Business input welcome on Local Transport Plan

Businesses are urged to have their say in Warwickshire County Council’s consultation to help refresh their Local Transport Plan.

The current Local Transport Plan, scheduled to last until 2026, is now felt to be outdated due to a number of factors, notably the shift in attitudes towards fighting climate change and the response to Covid-19.

The initial consultation will be categorised into four themes on which residents and businesses are invited to give their views.

These are:

• Environment: How the refreshed plan can encourage and promote sustainable travel
• Economy: How it will provide the infrastructure to attract and retain investment into the county
• Place: How it will help top create an attractive place
• Wellbeing: How the stress of being on the transport network can be alleviated

Following the consultation and analysis of its findings, Cabinet will be asked to approve the drafting of a revised plan which will also go to consultation before going to the County Council for approval prior to being published in 2022.

Cllr Jeff Clarke, portfolio holder for transport and planning, said: “It’s vitally important that we get residents and businesses’ views on their transport priorities. Although the current Local Transport Plan’s life is until 2026, it is rapidly becoming outdated as attitudes shift towards the part that transport can play in addressing the climate change emergency and as we seek to address the changing priorities that Covid-19 has brought.

“We want people to tell us what they want us to look at in their areas and let us know what is important to them, so that we can refresh the plan. This will enable us to use any influence we have, regionally or nationally, to ensure that Warwickshire’s residents and businesses have the transport plan that best fits their needs for the coming years.”

The consultation can be found here.