New Anglia Transport Board

Agile to Change

Meeting Note

9.30am – 11.00am, Wednesday 1 December 2021 – Teams

Attendees

Luke Barber Suffolk County Council

Suzanne Buck Transport East

Ali Clabburn Liftshare

Karen Chapman Suffolk Growth

Tom Cornwell Road Haulage Association

Michael Cousens Freeport East

David Cumming Norfolk County Council

Jonathan Denby Greater Anglia

Richard Gapper Federation of Small Businesses

Ellen Goodwin New Anglia LEP

Mark Hand Liftshare

Siva Iyer Connected Places Catapult

Patrick Ladbury Thameslink and Great Northern Railways

Thomas Lawman Highways England

Andrew Hudson Network Rail

Steve Oliver New Anglia LEP Board (Chair)

Katherine Orchard Element Energy

Paul Martin First Buses

Richard Pace Norwich Airport

Richard Perkins Suffolk Chamber of Commerce

Candy Richards Federation of Small Businesses

Cllr Phil Smart Suffolk Districts

Chris Soule CLA

Andrew Summers Transport East

Andy Walker Suffolk Chamber of Commerce

Cllr Martin Wilby Norfolk County Council

In attendance

Lewis Boudville East Suffolk Council

Charlotte Farmer Hydrogen East

Sara Noonan West Suffolk Council

Apologies

Mark Ash Suffolk County Council

Paul Ager Associated British Ports

Jamie Burles Greater Anglia

Paul Davey Hutchison Ports

Andrew Harston Associated British Ports

Nova Fairbank Norfolk Chambers of Commerce

Jonathan Rudd New Anglia LEP

Steve Wickers First Buses

Minutes and matters arising

Mark Hand updated the Board on their work with First Buses as well as Norfolk and Suffolk

County Councils. He highlighted that the Transport Decarbonisation Plan includes

commuting, car sharing and greener travel choices as priorities for delivery.

He asked the Board to:

• Undertake an Average Commuters Emission Level (ACEL) scoping exercise for

their own organisation

• Identify large employers that would benefit from the same approach

• Seek funding to fast track this work

Ellen Goodwin noted that the LEP was about to commission a carbon footprint for its own

operations, and this would include commuting as well as business mileage.

ACTION – Steve Oliver expressed an interest in pursing with his business, Sweco

ACTION – Ellen to follow up in terms of funding opportunities

Alternative Fuels Strategy

Katherine Orchard from Element Energy presented to the Board on their commissioned work

to date.

Key questions asked were:

• Are there any local strengths where you see opportunities to link to/drive transport

decarbonisation? Either through innovation, skills, wider strategies, or other

• Are there areas that you see as particularly challenging for decarbonising transport

in East Anglia? e.g. skills gaps, infrastructure, particular needs of major local

business sectors, other

• Are there areas where East Anglia can or should look to lead ahead of action at

national level?

• What roles do you see for local businesses in delivering transport decarbonisation

in the area, both in their own operations and in supporting wider change?

• What further support is needed to enable businesses to deliver that change and to

retain value within the local area?

Queries from the Board included:

• Government policy on hydrogen to be determined by mid-2020s

• Norfolk County Council working with Norwich City Council on City charging plan

• NCC Members have a local budget for community electric chargers

• Safety concerns about gas vehicles needs to be considered – some operators

already have a policy on the use of gas vehicles

Clean Growth

Ellen Goodwin led a reflections discussion on COP26, the Net Zero Strategy and the

Budget. The Board observed the following:

• Businesses now much more involved and public awareness is high

• SMEs have lots of priorities – this is just one of them

• Large businesses are facing pressure from their Board’s with respect to

environment

• The Public Affairs Committee has asked how we enable the population? Need the

right conditions… Government coordination needed alongside LA focus/delivery

Haughley, Ely and the Integrated Rail Plan (IRR)

• IRR focussed on Midlands and the North – response to National Infrastructure

Commission study

• Haughley and Ely are in the development pipeline. Working with Giles Watling MP

(GEML Taskforce) to keep up the pressure. Include Ipswich/Peterborough

ACTION – Haughley and Ipswich/Peterborough messaging: Richard Perkins, Andrew

Summers, Cllr Phil Smart and Andrew Hudson

Maritime Decarbonisation

Concerted shift including Maersk and others

ACTION – pick up next time

Transport East including Decarbonisation Baseline

Andrew Summers presented on the work to date on the Transport Strategy, Investment and

Delivery Programme and Integrated Sustainability Appraisal. The Strategy and supporting

documents are currently out to consultation: https://www.transporteast.org.uk/public-

consultation/

ACTION – Transport Board to draft response noting that the New Anglia LEP was a key

partner in developing the Strategy

He also updated on Transport East’s Decarbonisation baseline work. The Board noted that:

• 80% or emissions from cars in the UK come from journeys that are too far to

walk/cycle and have no public transport options available

Freeport East

Michael Cousens attended the meeting for this item.

The Freeport partners are still working through the formal designation process with

Government. There are three requirements for formal Freeport approval are:

1. An approved Outline Business Case (OBC)

2. At least one designated Tax site

3. At least one designated Customs site

Freeport East has submitted its OBC to DLUHC and responded to a small number of ‘critical

actions’ raised by Government. The partners are hopeful that the OBC will be approved

imminently. Details of all tax sites have been submitted to HMRC and a couple of minor

amendments made at their request. There are now in a position where they can go forward

into the necessary legislative process and the operators of two of the proposed Customs

sites are in discussion with HMRC to have those sites formally designated.

Steve Oliver asked about the wider transport piece and working with the initiative and

Transport East to develop further.

AOB including forward plan

• Develop offer alongside Transport East

• Influence

• Clean growth focus

• Task and finish approach

• Confidence in public transport

Copdock and Roads Strategy consultation

Liftshare event next week

DONM tbd – hybrid solution