Yesterday, the Minister of Transport, Hon. Phil Twyford, wrote to local government providing more information on the Government’s investment priorities and an update on the development of the draft GPS 2018.
As the Minister signalled in his letter, his intention is for engagement on the draft GPS to commence in March for around a month. The Minister further signalled that funding information including activity class funding ranges is currently under development.
The GPS sets out the government’s priorities for expenditure from the National Land Transport Fund during the next 10 years. It provides the framework for the Transport Agency to allocate funds between the various activities.
The Transport Agency is committed to working alongside local government to enable you to achieve the outcomes you want for your communities and economies. Providing the feedback on the GPS is a good way to have the interests of your community heard and I encourage you to take that opportunity.
I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on how the Transport Agency will support your organisation to align your regional plans with the new investment priorities in preparation for the 2018-21 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).
Shortly after the Minister issues the draft GPS for your feedback, the Transport Agency will provide you with the updated Investment Assessment Framework (IAF) which is used to assess and prioritise business cases, plans and projects submitted for funding consideration under the NLTP. We will also be providing you with guidance on how to review your Regional Land Transport Plans (RLTPs) in line with the Government’s new priorities so that you achieve the outcomes you have planned for your communities.
We are updating the draft State Highway Investment Programme (SHIP) provided to the sector in August 2017 to align with the Government’s new investment priorities. Following the Transport Agency Board’s consideration in April, a short document summarising the changes to the SHIP including strategic context and GPS alignment will be provided to the sector. The updated SHIP will enable Regional Transport Committees to revise their draft RLTPs, that you have engaged with your communities on, before submission are due on 30 June 2018.
Recommendations will be considered by the Transport Agency Board in April for continuous programmes (these are activities relating to maintenance services, passenger transport services and road safety promotions).
Following this, we’ll provide you with an indication of likely funding levels to provide certainty for your Long Term Plans.
Please be aware that these final continuous programme bids may need to be reviewed if there are significant changes proposed to the GPS or in your RLTPs. We’ll work with you if this happens to ensure a smooth process for late changes.
As I mentioned in my letter to you of November 2017, we have extended the timeline for RLTPs and NLTPs to provide additional time for your organisation to reflect the Government’s new priorities in your planning. View the updated timeline.
For more information on the NLTP process, please contact your local Transport Agency contacts that were provided to you by your Director Regional Relationships recently.
We look forward to continuing to work with your teams over the coming months on finalising your RLTPs and developing the NLTP for the next three years.
