The Highways Agency (HA) needs to become a statutory consultee on regional plans so that transport infrastructure commitments better match development needs, says the South East England Regional Assembly.

The Assembly’s Regional Planning Committee (RPC) is responding to Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on ‘Planning and the Strategic Road Network’.

The Assembly has already involved the HA in preparation of its 20 year planning vision - the South East Plan. However, formalising consultation will help the HA focus on investment needs to deliver the Plan and speed up Strategic Road Network improvements. The Plan’s detailed Implementation Plan, with information on where and when better transport is needed, will also help the HA argue for the necessary Government funding.

The RPC has welcomed DfT’s linked proposal that as a statutory consultee the HA would have reduced power to object to developments identified in an adopted spatial development plan.

Cllr Keith Mitchell, Assembly Chairman, said:

“Failure to make the Highways Agency a statutory consultee would mean that they can’t be fully involved in the plan making process. Many plans across the region are being held up by non delivery of HA schemes and this is causing frustration. It also means we are spending time and money on fixing procedural flaws instead of delivering real infrastructure. We hope the new arrangements will put an end to unnecessary delays.”

The Assembly’s response to DfT recommends that:

• HA investment requirements, identified in spatial plans such as the South East Plan, are included in the Comprehensive Spending Review process
• DfT provides sufficient resources to promote ways to reduce travelling
• Only regionally significant schemes which cost more than £5million are included in spatial plans.

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. Regional Planning Committee paper - 58 KB
2. The South East England Regional Assembly is a regional partnership with 112 members representing local authorities as well as social, environmental and business sectors.
3. The Assembly was established by South East local government in January 1999 to provide a representative voice for the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
4. Assembly members include elected councillors from the region's 74 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) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
5. The Assembly has four key roles:
• Advocacy
  Pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels.
• Accountability
  Scrutinising the plans and performance of regional bodies such as SEEDA to align the region's priorities.
• Regional planning
  Preparing and delivering the South East Plan - the 20-year statutory plan for the region that sets the framework for the sustainable development of the South East.
• Regional policy
  Advising Government on the co-ordination of regional strategies and spending priorities for housing, transport, planning and economic development to improve the impact of public expenditure.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007