Agenda item

To provide an update on the draft LCWIP following public consultation prior to consideration by Cabinet.

The report was introduced and it was explained that the LCWIP is jointly commissioned between Hart District Council and Hampshire County Council. The LCWIP is a high-level strategic document which provides a strategy that will enable the Councils move into the design stage.

The LCWIP would also assist in delivering the targets in the Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency in facilitating a modal shift and support more walking and cycling as an alternative to some car journeys. It had identified origins and destinations and was offering radical solutions.

The Committee noted that:

• the strategic elements of the LCWIP were good, provided a high level framework of the key areas across Hart district where interventions could have the greatest impact on demand.
• it picked up matters relating to the Council's declaration of a Climate Emergency
• in general terms the key origin and destination for the cycle routes was well supported
• the waling zones were accepted, and in most cases the areas covered were correct
• there was an understanding that this was a high level document, and the details were 'a potential solution' or 'an indication of the type of solution' which could be implemented.
• it was noted that the LCWIP did build on previous work such as the green grid and the Fleet Town Access Plan (FTAP).

The meeting expressed the following concerns about the document:

·         That the document contained many specific design details. This led to concern that it was only these details that would be considered going forward and that many other good and more practical solutions would be overlooked.

·         That some of the routes suggested, although attractive would be discounted as impractical once they were presented to the Highways Authority. It was confirmed that the County Council as joint commissioners of the work had reviewed all of the content of the LCWIP and were satisfied.

·         It was not clear how the feedback from the consultation stages had been taken into consideration. It was agreed that an analysis of the feedback received would be beneficial.

·         That when funding was being sort that, it would only be sort for the items in the report, some of which the members felt were either impractical or undeliverable.

·         That if the funding and focus was on the larger more impractical items the smaller more deliverable items in the report may be overlooked.

A Councillor summarised the discussions that the strategic part of the document, the vision and context were good. It was the detailed solutions to the core walking zones and cycle routes which were concerns were being raised.

It was noted that if the document was to assist in promoting a modal shift to help deliver of the Council’s Climate pledges, that the document needed to be aspirational, but at the same time realistic and deliverable.

A Councillor questioned whether there maybe an opportunity for further engagement with Ward Members to feed into the detailed solutions for the cycling and walking zones.

It was agreed that a clear statement should be added to the report stating that the routes contained in it were not the final decision and that there would be an opportunity in the future to have input into the various routes.

DECISION

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee had concerns about the detailed design sections of LCWIP report in its current form and that it would encourage a review of the document in conjunction with feedback. There should be consideration of what further work is required and by whom.