Agenda item

Report of the LTP3 Working Group

The Chair introduced herself as a member of the Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3) Working Group, which had included Councillors McCloskey, Fletcher, Hibbert and R Hay.  It was important to note that Cabinet Member Built Environment had also attended each of the meetings.

The Working Group had produced something that, if agreed by the committee, would be submitted to Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) tomorrow (25 November 2010).

The Integrated Transport Manager introduced the report as circulated with the agenda.  The report set out the recommendations of the LTP3 Working Group with regards to the proposed response of the Council, to the draft LTP3 consultation. 

Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) had been granted an extension by GCC in order to allow time for a quantative response to be drafted.  Members and stakeholders had been involved in the collation of the response. 

The Working Group had, had to accept that the plan was an evolving plan, which was a result of the current budget constraints and a key message had been ‘localisation’.

The following comments were made by members of the committee;

• Cheltenham was one of only a few towns that did not have a bypass and already suffered from traffic issues, which would only increase in the future if nothing was done.  The M5 slip road would increase traffic on the Tewkesbury Road and the worry was that businesses would relocate and people would avoid Cheltenham.  The preservation of historic buildings was important but not at the expense of traffic flow in the town. 
• Civic Pride highlighted the issue of traffic.  The closure of Boots corner and a large development in the north-west of the town would overwhelm some already busy junctions in Cheltenham.  GCC were being encouraged to consider the number of traffic lights, etc and the taskforce would continue to pursue these issues with GCC. 
• Light rail was a fundamental element and it was reassuring to a reference to this had been included. 
• Changes to individual junctions would cause problems in other areas and a bypass would come at a great cost.
• A north-west bypass would be contrary to Council policy and the Working Group were not able to contradict that.
• Medical evidence was clear that air quality had a direct impact on health and as such care needed to be taken when building, etc.  It was pleasing to see that this had also been referenced.
• The position of many industrial estates in Cheltenham drew goods vehicles into the town centre.

The committee members that had been involved in the Working Group paid specific thanks to the Head of Integrated Transport and Sustainability and his team for their efforts. 

Cabinet Member Built Environment had found the Head of Integrated Transport and Sustainability to be very knowledgeable and took the opportunity to thank the members involved.  Cabinet would be very grateful.

Industrial estates were important and all strategies needed to take consideration the use and occupation of these sites.  One estate in particular, situated near to the train station suffered from a real issue with commuter parking.

The Working group saw the LTP3 as an evolving document and felt it was important that CBC continue to raise concerns with GCC. 

The Chair reiterated that Officers had consulted with Members, other Officers, businesses and community groups and assured the committee that they would be updated about how the feedback had been received by GCC. 

Upon a vote it was unanimously

RESOLVED that the schedule of representations be approved as Cheltenham Borough Council’s formal response to LTP3 and the formal response be submitted to GloucestershireCounty Council by 25 November 2010.

On a personal note, the Chair echoed comments made by other members and expressed how rewarding she had found it to work with the Officers and Members involved in the working group.

At this point Councillor Lloyd Surgenor excused himself from the meeting.