Tri-county alliance wants TfL-style transport power

Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire county councils are urging the Government to grant their proposed new tri-county body public transport powers equivalent to Transport for London.  

The three councils outlined plans to form a tri-county alliance last December (LTT 9 Jan). They have now fleshed out their plans for the area, which they are branding England’s Economic Heartland.

Work is currently underway on the preparation of a single infrastructure and economic development framework for the area, which will combine the separate local transport plans and strategic economic plans. 

A transport infrastructure forum is to be set up, providing leadership on transport matters. “With Government’s assistance the forum’s effectiveness will be substantially enhanced were it to have the same powers as London when it comes to public transport,” say the authorities. 

Updating councillors on the work, Sue Scane, Oxfordshire’s director of economy and environment, said: “It is clear that the move towards a strategic approach on transport planning and delivery offers opportunities for the partners to share resources on a more regular basis. In effect we would be creating a pool of expertise.” The alliance may seek the placement of Whitehall expertise in its delivery team. 

Said Scane: “Central to our new delivery model is certainty of funding with the ambition being to secure a Government commitment in the form of a growth deal that will provide the area with a five-year settlement that incorporates all growth-related funding streams which the alliance would invest in accordance with the priorities set out in the single infrastructure and economic development framework. 

“In this respect we are looking for the same degree of certainty that infrastructure companies such as Network Rail and Highways England enjoy.”  

The alliance wants to be given the right to retain 100% of business rates receipts locally over and above an agreed baseline. 

On governance arrangements, the councils propose to establish a strategic leaders board comprising leaders of the county councils and chairs of the three local enterprise partnerships (Buckingham-shire Thames Valley, Oxfordshire, and Northamptonshire). Further work is to be undertaken on longer-term governance arrangements. 

Discuss this at LTT's Future Highways Event on the 11 June