York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan

York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan
Name	York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan
Jurisdiction	City of York, North Yorkshire
Type	Local transport plan
Adopted	2020s

York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan

The York and North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan is a statutory transport strategy for City of York, North Yorkshire Council, and partner institutions that integrates policy from Department for Transport (United Kingdom), regional agencies such as Transport for the North, and national frameworks including National Planning Policy Framework. It coordinates investment across multimodal networks connecting A1(M), East Coast Main Line, TransPennine Express, and regional hubs like Leeds Bradford Airport, Harrogate, and Scarborough while aligning with legal duties under the Transport Act 2000 and statutory duties of Local enterprise partnerships and local authorities.

Overview

The plan synthesises priorities from the North Yorkshire Strategic Transport Prospectus, the York Local Plan, and the Northern Powerhouse agenda to provide strategic direction for highways, rail, bus, cycling, and freight corridors serving urban centres such as York, Harrogate, Scarborough, Whitby, Selby, and rural service centres including Hawes and Settle. It identifies pinch points on routes like the A64 road, links to the M62 motorway, and interchanges at stations including York railway station and Malton railway station, integrating with schemes promoted by Network Rail and operators such as Northern (train operating company), Grand Central (train operating company), and LNER.

Objectives and Policy Framework

Objectives reference climate commitments in the Climate Change Act 2008 and regional targets set by North Yorkshire County Council (historic) and City of York Council. Policy measures are benchmarked against outcomes for modal shift to walking, cycling, public transport patronage on routes served by FirstGroup and Arriva (transport company), freight consolidation linked to Port of Hull and Teesport, and accessibility improvements around healthcare hubs like York Hospital and education centres such as University of York and York St John University. The plan aligns growth assumptions from the York and North Yorkshire Local Industrial Strategy and strategic housing allocations in the City of York Local Plan.

Governance and Delivery

Governance arrangements assign responsibility to North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council with oversight by regional bodies including Transport for the North and stakeholder forums involving Local enterprise partnerships such as York and North Yorkshire LEP. Delivery partners include Network Rail, rail operators including Northern (train operating company) and LNER, bus operators like FirstGroup and community transport groups modelled on Rural Community Transport examples, and private-sector infrastructure firms contracted under frameworks similar to those used by Highways England and National Highways. Accountability routes reference statutory reporting to the Department for Transport (United Kingdom) and audit processes akin to Local Government Association scrutiny.

Infrastructure and Services

Proposals cover maintenance and upgrades on the A19 road, targeted junction improvements on the A64 road, station accessibility schemes at York railway station and Harrogate railway station, and capacity interventions on the East Coast Main Line influenced by Network Rail planning. Bus priority corridors and demand-responsive services build on models from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and partnerships with operators such as Arriva (transport company), while freight route management looks to established logistics nodes like Selby and intermodal terminals connected to Port of Tyne. Park-and-ride expansions mirror projects around Leeds and Durham, and rural community transport pilots emulate initiatives supported by Rural Services Network.

Environmental and Active Travel Initiatives

Environmental measures embed national targets from the Climate Change Act 2008 and local net-zero commitments by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, promoting electrification of bus fleets in line with pilots by Go-Ahead Group and roll-outs similar to Zero Emission Bus Regional Area schemes. Active travel infrastructure draws on guidance from Sport England and campaign lessons from Sustrans, expanding cycleways tied to routes like the National Cycle Network and improving walking access to heritage sites such as York Minster and the Howardian Hills. Biodiversity and landscape sensitivities are managed with reference to designations including the Yorkshire Dales National Park and North York Moors National Park.

Funding and Procurement

Funding combines capital grants from the Department for Transport (United Kingdom), allocations through City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, and contributions from bodies like the York and North Yorkshire LEP, private investment tied to development through Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and the Community Infrastructure Levy. Procurement follows frameworks used by Crown Commercial Service and contracting precedents from Highways England, with procurement routes for rolling stock aligned to suppliers working with Northern (train operating company), LNER, and vehicle manufacturers participating in UK Rail Industry supply chains.

Performance, Monitoring and Updates

Performance indicators mirror those used by Department for Transport (United Kingdom) datasets and national reporting on metrics such as congestion, road safety reminiscent of Vision Zero-informed targets, public transport patronage tracked against figures for National Rail and bus networks, and carbon emissions consistent with Committee on Climate Change recommendations. The plan includes review cycles coordinated with the York Local Plan and regional strategies overseen by Transport for the North, with stakeholder engagement processes involving parish councils, business groups such as Federation of Small Businesses, and civic organisations like York Civic Trust.

Category:Transport in North Yorkshire Category:Transport in York