NATIONAL TRANSPORT STRATEGY

GROWING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY CONSULTATION EVENT REPORT SUMMARY

BACKGROUND

A consultation entitled Growing a Sustainable Economy was held in Clydebank on 5th September. A wide range of organisations were represented at the event, including local authorities, transport operators, business organisations and enterprise bodies.

MORNING PRESENTATIONS

Three presentations were given in the morning, including:

• Background to the NTS (Alison Bell, Scottish Executive) - providing an overview of the scope of the NTS and linkages with other policy areas.

• Transport and the Scottish Economy (Paul Lewis, Scottish Enterprise) - focusing on the economic challenge facing Scotland and the role of transport in economic development with case studies to illustrate.
• An industry view (Niall Stuart, Federation of Small Businesses) - focusing on key transport issues in Scotland which need to be addressed from a small business perspective.
• Environmental Context ­- including three presentations from Scottish Executive officials - Transport and Sustainable development (Tom Davy), Climate change (Alistair Montgomery) and Energy efficiency: A Quick Overview (Richard Bellingham).

WORKSHOP SESSION ONE

·Following these presentations there was a workshop session to identify key issues and barriers to be considered in the NTS from a Growing a Sustainable Economy perspective, for example:

- Freight - e-business - Financial services - Manufacturing

- Tourism - City regions - Rural economy - Skills

Key points which arose from this workshop session include:

• Uncertainty as to whether investment in transport infrastructure leads to economic growth or acts as an anchor for businesses and communities i.e. sustains rather than grows economy - economic merits of investment potentially "talked up" with a clearer understanding required of which schemes generate economic growth and those which displace it. While this link can be debated there is consensus that inadequate transport does inhibit the economy.
• Speed of delivery of transport projects needs to be addressed.
• Local investment important alongside large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Need to consider beyond the metropolitan areas to sustain economic growth with a balance required between city-regions and other parts of the country as different regions have different needs. Focus on city-regions is unacceptable in respect of Closing the opportunity gap objectives and the wider framework of sustainable development.
• Competing needs between business, passenger and freight.
• Capacity issues with road, rail and ferry.
• Business and personal transport requirements also need to be balanced e.g. balance between fast connections i.e. through services and other services i.e. stopping services on the Edinburgh to Glasgow rail line. Needs of communities also need to be balanced with those of tourists.
• While congestion may mean different things to different people - waste of time/money - it does incorporate an individual, freight and economic impact (N.B. economic growth greatest where congestion greatest i.e. urban centres).
• Perceptions of public transport impacting on attraction of Scotland for business investment - particular issues surrounding reliability of services and first experiences for new/infrequent users. Investment needs to be incremental (i.e. invest with what we have) or project focused.
• NTS needs to challenge political thinking and provide the creativity to consider all modes, including short-sea crossings. It must also be flexible and responsive to future change. NTS should not adopt a blanket response - it must consider sustainable economic development on a regional and sectoral basis.

AFTERNOON PRESENTATIONS

Two further presentations were given in the afternoon:

• Regeneration and Employability: Making the Connections (Alisdair McIntosh, Scottish Executive) - focusing on current Scottish Executive regeneration policy, key issues to address and the role of transport in contributing to regeneration.
• The challenge of pursuing a sustainable transport strategy and facilitating economic growth (David Spaven, TRANSform Scotland) - focusing on the challenge presented by the need to balance economic growth with environmental considerations.
• The role of business/industry in delivering the NTS (Amanda Harvie, Scottish Financial Enterprise) - focusing on the investment required to sustain the future of the service industry in Scotland, and the key role of transport and communication to do so.

WORKSHOP SESSION TWO

A second workshop session was held to discuss in more detail the following points arising from the first workshop session:

- Sectors.

- Balancing economic growth and protection of the environment.

- Economic growth.

- Transport and place.

- Regeneration, employability and skills.

Sectors

• Two dimensions - geographic and industrial.

• Need for engagement between different modes and sectors - matrix approach required. NTS should facilitate this process.
• Real and perceived issues of peripherality, particularly in terms of sourcing raw materials. Need to ensure infrastructure in place which facilitates links on national and international level.
• Imbalance of trade between points of production and consumption - coordinated working required on national scale with potential "win-win" scenario in economic and environmental terms with consolidation of operations and associated reduction in road miles. NTS should provide framework for infrastructure investment (PPP) in freight consolidation centres, endorsed by joint working/coordination.

Balancing protection of the environment and economic growth

• "Win-win" opportunities alongside trade-offs.
• Potential for increasing demand to travel to off-set benefits delivered by technological developments.
• Education in terms of behavioural change important.

Economic growth

• Economic growth number one priority for Scottish Executive, also key to supporting wider policy.

• Will never know if transport investment leads to economic growth.
• Economic growth needs to be shared across the country.
• Option for planning gain to be ring fenced providing a better return for transport investment which should be development specific.

Transport and place

• Conflict between different parts of Scotland.
• Boundary issues with RTPs e.g. Stirling.
• Integration required between National Planning Framework and NTS - difficult as there are different Ministers for transport and planning in Scotland.

Regeneration, employability and skills

• Economic growth a priority, especially in terms of maximising access to opportunities.
• Transport a facilitator to regeneration - with local needs requiring local solutions.

Strategy and Policy Team

October 2005