Decision details

To seek approval for the submission of a bid to the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) for 2015/16.

DECISION MADE

(i)            I approve the submission of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund 2015/16 bid to the Department for Transport prior to the deadline of 31 March 2014, and delegate completion of the application form to the Associate Director for Highways and Transport.

(ii)           I note that if the bid is successful, a further report will be submitted to the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Broadband seeking formal approval to proceed with the project.

This decision was published on 28 March 2014 and will come into force on 8 April 2014.

To gain approval for the submission of a bid to the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund for 2015/16 by the deadline of 31 March 2014.

Only one sole bid option (i.e. to effectively extend the Council’s current LSTF project ‘Improving Wiltshire’s Rail Offer’) has been considered as this would:

·                     More readily allow the Council to submit a good quality bid within the tight submission timescale.

·                     Allow the Council and its partners to support the current LSTF project beyond March 2015 – this particularly relates to revenue funding for complementary measures (e.g. marketing) in support of the Trans Wilts service which is scheduled to run to at least until December 2016.

·                     In association with the SEP, enable the Council and its partners to deliver more of the large number of capital schemes that have been identified through the current LSTF project.

Failure to submit a bid application by 31 March 2014 would not enable the Council and relevant local communities to benefit from potential Government funding.

Consultation was undertaken with the Wiltshire Station Travel Plans Steering Group and a number of stakeholders as part of the LSTF Stakeholder Forum held on 13 March 2014. In addition, letters of support from partners, stakeholders and others will be included in the bid application.