Leicestershire Local Transport Plan

APR4 is available in Portable Document Format (pdf) files.

These can be downloaded, saved and printed.

Executive Summary  
Chapter 1  -  Introduction
Chapter 2  -  Implementation in 2003 / 04
Chapter 3  -  Performance Indicators and Targets
Chapter 4  -  Spending Programme

Appendices    

Appendix A  -  Classifications of progress and Pro-forma A table of core PIs
Appendix B  -  Classifications of progress and Pro-forma B table of Non-core PIs
Appendix C  -  Road, Bridge, and Street Lighting Data
Appendix D  -  Finance Forms  

1. This document is the fourth Annual Progress Report (APR) for the Leicestershire Local Transport Plan (LTP). It reports the significant progress that continues to be made on the delivery of the programme, progress towards targets and how money has been spent during the financial year 2003/04. This executive summary provides an overview of the progress reported through the APR.

2. The County Council continues to make good progress in delivering its LTP programme. There were some variations within the programme, but expenditure and schemes delivered were broadly in line with expectation. In addition to LTP funds, the County Council spent £500k of its own resources, and there were very significant sources of other funding towards improving the transport system.

3. Good progress has been made with the preparation of the scheme, and the public inquiry is programmed for September 2004. A supplementary scheme appraisal is being submitted with this APR, and the Department for Transport (DfT) will consider the position with regard to funding later in 2004.

4. There has been excellent progress in improving bus access in rural areas, and the percentage of rural households within 800m of an hourly bus service increased from 61% to 67% during the year. Improved bus interchanges were completed in Hinckley and Melton Mowbray.

5. The opening of the £6m development funded Epinal Way Extension new road in July 2003 has given much needed relief to residents on the A6 and Shelthorpe Road in the south of Loughborough. The main construction of the Hinckley Town Centre scheme was completed in November 2003, with major benefits to pedestrians, cyclists and buses on Regent Street.

6. Many schemes with casualty reduction benefits were completed during the year. Whilst it is too soon to know the outcomes of these schemes, 30 schemes completed in 2002/03 have shown a 60% reduction in casualties. Road safety education continued with a full range of activities involving schools, drivers, campaigns and exhibitions.

7. Walking and cycling schemes were completed at many locations including improved footways, new pedestrian crossings, improved facilities at traffic signals, cycleways, cycle parking and signing schemes. Facilities and conditions for walking and cycling were also improved as part of a number of speed management schemes.

8. Conditions on a number of routes to school have been improved by walking, cycling and speed management schemes. School Travel Plans were adopted by 12 more schools during the year. The pilot scheme for school travel using three yellow school buses has been well received, and a fourth vehicle has been acquired. Four more major employers now have Workplace Travel Plans (WTPs), and good progress is being made towards further WTPs at major employment sites.

9. There was a major improvement in principal road condition, with 44 maintenance schemes completed on 25 kilometres of carriageway. The condition of non-principal classified roads also improved, with an increased programme of 55 schemes on 46 kilometres of carriageway. The change in condition of unclassified roads was unclear in 2003/04, but will benefit from an increased proportion of maintenance funds. A total of 53 kilometres of carriageway benefited from low noise surfacing. Good progress was also made on footway maintenance, with 67 schemes completed during the year.

10. At many traffic signal crossings, facilities for disabled people were further improved to meet the change of specification in 2003/04. The proportion of low floor buses increased from 33% to 36%, and raised kerbs for level access were provided at a number of locations. There was a 5% increase in the use of complementary public transport for disabled people, with more volunteer drivers and increased publicity.

11. Under their statutory responsibility for Air Quality Management most of the district councils submitted their Stage 4 assessments during 2003/04, and were developing their action plans. The County Council is evaluating how it can assist implementation of action plans through development of the next round of LTPs.

12. Core performance indicators (PIs): of the nine core PIs which relate to national targets, six are on track, two not on track and one shows no clear evidence. This can be summarised as:

Killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties
Child KSI casualties
Bus passenger numbers
Rural household with good access to hourly bus services
Principal road maintenance
Non-principal classified road maintenance

Unclassified road condition

User satisfaction with bus services
Level of cycling

13. Of the six core PIs on track, particularly good progress was made on road safety for the second year running. Having fallen by 11% in 2002, KSI casualties fell by a further 13% in 2003. There was a further major reduction of 41% in child KSI casualties.

14. Bus passenger numbers increased by more than the 1% annual growth target, and there was good progress with rural bus access towards the 2004/05 target, which will exceed the national target for 2010.

15. Excellent progress was made with principal road maintenance, and the increased programme of non-principal classified road maintenance brought the PI back on track. Unclassified roads will benefit from an increased proportion of maintenance funds.

16. The slight fall in bus user satisfaction is being addressed by the bus operators with route by route attention to reliability. Satisfaction will also benefit from implementation of the Bus Information Strategy.

17. The lack of growth in cycling is a challenge for most authorities, and action to address the issue will be an important part of the preparation of the second LTP.

18. Non Core PIs: Good progress is being made on the 29 non-core PIs with 19 (66%) on track, with several targets already achieved. Chapter 3 explains the current position and the actions being taken for those PIs not on track.

19. The County Council continues to make excellent progress in delivering its LTP spending programmes. All funds allocated to Leicestershire by DfT in the first five LTP settlements (including the provisional LTP) have been, or are being, spent on transport. Table S1 sets out the County Council's overall LTP spend in 2003/04.

20. In addition to the LTP funds above, the opportunity arose during the year for the County Council to spend £500k of its own resources to support the integrated transport programme. This offset the impact of the transfer of LTP funds to maintenance and the Central Leicestershire LTP area. Further very significant funding from non-LTP sources continues to be obtained to supplement programmes and help deliver the LTP objectives and targets.