Transport cash to be devolved to sub-regional bodies
Author: Jamie Carpenter, Planning Magazine |
A consultation, published yesterday by the DfT, says that central government must currently approve all schemes over 5 million.
It proposes that from 2015 decisions on local transport cash – worth 1.7 billion between 2011 and 2015 ? will be devolved to local transport bodies, who will be able to decide for themselves how to spend local transport cash without Whitehall approval.
It says that the new local transport bodies would be “responsible for establishing a programme of local major scheme priorities for delivery beyond 2015”. The bodies will need to be democratically accountable to the local electorate, the consultation document adds.
The local enterprise partnership geography “represents an obvious starting point for understanding the scale at which funding could be allocated”, according to the consultation document.
Transport secretary Justine Greening said: “We want a system that is much more responsive to local needs and it makes good sense to give local residents and passengers a greater say in the transport infrastructure that they rely on so much.
“These proposals could hand real power to communities so they can make locally accountable decisions on what transport improvements are needed in their area.”
But Bettina Lange, regional coordinator at lobby group the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “We welcome in principle the government’s intention to give local people a greater say in transport decisions, but we are not convinced that the arrangements proposed are fit for purpose.
“The proposals would make it possible for unaccountable LEPs, with their narrow economic growth agenda, to have the final say, or for local politicians to promote their pet schemes. Either scenario could easily ignore the real transport needs in an area and damage the local environment.”
The consultation closes on 2 April.
Devolving local major transport schemes is available here.