Residents will be able to have their say on Wiltshire Council’s emerging Local Transport Plan after the cabinet agreed to move forward with the consultation.

Wiltshire Council’s Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) sets out the council’s objectives and plans for all areas of transport in Wiltshire during the period 2025-2038.

The leader of Wiltshire Council, Richard Clewer, described it as the “strategic framework” around which future funding will be built.

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Cabinet member for transport, Cllr Tamara Reay.Cabinet member for transport, Cllr Tamara Reay. (Image: Wiltshire Council) The council’s cabinet approved the proposals at its meeting on Tuesday, November 19.

The consultation will now begin on Thursday, November 28 and run until Friday, January 24, 2025.

LTP4 will cover all aspects of transport, including road safety, highway network management and enhancement, car parking, buses, rail, walking and wheeling, freight, electric vehicles and more.

It also provides the framework for all other organisations with involvement in transport in the county.

Speaking at the meeting, the cabinet member for transport, Cllr Tamara Reay, explained that the draft plan sets out a “balanced vision” which is “reflective of the needs of our large rural county where many of us are reliant on cars for our every day lives”.

She said: “Officers from across the council and cabinet colleagues have worked together to develop the draft plan which is grounded in reality and sets out the council’s transport ambition for the decade ahead based on our guiding themes of prevention and early intervention, improving social mobility and tackling inequalities, understanding our communities and working together.”

Cabinet member for housing, Phil Alford, added: “Private car is absolutely fundamental.

“It’s fundamental to keep people connected and it’s an essential tool for families and people, particularly on lower incomes, ensuring that they can make the most of the opportunities that are available to them.”  

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The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wiltshire Council, Ian Thorn, noted the importance of promoting “the consultation amongst audiences that might not regularly engage with the social media world”.

Cllr Richard Budden also suggested that “considering the scale and significance of what you are asking people to consider” the consultation should be extended by “at least a month”.

Cllr Adrian Foster added that some people in rural communities could not drive and asked for assurance that the LTP4 would not “only look predominantly at cars”, which he was given by Cllr Reay and Cllr Clewer.

Representing the council’s climate emergency task group, Cllr Graham Wright expressed disappointment at not having “seen the transport plan earlier”.

Cllr Clewer acknowledged the process “could have run more smoothly”.

Information webinars on LTP4 will be held on Tuesday, December 3, and Monday, January 13, 2025.

An online survey will also be available from Thursday, November 28, for people to share their views.

Physical copies of LTP4 are available in Wiltshire Council hubs and libraries, and people can respond to the consultation online in any library with computer access.

In a statement released after the meeting, Cllr Reay said: “Our current Local Transport Plan ends in 2026, and so we need a new plan that reflects changes in transport, both now and in the future.

“LTP4 sets out council’s objectives and plans for transport in Wiltshire and looks at all forms of transport, from walking, wheeling and cycling to cars, buses, freight, rail and more.

“We recognise transport as an enabler for economic growth and so we have taken a place-based approach to this LTP, as we know that what’s right for our towns and city may not be right for rural areas.

"We want to create a plan that works for everyone, wherever they are in Wiltshire and however they wish to travel.

“I’d urge anyone with an interest in the future of transport in Wiltshire to get involved in the consultation – join one of our online engagement events and take the survey to share your views.”