Agenda item

The Sub-Committee was given a presentation on the Combined Authority’s Connectivity Infrastructure Plan, which set out a long-term transportinfrastructure programme for the next 20 years.

The plan comprised a series of documents which brought bus, active travel, rail, mass transit and future mobility together into a single integrated plan for the region, with plans and proposals supported by a series of evidence-based reports.

Feedback was being sought on all aspects of the plan and elected members of Leeds City Council had been invited to participate in the workshop as part of the public engagement process. 

The following questions and comments were raised:

·         It would be important to engage the growing youth population in any plans for the future. The consultation process aimed to gather feedback from as many hard-to-reach groups as possible.

·         The need to consider places outside of West Yorkshire, such as Harrogate, was raised. Officers had been in contact with colleagues in North Yorkshire County Council to discuss joining up key flows, but it was noted that the prime focus of the plan was West Yorkshire.

·         Wetherby was discussed as a potential area of connection for mass transit routes.

·         The importance of off-highway cycle routes was noted, with segregated cycling infrastructure for as many routes as possible.

·         Members questioned how the net-zero carbon target for the Combined Authority aligned with that of Leeds Council, and how this would affect the plan.

·         The need to reduce the overall number of private car journeys as part of the Highways Demand Management Scheme was highlighted. Members questioned whether this would include congestion charges; no congestion charges were currently planned.

·         Building a mass transit system could mean disruption to businesses in city and district centres for months and possibly years. Business support measures were a possibility to mitigate the effect of this disruption on support for any potential project.

·         The inner east Leeds and outer northeast Leeds areas were highlighted as having poor connectivity to the city centre and/or areas of economic development. Officers were invited to attend the next meeting of the Outer North East Community Committee to gain further feedback on this. The enhanced partnership with bus operators would be an important part of improving connectivity in these areas.

·         What effect would planned bus infrastructure expansion have on the implementation of mass transit due to the limited road space available? It was emphasised that the aim of the plan was for mass transit to integrate with the bus network rather than competing against it – potentially using the same infrastructure and with intermodal ticketing solutions.

·         Members questioned whether the carbon impact of any mass transit construction costs had been taken into account.

·         Would bus companies need to be subsidised as their role changed within the wider transport network? As part of the enhanced partnership, there would be a greater level of risk sharing between the Combined Authority and bus operators where the overall network would be more of a focus than individual routes.

·         What long-term guarantees exist for funding? The initial aim would be to create a deliverable first phase, but the need to look at other funding streams, including private sector funding opportunities, was noted.

·         The need for high-demand corridors to be able to economically support the case for mass transit was highlighted.

·         The importance of gathering views from both frequent bus users as well as car drivers was noted.

·         Members questioned whether existing infrastructure from closed railways could be utilised, with the Wortley curve being highlighted, and asked what was being done to protect this infrastructure for future use.

·         The relative distance of the rail station in Pudsey from the centre of the community was noted – could mass transit better connect Pudsey with both the rail network and the centre of Leeds? Cycling and walking access alone was not sufficient in all situations, such as for families with young children or for the elderly.

Resolved: That the presentation of the Connectivity Infrastructure plan and members’ comments be noted.