Over 100 TPS Members and guests enjoyed the TPS Annual Dinner in London on 18 November.  With excellent food, good company, views over St Paul's Cathedral and listening to our guest speaker Norman Baker (pictured here either on the stairway to heaven or the descent into hades!?) followed by a lively Q&A what more could you want!

Norman Baker, Minister of State for Transport, relaunched sustainable transport policy by confirming that local solutions will be funded despite cuts elsewhere. Detailed guidance will be out around the turn of the year but Baker said that local authorities should not wait to start work on their bids.

He also confirmed Coalition commitments to High Speed Rail, and, in response to questions from the floor, emphasised the need for new capacity for domestic traffic, both passenger and freight.  This was the result of sustained growth in rail travel and congestion was now a serious problem.  He also pointed to the huge long term potential for high speed rail for near European destinations, as well as travel between UK cities.  This would in turn reduce aviation demand and carbon emissions.

In discussion, he went on to say that biofuels were not a comprehensive answer for land based transport, although they may have application in sectors such as freight and longer distance aviation.

But his key message was more immediate and a positive one – planners needed to start preparing schemes for the £560million Local Sustainable Transport Fund to be spent over the next four years.  This would be open to new ideas to reduce carbon and improve access.  He pointed to the potential for walking and cycling to relieve local networks and achieve health benefits. 

He claimed that transport had been able to show its value to the economy as well as local communities and this had helped transport to “hold its own” in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

TPS Chair, Victoria Hills, said she was "delighted that TPS Members got the opportunity to hear about future funding prospects for local schemes first hand from the Minister at our annual dinner"