Developing a Strategy

Local authorities may wish to refer to the structure of the NTS when considering how to approach and structure their strategy. The NTS sets out a vision with four priorities, each of which has outcomes, which are then supported by policies or enablers. The NTS delivery plan then sets out the specific actions or schemes to achieve this.

The LTS structure is not prescribed but generally covers the following items; a Vision for transport by the time the LTS is delivered (e.g. Our transport system will support communities with affordable, seamless, and sustainable access to all aspects of our daily lives), a few Outcomes/Goals/Priorities supporting the vision (e.g. Transport has a positive role in tackling poverty, improving health and reducing inequalities), a set of Transport Planning Objectives (e.g. Resilience – Ensure our transport network is more resilient and can react to unplanned circumstances and extreme weather) supporting the Outcomes/Goals/Priorities and finally a set of policies/policy focus areas/topic areas supporting the TPOs which in turn are translated into corresponding actions (e.g. Ensuring communities on low incomes in the city are particularly well-served by sustainable transport provision as they are least likely to own a car).

The above-mentioned Outcomes should consider what the local authority sees transport as enabling within their community: what do we want to ensure people have access to – employment, education, leisure, family and friends, healthcare. Neither the Objectives nor the Outcomes need to be solely specific to transport: framing the strategy more broadly around access allows the local authority to consider non-transport approaches such as triple access (spatial, mobility, and digital) and A-S-I approaches.

The Outcomes should present a clear answer to questions such as “What do we want transport to look like in our area? How will our Strategy help us achieve that vision? “, but should not be delivery-focused or technology bound. Taking this approach allows delivery plans to be updated as technology and circumstances change, without needing to go back and amend the strategy.

The process of developing the strategy follows many of the same steps as an appraisal. Local authorities may wish to refer to Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) as a useful tool but to bear in mind the guidance was not written for the purpose of developing a LTS, and STAG was not designed to appraise packaged options. Following a STAG-based approach encompassing its three key stages (Case for change, Option Generation and Development, and Options Appraisal) will ensure that the LTS has a robust evidence base and allows members of the public, stakeholders and funders to have confidence in the document.

An indicative checklist has been produced at the end of this document to help local authorities in developing their strategies.

Case for Change

Chapter 3 of Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) is about the Case for Change.

Two steps are followed under this stage:

  1. Analysis of problems and opportunities affecting the transport network. This will be informed by review of the previous LTS, review of the transport context and public consultation.
  2. Setting of Transport Planning Objectives (TPOs) to address these.

Transport Problems and Opportunities

Location-specific problems or opportunities should be the rationale for any analysis/appraisal. Problems/main issues are undesirable or harmful circumstances with the transport system. Opportunities are where a change to the transport system may lead to a positive outcome. Problems/main issues and opportunities can be actual or perceived. It is important to differentiate between perceived problems and opportunities which can be corroborated by independent evidence and those which are perceived but for which evidence is either not available or inconsistent.

As outlined in the Place Framework, the identification of problems/main issues and opportunities should focus on people and communities. Work at this stage should aim to answer the questions outlined within the Place Framework Narrative including:

  • Why is change needed?
  • Where do things need to change?
  • What changes will make a difference?

You should identify problems and opportunities for specific groups of people, such as those with disabilities, women, and young people. The nature and scale of any problems and opportunities should be demonstrated through clear evidence and you should avoid relying on contextual information alone. Supporting analysis should explore how and why the problems and opportunities are being experienced and the consequences for the study area. A logic map may be helpful in demonstrating the relationship between evidence and identified problems and opportunities. However, causal links can be complex and logic maps need to be accompanied by a written explanation.

More information on logic maps can be found on Logic mapping: hints and tips guide (publishing.service.gov.uk) with a particular transport example on page 6 or in this example of a logic map being used to summarise a LTS.

The strategy should collate an analysis of the current and future transport problems and opportunities in the local authority area. This analysis/appraisal may overlap with the LDP Evidence Report, so depending on the order in which local authorities are preparing their LTS and LDP, these may be prepared in conjunction to avoid duplication of work. Other plans and strategies, including those of neighbouring local authorities and community planning partners, should also be taken into account as part of this process.

Setting Transport Planning Objectives

The analysis of problems and opportunities is crucial in setting robust Transport Planning Objectives (TPO). The objectives must express the change sought in the study area without indicating potential solutions.

In other words, having analysed the current situation, looked to the future and identified transport problems and opportunities, the authority should determine what it wants its transport strategy to achieve through a set of well-defined objectives.

The transport planning objectives could stem from the following indicative themes/(technical) policies:

  • Car use reduction
  • Parking/Pavement Parking/Loading
  • Local bus services, infrastructure and information
  • Rail and access to rail stations
  • Traffic Management
  • Development control
  • Road Safety
  • EV charging facilities
  • Micro-mobility
  • Freight and logistics considerations
  • Transport integration
  • School transport and travel
  • Streetscape, asset management and maintenance
  • Road space allocation/reallocation. Note helpful Glasgow City Council’s approach to their Streetspace Allocation Framework which aims to provide a decision-making framework to roadspace reallocation conflicts between modes.
  • Air quality
  • Health guidance
  • Funding streams
  • Climate resilience and adaptation
  • Accessibility
  • Best practice
  • Lighting
  • Road, carriageway and footway maintenance

Once the Case for Change is complete it is expected that a Case for Change report or a Main Issues Report will be published to support consultation with stakeholders and the public, particularly those who will be affected by the change.

Option generation

Chapter 4 of Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) identifies option generation and sifting as a crucial element of any appraisal. This could equally apply to the development of a transport strategy.

Alongside applying the Strategic Environmental Approach (SEA – see Impact Assessments chapter) approach, consideration of all possible types of solutions or “options” (which could be packaged options) to achieve the Outcomes/goals and Objectives is required.

Sources for option generation may include:

  • Ideas from stakeholder and community engagement
  • Proposals from previous studies
  • Through the statutory planning and policy process, both for transport initiatives and land-use plans; and
  • Outputs from the evidence-led process followed by the team undertaking the appraisal

Options appraisal

The options are then appraised against a range of criteria (including the Transport Planning Objectives above, and the STAG criteria of Economy, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Equality and Accessibility, Environment, Climate Change) to see how they perform. The ability to deliver (feasibility, affordability, public acceptability) is also considered for each.

For the LTS objectives, there may be a number of different ways in which they could be achieved. A strategy needs to identify the best means to meet that end.

Some of the options identified to support the LTS will have been assessed elsewhere, such as through the LDP process, and there is no need to duplicate work unless further assessment is helpful to the delivery of the LTS. The level of evidence/assessment which is appropriate and proportionate will depend on local context – for example, what level of evidence will be expected and required by the local community and decision makers to adopt options. Therefore this guidance is not prescriptive on what level of evidence is needed. The assessment of NTS enablers may be a helpful resource for local authorities to refer to during their own assessment.

It is expected that following the options appraisal a draft LTS will be published for further consultation.