Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which presented the draft Aberdeen Local Transport Strategy (2023-2030) (LTS) and its appendices and supporting documents and sought approval to undertake a process of public and stakeholder consultation on these documents.

Members asked a number of questions in relation to the report and its appendices.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the draft Aberdeen Local Transport Strategy (2023-2030), including its appendices and supporting documents, and instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to publish them, subject to any minor drafting changes, for an eight week period of public consultation (Appendices 1-8); and

(b)      following the consultation, instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning, to report a final Aberdeen Local Transport Strategy (2023-2030) and its appendices and supporting documents back to this Committee in Spring 2024.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved the recommendations as set out in the report.

Councillor Massey, seconded by Councillor Farquhar, moved as an amendment:-

That the Committee agrees the recommendations at (a) and (b), subject to (c) and (d):-

(c)      to recommend the preferred option for the LTS as a “Do Minimum” option with additional focus on providing increased road maintenance and increasing EV chargers, noting that this additional focus would be considered as the LTS progressed, with the appropriate budget being identified at a later stage, ensuring that wording in the LTS was updated to reflect this.

Noting that:

1.       The Option Appraisal report (per Appendix B) was a subjective analysis only. Thus the conclusion was very much open to different interpretation.

2.       The Council Medium Term Financial Strategy outlined a significant potential funding gap between the grant from the Scottish Government and the spending of our Council, indicating that the “Do maximum” transport option would be highly likely to require additional external funding to the Council; and

(d)      to recommend that the consultation, in addition to the publishing of the LTS, must include clear survey questions.  These questions should allow the public to choose between clear options of more segregated cycle lanes, more bus lanes, more of both or minimal change with a focus on increased maintenance to provide improved kerb-to-kerb surfaces.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (11) – the Convener; the Vice Convener; and Councillors Ali, Blake, Fairfull, Grant, Henrickson, Hutchison, Lawrence, McRae and van Sweeden; for the amendment (2) – Councillors Farquhar and Massey.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note that officers would circulate information to Members outwith the meeting in relation to the latest statistics as to the uptake of the cycle hire scheme;

(ii)       to note that officers would ascertain if there was a cycle counter on South College Street and advise Members;

(iii)      to request that officers provide information to Members outwith the meeting in relation to (a) whether certain bus routes in Aberdeen had recovered more quickly than others in terms of passenger numbers; and (b) whether long-distance bus travel had seen a rise in passenger numbers since the pandemic; and

(iv)      to adopt the motion.