Disappointing outcome at recent CPCA Board meeting

Last minute opposition from Conservative caused the Combined Authority's Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP) to be deferred at last week's meeting of the CPCA Board in Huntingdon.  

Today's board meeting was expected to ratify the LTCP, which had been subject to over a year and a half of consultation and refinement.   The document sets out a vision for making transport in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough more available to residents and environmentally sustainable, including a target to reduce car travel by 15% by 2030.   Government uses the plan as a basis for providing capital and revenue grants to the CPCA for transport spending.  

The start of today's board meeting was held up for several minutes, as it was rumoured that Conservative members of the Board were likely to oppose the Transport plan.  Crucially the CPCA constitution says that both Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City Councils, as the "transport authorities" have to support the LTCP for it to be approved.  So a vote against by Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of Peterborough City Council, would have scuppered the plan.  

In the end, a motion was moved by mayor, Nik Johnson, and it was agreed to defer agreement of the LTCP until the next board meeting at the end of July.  Conservative members including Cllr Fitzgerald said they still have "concerns" about the plan.  But Lib Dem and Labour members said that such concerns should have been raised and talked through at an earlier stage and that delaying the plan now could jeopardise the CPCA's ability to draw down crucial government funding for transport. 

Peterborough City Council Liberal Democrat  leader, Cllr Christian Hogg, said he is "worried" by the behaviour of Cllr Fitzgerald and the Conservative CPCA board members.  

"Wayne said he is speaking for Peterborough City Council in objecting to aspects of the Transport Plan"  he said.  "But he only speaks for 26 out of 60 members of our Council and the ever shrinking minority of Peterborough residents who vote Conservative.  People keep telling me we need better bus services in Peterborough,  better rail facilities and safer options for walking and cycling. The Transport Plan is key to giving us access to Government funding to bring about these improvements.  Tory council leaders playing silly political games could put all this at risk."