A 20-year vision for transforming how people and goods get around Lancashire has been unveiled – holding out the promise of more choice and greater convenience and reliability.
The Lancashire Local Transport Plan (LLTP) sets out a raft of policies which seek to revolutionise travel and create a better connected county where “no community is left behind”.
The 26-point blueprint largely serves suggestions of specific schemes by which to realise its ambitions – although the longstanding hope of a new bridge over the River Ribble to provide an alternative to the M6, the prospect of new light rail projects in the mould of Blackpool’s trams and improvements to the M65 are all floated.
The focus of the document is instead on the strategy needed to achieve its underpinning principles – with the detail of how to make it all a reality set to follow in an ‘implementation plan’ next spring.
Lancashire County Council’s director of highways and transport, Matt Townsend, told a recent meeting of the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) devolution body that the policy goals were designed to be “aspirational, but achievable”.
Authority members approved a draft version of the LLTP – a collaboration between the county council and Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils – which will shortly go out to consultation in order to get the thoughts of residents, businesses and politicians on its contents.
Proposed policies include creating improved transport connections across Lancashire’s “central belt”, running from the Fylde coast. through Preston. to eastern districts – and better linking the southernmost parts of the county with neighbouring areas like Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
More reliable and convenient – and so more appealing – bus and rail services are also promised, along with a greater range of transport choice in rural areas and a renewed push for more sustainable forms of travel, like cycling and walking.
Meanwhile, one eye is also firmly on the future and how technology is likely to transform cross-county movement more broadly – by making it easier to reduce delays on the road network and also in the form of innovations such as drones, which the document describes as offering “significant opportunities in a future transport world”.
Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s leader, told the LCCA meeting that one of the immediate challenges facing the plan was how to secure the necessary funding for individual projects by bringing them “to the attention of the government in the absence…of a mayor”.
Lancashire is widely deemed to have lost out on many millions of pounds in transport cash, the like of which has regularly been proffered on other parts of the North West – such as Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region – over the last decade as a result of their devolution deals.
The devo agreement that was finally confirmed for Lancashire last year opens up the prospect of access to the kind of government largesse that that the county has previously been denied – but it remains to be seen whether the funding tap will be fully turned on unless or until Lancashire installs the kind of mayoral figurehead ministers want to see.
Cllr Riley, who chairs the LCCA’s transport advisory group, said there was a “serious requirement for some investment” from the centre – and that the county should not be content to wait any longer.
The plan is presented as a way of strengthening “the case for long-term funding” and ensuring that transport “is considered from the start when planning strategically for new homes, jobs and services”.
However, Cllr Riley warned that there was nevertheless a staffing “capacity question” in Lancashire that would have to be addressed in order to bring the LLTP to life.
Meanwhile, Matt Townsend stressed that the plan was built on strong evidence and was an “ambitious” one for “improving Lancashire’s transport network to support a stronger economy, fair opportunities and a sustainable future”.
He added: “Transport is not just about infrastructure, it’s about enabling…economic growth, strengthening communities [and] enhancing the quality of the place. This vision underpins every goal and policy we’ve set out in the core strategy.
“These policies are not standalone, they’re interconnected and designed to deliver cumulative benefits across the county.”.
Mr. Townsend said that the follow-up implementation plan – which will factor in the responses to the forthcoming consultation – will “translate the vision and objective[s] of the core strategy into tangible actions”.
“We will consider what the key infrastructure projects are [and] how we fund those,” he pledged.
What’s the problem?
Too many Lancashire residents are disadvantaged by “slow or poor-quality journeys, limited travel choices and unreliable links,” according to the foreword to the Lancashire Local Transport Plan.
The county sits below the national average for productivity, with better local transport posited as a key method of helping to bridge a gap whose closure could boost the UK economy by up to £10bn a year.
Improved travel options will “improve the lives of our residents through better access to work, education, services and leisure”, the document suggests.
Creating “safer, more attractive streets that encourage walking, cycling and other physical activity” – as well as reducing heavy traffic and so improving air quality – are also promoted as ways of “boosting physical and mental health”.
What’s the solution?
These are the Lancashire Local Transport Plan’s 26 policy proposals, split across its four main themes:
Transforming travel choices
***Improve and modernise bus journeys
The plan suggests expanding routes to areas not currently served by buses and improving journey reliability by measures including real-time journey tracking and public information and enhancements to on-board and waiting facilities.
***Revolutionise rail travel so it is reliable and attractive
Proposals include amending the capacity and frequency of services to better match changing demand, such as putting on more trains on Saturdays and during peak tourist periods for leisure use – and exploring ways to improve the value for money of train travel, simplifying ticketing and offering incentives and rewards schemes for rail use.
***Establish convenient and safe active travel options
The plan promotes journeys that involve physical activity, such as walking or cycling. It seeks to develop an interconnected and attractive active travel network by providing dedicated paths between residential areas, education centres, amenities, services and employment sites, along with bicycle storage at key destinations. E-bike hire in town centres and enhancements to Lancashire’s historic canal towpaths are also suggested.
***Enable the use of bus, rail and active travel
Proposed measures to get people started on these transport modes include learn to cycle schemes, road safety educational programmes and discounted introductory bus and rail tickets.
***Broaden travel choices in rural areas
The plan suggests the rollout of demand-responsive transport – booked in advance via an app – and car clubs.
***Ensure taxis and private hire vehicles offer an accessible and safe service
Options include introducing safety features such as on-board CCTV, improving the accessibility and availability of taxi ranks and supporting affordable taxi services in rural areas.
***Transform sustainable travel choices for tourists
Better coach facilities, cycle storage on trains and e-bike hire are amongst the plan’s proposals.
***Reimagine public transport ticketing
A county-wide rollout of the AnyBus ticketing scheme already proving a success in Preston and across the Fylde coast, is proposed – along with capped fares for tap-on tap-off tickets. An integrated mobility app, providing real-time information across different modes of transport, is also on the cards, to complement the AnyBus app already in development.
Connecting Lancashire
***Enable the delivery of strategic growth sites
Ensuring that development sites are supported by multi-modal transport infrastructure.
***Transform east/west public transport through the ‘central belt’
North/south links in the county are well-established, but east/west connections between Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley and Colne are much poorer – holding back the economy and creating social isolation. Solutions would include “transformational improvements” to rail and bus networks, with shorter journey times, integrated and more frequent services,and improved freight facilities.
***Improve public transport connections with neighbouring regions
Many places have existing economic links to areas outside of Lancashire, such as Ormskirk with Liverpool; Chorley, Blackburn and Rossendale with Greater Manchester; Burnley and Pendle with West Yorkshire; and Carnforth with Westmorland and Furness. The plan aims to boost cross-border connections, with seamless ticketing on different forms of transport to facilitate longer journeys between the likes of Preston-Southport, Ormskirk-Southport, Colne-Skipton, Clitheroe-Manchester and Rossendale-Manchester.
***Improve reliability of strategic and major roads for all modes of transport
In 2023, Lancashire’s motorways and major A-roads recorded an estimated 8.6 million vehicle movements each day – of which 21 percent were light or heavy goods vehicles. These strategic routes are considered central to maintaining the county’s competitiveness, but the M6, the key north-south link, does not always meet the needs of residents, visitors and businesses – and issues are likely to worsen. There are also issues on the M55, M61, M65, A56/M66, and A585. The plan seeks to secure major highway improvements, focusing on more efficient junctions and traffic flow – and undertaking feasibility studies and developing business cases for projects such as a new Ribble crossing and M65 upgrades.
***Explore new or expanded heavy rail and mass transit networks
Half of the population lives within two miles of the railway line between Blackpool and Colne. Upgrades to the rail network could include extended lines, new passing loops, double tracks and increased platform lengths to increase capacity, and electrification schemes to improve reliability. Stations would be revamped and made fully accessible. Meanwhile, improvements to mass transit networks could include running high frequency ‘superbus’ routes on more urban corridors, supported by improved technology and priority measures, and consideration of expanding the light rail network.
**Improve high-speed broadband, especially in rural areas
The aim of the plan is to bring services closer to those at higher risk of isolation, enabling some trips to be made less often or at times to avoid the worst traffic.
Creating safe and vibrant communities
***Empower everyone to travel safely and securely, wherever they go
Physical changes to streetscapes, use of CCTV and better lighting to improve personal safety and discourage anti-social behaviour, and providing safe havens and transport safety officers at public transport interchanges are all suggested in the plan.
***Deliver accessible and affordable public transport
The plan proposes real-time updates, shelters and seating at bus stops, level-boarding buses and better audio and visual information, as well as journey planning information suitable for people for whom English is not their first language.
***Develop accessible, high quality spaces and infrastructure
Removing clutter from footways to enable wheelchairs and pushchairs to move freely, providing adequate lighting and safe road crossing points, as well as rest stops and seating, are some of the suggested priorities.
***Embed placemaking in new developments
The plan calls for sustainable access to amenities and services, nature and public spaces to be put at the heart of new housing developments.
***Alleviate adverse impacts on communities
This could include measures to reduce traffic noise and improve air quality where they are exceeding safe levels and designing spaces which feel safe and discourage antisocial behaviour.
Developing future-ready networks
***Embrace new transport data and technologies
The plan notes the need to make the best use of transport data and emerging AI options to monitor how the road network is performing and respond to issues quickly. It also points towards ”future transport technologies which could transform the way we travel”, such as connected and autonomous vehicles, as well as drones. The document pledges to make Lancashire “a pioneer for air transport, drone research and future civilian transport capabilities”.
***Accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles
The provision of more on-street charging facilities, especially in residential and commercial areas with no off-street parking, is acknowledged, as is the need to enforce standards for new developments that can support home charging. A low emission bus funding scheme is also proposed.
***Improve journey time reliability
Better co-ordination of roadworks, together with bus priority measures, such as prioritisation at traffic lights, are amongst the plan’s proposals.
***Deliver sustainable, resilient infrastructure
Measures to improve resilience could include designing spaces to help both people and infrastructure cope with higher rainfall and heat, by use of shelters, trees and plants and sustainable drainage solutions.
***Embed whole-life approaches to asset management
The plan suggests taking a more preventative approach to the maintenance of roads and other infrastructure, as well as reducing costs by using energy efficient lighting, more resilient materials and landscaping which requires less maintenance.
***Support sustainable first and last mile freight
Referring to the first and final stages of goods delivery. With the rise of online shopping, last mile deliveries have increased, leading to a surge in light goods vehicle journeys. Proposals include “leveraging [Lancashire’s] strategic position on the West Coast Main Line and M6 to establish effective freight consolidation centres”. Additional measures could involve offering more parcel pick-up and drop off points, to help to rationalise local deliveries, and providing people with more convenient access to postal services.
