Published on: 25th March 2024
by Greg Marsden.
The Greener Transport Council has written to MPs today in advance of the Parliamentary debate on the National Networks National Policy Statement on 26th March.
In our assessment, the NNNPS as written, waters down the treatment of the carbon impacts of national road and rail programmes. We pose three key questions to answer.
- Whether an assessment of the carbon implications of future road building has indeed been done?
- Given that more than a third of the carbon reduction aims set out by government are assessed as having no policy or risks in delivery – how will a Secretary of State for Transport determine if the whole of Government is on track or not in making a determination on a scheme?
- Whether the plan to require local authorities to submit local transport plans in line with net zero goals, as set out in the TDP, has now been abandoned? The marginalization of regional and local policy which is necessary in order to provide the Secretary of State with complete freedom on determining schemes should be of wider concern to CCC than just the matters raised here for the national roads programme.
About the Author
This post was written by Greg Marsden. Greg is Professor of Transport Governance at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds. Greg is also Chair of the Greener Transport Council.
