Lancashire's Transport Plan Must Be Ambitious to Secure Funding

Lancashire's politicians and business leaders are urging the county's Combined County Authority to produce a transport plan that is both ambitious and innovative if it is to secure the necessary funding to improve the county's connectivity. The plan is being developed by the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA), which took over the local public transport powers from Lancashire County Council and two other councils earlier this year. However, the Lancashire Business Board (LBB) has warned that a "traditional response" to transport needs is not enough and that the plan should include more innovative methods of transport and mobility.

Key Takeaways:

• The Lancashire Combined County Authority is responsible for producing a local transport plan that sets out priorities for travel-related schemes to improve Lancashire's connectivity.
• The plan must be ambitious and unique to secure funding from the government, which is increasingly favoring areas with a mayor.
• The Lancashire Business Board has warned that a traditional response to transport needs is not enough and that the plan should include more innovative methods of transport and mobility.
• The board has also called for a wider range of consultees to be involved in the development of the document.
• The LCCA's chair, Stephen Atkinson, has pledged that his Reform UK group will quickly nominate representatives to enable the transport plan to progress.

Statistics:

• £15.6 billion: the amount of government funding allocated to transport initiatives for mayor-led combined authorities in the latest round of funding.
• 17: the number of members on the Lancashire Business Board.
• 3: the number of councils that have transferred their local public transport powers to the Lancashire Combined County Authority.

Sources:

• Lancashire Post
• Lancashire Business Board
• Lancashire Combined County Authority
• Government funding announcement (no link provided)