North Yorkshire Council

Transport, Economy, Environment and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee

30 January 2025

Notice of Motion on Adoption of an Active Travel Strategy

Report of the Corporate Director Environment.

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To provide the Transport, Economy, Environment and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee with

i) an update on Active Travel documents in North Yorkshire

ii) an opportunity to respond to the Notice of Motion to adopt an Active Travel Strategy, in order to report back to Full Council at its meeting on 26 February 2025.

2.0 BACKGROUND

2.1 At the Full Council meeting on 13 November 2024 a Notice of Motion proposed by Cllr Hannah Gostlow (and seconded by Cllr Bryn Griffiths) stated:

North Yorkshire Council recognises the importance of promoting active travel as a key component in improving public health, boosting local economies, connecting communities, reducing congestion, improving air quality, and contributing to our commitments on climate change and sustainability as specified in NYC’s adopted Sustainable Development Goals.

Therefore, North Yorkshire Council:

· Commits to develop and implement an Active Travel Strategy by December 2025, that will outline a clear framework for promoting and supporting walking, cycling, and other active travel modes across the county.

· Uses data from the already completed ‘Let’s Talk Climate’ and ‘Let’s Talk Transport’ consultations to ensure that the strategy reflects the diverse needs and aspirations of our communities

· Incorporates the following key principles into the strategy:

1. Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensure that active travel infrastructure is accessible to all residents.

2. Safety: Prioritise the development of safe walking and cycling routes, especially near schools, town centres, and residential areas.

3. Integration with Public Transport: Improve connections between active travel routes and public transport hubs to encourage multimodal journeys.

4. Sustainability: Promote active travel as a means to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality across North Yorkshire.

5. Health and Wellbeing: Recognise and promote the physical and mental health benefits associated with active travel.

6. Identifies potential funding sources to support the implementation of the strategy, including national grants, regional partnerships, and private sector collaboration.

7. Sets measurable goals and a timeline for the implementation of the Active Travel Strategy, ensuring regular monitoring and review processes to track progress and outcomes.

8. Works with neighbouring local authorities and regional bodies to ensure that the strategy aligns with broader regional efforts to promote sustainable and active transport.

This motion works towards the following Sustainable Development Goals:

· Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being - Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

Relevance: Encourages active travel to improve physical and mental health.

· Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Relevance: Develops infrastructure for walking and cycling to create safer and more connected communities.

· Goal 13: Climate Action - Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Relevance: Promotes active travel to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.

· Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development.

Relevance: Utilises consultations and collaborations to ensure diverse community needs are met and strategies align with broader efforts.

· Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities - Reducing inequality within and among countries.

Relevance: Ensures active travel infrastructure is accessible to all, addressing inequalities.

· Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation.

Relevance: Integrates active travel routes with public transport to encourage efficient, multimodal travel.

· Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Relevance: Establishes measurable goals and regular reviews to ensure transparency and accountability.

2.2 At Full Council, a number of Motions were received, and it was agreed they would be referred to the Scrutiny Board to consider and allocate to the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with the intention of recommendations being brought back to the next meeting of full Council in February 2025.

2.3 On 15 November 2024, the Scrutiny Board considered this Motion, and it was agreed that it should be considered by the Transport, Economy, Environment and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

3.0 NORTH YORKSHIRE ACTIVE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

3.1 Central Government Active Travel funding has remained at low levels across the past few years which has presented substantial challenges to deliver active travel schemes. North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has undertaken extensive network planning to inform prioritisation of walking, wheeling and cycling schemes, helping to ensure that schemes are integral to long term investment and are driven by local demand.

3.2 Improving cycle infrastructure across North Yorkshire is key to meet the Government aim of making ‘walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey by 2040’ as set out in the Cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS) 2017. NYC is in the process of developing and adopting Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for each principal town in the area. This is a strategic approach to identify cycling and walking improvements required at a local level, enabling a long term planning approach to developing cycling and walking networks. Having adopted LCWIPs enables NYC to have a series of bid ready projects ready to submit should government funding become available. Additionally, LCWIPs also allow the council to be in a much better position to request Section 106 funding from developers towards new infrastructure.

3.3 NYC has LCWIPs for all population centres above 20,000 (Harrogate and Knaresborough and Scarborough) and all phase one documents are published. NYC has also published phase one LCWIPs for Selby/Tadcaster/Sherburn in Elmet (population 19.5k), Skipton (population 15k) and Northallerton (population 13.5k). An LCWIP for Malton/Norton (population 14k) is also complete but not yet published.

3.4 From the aforementioned LCWIPs, 35 priority corridors have been identified at an estimated delivery cost of £95M. Phase two reports for the above LCWIPs including design and economic evaluations of corridors have also been completed. LCWIPs for Ripon (population 16.5k) and Catterick (population 14k) are set to be approved in January 2025. LCWIPs in Whitby (population 12.5k) and Thirsk (population 7k) are underway.

3.5 In addition to the LCWIPs produced by NYC, the North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire Dales National Park are in the process of creating Active Travel documents that will be completed later this year. These documents will focus on the active travel within the national parks and how people can access the National Parks via active travel modes.

4.0 ACTIVE TRAVEL STRATEGY

4.1 The areas covered by the existing LCWIPs and the work that the National Parks are undertaking will give a strategic view of active travel infrastructure required across a number of locations in North Yorkshire. Officers recognise that there are areas that fall outside of any of these existing documents, and that an Active Travel Strategy would pull the existing information together and set out a way to tackle active travel in more rural locations. At this time however, officers feel that an Active Travel Strategy will form part of a York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan that will also incorporate the newly adopted York LCWIP and form a cohesive strategy for the York and North Yorkshire area.

4.2 In addition, it is expected that new guidance on Local Transport Plans and also an Integrated National Transport Strategy will be released later this year and they are both likely to include guidance and information around Active Travel and the monitoring and evaluation of active travel schemes. It would seem sensible to wait for this information to be available before writing new strategies.

5.0 ACTIVE TRAVEL NEXT STEPS

5.1 There are a number of active travel schemes programmed for delivery in 2025:

o Victoria Avenue c£800k – pedestrian improvements, including new signalised crossings, new junction treatments and surface improvements – scheduled to be on site by March

o Kildwick to Silsden c£972k – upgrade 2 kms of towpath – scheduled to be completed by June

o Transforming City Fund active travel elements (Harrogate, Selby and Skipton) c£44.6m

o Active Travel England Capability Fund projects

o Number of LCWIP corridors being progressed to preliminary design (bid ready stage)

5.2 In addition, NYC is currently in the process of producing a speed management strategy, which will set out how the Council is going to carry out a planned programme of speed limit reviews across North Yorkshire in the coming months and years. Its purpose, where appropriate, is to generate a pipeline of lower speed limit schemes on both the urban and rural road network, with the intention of improving overall road safety and helping create the conditions for encouraging active modes, such as walking and cycling.

6.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

6.1 A North Yorkshire Active Travel Strategy could be produced but this work is likely to be abortive. National updated guidance is due to be released this year and an Active Travel Strategy will form part of the York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan.

7.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1 There are no direct financial implications as the report is an update. Any financial implications arising as a result of any actions discussed in the report will be subject to separate reports at the appropriate time in line with the Council’s financial governance process.

8.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

8.1 There are no legal implications resulting from the points put forward.

9.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

9.1 There are no direct equalities implications resulting from the action points put forward.

10.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

10.1 There will be a delay in delivering a specific active travel strategy, but this is mitigated by the fact guidance is developing, and the LTP process will be starting this year. Increasing take up active travel is one of the priorities in the council’s climate change strategy so we have a commitment to developing it via the LTP. There are no direct climate change implications resulting from the action points put forward.

11.0 CONCLUSIONS

11.1 There are a number of LCWIP documents already in existence covering North Yorkshire and further documents in development covering the two National Parks within North Yorkshire. These documents already set out a number of priority corridors for development and delivery in the future. Whilst officers agree that an Active Travel Strategy for North Yorkshire is needed this will form part of the wider Local Transport Plan and further guidance on this is expected later this year.

12.0

RECOMMENDATIONS

For the TEE&E O&S Committee to

i) note the update on Active Travel documents in North Yorkshire

ii) recommend back to Full Council at its meeting on 26 February 2025 that an Active Travel Strategy is pursued as part of the York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan in collaboration with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and City of York Council

Appendices:

Appendix A – Copy of Motion Received

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None

Karl Battersby

Corporate Director – Environment

County Hall

Northallerton

23.12.2024

Report Author – Louise Neale, Transport Planning Team Leader

Presenter of Report – Louise Neale, Transport Planning Team Leader

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.

Motion Text: Adoption of an Active Travel Strategy

Proposer: Cllr Hannah Gostlow

Seconder: Cllr Bryn Griffiths