Each local authority (or combined authority) in England and Wales is required to produce a Local Transport Plan (LTP). Broadly speaking, the LTP should contain the Authority’s policies and plans related to transport, focusing on the transport needs of the local population. LTPs should clearly:
- Identify transport issues and objectives within the relevant geography.
- Explain how the strategy and options put forward in the plan address these.
- Demonstrate how the policies and options have been chosen and appraised, including the outcome of stakeholder consultations and their assessment against the relevant objectives.
- Explain how the options will be funded and financed, and that these provide value for money to the taxpayer.
- Include an implementation plan and monitoring framework to show how the strategy will be delivered. Current guidance advises that strategy and implementation plans are kept separate.
Since the Local Transport Act 2008 came into force, LTPs are no longer formally assessed by DfT and only need to be renewed when the Authority considers appropriate.
The right type and level of investment in transport infrastructure and services can have an important role in promoting sustainable economic growth but also in contributing to wider sustainability and health objectives. The transport system needs to give people a real choice about how they travel, recognising that different policies and measures will be required in different communities and opportunities to maximise growth will vary from place to place. The importance of maintaining an up to date LTP should not be understated.