Streamline scheme appraisal, says local government chief

Modellers respond to new demands in fast-changing world. More than 200 delegates gathered at the Oval Cricket Ground in London last week for LTT’s annual Modelling World event. Andrew Forster and David Crawford report on some of the hot topics of debate

Left to right: Dave Bull, John Collins and Tom Worsley in discussion

Left to right: Dave Bull, John Collins and Tom Worsley in discussion

Miller Crockart, vice president of PTV, welcomes guests to the PTV-sponsored drinks reception

Miller Crockart, vice president of PTV, welcomes guests to the PTV-sponsored drinks reception

Ground staff preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy the following day

Ground staff preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy the following day

Speaker David Metz, visiting professor at University College London

Speaker David Metz, visiting professor at University College London

Miller Crockart, vice president of PTV, welcomes guests to the PTV-sponsored drinks reception

Miller Crockart, vice president of PTV, welcomes guests to the PTV-sponsored drinks reception

Attendees enjoying the early evening networking session on the Oval roof terrace

Attendees enjoying the early evening networking session on the Oval roof terrace

Event chair, Tom van Vuren

Event chair, Tom van Vuren

Transport scheme appraisal needs to be radically simplified and shortened to make it fit for purpose in the new era of devolved major scheme decision-making in England, a senior local government official told the event.

“I want a simplified evaluation process, cheaper, quicker, but intelligible, accurate and robust,” said David Bull, Thurrock Council’s director of planning and transportation?and the transportation lead for the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. 

Noting the Government’s plan to wrap local transport major scheme cash up with housing and skills funding in a new Single Local Growth Fund from 2015, Bull said the challenge for transport planners was to bring forward the quantitative and qualitative arguments for why transport investments were necessary. Good communication skills would be vital to making the transport case against competing voices from housing and regeneration.

Bull said the current WebTAG?procedures were too onerous and the time taken to deliver transport schemes was too long. “Does Downing Street think delivering in 15 years is acceptable?” he asked rhetorically. “No.” He recalled his time at Birmingham City Council when HS2 Ltd would say delivering the London-West Midlands high-speed route by 2026 amounted to “breakneck speed”. “No one else does,” he said.

“We’ve got to reform radically and not tinker at the edges,” said Bull. “It needs to change but will only happen if civil servants loosen up a bit.”

He pointed out that the LEP and local transport bodies included representatives of the business community who wanted to see action on the ground quickly. “We shouldn’t be buggering around trying to justify schemes when the private sector is saying, ‘Come on, we’ve got to do this’.”

John Collins, the DfT’s head of investment and regulatory scrutiny, explained how the Department was taking steps to ease the appraisal burden through new proportionate appraisal guidance, which is currently in draft form but which will become a definitive part of WebTAG later this year. The guidance explains how project promoters should carry out an initial sifting of transport options for meeting an identified need, documenting the work in an option assessment report. Alongside this, promoters should prepare an appraisal specification report, clarifying the proposed method and scope for further appraisal of better performing options, including detail on the proposed approach to modelling and forecasting.

Project promoters will have to agree the method for further appraisal with the sponsoring organisation, which, Collins told LTT, will be the local transport body, not the DfT, for local transport majors. “In some cases, sponsoring organisations may agree that very limited further appraisal or refinement of the evidence presented in the option assessment report is required,” explains the guidance. “This may occur where there is a clearly identified preferred option; it is clear that the preferred option is best and will deliver against the objectives; it presents very good value for money; and presents no significant risks/showstoppers.”

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