Local transport plan - our vision

This section sets the context and background for our Local transport plan (LTP). It identifies the national, regional and local influences, including the growth agenda, the Community Strategy and the Corporate Plan. This has enabled us to set a twenty-year transport vision that aims to:

Secure the strategic and local transport infrastructure and services to sustainably develop the economy; to facilitate growth; and improve accessibility; whilst balancing free, safe and efficient movement of people and goods with protection of the environment.

Supporting this aim, we have identified four cross-cutting themes for public service, economic, environmental and social development: 

• Transport, growth and the economy 
• Transport, customer priorities and meeting personal access needs 
• Transport and the environment 
• Transport and the development of safe, strong and healthy communities 
• These four themes have a total of 14 associated key policy objectives: 

1. Transport, growth and the economy

a) Deliver the strategic transport infrastructure to support sustainable growth, balance housing and employment growth, and minimise growth in commuting
b) Ease or prevent congestion to enable the efficient movement of people and goods and support economic development
c) Reduce the need to travel and improve access to employment 

2. Transport, customer priorities and meeting personal access needs

a) Address local priorities for transport improvements, including condition of roads and pavements, public transport, congestion and road safety
b) Address the travel needs of children and young people, including access to employment, education and leisure
c) Address the travel needs of older people, with a focus on improving public transport access to healthcare, food shopping and other essential needs 

3. Transport and the environment

a) Maintain and protect the rural environment whilst improving access and amenity, supporting tourism and the rural economy
b) Enhance urban areas by addressing the impacts of traffic and transport on the ‘street scene’ and the local environment
c) Improve local air quality, especially in Air Quality Management Areas 

4. Transport and the development of safe, strong and healthy communities

a) Reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads of the County
b) Promote ‘healthy’ travel choices (i.e. walking and cycling)
c) Seek to improve access to healthcare facilities
d) Reduce crime and the fear of crime by enhancing community safety in the maintenance and management of the transport network
e) Work with local communities to develop transport services tailored to the needs of local people, supported by ‘localised’ delivery and decision making 

These cross-cutting themes and policy objectives are clearly linked to our performance indicators and outcome targets.