Transport & energy infrastructure planning news, November 2018

On 29 October, Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond delivered the Autumn Budget 2018 to Parliament, outlining a number of funding pledges and policy announcements relating to the delivery of new infrastructure.

Nationally, a further £500m has been secured for the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) over the next five years, now totalling £5.5bn, aimed at supporting local authorities in delivering the infrastructure to ’unlock’ 650,000 new homes. £291m of this total has been allocated through the ‘Forward Funding’ route for the expansion of the Docklands Light Railway, which is expected to unlock land in East London for around 18,000 new homes.

Road building has also had a significant boost, with £28.8bn allocated to the National Roads Fund for the period 2020-2025. £25.3bn of this will support the Road Investment Strategy 2, the Government’s largest ever investment programme for the nation’s strategic road network. This will help the delivery of a number of projects, including the A66 Trans-Pennine route, the OxfordCambridge Expressway, and the Lower Thames Crossing.

The Chancellor has also allocated £420m to support improvements to the local road network, enabling authorities to fix pot holes, repair damaged roads, and keep bridges open and safe, whilst £150m has been allocated for improvements to road junctions and crossings, to ease congestion and the flow of traffic.

Additional funding has also been made available through the Transforming Cities Fund, providing £240m to six metro mayors to invest in local transport projects, aimed at boosting local productivity and prosperity.

Digital infrastructure in rural areas is also set to benefit from £200m of funding from the National Productivity Investment Fund, to support the role out of full-fibre broadband.

To support the Clean Growth Strategy, the Government has allocated: £13m to reduce risks from floods and climate change; £20m to support local authorities in meeting their air quality obligations; and £60m to fund the planting of new trees.

The Government have also released its response to a consultation seeking views on a number of amendments to policy and legislation, which included a proposal for the introduction of a strategic infrastructure tariff (SIT), “to help fund or mitigate strategic infrastructure, ensuring existing and new communities can benefit".

The tariff would be similar in effect to the Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in place in London, which has helped secure £381 million since its introduction in 2012, to help fund London’s Cross Rail projects.

The Government has now also published its response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC’s) proposals for economic and housing growth in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford arc. Of most interest is the Government’s commitment to publishing a Joint Vision Statement to 2050 for the corridor ‘by Spring 2019’, as well as exploring the potential for a pan-Arc spatial vision, underpinned by a local natural capital plan, to coordinate investment in housing, infrastructure and the environment.

Finally, the Government has also confirmed that it will respond to the NIC’s ‘National Infrastructure Assessment’ by publishing a ‘National Infrastructure Strategy’ in 2019, as well as commissioning the NIC to prepare a new study on the resilience of the UK’s economic infrastructure.

HM Treasury, Budget 2018: documentsDepartment for Transport, Draft Road Investment Strategy 2: Government ObjectivesDepartment for Transport, Shaping the future of England’s strategic roads (RIS2)

  

Following the publication of the UN’s Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ‘Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C’, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has issued a statement reiterating their commitment to tackling climate change, as put forward in the National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA).

The UN report, which draws together research from over 6,000 academic papers, has challenged the thinking that a 2°C global temperature increase above pre-industrial ones is safe, arguing that there only twelve years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5 °C; beyond this level, even half a degree will significantly increase the risks of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, droughts and floods.

John Armitt of the NIC commented:

‘Our National Infrastructure Assessment highlights the need to act now to protect communities from extremes of weather, including floods and droughts. It also shows how falling renewables prices and improved technologies mean sources like wind and solar could make up as much as 50 per cent of our energy mix by 2030, and the need for a truly national charging network to help drivers switch from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles.’

Also, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments have now written to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), requesting details on the timeframe needed to achieve net zero emissions.
The letter also calls for advice on: whether it should review its 2050 target of cutting emissions by at least 80 per cent relative to 1990 levels to meet international climate change targets set out in the Paris Agreement; how emissions reductions could be achieved in industry, homes, transport and agriculture; and the expected costs and benefits in comparison to current targets.

The NIC has responded to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) press release claim on 25 October that housing growth proposals in the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor ‘would result in an area of countryside greater than the size of Birmingham being lost to development’. This conclusion is based on the calculation - in their briefing, ‘Cambridge - Milton Keynes - Oxford: A Corridor of Uncertainty for the Countryside’ - that the ‘current average density of housing development in local authorities within the Arc is 28 dwellings per hectare’.

CPRE’s focus is primarily on how the Government ‘is set to accept’ the NIC’s recommendation to build one million homes and include 1.1 million jobs in the Arc, yet ‘there is a troubling democratic deficit around these plans’, with no formal public consultation having been conducted. The campaign group adds how there has been no formal strategic impact assessment of the development’s impact, stating also that there is ‘a lack of vision for housing’.

The NIC response refutes all of these claims, stating that:

‘[…] unlike the analysis by the CPRE, the Commission’s report highlighted that through careful design there may be scope to increase the density of new building. The study also highlighted that continued pursuit of dispersed or low-density new development would be unlikely to help the arc make the most of existing or future infrastructure. Given the relatively limited availability of land in many areas of the arc, this would help make better use of this scarce resource, while at the same time seeking to maintain the area’s natural beauty.

Our recommendations come with the clear condition that new schemes should not compromise the high quality natural environment for existing and future residents, and do not need to involve any changes to existing Green Belt protections. In fact, our report made clear the need for significant investment in landscape improvements, affordable housing and sustainable transport. These changes are vital to make the most of the area’s economic potential and the contribution it makes to the wider UK economy.’

On 3 October, the NIC launched a review of the regulatory system underpinning the UK’s energy, telecom and water industries, to ensure that enough flexibility is in place for firms to innovate and respond to future changes across the sectors.

The review will examine: the key changes expected over the coming years; whether the current regulatory model allows for sufficient competition and innovation; how regulators work together and collaborate on cross-cutting challenges; and how the Government can continue to achieve its objectives within these sectors, whilst maintaining the independence of the regulators.

The chairman of the NIC, Sir John Armitt, commented:

‘The regulators are vital in ensuring we as consumers are treated fairly. But if the UK is to be a world leader in the latest technologies, we need a system of regulation that allows companies to be innovative, without being penalised for it.’

The NIC will report on the findings of the study in Spring 2019.

The Government’s Geospatial Commission has announced its first set of investments, aimed at helping to unlock the value of spatial data held by its partner bodies - the British Geological Survey, Coal Authority, HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey, UK Hydrographic Office and the Valuation Office Agency.

The investments will help to improve the quality of publicly held data, increasing access and usability, enabling the private sector to develop new technology and applications that utilise spatial data.

 

HS2 Ltd. has released visuals of the two new stations planned for Birmingham and Solihull along phase 1 of the planned north-south high-speed rail link.

Curzon Street station in Birmingham will be located on a brownfield site in the Eastside district on the edge of the city centre. Expected to open in 2026, the station will host seven high-speed lines, as well as connecting with the city’s tram network and conventional rail connections.

Interchange Station in Lichfield is planned to become a major gateway for the midlands region, serving Solihull, the West Midlands, Birmingham Airport and the NEC, taking passengers to and from London in 38 minutes.

Both stations are being promoted as major catalysts for economic growth and regeneration in their respective areas. The stations will incorporate a mix of retail, business and leisure uses, with the designs focusing on accessibility and user-experience, whilst also contributing to the physical and cultural legacies of their locations.

The Government has issued a letter to councils, clarifying its position on shared space schemes. Shared space is an approach to transport planning and urban design, that seeks to prioritise pedestrians over motor vehicles, by removing the physical barriers that segregate road users, encouraging road-users to act with greater caution and to interact with other users.

Whilst the approach has become increasingly popular, it has faced criticism from the Royal National Institute for the Blind, as those with visual impairments will often rely on kerbs and safe crossing points to navigate across towns and cities.

In response, the Government published its Inclusive Transport Strategy in July this year, which asked local authorities to pause the introduction of new shared space schemes that feature a level surface.

The Government has now confirmed that the pause will only apply to projects which are at the design stage, and will not apply to schemes already at the planning application stage or beyond. It also clarifies that the pause will only apply to busy public areas, and not to quiet streets within new residential areas, or redesigned streets in existing areas with very low levels of traffic, where the design sufficiently takes account of guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework.

A new report from the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, ‘Electric Vehicles: Driving the Transition’, has called on the Government to ban the sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2032.

The report has labelled the current 2040 target outlined in the ‘Road to Zero’ strategy as vague and unambitious, warning that the UK could lose its position as a world leader within the electric vehicle industry if the Government fails to take stronger leadership

The Government’s 2040 targets for zero emission cars are vague and unambitious, says the Committee. Their report recommends the Government to bring forward a clear, precise target for new sales of cars and vans to be zero emission by 2032.

Ten local authorities across England are to introduce a range of new measures to reduce the level of harmful emissions in their areas. Funded and developed in collaboration with central Government, the measures will help support:

• the retrofitting of approximately 400 buses with emission reducing technology;
• the installation of new traffic management technology to reduce congestion; and
• behavioural change campaigns, aimed at encouraging individuals to reduce their impact on emissions.

The Government has also launched the Air Quality Grant for 2018-2019, which will provide £3 million to help support local authorities deliver projects that will improve local air quality. Previous applications for funding helped local authorities install electric vehicle charging points, improve cycle infrastructure, and develop local online air quality resources.

The Government has published the findings from a feasibility study looking to identify new and improved local cycle routes, as well as examining the potential for a national cycleway along the route of HS2.

The study has identified a possible three-mile corridor either side of the new rail line, which would pass through a number of existing settlements along the HS2 route. The proposed cycle routes would link up railway stations, urban centres, existing and planned employment centres, tourist attractions and new housing developments, providing approximately 7 million people with access to the network within 10 minutes by bike.

Whilst the accompanying cover note states that neither the Department for Transport nor HS2 Ltd. currently plan to fund a national cycleway, local authorities interested in progressing the routes are encouraged to incorporate them into their Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans, and to explore funding options available through the Community and Environment Fund and the Business and Local Economy Fund, which have been set aside for areas affected by works related to Phase 1 of HS2.

On 18 October, the Government announced a range of measures aimed at improving the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, including updates to both the Highway Code, and the Government’s national standard for cycle training manual.

Highways England have also announced a £3 million contract with the sustainable transport charity Sustrans, which will help deliver a programme of improvements to the charities 16,505-mile National Cycle Network.

Gatwick Airport has published a draft masterplan, setting out a growth strategy that could see the airport expand to handle up to 70 million passengers a year.

As well as proposing to increase the capacity on the main runway, the airport has revealed plans that would see the airport’s standby runway converted into a second runway. Currently, a planning condition restricts the use of the standby runway to times when the main runway is under maintenance, or in emergencies; however, this condition is set to expire in 2019.

The airport has now launched a 12-week public consultation to gather feedback and views on the draft masterplan, before a final version is published in early 2019.

On 9 October, Housing Minister Kit Malthouse answered a written question on energy and whether LAs are ‘legally empowered to set higher energy efficiency standards than those required by building regulations’.

He gave a concise reply:

‘The Government has no current plans to commence s43 of the Deregulation Act 2015. Local authorities may include in their local plans policies which set reasonable requirements for new development to meet higher energy performance standards than those required in building regulations. Policies must not be inconsistent with relevant national policies. The Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2015 set out relevant national policy.’

The Government has launched a consultation on 'Compulsory community pre-application consultation for shale gas development'.

The consultation includes three proposals on which views are sought. Specifically:

• Whether community pre-application consultation should be compulsory prior to submitting an application for shale gas development;
• By what process (if any) should applicants be required to conduct a community pre-application consultation for shale gas development (e.g. reflect the process for onshore wind development, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, or another?
• What type of shale gas development should be subject to compulsory community pre-application consultation?

The consultation closes on 7 January 2019.

Earlier in October, the Government also released two factsheets in relation to Shale Gas, specifically on 'Shale Gas and Energy Security'. and 'Shale Gas and Climate Change'. The sheets set out the Government’s view that shale gas could help diversify the nation’s gas supply; and that, as natural gas produces the lowest carbon emissions of the fossil fuels, it will likely continue to be an important part of the energy mix.

Finally, the House of Commons Library has published a briefing paper which provides an overview of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale in the UK, outlining: the Government’s support and proposals; opposition from the devolved administrations; the regulatory regime; and the wider implications on communities.

MHCLG, Government launches consultation on community involvement in shale gas proposals

MHCLG, Compulsory community pre-application consultation for shale gas development

House of Commons Library, Briefing Paper: Shale gas and frackingDepartment for Business, Energy, & Industrial Strategy, About shale gas and hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

On 6 October, the Greater London Authority (GLA) published guidance to support London’s local planning authorities in establishing carbon offset funds, and to help identify projects which would best utilise the funds raised.

The funds raised will subsidise carbon reduction projects across the capital, as well as emission reductions from existing buildings, where achieving carbon savings has been proven to be more challenging.

The guidance offers directions on: how funds should be administered; the types of offsetting project they apply to; assessing a project’s eligibility; finding suitable projects; and how projects can be compared.

Following a reduction in tolls on the two bridges across the Severn from the start of 2018, the UK Government has announced that tolls on the Severn Crossings will be abolished from 17 December this year.

Their removal is expected to generate annual savings for regular drivers of more than £1,000 per annum, and boost the Welsh economy by an estimated £100m each year. A pledge to abolish the toll was first included in the Conservative Manifesto for the 2017 general election; the formal announcement was made in July 2017.

The Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, said:

‘Removing the tolls will cement the already strong ties between the economies and communities of South Wales and the South West of England, creating a growth corridor for prosperity to flourish from Cardiff, through Newport to Bristol and beyond.’