Minutes - 9 December 2021 - NTS2 Delivery Board
Attendees
- Graeme Dey, Minister for Transport (Chair)
- Councillor Steven Heddle, COSLA (Chair)
- Ewan Wallace, SCOTS
- Bruce Kiloh, RPTs
- Margaret Roy, ATCO
- Hugh Gillies, Transport Scotland
- Alison Irvine, Transport Scotland
Officials
- Robert Nicol, COSLA
- Elisa Bevacqua, COSLA
- Anne Martin, Transport Scotland
- Heather Cowan, Transport Scotland
- Bethany Sharp, Transport Scotland
- Jonny Inglis, Transport Scotland
- Karen McFarlane, Transport Scotland
- Sharon Dickson, Transport Scotland
Apologies
- Pippa Milne, SOLACE
- Nicola Gill, ATCO
Welcome and Introductions – Minister for Transport
Mr Dey welcomed members to the fourth NTS2 Delivery Board meeting and welcomed Councillor Heddle as the new co-chair.
NTS2 Progress Update – Bethany Sharp
Transport Scotland provided a summary of the NTS2 stakeholder engagement work undertaken during Autumn 2021 including the NTS2 Forum and work ongoing for the second NTS2 Delivery Plan, due to be published in Spring 2022.
A brief overview of the work undertaken on the accountability and remit of the Delivery Board was also outlined. The Board confirmed they were content with the new approach.
20% Car Kilometres Reduction Route Map – Heather Cowan
Transport Scotland provided a presentation on the challenges and scale of the 20% car kilometre reduction work and asked if the policies in the route map should now be taken forward. The Board confirmed they agreed with this.
The Board stressed that the route map should be written in plain English and be user friendly for all readers. The Board agreed that positive messaging is important and that any future benefits of the route map should be communicated. Members highlighted the Crystal Mark standard, which has been well received through community engagement.
The route map needs to be clear on the actions that can be taken forward through local and Scottish Government along with the actions that can be taken via the business community.
Members commented that a co-ordinated approach is important, especially with other ongoing high profile work such as the bus partnership fund, Strategic Transport Projects Review and the development of new Regional Transport Strategies. Quick wins should be acted on where possible.
SCOTS will set up a working group on climate change and sustainability and Transport Scotland will be invited to participate.
Members added that engagement with young people would help with awareness of the route map, embed sustainable travel behaviours and tie in with the free bus travel for under 22s scheme, working with local authorities.
The issue of funding (both capital and revenue) for Local Government was raised, along with the impact of COVID-19 on public transport, especially the risk of increasing loss of connectivity in rural areas.
Members were asked about the cross-sectoral challenges and to advise what their organisations were doing to engage with non-transport partners.
- SPT has engaged with Chambers of Commerce throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions with the business community on a proposal for a car-free city centre in Glasgow highlighted the need to ensure such proposals used more positive language and set out a vision for the difference the change would make, in order to achieve wider buy-in. It was suggested to Board members that a similar approach could be adopted in relation to the route-map.
- Members said that the place-based approach is important but that different messages should be developed for each geographical area. It was also noted that the tagline of ‘Live Well Locally’ needs to be better understood to achieve widespread buy-in.
- It was suggested that SOLACE could help coordinate across local governments, including planning, economic development, waste, transport – and tie in with COSLA on other issues including heating and education.
Any Other Business – Councillor Heddle
No further business was raised.
Next Steps – Minister for Transport
COSLA gathered 40 case studies of local government work for COP26 and confirmed that further studies, datasets and best practice can be added to this list.
It was suggested that a focus week could be taken forward to highlight positive local initiatives across Scotland relating to the 20% work and to give credit to local authorities.
Action DB4-01: Members to gather information on positive local initiatives.
Cllr Heddle will lead on co-chairing the fifth Delivery Board meeting, which will be scheduled around February 2022.
Actions
DB4-01
Members to gather information on positive local initiatives (All).