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Overview & Scrutiny Scoping Paper – Integrated Transport Strategy
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman met with the Chief Executive and the Principal Planning Officer to discuss the overall topic and how the review could be conducted.
Questions for the Committee:
a. Do you agree with the suggested approach?
b. Is there anything else you wish to include in the scope?
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Proposer Name
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Overview and Scrutiny Committee |
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Proposed Topic (What?)
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Review of the Integrated Transport Strategy |
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Description and Reason for Review (Why?)
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The review was brought forward by the Committee due to frustrations in the slow delivery of the schemes in the action plan associated with the Integrated Transport Strategy by the Highways Authority (KCC) and that further scrutiny was required by the Council.
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Link to:
Council’s Strategic Plan
National/Regional priorities
Executive Priorities
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Strategic Plan and Corporate Priorities – 2017 Adopted Local Plan, and ongoing Local Plan Review process ahead of adoption.
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Desired Outcome(s) (Outcome)
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Tbc by the Committee, dependent on specifics of review – if agreed as outlined, producing a template for a future ITS model. |
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Suggested Approach (How, When and Who) |
As the MJTB is a mechanism to review the scheme programme the Committee could focus on the following:
1. Having a full picture of the current situation, to include where the ITS delivery should have been at this point and how to take this into account as part of the review, e.g. acknowledging frustrations.
A proposed approach to producing a new ITS was included within the ‘MBC Response to KCC Emerging Local Transport Plan’ report presented to PIED PAC in September 2023. See bullet points on next page for details.
2. Producing a template for future ITS content, based on the borough’s needs, following research and evidence collection.
Would involve attendance from ‘thought leaders’ and stakeholders to give evidence on what the strategy could cover.
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Review Timescale (When) |
Begin Review in June/July 2024.
Work Programme Impact: Heavy/Medium/Light [tbc]
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Link to CfPS effective scrutiny principles |
Select which CfPS effective scrutiny principles would be met through conducting the review:
· Provides a constructive ‘critical friend’ challenge · Amplifies public voices and concerns · Is Independently led by Councillors · Drives Improvement in Public Services
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Officer Support |
To include:
DSO Officer, Chief Executive Head of Spatial Planning and Economic Development, Strategic Planning Manager. |
Previously considered ITS scope and urgent update can be accessed here:
Agendas and meetings - Maidstone Borough Council
Excerpt from MBC Response to KCC Emerging Local Transport Plan
your-councillors (maidstone.gov.uk)
Alongside national transport strategy and the National Planning Policy
Framework the Kent Local Transport Plan provides the context for Maidstone’s
Integrated Transport Strategy (MITS). Given the recent review of the Kent
LTP5 it would also be timely to review the MITS. With changes in the impact
and trends for climate, connectivity needs, travel preferences and patterns
through demographic changes and technology advances there is a changed
community context for the borough’s transport strategy too.
It is proposed that as a starting point Maidstone Borough Council needs to
ensure that the MITS meets sustainable development objectives. This means:
• Ensuring that people have genuine choice as to how they travel.
• Ensuring that transport systems support the borough’s economic prosperity.
• Securing access to transport systems wherever people live and their mobility.
• Ensuring that transport is affordable.
• Ensuring safety throughout our transport systems.
• Reducing health impacts from air quality.
• Enabling reduced environmental and climate change impacts.
• Enabling improved resilience and greater efficiency for our transport systems.
It proposed that a comprehensive review is conducted commencing with a thorough future focussed debate on the challenges and outcomes that the community wants to see and that this then forms the foundation for a new strategy.
The objective would be to produce a strategy for the period to 2050 with intermediate short term plans to achieve the long-term outcomes enabling the council to set out its long term ambition and bridge the gap while technology becomes available. This approach mirrors the council’s Strategic Plan which contains five-year areas of focus enabling the council to regularly review and respond to change and progress and to prioritise resources.
MBC’s approach to strategy development has been structured but not rigid with more frequent review where needed e.g., in order to respond to the impact of the Covid19 pandemic – and this would be the same with respect to the MITS.
The work would be evidence based including for example assessment of
progress towards the council’s carbon net zero aspirations and take into
account the public’s lived experience of our transport systems and aspirations for their future travel choices.