Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Committee Room A, Wellington House, 40-50 Wellington Street, Leeds

Items
No. Item

41.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor Khan, Councillor Hall, Councillor Morley and Mark Roberts

42.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests

Minutes:

Cllr Ellis declared that he was a member of the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

43.

Exempt information - possible exclusion of the press and public

Minutes:

There were no items which required the exclusion of the press or public.

44.

Minutes of the meeting of the Transport Committee held on 8 November 2019 pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Minutes:

Members questioned the accuracy of the minutes on Item 13 Zero Carbon and Air Quality Update. This was discussed further under item 7 on the agenda.

 

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the Transport Committee held on 8 November be approved. 

45.

Chairs Update

Minutes:

The Chair updated the Panel on recent Transport work.

46.

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

 

Resolved:

 

(i)              That the draft phase one Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) produced for Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield be endorsed and recommended to the Combined Authority.

 

(ii)             That the draft phase one Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) produced for Bradford be endorsed and recommended to the Combined Authority, except any part of the proposals which fall outside the Bradford boundary, which would be subject to further engagement.

 

(iii)           That the proposed approach to further development of the LCWIPs, and their integration into the Combined Authority policy, as daughter documents of the West Yorkshire Transport Strategy 2040, be endorsed.

 

(iv)           That the progress made in developing a Future West Yorkshire Strategic Cycle Network Map be noted.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which set out the approach to Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPS).

 

The Committee was informed of the consultation process to date as well as the next steps for the LCWIPS work which included approval from the Combined Authority in April 2020 and their adoption by the respective partner councils.

 

Members raised concerns around the Bradford LCWIP and the lack of engagement on the parts of the proposals which fall outside of the Bradford boundary. It was felt that there had been insufficient consultation on this aspect of the Bradford LCWIP.

 

The Chair acknowledged the need for further engagement and proposed to members that those parts of the Bradford LCWIPs which fell beyond the Bradford boundary would not be endorsed at the meeting and would be subject to further engagement.

 

Members expressed concerns that there had been wider flaws in the consultation process between key partners. It was suggested that cycling clubs in Kirklees had not been consulted and that the emphasis had been on consulting national cycling groups rather than local clubs. Issues were raised regarding the Kirklees LCWIP depositing cyclists at a bypass and the lack of incorporation with existing cycling infrastructure such as the Spen Valley Greenway.

 

Members considered the approach to consultation it noted that it was important not simply to consult groups which already used sustainable modes of transport but to reach out and consult groups who did not.

 

Members discussed the ongoing development of design principles for both walking and cycling and requested that officers engage with all partner councils to share best practice. It was also noted that pedestrians should be at the forefront of LCWIPS as well as cyclists.

 

Members discussed the overall good work that had been carried out across the districts in developing the LCWIPs and felt that the LCWIPS could play an important role in promoting the use of cycling and walking. Members noted that at the current time there was no funding available for LCWIPs, but the plans would inform future bids should funding be made available.

 

Councillor Bolt wished the Committee to note his opposition to the recommendations in the submitted report.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)              That the draft phase one Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) produced for Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield be endorsed and recommended to the Combined Authority.

 

(ii)             That the draft phase one Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) produced for Bradford be endorsed and recommended to the Combined Authority, except any part of the proposals which fall outside the Bradford boundary, which would be subject to further engagement.

 

(iii)           That the proposed approach to further development of the LCWIPs, and their integration into the Combined Authority policy, as daughter documents of the West Yorkshire Transport Strategy 2040, be endorsed.

 

(iv)           That the progress made in developing a Future West Yorkshire Strategic Cycle Network Map be noted.

47.

Tackling the Climate Emergency and Improving Air Quality pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

 

(i)    That the update on the activities of the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group be noted.

 

(ii)   That the programme of meetings of the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group described in paragraph 2.20 be agreed and that an invitation be made to stakeholders and interest groups to work alongside the Working Group to co-produce recommendations for reducing carbon emissions from transport.

 

(iii) That the initial findings of the review of the West Yorkshire Low Emission Strategy be noted and that the recommendation and draft delivery plans be endorsed and further developed thorough the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group.

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the activity of the Zero Emissions Working Group and the work to decarbonise transport.

 

The Committee noted the emission reduction pathway work and the role that the Zero Emission Working Group would play in overseeing its development.

 

Members questioned why the working group was held in private and not accessible to the public. It was noted that in order to get a clear picture around the scale of the challenge and the work involved it was necessary for members of the working group to speak freely and frankly and this was best served in a private setting while updates from the working group would be considered at the Transport Committee.

 

Some members expressed their desire for the group to meet in public to ensure transparency and questioned the accuracy of the minutes from the previous meeting and suggested that members went further in their discussions regarding the working group being held in public.

 

The Chair agreed that while the working group was overseeing the emission reduction pathway consultancy work it was necessary that it met in private but recognised the aspiration for the group to be held in public after the consultancy work had concluded. A public workshop was planned to promote engagement and seek response to the emerging findings.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)    That the update on the activities of the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group be noted.

 

(ii)   That the programme of meetings of the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group described in paragraph 2.21 be agreed and that an invitation be made to stakeholders and interest groups to work alongside the Working Group to co-produce recommendations for reducing carbon emissions from transport.

 

(iii) That the initial findings of the review of the West Yorkshire Low Emission Strategy be noted and that the recommendation and draft delivery plans be endorsed and further developed thorough the Zero Emissions Transport Working Group.

 

 

48.

Bus Services Act Update pdf icon PDF 143 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved: That the report be noted and that the response to the Greater Manchester consultation Doing Buses Differently be endorsed.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which set out the Combined Authority’s response to the Grater Manchester Consultation entitled ‘Doing bus Differently’.

 

The Combined Authority’s response to the consultation was attached at appendix 1 to the submitted report. Members noted that the Combined Authority was supportive while highlighting that cross-boundary issues would need further consideration. It was suggested that the list of cross boundary services should include the 590 service.

 

It was noted that the Combined Authority would monitor the progress of Greater Manchester’s approach to franchising closely. In terms of the possible sale of First and Arriva Members questioned whether the work commissioned by the Combined Authority in October around the scope to participate in the sale had concluded. Members were informed that the work was still underway and that the Combined Authority had several options available to it and would be report back to the Transport Committee once the work was completed.

 

Members discussed the possible approaches to franchising including the ownership of bus depots. Members discussed the lack of funding from Government for bus and the need for a national bus strategy.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted and that the response to the Greater Manchester consultation Doing Buses Differently be endorsed.

49.

Rail Matters pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

 

(i)              That the Committee report be noted.

 

(ii)              That the continued need for the Combined Authority to champion investment to unlock rail network capacity to operate longer and more frequent trains throughout West Yorkshire through ongoing engagement with DfT, Network Rail, TfN and rail operators be endorsed.

 

(iii)            That the Committee agreed the need to make a strong and compelling case to DfT alongside the rail industry to fund as a matter of urgency interventions being identified to allow longer trains to operate into and out of Leeds to and from Castleford / Wakefield / Barnsley via Woodlesford that currently rely on Platform 17.

 

(iv)           That the Committee the ongoing membership of the Consortium of East Coast Mainline Authorities for the 2020/21 financial year, with a financial contribution of up to £10,000 be agreed.

 

(v)              That the Committee agreed to ongoing transport policy and communication officer time to support the work of ECMA. 

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on matters affecting the rail industry including:

 

·       The incorporation of new stations into the network – members were concerned that few trains called at new stations and limited their usefulness to passengers.

·       The problems caused by Leeds Station which constituted a major constraint on the network. This included congestion on the station approach as well as platform lengths.

·       Members expressed their concern regarding the length of platforms across West Yorkshire more generally which limited capacity.

·       Members emphasised the need for government to strike the right balance between long term projects such as HS2 and shorter-term investment like the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)              That the Committee report be noted.

 

(ii)              That the continued need for the Combined Authority to champion investment to unlock rail network capacity to operate longer and more frequent trains throughout West Yorkshire through ongoing engagement with DfT, Network Rail, TfN and rail operators be endorsed.

 

(iii)           That the Committee agreed the need to make a strong and compelling case to DfT alongside the rail industry to fund as a matter of urgency interventions being identified to allow longer trains to operate into and out of Leeds to and from Castleford / Wakefield / Barnsley via Woodlesford that currently rely on Platform 17.

 

(iv)           That the Committee the ongoing membership of the Consortium of East Coast Mainline Authorities for the 2020/21 financial year, with a financial contribution of up to £10,000 be agreed.

 

(v)              That the Committee agreed to ongoing transport policy and communication officer time to support the work of ECMA.  

 

 

50.

West Yorkshire Ticketing Company Ltd Presentation pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a presentation from Richard Armitage on behalf of the West Yorkshire Ticketing Company.

 

Members raised the following questions and comments:

 

·       Whether veterans could be given a discount on bus travel as they were on rail? Richard Armitage said he would speak to bus operators to see whether this was possible.

·       That the best way to increase bus patronage was to reduce congestion to ensure a more reliable service.

·       That more flexible work patterns might affect patronage figures – people may no longer commute every day and so the value of a weekly season ticket may not be competitive. The introduction of a carnet product may be able to capitalise on this.

·       That the Future Mobility Zone bid could enhance mobility as a service.

·       That an offer had been made to TfN to take part in a pilot to extend use of the M-Card. The Chair stated that more information would be reported to a later meeting.

 

Resolved: That the presentation be noted.

51.

District Chairs' Update (DCSCs) pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Minutes:

Members considered a report which provided an outline of the activity on the District Consultation Sub-Committees.

 

The Chairs of the DCSC provide an update which included discussion on the following:

 

·       That the open forum section at the beginning of the meetings was productive and offered a useful opportunity for members of the public to engage.

·       The ways to encourage the involvement of young people with the DCSCs.

·       Whether the 2pm start time of the meetings was the best way to maximise turnout.

 

Resolved: That the activities of the District Consultation Sub-Committees be noted.

52.

Public Transport Performance Update pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received an update on recent bus and rail performance.

 

Members referenced the list of major disruptions listed at 2.17 in the submitted report and made the point that it would be helpful for Network Rail to attend a future meeting of transport committee.

 

Members also asked for bus reliability to be broken down by operator as well as performance statistics for LNER and Grand Central.

 

Resolved: That the updates provided in the report be noted.  

53.

Leeds City Region Transport Update pdf icon PDF 112 KB

Minutes:

Members considered a report which provided an update on Leeds City Region Transport issues.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

54.

Summary of Transport Schemes pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the transport related schemes approved by the Investment Committee at its meetings on 7 November and 4 December.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted