Policies 2015

Agenda for Change

In May 2014 we also started work on a policy statement which would be prepared for an incoming Government in 2015 – beginning a series of discussion meetings with members around the country.  It should be noted that much of this relates to England, although still relevant to the nations with devolved transport powers. The document has incorporated a large number of members’ views, and is wide ranging and more detailed than other responses.  We began by saying that the DfT should set out:

• clear “high level” objectives to guide decision making which transport can help to achieve and everyone can understand
• a coherent framework within which transport decisions can be made by all actors: private companies and individuals; national funding Departments and agencies; and local authorities
• standards for the design, assessment and monitoring of the impacts of transport planning decisions and how to ensure the skills and quality controls are in place to achieve them.

We then said that planning for UK transport must be based on three key tenets:

• the need for land use and transport to be planned in an integrated manner – the disposition of land uses creates potential transport demand and the provision of transport networks creates opportunities for new land uses
• transport networks need to be maintained and managed as well as improved, and managing demand for their use is integral to their improvement
• there must be real and significant reductions in transport creating major external (non-user) costs, from local townscape to global climate change – the environment is no longer a “free good”.

Full report here

A programme of work follows on from the Agenda, including two events with DfT Directors, one in September 2015 and one in March 2016.  It has contributed to our other policy work, including submissions to the National Infrastructure Commission in January 2016.