Proposed Government Plan 2023-2026 (P.97/2022): sixth amendment (P.97/2022. Amd.(6).) – amendment Walking and Cycling routes

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2023- 2026 (P.97/2022): SIXTH AMENDMENT (P.97/2022 AMD.(6)) – AMENDMENT

WALKING AND CYCLING ROUTES

Lodged au Greffe on 5th December 2022 by the Council of Ministers

STATES GREFFE

2022  P.97 Amd.(6).Amd.

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2023-2026 (P.97/2022): SIXTH AMENDMENT (P.97/2022 AMD.(6)) – AMENDMENT

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For the words "including the design and implementation of" substitute the words "including the provision of" and after the words "walking and cycling routes" delete the remaining words.

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

Note:  After this amendment, the sixth amendment would read as follows – 1  PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (i) –

After the words "Appendix 3 to the Report" insert the words –

", except that in Table 47 on page 81, after the words "Carbon Neutral Initiatives" insert the words "including the provision of cycling and walking routes"

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to receive the Government Plan 2023–2026 specified in Article 9(1) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 ("the Law") and specifically –

1. to  approve  the  estimate  of  total  States  income  to be  paid  into  the Consolidated Fund in 2023 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law;
2. to approve the proposed Changes to Approval for financing/borrowing for 2023, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approvals;
3. to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2023 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law;
4. to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2023 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the proposed total cost of a major project under a previously approved Government Plan,

in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 - Summary Table 4 to the Report;

5. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Fund for 2023, for each Head of Expenditure, being gross expenditure less estimated income (if any), in line with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report;
6. to  approve  the  estimated  income,  being  estimated  gross  income  less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2023 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report;
7. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading operation's trading fund for 2023 for each head of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report;
8. to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2023 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report; and
9. to approve, in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Law, the Government Plan 2023-2026, as set out at Appendix 3 to the Report, except that in Table 47 on page 81, after the words "Carbon Neutral Initiatives" insert the words"including the provision of cycling and walking routes".

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P.97/2022 Amd.(6).Amd.

REPORT

This line in the table is a headline funding allocation for the spend within the Carbon Neutral Roadmap of which carbon neutral initiatives is one aspect of. The delivery of cycling and walking routes falls within this wider budget allocation, with its own specific budget within TR10 – Active travel – within the Carbon Neutral Roadmap.

To include the additional words within this table could infer that there is a greater allocation than what is available in allocated budget for this work.

In  the  CNR,  TR10  has  a  budget  of  £1.7m  for  active  travel.  The  design  and implementation of walking and cycling routes is going to require a significant increase in infrastructure budget in order to deliver the strategic corridors which are under development within the active travel plan workstream. This £1.7m allocated to TR10 will be used to seed fund some initial behavioural change initiatives as well as feasibility and pre-design of infrastructure schemes.

Previous Government Plans have however indicated within this table that the carbon neutral initiatives has a subset to "inc Sustainable transport initiatives" which is not included in the current draft Government Plan. We would therefore look to include the words "including the provision of cycling and walking routes" as an additional focus of where some of this funding will be allocated.

To introduce another political oversight group is unnecessary and provides another layer of  administration  and  reporting  which  will  hamper  officers  ability  to  deliver  the emerging active travel programme.

There is already close political collaboration for the delivery of sustainable transport policy development and infrastructure delivery with the Carbon Neutral Roadmap commitment which requires both the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for Environment and Minister for Energy and Climate Change to provide political steer aligned to their ministerial portfolios. The Carbon Neutral Roadmap and Sustainable Transport is also considered through scrutiny. To introduce an additional level of political oversight will just counter officer's abilities to deliver this work due to further levels of governance and reporting.

We will continue to engage and encourage a collaborative relationship between the Constable of St Helier and the Minister for Infrastructure through more informal regular discussions and briefings, rather than a political oversight group and regular reporting back to the States.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications arising from this amendment.