Sub-National Transport Bodies in the South West

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Can I call on our arch-ace-researcher Lee to tell me what's going on and what this all means.  Anyone else who knows is very welcome to join in and help work it out. Also, Lee, please feel free to merge this thread is there's something on it already.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/local-authorities-joining-forces-grab-1992942

http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/s46662/GEGJC%20SNTB%20report%2020%20June%202018.pdf

The map has changed already as Dorset has now decided to join the Western Gateway.  This removes the ‘land bridge’ between the bottom of Wiltshire and Bournemouth and Poole.

1.1 Local Authorities across England are responding to Government’s request for more strategic thinking about transport investment priorities to improve regional productivity and sustainable economic growth by joining up to become Sub-national Transport Bodies (SNTB^▸ (Sub-national Transport Board)).

1.2 The role of a SNTB is to provide the strategic leadership by providing one single voice when discussing strategic transport infrastructure requirements with Government. This will be supported by the production of a robust regional evidence base and a long-term Strategic Transport Plan.

1.3 In response Government has said SNTB’s will be given 'unprecedented access’ to decision-making process when developing national investment strategies and have a 'key role' in advising on the allocation of monies from the National Roads Fund (established from 2020/21) to the Major Road Network.

1.4 Nationally four SNTB have been formed and are working towards becoming statutory authorities. They include: Transport for the North, Transport for the South East, Midlands Connect and England’s Economic Heartland. Work has also begun on creating a SNTB for East Anglia. The South West remains the only part of England not covered by a SNTB.

1.5 To ensure the South West does not miss out on future funding streams it is important for Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) to consider the principle of establishing a SNTB with other local authorities in the South West of England. GCC officers have been working on this for several months and this was been supported by GCC’s Cabinet on the 6th June 2018. Please refer to Appendix A for a copy of the Cabinet Report.

[Lee]

What you have posted so far is a pretty comprehensive summary of the info currently out there on this. They are currently shadow bodies working towards statutory status - In Western Gateway's case for example, statutory status is not envisaged before 2021/22.

[ChrisB]

THe Government wants new regional quangos to bid for Transport grants going forward...they're being formed all over the country.

[grahame]

THe Government wants new regional quangos to bid for Transport grants going forward...they're being formed all over the country.

Interested in the geography in our parts .. not really sure of sizes / boundaries / borders (but I don't think they are yet).   Some oddities ensure - Frome in a different sub-national region to Westbury and Trowbridge, for example - but I suppose the bound has to be somewhere. 

[ChrisB]

As I understand it, HMG requires each to have a certain size, but it's up to individual councils to align where they see best fit...where their regional transport aligns into major connurbations. So I can see why Dorset want in with Bristol area, rather than Cornwall....although there must be movement towards Exeter maybe?

[CyclingSid]

Berkshire and Hampshire are included in Transport for the South East https://transportforthesoutheast.org.uk/about/
Haven't worked out which SNTB^▸ (Sub-national Transport Board) Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire are in, not in Midlands Connect.

[ChrisB]

Here you go

http://www.englandseconomicheartland.com/Pages/home.aspx

[Red Squirrel]

Somerset seems to want a foot in both camps - joining South West Peninsula, but with associate membership of Western Gateway:

1. Agree to join an informal partnership with Cornwall Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, Devon County Council and Dorset County Council; which will be known as a shadow sub-national transport body for the South West Peninsula, subject to Government agreeing with that proposal, and subject to formal agreement of a final terms of reference once the partnership has formally convened.
....
3. Agree to become an associate member of the shadow ‘Western Gateway’ sub-national transport body which will also operate initially as an informal partnership, subject to agreeing appropriate terms of reference in due course.

Source Somerset County Council

Any confirmation of what North Somerset plan to do? Caribbean and Central America?

[JayMac]

The Peoples Republic of Woodspring will probably want to be their own transport authority. 

[grahame]

Adding in for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) territory - England's Economic Heartland which links Swindon with Cambridge rather than with Chippenham.