Agenda item

(To receive a report by Vanessa Strange, Accessibility and Growth Manager, which seeks to consider the movement needs of businesses, residents and visitors through the next three decades)

Consideration was given to a report which informed members about the work on Lincolnshire Connected, which was an emerging think piece, looking at the future of mobility, transport, accessibility and connectivity in Lincolnshire.  Members were advised that Lincolnshire Connected sought to consider the movement needs of businesses, residents and visitors through the next three decades.  A document would be produced (anticipated December 2018) which would explore how the population may change over time, and consider how lives could be improved through evolving transport technology, connectivity and accessibility, as well as considering how prepared Lincolnshire was for these changes, opportunities and challenges, including what would need to be done to implement future requirements.

It was reported that issues such as decarbonisation of transport and artificial intelligence enabling driverless cars were the focus of growing national and international attention; however, a broader approach was being taken with themes including, but not limited to: energy; climate change; our environment; place shaping; public health; technology; the sharing economy; economic growth and productivity; education and skills; and rurality.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         What was most import was ensuring that Lincolnshire, as a rural county, was not left behind in terms of infrastructure, and ensuring that the county would be able to embrace any new forms of transport.

·         In terms of electric vehicles, it was queried what would happen in the event of a national power cut, and also what speeds would driverless cars be capable of reaching.  It was also queried what would happen for people who wanted to take these cars abroad, and whether all countries would have driverless cars.

·         Members were advised that it was likely that a cultural shift would be needed in order to accept some of the new technologies, and this would be an interesting factor to consider.  It was noted, that some of the technology highlighted in the report was not that far from being a reality, and there could be an interesting transition phase when there were both people and computers driving cars.

·         It was noted that there were as many positives as there were negatives or concerns regarding artificial intelligence.

·         In terms of driverless cars/car sharing opportunities, there would be a number of new issues to consider.

·         Concerns were raised regarding the capacity of the national grid as everything was being pushed towards electric.  One member commented they could not see the benefits of continually pushing people to use electric.  Members were advised that there was an awareness of the challenges around utilities.  Electric was not considered to be the only answer, and it was probable that larger vehicles would use a mix of fuels.  There were also discussions taking place regarding the opportunities around using waste to generate gas.  Members were advised that there were a number of big pieces of work which needed to be done nationally.

·         It was commented that the Dockland Light Railway (DLR) in London had not had drivers in the time it had been open.

·         It was noted that there was a high proportion of small to medium enterprises (SME's) in Lincolnshire which were vital to the economy.  It would be important to understand the current and future needs of these existing SME's in order to further grow Lincolnshire's economy.  Members were advised that officers were already speaking with businesses, rather than making assumptions.  It was also noted that a lot of businesses in Lincolnshire were part of this world, such as developing clean technology.

·         It was noted that the Environment and Economy Scrutiny had recently visited the Eventus building in Market Deeping, which had been designed with the future in mind as there were several electric charging points.  Many of the businesses based there were interested in these new technologies.

·         In relation to mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), which described a shift away from personally owned modes of transport and towards mobility which were consumed as a service, it was commented that this would require a lifestyle change, as many people lived in a very spontaneous way, using their car to go wherever they needed.  It was also suggested that if there was a move away from people owning their own car this could have an effect on the economy as people may not buy as much, if they had to carry it home using public transport rather than putting it in the back of their car.

·         It was highlighted that commercial vehicles and use of the railways for moving goods did not seem to feature in any discussions.  It was thought there was a need to integrate use of the railways and roads for the movement of goods.  It was acknowledged that the use of railways in this way was a national issue, but it was queried whether there was any way this could be highlighted.

·         There would be a need to work with districts on planning issues, such as the installation of solar panels on new properties.  It was thought there could be opportunities for independent batches of energy to be produced through solar panels/wind turbines.  Members were advised that the discussions around energy were very alive at the moment.

·         There were concerns that Lincolnshire was a rural county and that there was a need to ensure it did not get left behind.  Talking to businesses to establish what their needs were would be a big issue.

·         There would be a need to work with Planning departments to ensure that all the necessary infrastructure was included.

·         It was commented that this report had been very thought provoking and it was confirmed that it would also be considered by the Environment and economy Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED

            That the comments made in relation to the report be noted.