition to make it really clear the different ways that organisations can support the TPS and the value of that relationship to both parties.  Tim Cuthbert and Isabelle Milford will be bringing similar proposals to the Board to ensure we retain our existing individual members, recruit new members and better link our different programmes such as skills, events, membership and communications.  

Events 

I attended the annual National Highways conference in Birmingham on 18 and 19 October.   I was struck by the “framing” of transport by both Future of Roads Minister Lillian Greenwood MP and DfT Roads DG Emma Ward.
 
The minister highlighted the fact that roads are “more than cement and traffic” – they are part of the transport network that connects people and places and allows us to realise our ambitions. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t give any details on what will happen to funding for the road network ahead of the Budget. But she made clear that the government’s priority is to look after the network we already have, particularly the local roads where all journeys start and finish. A strong emphasis on improving safety - both personal safety and casualty reduction. And the need to develop the next generation of professionals to take the network forward.
 
Emma Ward highlighted the Secretary of State’s emphasis on transport as an enabler of the delivery of wider societal goals and the need for an integrated system, underpinned by investment across the country. Mission-led government creates the opportunity to link transport to other issues like improving public health, economic opportunity and decarbonisation. With most trips still under 5 miles, there is a “huge opportunity” for more of those trips to be made by public transport. Her eloquent summary of the future of transport was “affordable, reliable, greener, genuine choices that unlock opportunities for people”. The Transport Planning Society would concur.

Transport Planning Day (TPD) 2024 – 11 November 2024, ICE London and on-line

The theme for this year’s Transport Planning Day on 11 November is “The Road Less Travelled – the principles, policies, practicalities and politics of reducing car use in the UK”.  We have a star-studded line up of speakers, including Lillian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads; Steve Gooding, former DfT Roads DG and now Director of the RAC Foundation; Sharon Payne - regional rural mobility manager, Transport East; and Ed Downer - transport and mobility associate, Buro Happold.  We also have a fantastic panel to explore the issues raised in more depth, featuring Fiona Brown – interim director of transport strategy and analysis, Transport Scotland; Izzy Romilly – sustainable transport research and campaign manager, Possible; Tim Steiner – divisional director, Jacobs; David Connolly - director of low carbon mobility, Systra; and Hannah Donovan – transport planner, Transport for London.  There will be ample opportunity for networking and discussion with friends and colleagues, so make sure you book a place either in-person or on-line. 

Just ahead of TPD on 31 October, we have another great webinar on the subject of “Decarbonising urban transport – what’s it going to take?”.  Our two speakers Mark Gill (Associate Transport Planner at Buro Happold) and Enrica Papa (Professor in Transport Planning at the University of Westminster) will explore whether the conventional approach to delivering sustainable and decarbonised transport is working and what we can learn from international experience about creating sustainable transport systems in UK cities.  Book a place here.