Leicestershire Local Transport Plan

1.

The full Local Transport Plans (LTPs) for Leicestershire and Central Leicestershire were published in 2000 with five year strategies for their areas. 2001/02 has been a year of solid achievement, being the first year of full LTP funding to allow delivery of a wide range of schemes on the ground. There have been two highly successful Best Value reviews covering the entire LTP service area and, for first inspections, achieving excellent results. To fully complete the detail of the LTP strategy, there is a new Road Safety Plan as well as a new countywide Walking and Cycling Strategy.

2.

A key purpose of the APR is the reporting of progress towards the LTP objectives in terms of scheme outcomes and advancement towards targets. A full description is given of the many public transport achievements for which there is the new target of 95% of all households to be within 13 minutes of an hourly or better bus service by 2005/06. The many other descriptions of schemes and outcomes reflect the delivery of a much increased capital programme. This includes a reduction from 21.5% to 18.1% in principal roads with a negative residual life. Particularly welcome, since the mid 1990s base period, is the 21% fewer countywide non-trunk serious and fatal road casualties.

3.

The performance indicators (PIs) and targets have been comprehensively reviewed following Government criticism of the LTP and first APR and there are now many more targets based on outputs rather than outcomes. The review process has been much assisted by the late April 2002 DfT guidance on monitoring LTP implementation, and the new PIs and targets has been well received following stakeholder consultation.

4.

This year the APR includes a substantial chapter with detailed financial reporting of how allocated funds have been used to deliver the strategy and primary objectives. The information includes a breakdown of variations to spending plans and demonstrates how delivery has kept pace with increased LTP funding. There is also a full description of the many other sources of funding which have contributed to LTP measures. Notable amongst these is the £5m Epinal Way Extension on the south side of Loughborough about to start construction and entirely funded by a nearby housing development.

5.

To the Government comments on both the LTP and first APR there is a fully detailed response. There is also an Appendix setting out a comprehensively wide range of strategy improvements arising from work in the two years since the LTP was published. The purpose is to demonstrate how the current strategy now meets a very high proportion of the criteria set by Government of a good LTP. Consultation has been a particularly strong area of activity during 2001/02. Some of this has been linked to the needs of the two Best Value reviews, but much has involved the participation and partnership work on developing schemes. The effectiveness of all the consultation was demonstrated by independent evidence gathered by the Audit Commission Best Value inspectors.

6.

Finally the APR gives a detailed breakdown of the very many ways in which the County Council learns and applies best practice from elsewhere and in turn actively shares its own best practice. Examples of the latter include rural community transport, recycling road materials and development of a comprehensive lorry control network.

The APR is available for downloading as a number of Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

       Help with file formats used on this website

APR 2002 comprises:-

a) main document, with contents list, a location map, six appendices and glossary
b) supporting document with ten sections.

The list below shows how the PDF files correspond to the various parts of the documents and their size.