5. DirApp - Regional Transport Strategy - FINAL - 12-10-22
North Ayrshire Council · 1 November 2022
Back to Cabinet — 1 November 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 1 November 2022 Cabinet Title: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport – Regional Transport Strategy consultation Purpose: To seek approval for the proposed North Ayrshire Council submission to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s consultation on the new Regional Transport Strategy. Recommendation: That Cabinet approves the submission of the proposed consultation response the new Regional Transport Strategy provided at Appendix One. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The Regional Transport Partnership, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), has launched a consultation on the new Regional Transport Strategy for the West of Scotland 2022-2037. They are seeking views until 28 October 2022. This report seeks approval for the proposed response to the consultation as provided at Appendix One. 2. Background 2.1 The Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) is the long-term strategy for transport in the West of Scotland. It sets the vision and direction for transport in the region and will inform SPT’s Capital Investment Programme for the next 15 to 20 years. 2.2 The existing RTS was published in 2018 and a three-year delivery plan was developed for 2018/19 to 2020/21. The preparation of the new RTS was delayed by Covid-19. SPT published the updated RTS draft for consultation in August 2022. This consultation closes on 28 October 2022. Permission has been obtained from SPT to submit the North Ayrshire Council response following Cabinet approval in November 2022. 2.3 The vision for the updated RTS is: The west of Scotland will be an attractive, resilient and well-connected place with active, liveable communities and accessible, vibrant centres facilitated by high quality, sustainable and low carbon transport shaped by the needs of all. 2.4 Three priorities have been established for the RTS. These aim to ensure that it is aligned to the wider policy environment and will help to achieve improved environmental, societal and economic outcomes for all. These priorities are:
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‒ A healthier environment, supported by a transport system that helps our region become a low carbon place with healthier natural and built environments for the benefit of all; ‒ Inclusive economic growth, underpinned by a transport system that supports regional economic development and growth, with better opportunities and fairer outcomes for all; and ‒ Improved quality of life, supported by a transport system that helps everyone to have better health and wellbeing and lead active, fulfilling lives. 2.5 The RTS sets out policies under the following ten themes: 1) Accessing and using transport 2) Reducing the need to travel and managing demand for car travel 3) Enabling walking, wheeling and cycling 4) Enhancing quality and integration of public transport 5) Improving road safety 6) Decarbonising vehicles and improving air quality 7) Moving goods more sustainably 8) Increasing resilience and adapting to climate change 9) Protecting and enhancing natural and built environments 10) Connecting Places 2.6 The proposed RTS priorities, targets, objectives are broadly in line with the Council’s policies and ambitions in relation to transport. Key points from the proposed response include outlining the: • Findings from the Inclusive Growth Diagnostic in relation to transport as a barrier to inclusive growth and outlining the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy approach. • Challenges faced by North Ayrshire communities in relation to public transport including the: affordability of and access to services; contraction of the bus network and withdrawal of services; ferry resilience and reliability; reliance to access services and healthcare; integration between transport modes; and limited service provision within rural areas. • Significant impact of the cost of living crisis on public transport affordability and poverty and that of the pandemic on patronage levels and confidence in using the public transport network. • Needs of island communities and rural areas and the differences with to urban settlements, noting that policy and intervention should be reflective of these. • Council’s support for measures to ensure that public transport fares are affordable, services, the availability of public transport is maintained and wherever possible improved and for safety and security in the network. Noting that these are paramount to building confidence and patronage in the network and to ensure the long term sustainability and viability of services. • Constraints and challenges posed by the current funding arrangements for active travel and welcoming more regional or local funding models and corresponding revenue funding to support additional maintenance requirements • Need for investment in the bus network including mechanisms to support alternative models including local authority operated services • Need for further support to explore other operating models for public transport to ensure that communities are well connected and not disadvantaged due to a lack of sufficient public transport and services are more resilient to economic change.
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• Council’s position in relation to road pricing, congestion charging and workplace parking levies. 2.7 A Delivery Plan will be developed following approval of the final RTS. Officers will continue to engage with SPT on the development of this plan. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet approves the submission of the proposed consultation response on the new Regional Transport Strategy provided at Appendix One. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 The new RTS will inform regional transport capital funding and programmes for the next 10 to 15 years. The annual SPT Capital Programme funds a substantial number of North Ayrshire transport and active travel projects each year. Without this funding stream significant additional investment would be required from North Ayrshire Council or other external funding sources in order to deliver on our transport commitments and priorities. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The transport policies being promoted within the RTS aim to provide a fit for purpose and inclusive transport network for the STP area to reduce socio-economic disadvantage and transport poverty. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 The RTS aims to support sustainable and active travel and reduce the impact of transport on our communities. This also includes aims to reduce the volume of traffic travelling through our towns and to facilitate public transport to support a shift towards more sustainable travel behaviour. This aligns with the Council’s agreed Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy workstreams of: Green Economy; Transport and Travel; and Sustainable Operations. Furthermore, it aligns with the Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions through our declaration of a Climate Emergency and will contribute to the ambition to achieve net zero by 2030. Key Priorities 4.6 The delivery and implementation of the RTS will contribute to achieving the Council Plan outcomes under the Inspiring Places and Aspiring People themes. It will contribute to the ambitions for: an inclusive, growing and enterprising economy; North
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Ayrshire to be well-connected with effective infrastructure; and for a sustainable, vibrant, welcoming and attractive environment. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The Inclusive Growth Diagnostic identified transport as a barrier to inclusive growth at a local level. The provision of a connected transport network including high-quality opportunities for active travel and public transport for everyday journeys is vital to local communities and delivering inclusive growth and Community Wealth Building. 5. Consultation 5.1 The development of the RTS by SPT has been informed by extensive stakeholder engagement and public consultation. This has included input from Council Services, local organisations and businesses. RUSSELL McCUTCHEON Executive Director (Place) For further information please contact Claire Fitzsimmons, Active Travel and Transport Manager, on 01294 315305. Background Papers SPT A Catalyst for Change 2018 – 2021
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Draft Regional Transport Strategy - consultation SPT is consulting on a new draft Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) for the west of Scotland. SPT has a statutory duty under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 to produce an RTS and to keep it under review. We welcome your response on the draft RTS as well as the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Equality Impacts Assessments. You can submit a response to these documents using this questionnaire. The questionnaire may be returned to rts@spt.co.uk or returned or posted to 131 St. Vincent St, Glasgow G2 5JF. Posted materials should be postmarked by 28 October 2022. The draft RTS and accompanying background reports are available at: www.spt.co.uk/vision If you require assistance with completing the questionnaire, please let us know by using the following email address: rts@spt.co.uk You must be 16 years or older to complete the questionnaire on your own. The consultation is open until midnight Friday 28 October 2022. Data protection This consultation is being carried out by Stantec on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. This activity is being carried out in line with current data protection legislation and your data will be aggregated and anonymised so you will not be identified in the reporting of the consultation findings. We will combine the information you provide with that of other respondents to understand views on the draft RTS and Impacts Assessments. The information gathered will be used to inform the development of the finalised RTS and may be shared on an anonymised basis with SPT’s partners to assist with their work. You can find out more about SPT’s Data Protection Policy here: https://www.spt.co.uk/media/orqmg4n0/data-protection-policy.pdf Our consultants Stantec, have their own privacy policy which can be found here: https://www.stantec.com/en/copyright
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Instructions The consultation questions are in grey boxes. Please provide answers in the box/cell below each question. An X can be typed/written within the line before the answer choice to indicate the answer, for example: ___X__ Yes ______ No ______ Not sure Please complete section 1. The other sections may be completed as relevant to you or your organisation. 1. Your details 1.1. What is the name of the organisation/business you are responding on behalf? If you are responding as an individual, please leave this blank. North Ayrshire Council 1.2 What is your name and position within the organisation/business? Please provide your name only if you are responding as an individual. Not applicable 1.3 What is your email address? We will only contact you if we need to clarify your answers. You do not need to leave a contact email to complete the survey. transportation@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 1.4 If you are responding as an individual, please indicate where you currently live. Not Applicable 1.5 Have you read the draft Regional Transport Strategy? Yes 2. RTS Strategic Framework 2.1 The RTS Strategic Framework, which includes the RTS Priorities, Targets, Objectives and Policies for the new strategy, is set out in Chapter 6 of the draft RTS document. Does the RTS Strategic Framework provide a strong basis for improving transport in the region? Yes 2.2 Please provide additional comments on the RTS Strategic Framework in the box below. The RTS Priorities, Targets, Objectives and Policies are broadly in line with North Ayrshire Council’s policies and ambitions in relation to transport. The North Ayrshire Inclusive Growth Diagnostic was a joint piece of work between the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser at the Scottish Government and North Ayrshire Council (NAC) in 2017. This aimed to assess what is holding back long-term sustainable inclusivity and growth. This exercise was extended across Ayrshire during 2018. The diagnostic results provide evidence of the main constraints to Inclusive Growth and produced a prioritised list of constraints to address. This identified transport as a barrier to inclusive
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growth. In particular, it was identified as a limiting factor to and preventing people from accessing employment and training opportunities. Several contributing factors were identified including the: frequency of transport; connections between transport modes; cost; and shift patterns exacerbating transport constraints.
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RTS Policies The RTS policies are set out in Chapter 7 of the draft RTS document, grouped within ten policy themes. The RTS policies will guide detailed decision making and investment on specific transport plans, projects and programmes. They provide the public and stakeholders with a clear view on how SPT will make decisions on transport. In this section of the survey, we will ask you about the importance of each policy theme to you or your organisation. You will then have an opportunity to respond to questions on the individual policies within each policy theme. You can skip to the next policy theme if you do not wish to comment on individual policies. You can also use the links below to skip to relevant policy themes. • Accessing and Using Transport • Reducing the need to travel and managing demand for car travel • Enabling walking, wheeling and cycling • Enhancing quality and integration of public transport • Improving road safety • Decarbonising vehicles and improving air quality • Moving goods more sustainably • Increasing resilience and adapting to climate change • Protecting and enhancing natural and built environments • Connecting Places RTS Policy Theme: Accessing and Using Transport 3.1A How important is the policy theme ‘Accessing and Using Transport’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.1B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Accessing and Using Transport’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to Question 3.6A. Yes 3.2A Policy: P.A1 Accessible transport Ensure the transport system is accessible to all. Support delivery of the Scottish Accessible Travel Framework (SATF) and Annual Delivery Plans within the region. Improve the convenience, comfort and certainty of experience for people when travelling by active travel or public transport, particularly people who have a disability including non-visible disability. Ensure accessibility is considered in the application of the sustainable travel hierarchy and is a core objective in transport innovations and new forms of transport services and infrastructure including Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure. Do you support policy P.A1 Accessible transport? Yes
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3.2B. Please provide comments on policy P.A1 Accessible transport in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy. The proposals contribute to our ambitions in relation to accessible transport and accords with our Local Transport Strategy (LTS) and Electric Vehicle Strategy. Our transport vision is to provide an integrated transport network for North Ayrshire that supports long term, sustainable, economic growth in the area, and reduces inequality through improving the accessibility and connectivity of communities to employment opportunities and local amenities. We are currently reviewing our LTS, which will incorporate our Active Travel Strategy. It is envisaged that the updated LTS will continue to support accessible transport and where possible improve on this. 3.3A Policy: P.A2 Affordable transport Promote and facilitate public transport to be more affordable particularly for people living in poverty, in socio disadvantaged communities and in rural and remote areas. Ensure public transport passengers find it easy to choose and access the best value ticket for their journey. Facilitate public transport ticketing to be more flexible, affordable and integrated and to better reflect the way people need to travel, particularly people who have insecure, part time or shift work or unpaid care work. Ensure affordability is a core objective in developments and enhancements related to smart and integrated ticketing, Mobility as a Service and other relevant transport innovations. Develop and facilitate the role of active travel as an affordable transport option. Do you support policy P.A2 Affordable transport? Yes 3.3B Please provide comments on policy P.A2 Affordable transport in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and the commitment to improve the affordability of the transport network. We have several projects underway and planned for the future which align with this policy. These are informed by the North Ayrshire Inclusive Growth Diagnostic referenced in Section 2.2 of our response, which identified that: ‒ The need to commute significant distances to higher value/paid jobs can compound challenges of transport and childcare. ‒ Transport issues arise more in terms of affordability, especially for people that need to commute to different areas (e.g., to Glasgow) for work and that are employed in low paid/skilled jobs, than in terms of physical infrastructure. ‒ Increasing services/ transport linkages may have negative environmental effects. While this may have the potential of improving mobility/accessibility (improved social cohesion – e.g., reduced sense of isolation for more remote areas). The current cost of living crisis will further exacerbate the challenges faced by our communities in relation to transport affordability and poverty. Any rise in cost of transport is likely to result in a reduction in journeys for education, work or leisure purposes. Public transport operators may experience increased operational costs at a time of reduced patronage, resulting in lower revenue and reductions in the commercial viability of services. This will impact on communities, inclusive economic growth and the commercial viability of public transport services. We are therefore supportive of measures to ensure that public transport fares are affordable to ensure that North Ayrshire residents can access services, employment, training and leisure opportunities.
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3.4A Policy: P.A3 Availability of Transport Ensure a minimum level of active travel and public transport coverage for all areas in the region to key locations, particularly town centres, employment centres, colleges and universities, hospitals and key sustainable transport hubs/interchanges, and aim for enhanced transport coverage where possible. Ensure transport networks reflect the needs of all communities, particularly groups and communities who are more likely to depend upon active travel or public transport for every day travel including women and single parent households, disabled people, young people, older people, lower income households, people who cannot drive and/or do not have access to a private car, and black and minority ethnic people. Improve the availability and stability of public transport services in rural, remote and island communities and socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Develop the role of local bus, Community Transport, taxis and other Demand Responsive Transport services, shared transport and shared mobility to ensure public transport is available to all communities. Do you support policy P.A3 Availability of Transport? Yes 3.4B Please provide comments on policy P.A3 Availability of Transport in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy. We are experiencing substantial bus service reductions under the current operating model for the provision of bus services. As these services are run on a commercial basis by private operators, the Council has limited scope in influencing their delivery. Whilst SPT supports socially necessary bus services where there is no provision by commercial bus operators, we appreciate that funds are limited and the need to carefully consider the number of passengers who are likely to use a service, the cost per passenger carried and whether there are other public transport options available before deciding whether they can subsidise a service. The Inclusive Growth Diagnostic identified transport as a barrier to inclusive growth at a local level. The provision of high-quality opportunities for public transport for everyday journeys is therefore vital to our communities and economy. The Council is cognisant of the challenges faced by commercial operators and in delivering subsidised services. These include reduced patronage, increased operational costs, driver shortages and recruitment difficulties. We are supportive of initiatives to incentive travel by public transport and rebuild confidence in the network and will seek to work with SPT and local operators to deliver these locally. This will require innovative approaches with action being prioritised on those routes which are the least commercially advantageous. Furthermore, the Council is committed to working with operators to help address driver shortages by investing in Fair Work and widening access to training and employment across the sector. A reciprocal commitment from private operators to work in the best interest of local communities that they serve would be welcomed and is critical to the recovery of the network. We are supportive of the commitment to ensure our communities and especially rural communities and aging population, who are often more reliant on road-based transport with fewer public transport services and lower accessibility levels, are not disadvantaged. Improving the availability of public transport is critical across North Ayrshire and particularly to rural and island communities.
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3.5A Policy: P.A4 Safety and Security of Public Transport Increase personal safety and security of people using and accessing public transport services. Ensure everyone is able to use public transport services free from fear of harassment and discrimination based upon ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or age. Promote safety by design and involve equality groups in the design process. Improve perceptions of personal safety and security of public transport services. Do you support policy P.A4 Safety and Security of Public Transport? Yes 3.5B Please provide comments on policy P.A4 Safety and Security of Public Transport in the box below. A specific policy on safety and security is welcomed by North Ayrshire Council and we are keen to work with SPT to deliver on this priority locally. Safety and security are paramount for public confidence. This is particularly the case for public transport whereby people will need to feel safe waiting for and using public transport to support patronage to return to pre-pandemic levels. Current patronage levels are substantially lower and unlikely to return without intervention. This action is critical to rebuilding confidence in public transport to support the viability of services and the longer-term sustainability of the network. We have a safety objective within our current Local Transport Strategy to enhance the safety and security of all transport network users and a corresponding action to work operators to achieve this. It is envisaged that the updated LTS will continue to support and where possible improve on this.
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RTS Policy Theme: Reducing the need to travel and managing demand for car travel 3.6A How important is the policy theme ‘Reducing the need to travel and managing demand for car travel’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.6B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Reducing the need to travel and managing demand for car travel’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to Question 3.16A. Yes 3.7A Policy: P.R1 Integration of transport and land use Seek to minimise physical separation and travel distances between the places where people live and the places where people need to go to for work and other everyday activities. Embed the sustainable travel hierarchy and sustainable transport investment hierarchy as key principles in land use policy and development plans and strategies. Support new development that is located in areas that are accessible by active travel and public transport, designed to facilitate movement by walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, and integrated with existing and planned active travel and public transport networks, services and hubs. Do you support policy P.R1 Integration of transport and land use? Yes 3.7B Please provide comments on policy P.R1 Integration of transport and land use in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of the policy and the integration of transport and land use in general. It is however noted that more remote and rural locations within North Ayrshire may require or benefit from development but have limited public transport provision. We believe the policy should support this and are keen to engage with SPT and operators to investigate how public transport can be improved to such locations and developments within North Ayrshire. Active travel links are an essential aspect of any new developments. This will be reflected within the current review of the Street Design Guide being undertaken by the Council. .8A Policy P.R2: 20-minute neighbourhoods Support and facilitate development of 20-minute neighbourhoods including developing improved active travel, public transport and sustainable mobility hubs. Do you support policy P.R2: 20-minute neighbourhoods? Yes
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3.8B Please provide comments on policy P.R2: 20-minute neighbourhoods in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of 20-minute neighbourhoods. This will be reflected in our review of the Street Design Guide and Local Transport Strategy. We are currently developing Place Frameworks and supporting of Place Plans for some of our communities which are seeking to start this process by identifying local priorities for the short, medium and long term. Over the past number of years there has been a desire to centralise services. For 20-minute neighbourhoods to become a reality there will require to be a commitment from funding partners and the Scottish Government to assist in enabling this to come to fruition. 3.9A Policy P.R3: Flexible working and remote access to services Reduce the need to travel by supporting development of digital & remote access to public services and flexible working models. Do you support policy P.R3: Flexible working and remote access to services? Yes 3.9B Please provide comments on policy P.R3: Flexible working and remote access to services in the box below. We are supportive of the policy to reduce the need to travel however this should not be to the detriment of those who have limited digital access and/or have no alternative but to access services and employment in person. 3.10A Policy P.R4: Road space reallocation Encourage and support reallocation of road space to active travel and public transport where possible to increase and enhance capacity for active travel and public transport and tackle car-centric road systems. Do you support policy P.R4: Road space reallocation? Yes 3.10B Please provide comments on policy P.R4: Road space reallocation in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy in order to encourage more travel by active travel and public transport. We have several projects ongoing where this is being considered, for example the reallocation of road space to provide bus lanes and cycle lanes. It should however be noted that, particularly in rural areas, access by car for many journeys is essential and these measures should be applied proportionately.
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3.11A Policy P.R5: Car demand management – parking Encourage and support development of local parking policies that encourage more sustainable travel behaviours, in line with the sustainable travel hierarchy. Investigate and develop pricing strategies for park and ride provision to encourage sustainable travel to bus, rail or Subway stations/hubs, where appropriate. Do you support policy P.R5: Car demand management – parking? Yes 3.11B Please provide comments on policy P.R5: Car demand management – parking in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and recognises that management of car parking demand is essential to improving conditions within the town centre. This accords with our Town Centre Parking Strategy. We are currently in the process of introducing measures to better manage parking and illegal parking in the area. We are awaiting the outcome of our Decriminalised Parking Enforcement application. We would welcome support from the Regional Transport Authority to assist us in promoting and extending any scheme introduced. 3.12A Policy P.R6: Car demand management – pricing Support the investigation, development and implementation of road and parking pricing policies that encourage more sustainable travel behaviours and provide opportunities to fund active travel and public transport, in line with the sustainable travel hierarchy, and contribute to the development of the national Car Demand Management Framework. Support development of a Workplace Parking Licensing scheme in Glasgow and other towns in the region as appropriate. Do you support policy P.R6: Car demand management – pricing? Not Sure 3.12B Please provide comments on policy P.R6: Car demand management – pricing in the box below. North Ayrshire Council would require to consider any proposals for car demand management before the level of support for this policy can be established. Given our geographic location and rural communities, it is important to recognise that car travel for some journeys is essential and is required in order to achieve our economic growth aspirations. It should be noted that the Council has previously ruled out the implementation of the Workplace Parking Levy within North Ayrshire. 3.13A Policy P.R7: Behavioural change Facilitate a change in behaviours and attitudes towards travelling by car particularly travelling to school by car where high quality, active travel and public transport alternatives are available. Support Smarter Choices and promote more sustainable travel behaviours for all journey types including journeys made for leisure, recreational and tourism purposes. Do you support policy P.R7: Behavioural change? Yes
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3.13B Please provide comments on policy P.R7: Behavioural change in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is fully supportive of this policy to change travel behaviour which complements the work which we are already undertaking through The Trinity Active Travel Hub and our Travel Smart programme. 3.14A Policy P.R8: Shared transport and shared journeys Facilitate and support improved and increased shared transport provision in the region. Support a shift in car ownership behaviours from private ownership to shared transport. Facilitate and support increased sharing of journeys in the region, aiming to increase car vehicle occupancies for journeys that need to be made by car. Do you support policy P.R8: Shared transport and shared journeys e? Yes 3.14B Please provide comments on policy P.R8: Shared transport and shared journeys in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and actively promotes car sharing through our Travel Smart programme. We would welcome further engagement with SPT regarding shared transport more generally and how it could be improved and promoted within North Ayrshire and more regionally.
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RTS Policy Theme: Enabling walking, wheeling and cycling 3.15A How important is the policy theme ‘Enabling walking, wheeling and cycling’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.15B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Enabling walking, wheeling and cycling’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.22A Yes 3.16A Policy: P.AT1 Regional Active Travel Network Facilitate walking, wheeling and cycling to be the natural choice for every day, shorter journeys in line with the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy. Aim to make travelling actively more attractive than travelling by car as much as possible. Ensure active travel networks are convenient, safe, accessible, inclusive and promote good health and wellbeing, aiming for full segregation from motorised traffic as much as possible. Develop active travel as a mass transit mode on high travel demand corridors and support development of Active Freeways. Develop active travel networks in built up areas to include both direct routes and green networks as much as possible to provide choice and maximise opportunities for healthy and sustainable travel behaviours. Facilitate development and delivery of a regional active travel network to achieve excellent active travel connectivity in the region and ensure integration with other sustainable transport modes including bus, rail, ferry, Subway and Clyde Metro. Do you support policy P.AT1 Regional Active Travel Network? Yes 3.16B Please provide comments on policy P.AT1 Regional Active Travel Network in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and the development of a Regional Active Travel Network. This would not only help further our strategic active travel network within North Ayrshire but would also help with the delivery of cross-boundary links. We would welcome further discussion with SPT regarding the delivery of this. 3.17A Policy: P.AT2 Accelerated delivery of walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure and facilities Enable accelerated delivery of new and enhanced walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure and facilities to achieve a step change in active travel provision as soon as possible. Facilitate and support delivery of Scotland’s Active Travel Framework in the region. Do you support policy P.AT2 Accelerated delivery of walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure and facilities?
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Yes 3.17B Please provide comments on policy P.AT2 Accelerated delivery of walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure and facilities in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and is keen to accelerate the delivery of active travel infrastructure. A commitment to funding to improve infrastructure links for the active travel network, including active travel links to key transport hubs, is required to create a resilience within the network. Funding for the ongoing maintenance of such infrastructure is also critical. Clear and consistent standards are required for active travel infrastructure delivery across Scotland. These standards should also be able to be applied appropriately and proportionately to local circumstances. We have seen substantial increases in capital funding nationally, however a corresponding increase in multi-year revenue funding is also required to achieve this policy commitment. This is required both in terms of future maintenance funding but also staff resources to deliver these projects. Current single year funding models make it very difficult for local authorities to attract, recruit and retain staff and to deliver on these priorities. In addition to this, we would welcome increased direct funding awards to local authorities and/or Regional Transport Partnerships. This would provide local authorities with more resource to deliver local improvements which perhaps would not be strategic enough to succeed in the existing, over-subscribed and competitive funding model. 3.18A Policy: P.AT3 Access to bikes Increase access to bikes and enable bike ownership including adapted bikes and other non-standard bikes. Do you support policy P.AT3 Access to bikes? Yes 3.18B Please provide comments on policy P.AT3 Access to bikes in the box below. North Ayrshire supports this policy and would be keen to understand how this policy would be delivered on a local and regional basis. 3.19A Policy: P.AT4 Integration of walking, wheeling and cycling with other sustainable transport modes Increase and enhance integration of walking, wheeling and cycling networks and facilities with other sustainable transport modes including bus, rail, ferry, Subway and Clyde Metro. Do you support policy P.AT4 Integration of walking, wheeling and cycling with other sustainable transport modes? Yes 3.19B Please provide comments on policy P.AT4 Integration of walking, wheeling and cycling with other sustainable transport modes in the box below.
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North Ayrshire supports this policy and would be keen to understand how this policy would be delivered on a local and regional basis. 3.20A Policy: P.AT5 Integration of micromobility and walking, wheeling and cycling Support development of emerging micromobility transport, such as e-scooters, and support the safe integration into active travel networks. Do you support policy P.AT5 Integration of micromobility and walking, wheeling and cycling? Yes 3.20B Please provide comments on policy P.AT5 Integration of micromobility and walking, wheeling and cycling in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and the development of micromobility transport. However, the integration of these forms of transport must not come at the detriment of other active modes especially for the elderly population who may be less mobile to avoid these forms of travel on the active travel network. Consideration will also be required regarding the speed of micromobility modes, such as e-scooters, and the potential for conflict on shared use paths.
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RTS Policy Theme: Enhancing quality and integration of public transport 3.21A How important is the policy theme ‘Enhancing quality and integration of public transport’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.21B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Enhancing quality and integration of public transport’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.34A. Yes 3.22A Policy: P.PT1 Integrated public transport system Enhance the quality and integration of the public transport system, aiming for a highly integrated, world class, passenger focused system that attracts users away from less sustainable modes of travel particularly private car usage. Promote and facilitate integration of public transport systems including networks, services, ticketing, information, marketing, and passenger facilities, aiming for a more unified system that is easy and convenient for passengers to navigate. Improve public transport service quality particularly reliability, punctuality and frequency. Improve passenger satisfaction including value for money and increase perceptions of the public transport system as attractive, convenient and desirable. Facilitate and support integration of public transport with other modes. Ensure public transport governance models facilitate and enable delivery of the regional transport strategy. Do you support policy P.PT1 Integrated public transport system? Yes 3.22B Please provide comments on policy P.PT1 Integrated public transport system in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and has carried out substantial work on integrating public transport from improving access to bus stops to working together with SPT to improve Brodick and Ardrossan ferry terminals. The integration of transport is key to providing a seamless transport system in the area and supporting modal shift to sustainable travel modes.
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3.23A Policy: P.PT2 Ticketing and information Develop and facilitate enhanced integration of public transport systems for ticketing, travel information, booking and payment activities across all public transport modes in the region including inter-regional connections where appropriate. Aim for a single, integrated system, providing users with a high quality, simple and accessible experience for planning, booking and paying for travel on public transport. Integrate and align developments in ticketing and information with wider developments in Mobility as a Service. Do you support policy P.PT2 Ticketing and information? Yes 3.23B Please provide comments on policy P.PT2 Ticketing and information in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and would be keen to work with SPT on its delivery. Integrated ticketing and MaaS could provide demonstrable benefits to improving the attractiveness of public transport, reducing car travel and helping to achieve our Net Zero ambitions. We have secured funding through the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund to develop and Islands Connectivity study for Arran and Cumbrae. This is currently being finalised and aims to pilot MaaS in North Ayrshire. We are engaging with SPT as to the next steps. 3.24A Policy: P.PT3 Mobility as a Service Develop and facilitate Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in the region, building upon existing opportunities including ZoneCard where appropriate. Ensure MaaS platforms are inter-operable with cross-regional and national MaaS solutions where appropriate. Do you support policy Policy: P.PT3 Mobility as a Service? Yes 3.24B Please provide comments on policy Policy: P.PT3 Mobility as a Service in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and is currently developing a MaaS related study for our islands. It is vital that all users of transport services have equal opportunities to use the services provided. 3.25A Policy: P.PT4 Bus quality and integration Facilitate and enable development of an enhanced and fully integrated bus system for the region. Ensure the bus system provides reliable and punctual services, offers good value for money and high levels of passenger satisfaction. Ensure bus is perceived to be an attractive, convenient and desirable mode of transport that attracts users away from less sustainable ways of travelling. Facilitate and support development of an enhanced regional bus network to ensure excellent bus connectivity for the region and ensure integration with other sustainable transport modes including rail, ferry, Subway and Clyde Metro. Support development and delivery of bus priority measures including Bus Partnership Fund. Facilitate development of bus partnerships, bus franchising and municipal bus operations where appropriate. Do you support policy P.PT4 Bus quality and integration?
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Yes 3.25B Please provide comments on P.PT4 Bus quality and integration in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and is keen to assist where possible with the integration of public transport and improved bus quality. A large proportion of residents in North Ayrshire rely on public transport to access services within and outwith the area. Integration is key to providing a seamless transport system. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and would be keen to discuss further with SPT. Regarding the new provisions included within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, the existing arrangements for the provision of bus services is not working in many areas, particularly in North Ayrshire. Currently these services are run on a commercial basis by private operators and, as such, the Council has limited scope in influencing their delivery. SPT supports socially necessary bus services where there is no provision, by commercial bus operators. Funds however are limited and therefore we appreciate the need to carefully consider the number of passengers who are likely to use a service, the cost per passenger carried and whether or not there are other public transport options available before deciding whether they can subsidise a service. The Inclusive Growth Diagnostic identified transport as a barrier to inclusive growth at a local level. The provision of high-quality opportunities for public transport for everyday journeys is vital to local communities and delivering inclusive growth and Community Wealth Building. North Ayrshire is keen to explore other operating models to ensure that our communities are well connected and not disadvantaged due to a lack of sufficient public transport. We have also declared a Climate Emergency and do not wish to see a rise in private car ownership and vehicle kilometres due to the public transport network not meeting the needs of our communities. Some initial discussions have taken place between the three Ayrshire authorities and SPT to discuss options for establishing a Bus Services Improvement Partnership. We are keen for these discussions to progress and for alternative operating models to be explored as appropriate. 3.26A Policy: P.PT5 Rail quality and integration Facilitate and support development of the regional rail network in the region and ensure the multi-faceted role of rail in the region is recognised by investment decision makers. Ensure the rail system provides reliable and punctual services, offers good value for money and high levels of passenger satisfaction. Increase integration of the rail system with other sustainable transport modes including bus, ferry, Subway and Clyde Metro. Do you support policy P.PT5 Rail quality and integration? Yes 3.26B Please provide comments on policy P.PT5 Rail quality and integration in the box below. Whilst North Ayrshire Council has limited powers to manage the rail network, a function carried out by the Scottish Government, North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy. We would be keen to see a similar commitment from key stakeholders.
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3.27A Policy: P.PT6 Ferry quality and integration Facilitate and support development of the ferry network in the region. Ensure the ferry network provides reliable and resilient services and meets the needs of island residents, businesses and visitors. Ensure ferry is integrated with the wider public transport system including island transport services to reduce adverse impacts of visitor car travel on Island communities and help achieve modal shift to sustainable travel methods. Do you support policy P.PT6 Ferry quality and integration? Yes 3.27B Please provide comments on policy P.PT6 Ferry quality and integration in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and would expect a similar commitment from other key stakeholders. Our islands need reliable services that provide for everyday journeys for rural communities, tourism, leisure and business needs. There are no alternative transport modes for journeys to and from either Arran or Cumbrae therefore vessel and service resilience is critical. Reliable ferry services are critical to the supply chain between mainland and island businesses and the sustainability of island businesses going forward. Like most island economies, our islands’ economies are highly dependent on their ferries. The levels of cancellations and their coverage undermines visitor and business confidence in our islands as places to either visit, work, live or invest. Service needs and levels fluctuate throughout the year due to seasonal demand. Ferry services should be suitably dynamic to respond to these fluctuations as far as practical. Without the commitment and investment from the Scottish Government to improve the ferry services to the islands - especially the ageing fleet with limited replacement ferries should issues occur - then reliability and resilience will be difficult to achieve. Due to labour shortages many island businesses are reliant on commuters from North Ayrshire and further afield therefore a reliable year round service is critical to island business operation. Our health and social care services rely on the service to transport staff. Significant ferry disruption causes humanitarian and welfare concerns and stress for the people receiving this support and for the staff providing these services. Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) has led to substantial increases in vehicles on the islands and the lack of integration between the ferry and bus services further exacerbates this. Despite increases in ferry passenger numbers there has been no corresponding increase in bus patronage. All bus services on Arran and some on Cumbrae continue to be subsidised due to a lack of commercial viability. There needs to be greater co-ordination between all transport modes including connecting modes on islands and on the mainland. On both Arran and Cumbrae, bus services are largely timed to meet the ferry on arrival. Reliability issues with the ferry can therefore have a significant knock-on impact for the wider transport network. If the buses wait for late running ferries the timetable is not met which impacts the buses serving the wider communities on the islands. On Arran these bus services are also critical to school transport. The impact of unreliable ferry services therefore disrupts residents, school pupils and tourists. Furthermore, residents and visitors disembarking the ferry at Ardrossan are being inconvenienced by relying on rail travel which is similarly synchronised with expected ferry arrival times. 3.28A Policy: P.PT7 Subway quality and integration Develop the Subway to be fully integrated with active travel, bus, rail and Clyde Metro. Ensure the Subway provides reliable and punctual services, offers good value for money and high levels of passenger satisfaction. Do you support policy P.PT7 Subway quality and integration?
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Yes 3.28B Please provide comments on policy P.PT7 Subway quality and integration in the box below. No comments 3.29A Policy: P.PT8 Clyde Metro Facilitate and support development and delivery of Clyde Metro and ensure integration with active travel, bus, rail and Subway networks. Ensure Clyde Metro provides reliable and punctual services, offers good value for money and high levels of passenger satisfaction. Do you support policy P.PT8 Clyde Metro? n/a 3.29B Please provide comments on policy P.PT8 Clyde Metro in the box below. n/a 3.30A Policy: P.PT9 Community Transport, Demand Responsive Transport, Taxis and last mile connections Increase and enhance the ‘last mile’ and community-level transport network. Develop the role and enhance integration of Community Transport, Demand Responsive Transport and taxis, active travel and shared transport with bus, rail, ferry, Subway and the future Clyde Metro. Integrate walking, wheeling and cycling networks and facilities with public transport. Do you support policy P.PT9 Community Transport, Demand Responsive Transport, Taxis and last mile connections? Yes 3.30B Please provide comments on policy P.PT9 Community Transport, Demand Responsive Transport, Taxis and last mile connections in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy as it is essential to achieving a fully integrated transport network. In respect of Community Transport, whilst this is something we fully support, it is not the responsibility of local authorities to deliver. We are however committed to supporting community organisations and working with SPT as necessary to achieve local delivery of such options.
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3.31A Policy: P.PT10 Park and Ride Increase and enhance Park & Ride facilities and Park & Ride systems where local active travel and public transport connections to stops/hubs/stations are limited. Do you support policy P.PT10 Park and Ride? Yes 3.31B Please provide comments on policy P.PT10 Park and Ride in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and is keen to encourage the reduction of whole journeys being covered by car therefore the introduction, improvement or expansion of the park and ride availability will encourage more users to travel part of their journey at least only by car. It is recognised that within North Ayrshire some residents have no alternative but to commute part of and sometimes make all of their journey by car. 3.32A Policy: P.PT11 Sustainable mobility hubs Facilitate and support development and enhancement of public transport interchanges and sustainable mobility hubs. Support development of national Mobility Hub Delivery Framework and ensure development of a sustainable mobility hub network is integrated with development of 20-minute neighbourhoods. Ensure that best use is made of existing facilities and integration with all sustainable modes including active and shared modes and Community Transport is assured. Do you support policy P.PT11 Sustainable mobility hubs? Yes 3.32B Please provide comments on policy P.PT11 Sustainable mobility hubs in the box below. North Ayrshire is supportive of this policy.
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RTS Policy Theme: Improving road safety 3.33A How important is the policy theme ‘Improving road safety’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.33B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Improving road safety’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.38A Yes 3.34A Policy: P.RS1 Road safety and vulnerable road users Support and facilitate delivery of Scotland’s Vision Zero where no is killed or seriously injured on roads by 2045. Support implementation of the Road Safety Framework and local Road Safety Plans and help meet road casualty reduction targets in the region. Aim for a sharp and consistent reduction in the number and severity of road traffic collisions in the region with particular focus on vulnerable road users including people who are walking, wheeling and cycling, children and young people, older people and disabled people Do you support policy P.RS1 Road safety and vulnerable road users? Yes 3.34B Please provide comments on policy P.RS1 Road safety and vulnerable road users in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and Scotland’s Vision Zero policy. This accords with our Road Safety Strategy. 3.35A Policy: P.RS2 Safe speeds Support implementation of 20mph speed limits on a majority of roads in built up areas in the region including towns and villages. Support investigation and implementation of reduced speeds on rural roads in the region, where appropriate. Do you support policy P.RS2 Safe speeds? Yes
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3.35B Please provide comments on policy P.RS2 Safe speeds in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and is currently undertaking a Road Assessment with respect to 20 mph speed limits and zones as part of the Scottish Governments National Strategy for 20 mph. 3.36A Policy: P.RS3 Regional Road network safety measures Support implementation of road safety measures on the regional road network. Do you support policy P.RS3 Regional Road network safety measures? Yes 3.36B Please provide comments on policy P.RS3 Regional Road network safety measures in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of the policy and the integration of appropriate safety measures on the regional road network
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RTS Policy Theme: Decarbonising vehicles and improving air quality 3.37A How important is the policy theme ‘Decarbonising vehicles and improving air quality’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.37B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within Decarbonising vehicles and improving air quality’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.47A. Yes 3.38A Policy: P.GF1 Road transport vehicle decarbonisation Facilitate and promote an accelerated transition to ultra-low emission road transport vehicles. Support and facilitate implementation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Support the development of regional / cross boundary charging infrastructure networks including ensuring supply for rural and remote areas and integration with public transport and sustainable mobility hubs. Support introduction of tariffs for use of the electric vehicle charging network and support co-ordinated approaches to tariffs. Improve information and sharing of best practice related to road transport decarbonisation among consumers, business, freight sector and transport operators. Support and encourage bus operators to take up opportunities to decarbonise fleets, upgrade depots and develop partnerships with energy providers. Support and facilitate decarbonisation of the community transport sector in the region. Facilitate development of public charging infrastructure for bus and community transport particularly at SPT bus stations and integrate with sustainable mobility hubs as appropriate. Support and encourage innovation and investment in alternative fuels and fuelling infrastructure including Green Hydrogen particularly to support decarbonisation of larger vehicles including buses and public sector fleets. Support alignment of transport decarbonisation and clean energy strategies and promote cross-sector working including improving data sharing. Do you support policy P.GF1 Road transport vehicle decarbonisation? Yes 3.38B Please provide comments on policy P.GF1 Road transport vehicle decarbonisation in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and has declared a state of Climate Emergency. This means we have committed to take action now to reduce carbon emissions across North Ayrshire. We already have a range of measures in place and ultimately our ambition is to become carbon neutral. This means there is an equilibrium between our carbon emissions and carbon removal. As transport is one of the largest emitters of carbon, we would be supportive of any policy that would help in reducing these emissions dependant on the level of funding received to implement these measures. This accords with our Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy (ESCCS). 3.39A Policy: P.GF2 Rail decarbonisation Support and facilitate decarbonisation of rail services in the region. Ensure investment in decarbonisation of rail services provides opportunities for improved and more resilient rail services and infrastructure in the region.
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Do you support policy P.GF2 Rail decarbonisation? Yes 3.39B Please provide comments on policy P.GF2 Rail decarbonisation in the box below. Rail decarbonisation would be a matter for the Scottish Government however North Ayrshire Council would welcome this policy to help reduce carbon emissions. 3.40A Policy: P.GF3 Subway decarbonisation Develop and implement a net zero carbon strategy for the Subway. Do you support policy P.GF3 Subway decarbonisation? Yes 3.40B Please provide comments on policy P.GF3 Subway decarbonisation in the box below. Subway decarbonisation would be a matter for the Scottish Government and SPT however North Ayrshire Council would welcome this policy to help reduce carbon emissions 3.41A Policy: P.GF4 Ferry decarbonisation Support decarbonisation of ferry services in the region and implementation of Island Connectivity Plan. Ensure ferry decarbonisation provides opportunities for improved and more resilient ferry services and infrastructure in the region. Do you support policy P.GF4 Ferry decarbonisation? Yes 3.41B Please provide comments on policy P.GF4 Ferry decarbonisation in the box below. Ferry decarbonisation would be a matter for the Scottish Government however North Ayrshire Council would welcome this policy to help reduce carbon emissions. We would however note that the provision of a reliable and resilient ferry service is critical to our island communities and their economies. Future procurement should therefore focus on proven technologies to ensure continuity of service. Whilst we recognise the desire and ambition to look at new technology, this should not be at the expense of the connectivity of our island communities. Tried and tested technology and engineering should be used to help ensure that the delivery programme can be achieved.
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3.42A Policy: P.GF5 Aviation decarbonisation Support decarbonisation of regional air services particularly lifeline services to Argyll and Bute, Highlands and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Increase low carbon surface transport to Glasgow Airport and Prestwick Airport. Do you support policy P.GF5 Aviation decarbonisation? Yes 3.42B Please provide comments on policy P.GF5 Aviation decarbonisation? in the box below. n/a 3.43A Policy: P.GF6 Clyde Metro Ensure that Clyde Metro is developed on the basis of minimising carbon and other harmful emissions. Promote lower energy consumption by incorporating renewable energies and zero emission transport designs as far as possible. Do you support policy P.GF6 Clyde Metro? Yes 3.43B Please provide comments on policy P.GF6 Clyde Metro in the box below. No comments 3.44A Policy: P.AQ1 Low Emission Zones Support implementation and promotion of the Glasgow Low Emission Zone. Support investigation and implementation of additional Low Emission Zones in the region as appropriate. Do you support policy P.AQ1 Low Emission Zones? Yes
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3.44B Please provide comments on policy P.AQ1 Low Emission Zones in the box below. North Ayrshire Council does not have any Air Quality Management Areas or plans to implement Low Emission Zones locally. We are however fully supportive of policies which seek to improve air quality in our communities in accordance with our ESCCS. 3.45A Policy: P.AQ2 Air Quality Management Areas Support implementation and delivery of transport improvements and measures to improve air quality within Air Quality Management Areas in the region. Aim to reduce the number of AQMAs in the region. Do you support policy P.AQ2 Air Quality Management Areas? Yes 3.45B Please provide comments on policy P.AQ2 Air Quality Management Areas? in the box below. North Ayrshire Council does not have any Air Quality Management Areas however are fully supportive of policies which seek to improve air quality in our communities.
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RTS Policy Theme: Moving goods more sustainably 3.46A How important is the policy theme ‘Moving goods more sustainably’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.46B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Moving goods more sustainably’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.51A Yes 3.47A Policy: P.MG1 Strategic freight transport Facilitate and support strategic freight transport to be more sustainable and energy efficient. Increase resilience and reliability of strategic road, rail and maritime freight transport. Enable strategic freight modal shifts, particularly from road to rail and to maritime transport where appropriate. Support and facilitate best practice and innovation in freight transport in the region. Do you support policy P.MG1 Strategic freight transport? Yes 3.47B Please provide comments on policy P.MG1 Strategic freight transport in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is fully supportive of this policy. 3.48A Policy: P.MG2 Urban freight and last mile deliveries Facilitate and support more sustainable and efficient movement of goods in City/town centres. Reduce adverse impacts of goods traffic on local roads networks and communities. Facilitate and support increased freight modal shift and innovation of the 'last mile' delivery to be more sustainable and to support development of 20-minute neighbourhoods. Do you support policy P.MG2 Urban freight and last mile deliveries? Yes
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3.48B Please provide comments on policy P.MG2 Urban freight and last mile deliveries in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy and would welcome further engagement with SPT on how this could be implemented at a local level. 3.49A Policy: P.MG3 Freight hubs and facilities Facilitate and support development and enhancement of freight hubs and freight facilities. Support development of freight consolidation hubs and networks. Do you support policy P.MG3 Freight hubs and facilities? Yes 3.49B Please provide comments on policy P.MG3 Freight hubs and facilities in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy. We are not aware of any plans for freight hubs or facilities within our area but would welcome further discussion with SPT.
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RTS Policy Theme: Increasing resilience and adapting to climate change 3.50A How important is the policy theme ‘Increasing resilience and adapting to climate change’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.50B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Increasing resilience and adapting to climate change’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.56A Yes 3.51A Policy: P.RA1 Climate Change Adaptation Facilitate and support adaptation of the regional transport system to the impacts and effects of climate change including regional roads, coastal rail lines, ferry terminals and harbours, Subway, and flooding of rail, road and path networks. Adapt the transport system to protect the health and wellbeing of transport system users from climate change impacts including higher temperatures and heat stress. Ensure new transport investments including Clyde Metro are future proofed for impacts of climate change and a low carbon future. Do you support policy P.RA1 Climate Change Adaptation? Yes 3.51B Please provide comments on policy P.RA1 Climate Change Adaptation in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of policies that aim to reduce the impact of climate change in accordance with our ESCCS. As a local authority we seek to make effective use of our powers in areas such as procurement, planning, housing, education and transport to help drive carbon reductions elsewhere in society in a way which tackles climate change. 3.52A Policy: P.RA2 Resilience Increase resilience of the regional transport system from disruption. Reduce adverse impacts of transport system disruption on people and business. Do you support policy P.RA2 Resilience? Yes
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3.52B Please provide comments on policy P.RA2 Resilience in the box below. Resilience of the transport infrastructure is crucial in ensuring people have the means of travel to all services. North Ayrshire is keen to see all transport resilience improved especially in regard to the lifeline ferry services to our islands and public transport. We agree with this policy and would be supportive of any measures under this policy. 3.53A Policy: P.RA3 Flood risk management and mitigation Support increased integration of transport and flood risk planning. Encourage and develop opportunities to support flood risk management actions through transport projects and infrastructure, where appropriate. Do you support policy P.RA3 Flood risk management and mitigation? Yes 3.53B Please provide comments on policy P.RA3 Flood risk management and mitigation in the box below. North Ayrshire is supportive of this policy however we would suggest the following re-wording to clarify the policy ‘Support increased integration of transport policies and/or projects with the objectives and actions contained within published Flood Risk Management Plans and Local Flood Risk Management Plans. Encourage and develop opportunities to support flood risk management objectives and actions through transport projects and infrastructure, where appropriate’.
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RTS Policy Theme: Protecting and enhancing natural and built environments 3.54A How important is the policy theme ‘Protecting and enhancing natural and built environments’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.54B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Protecting and enhancing natural and built environments’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 3.60A Yes 3.55A Policy: P.EV1 Biodiversity and green infrastructure Protect and enhance biodiversity where possible. Develop and implement green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions as part of transport plans and transport projects where appropriate. Do you support policy P.EV1 Biodiversity and green infrastructure? Yes 3.55B Please provide comments on policy P.EV1 Biodiversity and green infrastructure in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is generally supportive of this policy, however there requires to be support from the Scottish Government to ensure that any infrastructure has the appropriate maintenance funding. 3.56A Policy: P.EV2 Green networks Support and facilitate integration of green networks and active travel networks where appropriate particularly in built up areas. Do you support policy P.EV2 Green networks? Y es
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3.56B Please provide comments on policy P.EV2 Green networks in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy however we would note that appropriate capital funding for delivery and revenue funding would be required to maintain green infrastructure. 3.57A Policy: P.EV3 Built environment and high-quality places Protect and enhance the built environment where possible. Integrate placemaking and public realm plans and projects with transport plans and projects where appropriate. Do you support policy P.EV3 Built environment and high-quality places? Yes 3.57B Please provide comments on policy P.EV3 Built environment and high-quality places in the box below. Integration of transport and placemaking is key to all new developments and as such North Ayrshire Council is supportive of this policy. Place Frameworks are being developed for towns in North Ayrshire which consider the built environment, public realm and transport integration.
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RTS Policy Theme: Connecting Places 3.58A How important is the policy theme ‘Connecting Places’ to you or your organisation? Very important 3.58B Do you wish to comment on the individual policies within ‘Connecting Places’ theme? If you select ‘no’, please move to question 4.1 Yes 3.59A Policy: P.CP1 International connectivity Improve, increase and enhance sustainable inter-national connectivity of the region for passenger and freight transport and ensure the transport system supports a sustainable, inclusive, competitive, resilient and productive regional economy. The region's international transport gateways and routes to be maintained, improved or enhanced include: • Connections to Glasgow Airport and Prestwick Airport; • Connections to ports - Ocean Terminal, Hunterston, Ardrossan, Ayr, Troon, King George V Docks, Inchgreen, and connections to Cairnryan; • Connections to England – including Glasgow Central station, Motherwell station, West Coast Mainline, Glasgow and Southwestern line, A76, A71, A72 and M8/M77/M74 and High-Speed Rail • Connections to road and rail freight facilities – Mossend, Eurocentral, and connections to Grangemouth. Do you support policy P.CP1 International connectivity? Yes 3.59B Please provide comments on policy P.CP1 International connectivity in the box below. North Ayrshire Council has identified that the regional road connection between North Ayrshire and the rest of the country uses a sub-standard strategic route (A737/B714) and as such are keen to improve this connection. This has been recognised by the UK Government as requiring Levelling Up funding but has been omitted from both the NTS and the RTS. The policy above mentions several key routes but has omitted a crucial part of the infrastructure in the region. We would therefore request that the policy includes the A737/B714 route as a regional priority to better connect North Ayrshire to Glasgow, the Central Belt and beyond.
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3.60A Policy: P.CP2 Inter-regional connectivity Improve, increase and enhance sustainable inter-regional connectivity of the region for passenger and freight transport and ensure the transport system enables a sustainable, competitive, resilient and productive regional economy. The region's inter-regional transport gateways and routes to be maintained, improved or enhanced include: • Connectivity to Argyll and Bute, Northwest and Western Isles • Connectivity to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park • Connectivity to Falkirk, Stirling and the North/Northeast • Connectivity to Edinburgh, West Lothian and Scottish Borders • Connectivity to Dumfries and Galloway • Connectivity of Arran – Argyll and Bute Do you support policy P.CP2 Inter-regional connectivity? Yes 3.60B Please provide comments on policy P.CP2 Inter-regional connectivity in the box below. There is a need for regional connectivity between regions within the previous Strathclyde area and in particular the disparity in suitable trunk road connections between the three Ayrshire areas and the impact this can have on an area’s economy. Both East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire are served by a dualled trunk road whereas North Ayrshire is served by a sub-standard single carriageway trunk road. Our understanding is that, with the exception of North Ayrshire Council, all other council areas in the previous Strathclyde area are served by at least a dualled trunk road. The above policy has included several tourist and economic areas but has excluded connectivity to North Ayrshire itself. This should be included within the policy. The policy also mentions the connectivity to Argyll and Bute but does not mention within the RTS the need to improve the sub-standard A841 Brodick to Lochranza route which is of regional importance by connecting two key ferry terminals and also required to facilitate improvements to bus provision such as low-floor buses. 3.61A Policy: P.CP3 Intra-regional Connectivity Improve, increase and enhance sustainable connectivity of regional strategic economic development and investment locations and intra-regional travel to work and freight corridors, and ensure the regional transport system enables sustainable development. Key strategic intra-regional connectivity priorities and corridors include: • HMNB Clyde / Faslane, Helensburgh Growth Area and Helensburgh/HMNB Clyde – Balloch/Dumbarton – Clydebank - Glasgow • Clyde Mission Clyde Corridor and Glasgow City Region City Deal investment locations • Ayrshire Growth Deal strategic economic development and investment locations • Glasgow - all cross-boundary radial corridors to/from Glasgow • Intra-urban Ayrshire (Kilmarnock/Irvine/Kilwinning/3 towns/Troon/Prestwick/Ayr) • South Lanarkshire – North Lanarkshire • East Renfrewshire – Renfrewshire – West Dunbartonshire • Inverclyde - Renfrewshire • Ayrshire – Renfrewshire - Glasgow • North Ayrshire – Inverclyde • East Dunbartonshire – North Lanarkshire • East Dunbartonshire – West Dunbartonshire • Ardrossan – Arran, Largs - Cumbrae and Rosneath • Peninsula – Greenock Do you support policy P.CP3 Intra-regional Connectivity?
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Yes 3.61B Please provide comments on policy P.CP3 Intra-regional Connectivity in the box below. As per comments in policy 3.60B this policy has excluded the key Brodick to Lochranza lifeline route of the A841. 3.62A Policy: P.CP4 Town Centre connectivity and 20-minute neighbourhoods Improve, increase and enhance active travel and public transport connectivity of the region's town centres to support town centre economies and delivery of 20-minute neighbourhoods. Do you support policy P.CP4 Town Centre connectivity and 20-minute neighbourhoods? Yes 3.62B Please provide comments on policy P.CP4 Town Centre connectivity and 20-minute neighbourhoods in the box below. North Ayrshire Council is supportive of the policy and 20-minute neighbourhoods. We are currently developing Place Frameworks for some of our communities which are seeking to start this process by identifying local priorities for the short, medium and long term. Over the past number of years there has been a desire to centralise services. For 20-minute neighbourhoods to become a reality, there will require to be a commitment from funding partners and the Scottish Government to assist in enabling this to come to fruition. Connectivity between towns is crucial in enabling people to choose sustainable travel options. 3.63A Policy: P.CP5 Island, Rural and Remote Area Connectivity Improve, increase and enhance transport connectivity for rural, remote and island communities particularly to nearest town centres and key transport hubs. Improve, increase and enhance transport connectivity for Arran, Cumbrae and Rosneath peninsula. Do you support policy P.CP5 Island, Rural and Remote Area Connectivity? Yes 3.63B Please provide comments on policy P.CP5 Island, Rural and Remote Area Connectivity in the box below. Please refer to our response to 3.27B. North Ayrshire Council are supportive of this policy and would expect a similar commitment from stakeholders. Our Island Connectivity study aims to improve connectivity between transport modes on our islands however its implementation will require funding and support from partner organisations including SPT. Connections to ferry terminals also require to be considered as part of this policy to support sustainable travel to and from our islands and reduce the impact of RET.
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It is important to remember that rural connectivity issues are not limited to the islands. We have many rural areas within North Ayrshire that are suffering from reducing public transport provision and we are supportive of policies that seek to better connect these communities. 3.64A Policy: P.CP6 Regional Hospitals and Tertiary Education Improve, increase and enhance sustainable connectivity of regional hospitals and tertiary education. Support development of active travel and public transport connectivity for new Monklands hospital and other future hospital and tertiary education development. Do you support policy P.CP6 Regional Hospitals and Tertiary Education? Yes 3.64B Please provide comments on policy P.CP6 Regional Hospitals and Tertiary Education in the box below. The ongoing issues experienced in North Ayrshire in relation to the reliability and resilience of the ferry network has a considerable effect in relation to our island populations being able to access medical facilities in particular. Our health and social care services also rely on the service to transport staff. The Patient Transfer Service runs twice daily, specimens are taken to Crosshouse Hospital daily and there also regular deliveries of vaccines, medications and other equipment. Significant ferry disruption causes humanitarian and welfare concerns and stress for the people receiving this support and for the staff providing these services. The reduction in rural bus services also presents significant issues for people accessing such key services. We are therefore supportive of this policy but would suggest that wider connectivity is considered to settlements accessing these services and not just in the immediate vicinity of the facilities. 3.65A Policy: P.CP7 Housing Development Facilitate and support increased and enhanced active travel and public transport connectivity of major residential development and growth areas in the region. Do you support policy P.CP7 Housing Development? Yes 3.65B Please provide comments on policy P.CP7 Housing Development in the box below. North Ayrshire is supportive of this policy. We work closely with developers to ensure that new housing has suitable transport infrastructure. We are also currently updating our Street Development Guide which will clearly set out our expectations in relation to transport provision for new developments.
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3. Delivering the strategy: governance Transport governance relates to issues such as what roles and responsibilities an organisation may have, how it makes decisions, how it is funded, and how it is held accountable. Respondents to our earlier consultation on the RTS Case for Change highlighted that they believed a change in transport governance in the west of Scotland was needed in order to deliver the improvements required. Previous work as part of the National Transport Strategy Roles and Responsibilities workstream concluded that a workable, regional model was the preferable option for governance, and further work is continuing as part of Transport Scotland’s Governance and Collaboration review workstream. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 also contains provisions which, if a case were made and approved, could affect roles and responsibilities in bus. The Draft RTS commits SPT to having dialogue with, firstly, our council partners and subsequently other partners to see if an agreed approach to future transport governance in the west of Scotland can be identified. 4.1 What are your views on transport governance in the west of Scotland? Is the right framework in place to deliver the vision and objectives of the Draft RTS? Please provide comments in the box below. In general, North Ayrshire is content with the existing governance arrangements for transport with policies and strategies flowing from national government, Regional Transport Authorities and Local Authorities. Two key areas of concern are the funding of active travel improvements and the provision of bus services. Regarding active travel funding, we do not feel that the existing competitive funding model managed by Sustrans provides the best arrangement. Being a largely rural authority with lower population densities we are at a disadvantage when it comes to securing funding as not all schemes are classed as being strategic enough. We would welcome further discussion in relation to alternative funding models, perhaps with consideration being given to allocating more funds either regionally or locally. Regarding the new provisions included within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, the existing arrangements for the provision of bus services is not working in many areas, particularly in North Ayrshire. Currently these services are run on a commercial basis by private operators and, as such, the Council has limited scope in influencing their delivery. The Regional Transport Partnership, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), supports socially necessary bus services where there is no provision, by commercial bus operators. Funds however are limited and therefore we appreciate the need to carefully consider the number of passengers who are likely to use a service, the cost per passenger carried and whether there are other public transport options available before deciding whether they can subsidise a service. The Inclusive Growth Diagnostic identified transport as a barrier to inclusive growth at a local level. The provision of high-quality opportunities for public transport for everyday journeys is vital to local communities and delivering inclusive growth and Community Wealth Building. North Ayrshire is keen to explore other operating models to ensure that our communities are well connected and not disadvantaged due to a lack of sufficient public transport. North Ayrshire Council launched Scotland first Community Wealth Building strategy in 2020. One of the 5 pillars within the strategy is plural ownership of the economy which advocates for more diverse range of business models with greater local/community ownership invested in the local economy. Business models advocated include cooperative, social enterprise, employee owned and municipalisation. These models have proved to be more resilient to economic shocks and consideration of further support to encourage these models would be welcomed. We have also declared a Climate Emergency and do not wish to see a rise in private car ownership and vehicle kilometres due to the public transport network not meeting the needs of our communities.
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Some initial discussions have taken place between the three Ayrshire authorities and SPT to discuss options for establishing a Bus Services Improvement Partnership. We are keen for these discussions to progress and for alternative operating models to be explored as appropriate. 4.2 What changes, if any, would you like to see made? Please provide comments in the box below. Please see answer above.
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4. Delivering the strategy: resources Resources to deliver what we aspire to achieve, be it capital funding (infrastructure) or revenue funding (operational services), skills, materials, or staff, is an ongoing and growing challenge for transport in the west of Scotland. Dialogue undertaken in developing the Draft RTS highlighted concerns from many people and stakeholders that the current position was unsustainable and needed change. The Draft RTS commits SPT to further engagement with key partners on the issue of resources and funding in seeking to address the challenges, including consideration of how we pay for transport in future. 5.1 What are your views on resources and funding for transport in the west of Scotland? Is the current model suitable for delivering the aspirations of the Draft RTS? Please provide comments in the box below. Substantial government funding is put into rail, but a similar amount is not provided to help with the current difficulties in the bus service industry. The government has allowed local authorities to consider bus services. It is likely the routes that require a local authority service would not be commercially viable otherwise a commercial service would be operating. The Scottish Government has provided no indication of how these could be funded. The majority of active travel infrastructure improvements is currently funded via Sustrans programmes. We believe that funding would be better allocated either regionally or locally to ensure that all projects, regardless of size, have an opportunity to progress. The existing competitive nature of the funding programme results in many projects being funded through design stages, but then not deemed strategic enough to secure construction funds. Delays in securing construction funds can often lead to abortive costs as design works need to be revisited and environmental surveys redone. Whilst we are grateful for the increased active travel funding coming from Scottish Government, we firmly believe that a similar increase in associated revenue funding is also required. Building new active travel infrastructure is a key priority for us, but it comes with a substantial increased maintenance burden on the Council. Multi-year resource funding is also required for the Council to recruit officers to deliver on these active travel commitments. The current single year funding model for both CWSR and Smarter Choices Smarter Places limits our ability to offer more than one year contracts which limits our ability to attract and retain good staff and to support delivery. 5.2 What are your views on how we pay for transport in future – from level of fares on public transport, through to road pricing / congestion charging? What changes, if any, would you like to see made? Please provide comments in the box below. North Ayrshire Council does not currently intend to consider road price, congestion charging or workplace parking levys. We are however in the process of introducing car parking charges to enable the Council to better manage our assets to ensure good turnover of spaces rather than to fund transport improvements. With regard to public transport fares, we would welcome further discussion on this. To create a modal shift away from the private car, public transport fares need to be set at an affordable level. In a post- covid world confidence in public transport has been reduced and patronage is low. We therefore need to ensure that fares are set at a level whereby public transport offers a viable and attractive alternative. We also have substantial areas of deprivation within North Ayrshire and transport fares should not be a barrier to people from accessing employment or education opportunities.
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5. Monitoring and evaluation framework It is important to monitor and report on progress of the RTS on an on-going and regular basis to understand what is working well and what areas may need additional focus. A proposed monitoring and evaluation framework is set out in chapter 9. The framework includes monitoring indicators, which will be reported annually. The framework also includes a proposal to regularly evaluate progress towards the RTS Targets and RTS Priorities and a commitment to improve equality data and monitoring. 6.1 Are there any other monitoring indicators that should be included in the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework? If No or Not sure, please skip to 6.3. No comments 6.2 Please describe these indicators including data sources. No comments 6.3 Please provide any other comments on the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework in the box below. No comments
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6. Equality Duties 7.1 Please provide any comments on the Equalities Duties Report in the box below. No comments 7.2 Please provide any comments on the Public Sector Equality Duty report in the box below. No comments 7.3 Please provide any comments on the Island Communities Impact Assessment Report in the box below. No comments 7.4 Please provide any comments on the Scotland Duty Assessment Report in the box below. No comments 7.5 Please provide any comments on the Child Rights and Wellbeing Duties Assessment Report in the box below. No comments 7. Strategic Environmental Assessment 8.1 Please provide any comments on the Strategic Environmental Assessment report in the box below. No comments