New Anglia Transport Board

Regional Connectivity and Our Priority Places

Meeting Note

9.30am, 15

June 2021 - Teams

In attendance:

Paul Ager

James Bradley

Suzanne Buck

Ali Clabburn

David Cumming

Jonathan Denby

Ellen Goodwin

Mark Hand

Richard Hunt

Paul Martin

Graeme Mateer

Steve Oliver

Richard Pace

Richard Perkins

Cllr Graham Plant

Jonathan Rudd

Cllr Phil Smart

Chris Soule

Andrew Summers

Andy Walker

Laura Waters

Pete Waters

Cllr Martin Wilby

Observers

Michael Brown

Sara Noonan

Apologies

Mark Ash

Jamie Burles

Paul Davey

John Dugmore

Nova Fairbank

Andrew Harston

Patrick Ladbury

Andrew Mower

Cllr Richard Smith MVO

Steve Wickers

Associated British Ports

Network Rail

Suffolk County Council

Liftshare

Norfolk County Council

Greater Anglia

New Anglia LEP

Liftshare

Suffolk Growth

First Buses

Suffolk County Council

New Anglia LEP (Chair)

Norwich Airport

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce

Norfolk districts

New Anglia LEP

Suffolk districts

CLA

Transport East

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce

Transport East

Visit East of England

Norfolk County Council

Hydrogen East

West Suffolk Council

Suffolk County Council

Greater Anglia

Hutchison Ports

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce

Norfolk Chambers of Commerce

Associated British Ports

GT Railway

FSB

Suffolk County Council

First Buses

ACTIONS:

 Transport Board to comment on the Destination Management Plan at the appropriate time.

 Further explore active travel and integrated ticketing as part of the greener travel choices

workstrand.

 Consider the linkages between the Transport Board and Clean Growth Taskforce in greater

detail at the next meeting.

 All to respond to Andrew Summers and Laura Waters on the draft strategy for Transport

East, rural mobility and net zero carbon pathway questions outlined below.

 All to consider how they might like to engage with reducing their commuting emissions.



ew Anglia

LEP and

County

Councils to

discuss

user centr

transpor

data

1. Minutes and matters arising

The last meeting note was agreed.

East-West Rail letter has been drafted by Transport East to be co-signed by LEP after the

endorsement of the preliminary Strategic Outline Business Case by the East-West Rail

Consortium. All other actions covered by the agenda or complete.

2. Transport: the tourism and visitor economy sector view

Pete Waters, Executive Director of Visit East Anglia attended and gave his view on the importance

of transport connectivity to tourism and visitor economy businesses. He highlighted the ambition

to be the ‘environmentally friendly region of choice’. He also highlighted a number of key transport

hubs of importance: Norwich and Stansted Airports, the Ports of Harwich and Great Yarmouth

(and Lowestoft) and the opportunity for ‘levelling up’ internationally with respect to the more typical

London/West/Shakespeare focus. He stated that Cambridge was a key day trip location for those

staying in London and the opportunity that presented as well as the importance of east-west

connectivity. Interestingly he noted that many people found ease of access a contributory factor to

their visitor experience but said there was further opportunity for signposting from London and

more active travel options once here. Finally, Pete asked the Transport Board for their comment

on the Destination Management Plan once the draft was finalised.

ACTION – Transport Board to comment at the appropriate time.

Comments included:

 Wide support from Greater Anglia

 Active travel challenges in rural areas – preferred route app option?

 Integrated ticketing options to be explored again – possible ‘tourist ticket’

 Explore opportunities associated with ‘Masters of the Air’ series planned for late 2022

ACTION – explore as part of the greener travel choices workstrand

3. Clean Growth

Clean Growth Taskforce

Ali Clabburn was nominated as the Transport Board’s representative on the Clean Growth

Taskforce.

ACTION – consider the linkages between this Board and the Taskforce in greater detail at

the next meeting.

Greener travel choices

Ali Clabburn and Jonathan Denby updated the Board on the work they’ve been leading on with

respect to greener travel choices. Despite public awareness of climate change being higher than

ever it’s even more challenging to get people to make greener travel choices. The sub-group of

this Board and others have carried on discussing the topic and highlighted the importance of

disassociating being green/clean with the need for economic renewal and the importance of

people/users. Integration and whole journey has also been highlighted. Other topics include

flexible ticketing, the tourism/visitor economy sector, coordinated messaging and quick wins.

Comments include:

 Ely consultation

 Norwich Airport net zero ambitions focussed on emissions, electricity and access

 New GEML business case and recent Ministerial letter focussing more on performance and

journey times than capacity

ACTION – set up another greener travel choices sub-group meeting

4. Transport East update

Draft strategy pre-consultation

Andrew Summers and Laura Waters presented the work to date on the Transport East Strategy

and the foci of Rural Mobility and Net Zero.

Andrew confirmed that Transport East’s business plan will be published this week and that DfT

have confirmed £520,000 of funding for this financial year.

Ministers have set Transport East a clear direction:

“to develop and maintain a transport strategy for their region; and to use this to provide advice

on prioritising investment to the Secretary of State”

“This year the Department for Transport’s (DfT) key priorities are to:

 Improve connectivity to grow and level up the economy;

 Decarbonise transport;

 Improve transport for the user;

 Increase the UK’s global impact.”

Things being considered as part of the draft Transport East Strategy include:

Rural mobility focus:

Net Zero Carbon Pathway focus:

Business As Usual and net zero 2035, 2040 and 2050 trajectories – how do we close the gap?

The Transport Strategy will be submitted to DfT in early 2022.

ACTION

Strategy and investment

 What is the most important message you want to get across to Government in the

Transport East Strategy?

 What does your organisation need from the Transport East Strategy?

 What are your emerging Comprehensive Spending Review priorities?

Rural mobility

 DfT have asked us to present the ‘rural need’. What are the key points?

 What pilot/test projects in rural areas are needed?

 How should we utilise links with the private sector to drive forward rural transport

innovation?

5. First Bus/Liftshare collaboration

Mark Hand and Paul Martin updated on their collaboration alongside Norfolk County Council and

Active Norfolk with respect to taking an employee centric data approach to zero carbon

commuting. Their aim is to use data to better inform operator decisions and make it easier for

people to make greener travel choices. Mark requested that organisations consider undertaking

an ACEL assessment (Average Commuter Emissions Level). He also requested help in

identifying large employers that might be interested and that funding be sought to fast track

delivery across Norfolk and Suffolk.

ACTION – all to consider how they might like to engage with reducing their ACEL score.

6. Large Local Majors (Majors) and Major Road Network (MRN) updates

In 2019 Sub-National Transport Bodies were invited by Government to come forward with their

priorities for Majors and MRN road schemes. Majors are defined as projects over £50m while

MRN schemes normally cost between £20m and £50m. The MRN covers the most important A

roads but not trunk roads (A11, A12 south of Ipswich, A14 and A47). Schemes will be funded by

Government with a local contribution, typically a minimum of 15% and each goes through a

process that adds detail and certainty at each stage.

Majors:

 Norwich Western Link – June Cabinet agreed to submit the Outline Business Case (OBC)

and appoint a contractor.

 Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing has started on site and due to open early 2023.

 Gull Wing bridge under construction. Due to open early 2023.

MRN

 Long Stratton Bypass – OBC submitted end of January, working through queries with DfT.

Also continuing to work with the developers.

 West Winch Housing Access Road – Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) submitted

end of March, working through queries with DfT. Continuing to work with the borough

council and developers.

 A47/A17 Pullover initial work completed looking at the problems and issues and assessing

potential options to overcome these. Working with partners including Highways England to

understand what the preferred option might be.

 A12 (east of Ipswich and Woodbridge now combined) – OBC submitted in October 2020.

Working with partners to develop a Bus Hub.

 Barny Bends – reviewing the issues to see if a case can be made.

 A1120/A140 – tbc

7. Freeport East

SOBC ongoing. The transport narrative around the Freeport is compelling and will be included in

the Transport East strategy.

8. Any Other Business

ACTION: New Anglia LEP and County Councils to discuss user centric transport data.

The Board had no additional items for the Forward Plan.

Date

of Next

Meeting

–

m, 6

September

2021