Ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure to be here today, and in particular to address such a diverse and expert local transport audience so soon after joining the DfT as Minister of State for Transport.

I am very grateful to the Local Government Information Unit and Campaign for Better Transport for organising today’s event, and for inviting me to speak.

I am passionate about local government and local transport. As you will know, there is no other part of the transport brief that has such a direct influence on people’s daily lives up and down the country.

After working as a local councillor for 12 years, and most recently as a Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, I am firm believer in devolving power to local people, and giving communities the responsibility to tackle their own problems, and deliver the services that local people need.

Transport is high up on that list of key services. We rely on transport to commute to work, to access hospitals and schools, to go shopping, or to visit friends and relatives.

Equally, travel and transport are integral to our economic well-being – providing the links that make businesses more effective and more competitive, that connect manufacturing industry with markets, and that give people and communities access to jobs.

Over the past 15 years, demand for mobility has risen dramatically as the economy has grown. And although the current economic downturn has inevitably slowed down the rate of demand in the short-term, it is certain to pick up again as we move out of recession.

And yet at the same time we must acknowledge the environmental impact of transport – which contributes 40% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The government’s target – as a result of our groundbreaking Climate Change Act – is an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050.

That will require a significant contribution from  transport, and particularly from road transport.

We have set out a framework to help meet these ambitious objectives, starting last year with the publication of Developing a Sustainable Transport System, or DaSTS, which focused on cutting CO2 from transport without compromising economic growth.

Next month, we will announce the Carbon Reduction Strategy, setting out the Department’s approach for putting transport on a new low carbon trajectory up to 2022.

Although I can’t go into the detail of that announcement today, I can say it will emphasise the crucial role that regional and local authorities have in leading and facilitating change, and developing more sustainable local transport.

Indeed, it is because local authorities play such a critical part in the overall delivery of transport that you will play an increasingly important role in our green transport plans going forward.

We all know that we need to make better, more efficient use of the transport networks that we already have. We all know that more cycling, walking, and bus use can help us reduce transport’s carbon footprint. And we all know that we have a shared responsibility for achieving these targets, both as legislators and as individuals.

But let me be clear. Sustainable travel is not just an environmental tool. It can also contribute to economic development, healthier communities, greater accessibility and equality of opportunity.

That is why the Sustainable Travel Towns initiative has shown the way forward, and why the forthcoming Sustainable Travel City will help provide a blueprint for our future plans.

This government has more than doubled spending on local transport since 1997. But our local transport policy can only go so far. We can set goals, and generate the tools and the guidance to achieve those goals, but it is up to you – our delivery partners – to help us realise them.

We know “one size fits all” solutions don’t work. That’s why we have devolved decision-making to local communities, who know what needs to be spent and where; and who are best able to generate the buy-in which can be so critical to the long term effectiveness of sustainable travel schemes.

Local Transport Plans are at the heart of that process.

Since their inception, LTPs have helped transform local transport planning and delivery. And they must continue to play their part in delivering more sustainable transport.

There are many local examples where the right policies and changes in travel behaviour can have a big impact on our environment, our health and our communities. This was the message of “Meeting Targets Through Transport”, published last year by the Department in collaboration with the Campaign for Better Transport, Sustrans and the Local Government Association.

That said, a study of the last round of LTPs showed that while all made some reference to Smarter Choices, some authorities included it in a way that didn't suggest that it was integral to their local transport strategy. With the next round, we want sustainable travel to be one of the key themes driving local transport planning throughout the country, and linking different travel initiatives within every council. 

The consultation on Draft Guidance to Local Transport Plans published in December 2008 drew attention to the importance of reducing transport emissions. This consultation closed in April, and we’re currently analysing the responses and expect to produce final Guidance this summer.
 
This will play an important role in helping local authorities deliver the next round of LTPs, giving them far greater freedom than ever before to set their own priorities within the framework set out in DaSTS, and providing a key opportunity to deliver more sustainable transport..

In line with Government policy, to lessen the burdens imposed on local government, the Department has significantly reduced the number of indicators that we collect from authorities from over 1000 to just 188. This will allow local authorities to focus more on delivery, and less on reporting.

I’ve been pleased to see that many local authorities are already taking climate change seriously. Out of 150 local authorities, 100 have selected National Indicator 186 – measuring the per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the relevant area – so making it a priority in their Local Area Agreement with Government. 

Government offices will support local transport authorities on progress with their local transport plans, through annual reviews. 

Authorities will be encouraged to take forward appropriate sustainable schemes, including personal travel plans along with measures to promote cycling and walking.

If schemes are to succeed, they have to be fully integrated with other areas of planning – such as housing and land use planning. With this in mind, the Department recently published good practice guidelines to help all planners involved in creating and implementing sustainable travel initiatives.

Finally, the Department will continue to work closely with the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships and other key partners, to identify and disseminate best practice in transport delivery. The aim is to provide a suite of guidance for local authorities as they develop their LTPs for 2011.

Ladies and gentlemen, today I have only had time to skim the surface of our plans for more sustainable local transport in the UK.

As I have only been at the Department for a little over a week, I am very much looking forward to getting to grips with the local transport brief. But I would like to say at this early stage that my door is always open to you.

The best way for us to understand the issues and challenges we face in the future, and to strengthen the relationship between central and local government, is to talk. Ultimately, we all share a responsibility to deliver better, greener, more efficient transport for the people of Britain. And that is what we will achieve - together.

Thank you.

(This speech represented existing departmental policy but the words may not have been the same as those used by the Minister.)