Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Service Delivery (copy enclosed).

The Council considered the report of the Director of Service Delivery presented the Council’s recommended response (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) to the draft Essex Transport Strategy consultation.

The Essex County Council (ECC) Essex Transport Strategy is ECC’s Statutory Plan know as their Local Transport Plan (LTP4) and would replace the existing LTP3 published in 2011. A public consultation started on 5 August for six week and sought response on Part 1 of the Strategy which focused on ‘themes’, ‘outcomes’, ‘activities’ and the proposed new ‘place and movement approach’ to road hierarchy.

It was noted that the prepared response from the Council was considered by the Planning Policy Working Group (PPWG) on 10 September 2024. Following consideration by the PPWG an additional response to question 20 was suggested and this had been circulated prior to the meeting as an addendum.

Following presentation of the report by the Principal Place Officer, the Chairperson put the recommendation, and this was duly seconded.

Councillor W Stamp expressed concern that the Strategy did not address the issues that the District had and she highlighted an number of areas in respect of this. Councillor Stamp requested that where the Council’s response was ‘agree’ this should be changed to ‘strongly agree’. This proposed change was duly agreed. In responding to Councillor Stamp, the Officer highlighted that this consultation sought response to Part 1 of the Strategy focusing on the ‘framework’ and Part 2, setting out area plans with a full programme of investment in these areas, was expected in early 2025.

During the debate that ensued, comment was raised regarding local bus services, particularly the reliability of bus services provided, and it was requested that within its response the Council referred to reliability of such services. In response the Officer advised that this could be added.

The Chairperson then moved the recommendation, subject to the amendments raised at the meeting and as detailed on the Addendum circulated. This was duly agreed.

RESOLVED that subject to the amendments as detailed above and in the circulated Addendum, the consultation response to the Essex Transport Strategy (Appendix 1 to the report) be approved and submitted online by the deadline.