Agenda item

(To receive a report from Karl Gibson, Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure, which sets the final update on the Gainsborough Transport Strategy and the main Gainsborough Transport Strategy 2022 documents)

Consideration was given to a presentation from the Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure presenting a final update on the Gainsborough Transport Strategy. 

Issues covered in the presentation included:

·       A strategic overview of the phase one and two, including detail of current and future challenges, engagement and intervention, vision and objectives updates, development and assessment options and the draft and final strategy.

·       The transport strategy vision and objectives, including the Local Transport Plan Five, Gainsborough Transport Strategy Vision, and the Gainsborough Transport Strategy Objectives.

·       The transport strategy components, including the key pillars, supporting interventions, strategic interventions, connected strategies and monitoring and investigations.

·       Plans of Gainsborough, including environmental improvements along Beaumont Street Corridor, market square frontage, public realm enhancements, and bus station public realm improvements.

·       Multimodal transport hubs including park and bike scheme, E-bike hire, park and ride, delivery lockers and electric vehicle charging.

·       Supported interventions including junction improvements on Flood Road to A156 to Lea Road to Bridge Street, A631 Thorndike Way to Ashcroft Road to Trinity Street, North Street to Beaumont Street to Station Approach to Marshalls Yard, and A159 North Street to B1433 Spital Terrace.

·       Electrification charging for new developments, taxi ranks and Council owned car parks.

During consideration of the presentation, the Committee raised the following comments:

·       Members of the Committee suggested that, in future, they would appreciate a supporting map to be included within strategy documents to enable them to contextualise the information within the report. Moreover, Members suggested the Committee may even benefit from in-person visits to transport strategy sites in the future.

·       Noting the reference within the report which suggested promoting reduction in the need to travel for both essential and recreational services, Members asked what impact officers felt this would have on the viability of Gainsborough’s retail Highstreet. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure acknowledged the challenge of Highstreet regeneration, exacerbated by the Covid-19 Pandemic. He went on to suggest a more service-based economy may take prominence.

·       Making reference to the influencing travel behaviour, particularly that of promotion of hybrid working solutions, the Committee asked, what engagement the Council had undertaken with employers and lower tier local authorities to identify a mutually advantageous approach. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure stressed that the transport strategy naturally required collaboration with all key stakeholders. Moreover, the Executive Support Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT added that stakeholder engagement had been undertaken successfully for this strategy, particularly emphasising the engagement with West Lindsey District Council.

·       Members were concerned that promotion of digital health and social care appointments may not be best suited to the County’s aging population.

·       The Committees were pleased to see the emphasis on rail transport within the strategy, particularly noting that currently Gainsborough Town Station was thus underused. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure agreed that rail was a key transport method within Gainsborough, adding that train stations regeneration was a wider endeavour within the Local Transport Plan Five.

·       Noting the towns referred to within the report, Members asked if the population of Gainsborough was generally leaving to use the services of other towns or if it was a centre which attracted visits from other areas. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure suggested that currently, Gainsborough acted as a through zone for other areas, however investment into the regeneration sought to attract more people to the town. Traffic activity indicated that a third of movements entering into the town with the rest egressing.

RESOLVED

That the Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee’s comments on the Gainsborough Transport Strategy 2022 be noted.