Agenda item

The Board gave consideration to a report which provided details of new, and updated, transport strategy documents that had been prepared by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the ten Greater Manchester councils and the Greater Manchester Mayor, to cover the entire city-region.

This work included a refreshed version of the long-term, statutory local transport plan – the Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040 - and a final version of Our Five-Year Delivery Plan (2020-2025) which set out the practical actions planned to deliver the Strategy over the next 5 years. In addition, ten new Local Implementation Plans had been prepared (one for each Greater Manchester council), including Oldham.

Draft versions of the documents were published as part of the GMSF Transport Evidence Base for the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) Executive Board on 30th October, which noted the GMSF: Publication Draft 2020 and supporting background documents and recommended the documents to the GM local authorities. The GMSF 2020 and supporting documents could be viewed at https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing/gmsf2020/.

The Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040 was first published in February 2017 and had undergone a ‘light touch’ policy refresh to reflect work undertaken and the changed context since 2017, including, for example, the adoption of the “Right-Mix” ambition for at least 50% of all journeys to be made by active travel and public transport by 2040 and further development of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. The refreshed 2040 Transport Strategy would be published in December 2020 alongside the GMSF consultation, as part of the GMSF evidence base.

The long-term approach to planning Greater Manchester’s transport network, set out in the 2040 Transport Strategy, was underpinned by a series of five-year Delivery Plans. The first Delivery Plan (2016-2017 to 2021-2022) was published in 2017, alongside the 2040 Transport Strategy. An updated, draft Delivery Plan was published for consultation – alongside the first version of the GMSF - in January 2019. A final version of this document had now been prepared.

Our Five-Year Delivery Plan sets out the practical actions planned, over the next 5 years, to deliver the 2040 Transport Strategy and achieve the transport ambitions of the GMCA and the Mayor, in parallel with the development of the GMSF. The Delivery Plan included a mapped summary of proposed place-specific schemes as well as a range of GM-wide interventions ranging from Emergency Active Travel measures to support social distancing as part of the Covid-19 recovery, to a GM-wide reformed bus network and associated

infrastructure, clean air plan, and integrated fares and ticketing standards. Our Five-Year Delivery Plan would be published in support of the GMSF consultation and as part of the GMSF evidence base in December 2020. The report included details of the interventions that could result in direct investment in Oldham or were particularly relevant to Oldham. The Delivery Plan also contained details of the strategic transport interventions associated with GMSF allocations that may be brought forward. This report included details of the GMSF interventions associated with Oldham’s GMSF allocations.

Our Five-Year Delivery Plan was supported by ten Local Implementation Plans (LIPs) covering the period 2020 to 2025. Each of the ten councils that made up Greater Manchester had its own LIP, including Oldham. LIPs were a new feature of the GM2040 Transport Strategy suite of documents and provided more detail on each Council area. LIPs would be included in an appendix to the final version of Our Five-Year Delivery Plan. They would be ‘live’ documents for a period of time and would be updated as councils developed and published transport plans and strategies, or as new schemes were developed or delivered.

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:

·         Flexibility as priorities developed – there was a high degree of control at local level with delivery plans. The strategy was based on GMSF and was flexible enough to accommodate change. The Council had control over its own implementation plan and how often it was reviewed.

·         Effect of Covid on funding – the Plan was largely related to capital investment and capital funding was still being allocated. Revenue funding was reduced by fewer passengers and the impact of that could not be assessed at this time.

·         Rationalisation of bus services across Greater Manchester – GM was developing a franchising scheme, which had been out for consultation. No decisions had yet been made and the impact of Covid would need to be understood before proceeding.

·         Balancing different needs in regenerating the town centre – the aim was to make the town centre attractive and easy to access for all. Major projects had been delivered and funding had been secured for further schemes. Many households did not have a car and it was therefore important to improve cycling and walking routes as well as public transport.

·         Strategies to reduce short journeys eg school journeys – various projects had been undertaken. Some were school-specific and some more general. The service was working with schools on a 1:1 basis to develop school travel plans.

·         Availability of a ward-level version – the Local Implementation Plan would provide that level of detail.

·         Greenfield station – work had not yet progressed to provide a fully-accessible station. As electrification would not happen soon, discussion continued to find an alternative solution and any available opportunities would be exploited.

RESOLVED that:

1.    It be noted that, on the 9th November 2020, the Cabinet would be recommended to endorse the refreshed Greater Manchester Transport Strategy and the final version of Our Five-Year Delivery Plan for approval by GMCA and publication in December 2020, alongside Greater Manchester's Plan for Homes, Jobs and the Environment (GMSF), subject to the correction of a small number of errors identified in Appendix D.

2.    It be noted that, on the 9th November 2020, the Cabinet would be recommended to approve the Oldham Local Implementation Plan for publication as an appendix to Our Five-Year Delivery Plan, acknowledging that this was a ‘live’ document and would be subject to regular review and update as appropriate.

3.    It be noted that, on the 9th November 2020, the Cabinet would be recommended to delegate authority to the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Culture to approve future updates of the Oldham Local Implementation Plan.

4.    An update be brought to the Board in six months.