Agenda item

Councillor Barry Tebbutt (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the report

Cabinet was reminded that the Council made an annual Local Implementation Plan (LIP) Spending Submission to Transport for London (TfL) for funding transportation initiatives across the Borough.  The LIP had to be consistent with the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy and the Council’s own adopted Local Implementation Plan. 

As in previous years, the report now submitted outlined the process for the Council preparing its LIP Annual Spending Submission for the next financial year (2013/14). The Council had been awarded an indicative amount of £2,920,000 LIP funding for the 2013/14 financial year, broadly typical of most outer London boroughs, and later this year would need to tell TfL how it planned to spend the funds, taking into account TfL’s LIP guidance. 

Once approved in principle by Cabinet, a suggested detailed 2013/14 LIP Submission would be prepared for approval prior to going to TfL in October. As previously, the Highways Advisory Committee would be consulted before the submission was finalised.  It was suggested that authority for final approval be delegated to the Cabinet Members for Environment and Community Empowerment, who had responsibility for strategic transport and local transport schemes respectively. TfL were expected to confirm the allocation to the Council in late 2012.

The Council would continue to explore additional opportunities for funding transport programmes/policies to supplement those from the LIP allocation, such as other TfL funding streams (e.g. Biking Boroughs), other external funding sources and Section 106 contributions from development proposals.

Reasons for the decision:

The LIP Funding Submission to TfL was required annually in order to secure funding for a range of transportation-related initiatives in the Borough.

Other options considered:

There were no alternatives if the Council wished TfL to confirm its LIP funding award to Havering for 2013/14.

It was noted that, in developing schemes for inclusion in the LIP, the Council was obliged to bear in mind the Mayor of London’s priorities. Funding could not be expected for schemes that conformed to the Council’s strategies but not to those of the Mayor. In general, funding would have to be spent within the year allocated as agreement to carrying-forward could not be guaranteed.

Cabinet agreed:

1.         To note the guidance provided by TfL outlined in paragraphs 8, 9 and 10 of the report submitted and other aspects to consider detailed in its paragraph 11 in respect of Havering’s Submission to TfL for LIP funding for 2013/14.

2.         That development be approved in principle of the LIP Submission for 2013/14, having particular regard to the range of considerations set out in paragraph 14 of the report.

3.         That the advice of the Highways Advisory Committee be sought on the proposed LIP submission before it is finalised.

4.         That approval of Havering’s final LIP Funding Submission for 2013/14 to TfL be delegated to the Cabinet Members for Environment and for Community Empowerment.

5.         To note that other opportunities for investment in transportation initiatives would continue to be sought from TfL outside the LIP Annual Spending Submission process and from other stakeholders and funding sources.