Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Service Manager (Growth) on the aims and objectives of the Draft Transport Strategy and the draft consultation response on issues that affect the Huntingdonshire District Area.

Executive Councillor: J Neish.

The Cabinet has commented on the consultation and delegated authority to submit the Council’s final comments on the consultation to the Service Manager - Growth, in consultation with the Executive Leader and Deputy Executive Leader.

The Cabinet received and noted a report by the Service Manager (Growth) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which provided an outline of the Draft Transport Strategy, its aims and objectives and a draft consultation response on issues that affect Huntingdonshire, its corporate priorities and its objectives.

Having welcomed the inclusion of improved cycling connections in the draft consultation response and in recognising that some Huntingdonshire communities, particularly those in rural areas, would remain reliant on the private motor vehicle, the Cabinet noted the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth). Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that delegated authority to submit the Council’s final comments on England’s Economic Heartland’s Draft Transport Strategy consultation be approved to the Service Manager (Growth), in consultation with the Executive Leader and Deputy Executive Leader.

The Panel are to receive a report on the Council’s draft response to the England’s Economic Heartlands Consultation.

With the aid of a report by the Service Manager Growth (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Council’s response to the England’s Economic Heartlands Consultation was presented to the Panel.

In introducing the item, the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and the Service Manager Growth explained to the Panel that what was presented was a response to a consultation and that the Council was a consultee.

Councillor Cooper-Marsh asked about the East West Rail project. Members were reminded that that whilst England’s Economic Heartlands would like oversight of East West Rail, it was not the lead authority and, instead, was a consultee. It was confirmed that the East West Rail consortium would lead on that project.

Councillor Wells suggested that the response should emphasise that the Huntingdonshire section of the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM) should be given priority. In response, the Panel was informed that the Combined Authority were currently reviewing CAM as a whole project and that the Executive Councillor continued to emphasise the need to prioritise the Huntingdonshire section.

Councillor Gardener raised a concern regarding HGVs using minor routes as short cuts and sought assurance that the response would emphasise there was a need for official routes for HGVs. In response, it was noted that the consultation as a whole took a strategic approach across the Cam-Ox corridor and that particular incidents of HGVs using minor routes, particularly through villages, should be taken up with the relevant Highway Authority.

Following on, Councillor Chapman raised a concern that additional traffic coming into Huntingdonshire as a result of the decisions made in the Bedford Borough Council Local Plan had not been taken into consideration. The Panel was informed that the District Council was consulted as a neighbourhood consultee but that Bedford Borough Council would also have to consult with Cambridgeshire County Council as well, particularly if there were highway implications within the Local Plan.