The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “G”) will be submitted to the Committee to update Members on the outcome of the delivery programme for the Highways and Transportation teams’ capital work programmes during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years.  The report covers 2 years because the pandemic has disrupted reporting procedures and scheme delivery.

An indication of the forward programme of capital works is also provided against emerging and existing funding streams and Council priorities including details of any funding bids which have been submitted.

Recommended –

That progress on the transport programmes across both the programmes described in this report be noted.

(John Davis - 07970 596213)

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document G) was submitted to the Committee to provide Members with an update for the years 2020/21 and 2021/22 on the outcome of the delivery programme for the Highways and Transportations Teams’ capital work programmes.

An indicative forward programme of capital works was also submitted including details of funding bids already submitted.  Officers provided a summary of the work undertaken for the duration covered by the report including development of the Local Transport Plan, the West Yorkshire +Transport Fund, Active Travel Funds and Transforming Cities Fund schemes.

Members were then given the opportunity to comment and ask questions, the details of which and the responses given are as below.

A Member queried the carbon report and noted that the District had not met any reduction targets and that the carbon output did not appear to have reduced.  Officers responded and advised that carbon assessment was a relatively newly developed tool which Officers were still familiarising themselves with.  Feedback on levels would be available within the following 12 months as more ways to assess carbon became available.  Some schemes were no longer as effective as they had been and more sophisticated methods were being used to model and assess performance and output.  Officers further stated that retro-fitting was not easy and that newer schemes would be more sustainable.

Sustainable transport corridors, specifically bus travel needed to be more attractive and Members asked how this would be achieved.  Officers advised that newer buses with re-routing and the ability to travel from further out with additional new houses and people would make more people want to use them.  Better infrastructure would support an improved offer from the bus companies for better routes.

Bradford would be the City of Culture for 2025 and Members asked if the Transforming Cities project would be delivered in time.  Officers stated that work was due to be completed by November 2024 in preparation for 2025. 

There was some community resistance to the Council’s vision, and Members asked how local residents were being encouraged to become engaged and was it a priority for them.  Officers advised that engagement had been hampered due to Covid.  Stakeholders such as community leaders needed to be asked what their visions or ambitions were and to encourage the benefits of active travel.  The barriers to understanding community issues needed to be removed.

A Member stated that the A650 road needed more attention, especially as local transport funding was being reduced.  Officers advised due to the transition to the Mayoral Combined Authority, the information as presented was misleading and that funding was moving between funding streams as a result and was being increased.

Bus ‘hotspots’ had been identified by operators as being a problem for them and brief discussion took place relating to a Shipley bus gate and the lack of support for it.  Again, the portfolio holder addressed the committee and explained the context of the scheme under discussion and funding pots with plans having to be revised with a view to wider implications.

Resolved -

That the progress on the transport programmes across both programmes described in the report be noted and that an update report be presented in 12 months’ time.

Action: Strategic Director, Place