Delivering our plan for Surrey's carbon-free future
Roles, responsibilities and collaborative working
We are keen to work with district and borough councils, stakeholders, partner organisations, local groups, businesses, communities and residents to deliver the Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) and jointly achieve our ambitious objectives.
We will lead on the delivery of the LTP4 going forward, as part of our statutory responsibility to maintain and develop transport and highways at a local level. However, many of the measures identified within LTP4 will require the involvement of other organisations, particularly our district and borough authorities, sub-national transport body and central government.
The LTP4 establishes the approach for how Surrey's local authorities and other partners will work together to put the county on the path to net zero carbon emissions. Our success relies on us all taking action to shift our behaviour and to live more sustainable lives to help safeguard our communities and the environment.
The LTP4 also underlines our intention to work in partnership with central government to achieve our ambitions and shape the national strategy for delivering on the UK's net zero carbon target. It will also be critical that we work alongside the business community in Surrey and other key partners to ensure we are able to secure the required innovation and investment required to undertake this work.
Working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders will enable us to progress measures that impact on land use planning and digital connectivity, as well as transport. Going forward, it will mean we can develop a coordinated approach to reducing carbon, encouraging sustainable growth, connecting communities and providing excellent quality of life across all of our transport initiatives. It will also enable us to act more innovatively to strengthen the resilience of Surrey's transport system by reducing congestion and improving maintenance.
LTP4 funding
Delivery of our ambitious LTP4 will require significant levels of funding. Achieving net zero carbon emissions is our priority, therefore investment in the route to net zero is key. We will be proactive in our approach to sourcing this funding and we will maximise funding for shaping the places where we live, digital connectivity and the transport system.
Delivery of the LTP4 measures will require revenue funding for ongoing running costs and repairs, and capital funding to deliver new transport solutions and make improvements to existing infrastructure. However, the local government funding landscape is challenging, particularly in terms of availability of revenue funding, therefore requiring our proactive approach.
Capital funding comes from several sources including central government grants, developer contributions, and Council sources such as Council Tax. This type of funding for transport, through competitive bidding processes regionally (through the Local Enterprise Partnership), or nationally (from various government departments), has become an increasingly large share of funding for transport in Surrey. We are currently developing a Surrey Infrastructure Plan to prioritise funding for infrastructure across Surrey. The Infrastructure Plan will prioritise projects in the county over the short, medium and long term to support sustainable growth, with a commitment to environmental, place and health and wellbeing outcomes, therefore well aligned with the LTP4 objectives.
We anticipate that many of the projects in the LTP4 will be funded, at least in part, through competitive bidding aimed at achieving specific government priorities. We have therefore aligned LTP4 priorities with those of central government as far as possible, and will continue to look out for funding opportunities, to maximise the funding we can secure in this way. As funding becomes increasingly place or outcome-based, rather than transport-specific, this will require us to consider funding opportunities from a number of government departments, not just the Department for Transport (DfT).
As set out in the Policy Areas, revenue from parking charges or an eco levy (pay as you go car use) could provide an important source of funding for increasing the alternatives to car use.
Of course, we, the county council, are not the only delivery or funding body for LTP4 policies and projects. As appropriate, we anticipate that the district and borough councils, Network Rail, Highways England, other agencies and third parties will fund or part-fund projects in their areas or on their networks.
LTP4 phasing
Below is our roadmap for the implementation of the nine Policy Areas identified. More detail on timings and delivery will be provided in the LTP4 Delivery Plan which will be published in 2022. The Delivery Plan will be a live document that will be regularly updated going forward.
The LTP4 roadmap is separated into short, medium and long-term timescales and takes into account the scale of change needed to achieve the LTP4 objectives, particularly the rapid reduction in carbon from our transport system.
- Short term (to 2025) - In the short-term, measures will be focused on achieving a 'green' and 'healthy' recovery from COVID-19 and accelerating the Avoid, Shift, Improve approach to carbon reduction. This means taking action and strengthening links to deliver the self-sufficient communities and digital connectivity aspects of the LTP4. This also includes increasing our focus on walking and cycling to start the 'shift' away from car dependency, rebuilding trust in public transport, accelerating electric vehicle uptake, continuing to build on existing good practice, and delivery of relevant schemes that are already being planned. Examples of short-term measures are: the 10 year local cycling and walking infrastructure plans will be developed for each borough and district, and the Electric Vehicle Strategy that will set out our plans for increasing the number of charging points in Surrey.
- Medium-term (to 2030) - The medium-term is about continuing to reduce petrol and diesel transport use, investing in strengthening places and communities, delivery of higher impact but harder to deliver measures, greater uptake of technology solutions and achieving the transition from traffic growth to traffic reduction.
- Longer-term (post 2030) - The longer-term is about significantly reducing car dependency and increasing people-focused areas, such as town centres, new residential developments and redevelopments of high traffic areas, whilst also managing the impacts of autonomous electric vehicle technology.
Measuring the difference we are making together
We, the county council, have a statutory duty to monitor the LTP4. We will monitor progress against the LTP4 objectives over its lifespan and report this via an Annual Progress Report going forward.
As the key priority of the LTP4 is to achieve net zero carbon emissions across Surrey by 2050, with a 60% reduction by 2035, we will monitor the LTP4 to track progress against this objective.
Monitoring will also be closely linked to our other reports, including that of the Climate Change Strategy, with similar data being collected for both strategies. Where possible, data that is already available and collected on a national, regional or local basis will be used to track progress of the LTP4 towards achieving its ambitious objectives.
The LTP4 monitoring framework shows the type of data that may be collected for monitoring. The actual measures to be used will be agreed for the final version of the LTP4.
LTP4 monitoring framework
Our monitoring framework below includes our objectives, the outcomes to be monitored and the type of measure.
Objective 1: Net zero carbon emissions across Surrey by 2050 (60% reduction by 2035)
Outcome we will monitor:
Significant reduction in car, van and HGV vehicle kilometres.
How we will monitor this:
- Road Traffic Statistics (traffic volume kilometres by vehicle type and road class).
Outcome we will monitor:
Reduction in carbon intensity of remaining vehicle kilometres.
How we will monitor this:
- UK local authority and regional carbon dioxide emissions statistics
- Data on all licensed and registered vehicles
- County Council and Surrey fleet percentages of zero emission vehicles.
Objective 2: Support Surrey's growth ambitions and enable businesses and people to prosper sustainably
Outcome we will monitor:
Good quality accessibility between economic centres and employees, suppliers, similar businesses and customers.
How we will monitor this:
- Journey time statistics, and
- NHT Public Satisfaction Survey:
- Ease of access indicators, including to work by any mode of transport
- Number of Bus Stops.
Outcome we will monitor:
Reliable transport connections by different modes or digital connectivity between key hubs, including international gateways.
How we will monitor this:
- Road congestion and journey time statistics
- Bus reliability and punctuality
- NHT Public Satisfaction Survey: ease of access indicators, including to work by any mode
- Operator information
- Measuring digital connectivity, such as broadband coverage.
Outcome we will monitor:
Reliable end-to-end journey times for people and goods, including first and last miles.
How we will monitor this:
- Road congestion and journey time statistics
- Bus reliability and punctuality
- NHT Public Satisfaction Survey - ease of access indicators, including to work by any mode of transport
Outcome we will monitor:
Attractive business environment for the green sector.
How we will monitor this:
- Energy and environment data tables, including electric vehicle charging
- Local Enterprise Partnership data on business start-ups or employment and Gross Value Added (GVA) by sector
- Surrey Climate Change Strategy monitoring and metrics
- Measuring digital connectivity.
Outcome we will monitor:
A resilient, future-ready transport network.
How we will monitor this:
- Energy and environment data tables, including electric vehicle charging
- Asset management indicators, such as average network age
- Number of resilience related measures, such as flood relief implemented in the year and proportion of transport interventions (new or improvements to the existing network) that incorporate best practice sustainable drainage systems or natural flood management
- Surrey Climate Change Strategy monitoring and metrics.
Objective 3: Well-connected communities that encourage social mobility and ensure no-one is left behind
Outcome we will monitor:
Shorter, more reliable, convenient, safer and lower-cost alternatives to private car journeys for access to opportunities and services.
How we will monitor this:
- Journey time statistics
- Local bus passenger journeys
- School census
- Increase in length of cycleways and footways in Surrey.
Outcome we will monitor:
Increased cycling and walking levels becoming the norm for shorter journeys.
How we will monitor this:
- Government walking and cycling statistics
- Road traffic statistics for pedal cycle traffic
- Surrey cycle counts.
Outcome we will monitor:
Safe, accessible and affordable alternatives to private car travel for all, including disabled, older and vulnerable people.
How we will monitor this:
- Journey time statistics
- Local bus passenger surveys to understand concessionary usage
- Personal security and crimes on public transport by looking at accidents and crime incidents associated with the transport network in order to understand safety
- Equity of access (compliance with the Equality Act)
- Percentage of bus stops with Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) and full physical accessibility
- Percentage of accessible and low level buses
- Percentage of accessible rail stations.
Objective 4: Thriving communities with clean air, excellent health, wellbeing and quality of life
Outcome we will monitor:
Increased ability to live and access services and opportunities locally, including leisure.
How we will monitor this:
- Journey time statistics
- Government walking and cycling statistics
- Road traffic statistics for pedal cycle traffic
- NHT Public Satisfaction Surveys.
Outcome we will monitor:
Impacts of travel on communities minimised.
How we will monitor this:
- Road traffic statistics (traffic volume kilometres by vehicle type and road class)
- Road accident and casualty figures
- NHT Public Satisfaction Surveys looking at net satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the routes taken by Heavy Goods Vehicles in Surrey
- Surrey Community HGV watch, looking at the number of recorded incidents.
Outcome we will monitor:
Air quality and local health improved through reduced Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions.
How we will monitor this:
- Total number of AQMAs (Air Quality Management Areas) declared in Surrey
- Number of AQMAs revoked
- Number of residents living within an AQMA
- Traffic counts by vehicle type within AQMAs.
Outcome we will monitor:
Higher levels of cycling and walking, contributing to healthier lifestyles.
How we will monitor this:
- Government walking and cycling statistics
- Road traffic statistics for pedal cycle traffic
- Surrey cycle and pedestrian counts.
Outcome we will monitor:
Rebalanced use of local streets to favour people rather than vehicles.
How we will monitor this:
- Length of streets that are pedestrianised or in Liveable Neighbourhoods
- Length of 20 mile per hour zones and Liveable Neighbourhoods.
Outcome we will monitor:
More attractive built and natural environments.
How we will monitor this:
- NHT Public Satisfaction Survey
- Biodiversity, through the area or length of green infrastructure developed, such as Greenways
- Net gain in biodiversity due to transport interventions
- Number of transport interventions directly impacting upon designated or protected areas
- Townscape, through the percentage area of transport schemes that incorporate improvements to public realm and design sympathetic to the existing local built environment
- Landscape, through the area covered by transport schemes within or in close proximity to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or national park designated areas
- Cultural heritage, through the number of heritage assets impacted upon by transport schemes.
