Plans for the long-term future of transport in Cumbria will be considered at Cumbria County Council's cabinet today, Tuesday, July 19.
The Local Transport Plan for Cumbria sets out the county council's vision and objectives for transport in the period 2006 to 2011.
The plan, which has been drawn up with the help of district and parish councils, national parks, regeneration agencies, health authorities, the police and transport organisations across the county, as well as public consultation, proposes transport policies and projects which tackle issues such as safety, accessibility, congestion, air quality, health and crime and disorder, as well as highways management and maintenance.
It contains a long term strategy for the county and a county wide policy section broken down into different transport themes. These set the context for six area transport statements - one for each of the county council’s local committee areas that describe the different approaches to be taken to transport in each area.
The Government funding for transport programmes in the county between 2006/7 and 2011/12 will be largely allocated according to a national formula but a proportion is dependent on the quality of planning shown in this LTP and the delivery of the programme and achievement of targets that it sets out.
Guidance from the Department for Transport suggests that funding for the period will not increase substantially and no major schemes beyond those already at least provisionally approved should be expected.
The LTP is therefore a pragmatic document which uses an evidence-based approach to bring forward measures that work best and makes the best use of existing infrastructure to bring about transport improvements in the county.
Jack Richardson, cabinet spokesman for transport and infrastructure, said:
"This is a very important document for everyone in the county. Being a large rural county with a sparse population presents particular transport problems that need to be overcome. At the same time we still have to get to grips with the issues of crowded roads and over-reliance on cars in our urban centres. They are issues that effect towns and cities all over the country. A lot of people have worked very hard to produce an LTP which addresses transport issues for the whole of Cumbria.
"The underlying principal is that transport is not an end in itself but a means of achieving wider aims of economic growth, social inclusion and improving the quality of peoples’ lives.
"This LTP is different from its forerunners in that it's an investment plan for a fixed amount of money rather than a bid for government funding. We believe this plan sets out a realistic programme within the resources that are likely to be available rather than an unrealistic wish-list of what we'd like to see happen in an ideal world."
The LTP needs to have the approval of cabinet and then the full council at its next meeting on July 28. It will be sent to the Department of Transport on 29 July.
The current draft of the plan can be seen at http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/transportplan/default.asp
Preparation of the plan has involved extensive public consultation and engagement with communty groups as well as detailed coordination with a host of agencies and authorities including primary care trusts, district councils and national parks, economic development and regeneration bodies, Cumbria Tourist Board and groups representing the interests of people with mobility issues.