A report asking the Committee to make a recommendation to Council to adopt the Reading Transport Strategy 2040 as the new statutory Local Transport Plan for the Borough.

The Committee considered a report that provided an overview of the work that had been carried out to prepare the Reading Transport Strategy 2040. The report set out the results of the latest statutory consultation and summarised the changes that had been made to the Strategy taking into account feedback that had been received during the consultation process. The report recommended that the Committee recommend to Council that it adopt a final version of the Strategy as the new statutory Local Transport Plan (LTP) for the Borough. A summary of the consultation responses was attached to the report at Appendix A and a final version of the Reading Transport Strategy 2040 was attached at Appendix B.

The report explained that there was statutory duty for all Local Transport Authorities to produce a Local Transport Plan (LTP). Reading’s current LTP for the period 2011 to 2026 had been adopted by the Council in March 2011 and significant progress had been made with the majority of schemes within it being delivered. Work to prepare the new LTP, the Reading Transport Strategy 2040, had commenced in 2019 when an initial visioning consultation had been conducted. This was followed by a first statutory consultation conducted in 2020 on a draft version of the Strategy. The consultation in 2020 had provided useful feedback but uncertainties relating to the implications of the pandemic on future travel behaviour led to the development of the Strategy being paused. In June 2023 the Committee gave approval for a second statutory consultation to be undertaken on the draft Strategy due to the significant period of time that had passed since the previous consultation (Minute 5 refers).

The report set out and summarised the main sections within the Reading Transport Strategy 2040. The Strategy set out an ambitious vision to create healthier, greener and more equal communities through the provision of travel options in Reading. The Strategy focused on promoting sustainable travel options as a realistic alternative to the private car and set out how transport facilities and services in Reading would be developed up to 2040 to help achieve the Council’s wider objectives for the town, including the Reading 2050 vision and the objectives of the Climate Emergency Strategy.

The Strategy acknowledged that it was not possible for every car journey to be replaced by a more sustainably mode of transport and took account of the fact that people needed to drive on occasions for reasons relating to work, family, safety, gender differences or equality issues. The Strategy therefore included an objective to transition to electric vehicles, which would have a significantly reduced impact on carbon emissions compared to diesel and petrol equivalents. The Strategy recognised that this alone would not achieve the overall objectives of the Strategy as electric vehicles still produced particulates that led to poor air quality, did not reduce congestion levels and did not encourage active travel with the associated health and wellbeing benefits.

The report explained that a key focus of the Strategy was to tackle social inequalities through the provision of affordable transport solutions that would enable everyone in the town to access education, training, employment and leisure opportunities. Further key themes of the Strategy related to carbon reduction, improved air quality, health and wellbeing, economic growth and the utilisation of latest technologies to be at the forefront of innovation.

A fundamental element of the Strategy’s development had been engagement and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, local interest groups and residents. In 2023 the Committee had granted approval to conduct a second statutory consultation on the Draft Strategy. The consultation had taken place between 18 September 2023 and 11 December 2023 and had provided an opportunity for residents and key stakeholders to review the updated document and provide feedback. The report summarised the main themes of the responses that had been received and a detailed analysis of the consultation results was attached to the report at Appendix A. The report set out the key updates made to the Strategy following the consultation feedback that had been received.

The report explained that the Council’s Constitution listed the Local Transport Plan as being a matter reserved for Council and that the approval of Council was ultimately required for the Reading Transport Strategy 2040 to be formally adopted. The report therefore recommended that the Committee submit a recommendation to Council that it adopt the Reading Transport Strategy 2040 as the Local Transport Plan for the Borough for the period 2024 to 2040.

Resolved –

(1)           That the feedback received following the statutory consultation on the Reading Transport Strategy 2040, as attached at Appendix A, and the subsequent amendments made to the Strategy following the consultation be noted;

That the following be recommended to Council:

(2)      That the Reading Transport Strategy 2040, as attached at Appendix B, be adopted as the new statutory Local Transport Plan (LTP) for the Borough for the period 2024 to 2040.