Agenda and minutes

Consultation Call, Scrutiny Committee - Wednesday, 16th March, 2022 10.00 am

Venue: Virtual

Contact: Gary Rich 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome & Apologies

The Chair to welcome Members and the public to the meeting.

Lead: Chair

Additional documents:

Minutes:

1.1          The Chair welcomed all in attendance and informed Members that the meeting is being streamed live.  Apologies were received from Cllr Jones, Cllr Salter, Cllr Furneaux, Cllr Johnson, Cllr Parish and Cllr Hughes.

2.

Declarations of Interest

Members are required to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest they may have relating to items on the agenda and state the nature of such interest.

Lead: Chair

Additional documents:

Minutes:

2.1          There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Freight and Logistics Strategy pdf icon PDF 323 KB

To provide an update on the Freight and Logistics Strategy consultation activity and outcomes.

Lead: Tim Foster/Lucy Hudson

Additional documents:

Minutes:

3.1             Members received the report from the Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics who highlighted the key points of the report and the strategy.

 

3.2          The Chair thanked the Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics and congratulated her on the number of responses she had received. 

 

On the issue of road haulage he suggested an improvement of facilities in transport hubs.  He also suggested collaborating with an overall freight body if one exists rather that working direct with private hauliers.

 

3.3          Cllr Davison raised the issues of decarbonisation, overhead electrification and line speeds.  He  raised concern as to how poorly the North is serviced by intermodals with the North currently having six.  He highlighted their importance and believed the Local authorities could do more on this issue when planning.

 

3.4          Cllr Fletcher raised issue of gauging and  TfN’s policy  on this. 

 

The Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics explained that the ambition is for w12 particularly across Pennines, whilst in other parts of the North about a key issue is monitoring  the industry and what people want. 

Cllr Fletcher asked whether there is  no longer a Trafford Park to Newcastle service as this was not showing on the map. 

The Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics confirmed that she would query this and update for future iterations. 

Cllr Fletcher then raised the issue of capacity and whether the Woodhead tunnel would be opened in order to provide this.  The Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics agreed that extra capacity is needed; however in order to avoid criticism and not to take away from the credibility of the Strategy she was unable to include the reopening of old lines, but explained that when fiscal opportunities present themselves in the future these will be explored. 

On the issues of warehousing and rail connection Cllr Fletcher asked if there were any powers that could ensure that planning officers take this into account when granting permission on warehouses opening.

The Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics stated that Local Authorities should secure network rail opinions as part of the decision-making process. 

 

The Chair suggested that TfN write a letter to Network Rail asking it to agree to participate in any inter local inter modal hubs and that local authority planning authorities be copied into the response.

 

3.5             The Chair asked if the IRP has had an influence on any of the Strategy.

 

The Principal Policy Officer for Freight and Logistics stated that regardless of what has been published the Freight and Logistics Strategy would still argue for gauge clearance, connectivity and analysis of future demand for rail traffic. She emphasised that she would rather consider what can be done than what the North has not been given.

 

3.6             The Interim Strategy and Programme Director explained that it is clear that the IRP is not going to deliver on ambitions on freight and work is in progress in the background on the IRP and the implications  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.