News Release : 14 June 2004

ASSEMBLY SAYS ‘NO’ TO LONDON REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY

THE SOUTH EAST ENGLAND REGIONAL ASSEMBLY OPPOSES TRANSPORT FOR LONDON’S proposal to create a London Regional Rail Authority. The proposal would serve London’s needs but at a cost to the adjoining regions and the rest of the country.

Transport improvements to the growth areas such as Thames Gateway, Ashford and Milton Keynes have been inadequately covered in the proposal. Gatwick and Reading, two vital transport hubs in the South East, have been ignored.

The Regional Assembly considers that London related rail services cannot be treated as a distinct operation as they are part of a complex pattern of services that serve an increasingly diverse pattern of movement between the regions in the wider South East. If the plan were to go ahead the Mayor of London would have control over all suburban commuter rail services but it would fragment the wider network rather than improve co-ordination.

Under the newly adopted Planning Act, the South East England Regional Assembly has a statutory role to plan for land use and transport in the South East. The development of a viable and reliable rail network in the South East and beyond must now be seen in this wider planning context. The new statutory regional planning framework for transport in the region provides a context for investment decisions on transport infrastructure, including the development and enhancement of the rail network. Transport for London’s proposal would undermine this approach.

Councillor Nick Skellett, Chair of the South East England Regional Assembly said: “We believe Transport for London’s proposal is fundamentally incompatible with the Assembly’s transport planning role and could have unfortunate service consequences. We have expressed our views to the Mayor of London.

“Together with the East of England Regional Assembly and Greater London Authority we have established an Inter-Regional Forum to address planning issues and the aspirations of all three regions. We recently commissioned research to examine cross-regional travel which will be used to assist the development of the planning frameworks and associated investment priorities.

We are disappointed that this proposal was not discussed at the Forum which runs counter to the whole spirit of inter-regional partnership.”

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Head of Communications - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007