Decision Maker: Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: April 30, 2025

Purpose:

Content: 6.1 The Sheffield Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment Plan will guide future investment over the next 20 years. The Plan has been developed using guidance from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and is intended to become part of the Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy for South Yorkshire which SYMCA is currently developing (which will itself become part of the South Yorkshire Local Transport Plan, a broader look at what is needed to improve accessibility and connectivity across South Yorkshire).   The Plan sets out the benefits that investing in walking, wheeling and cycling will have in supporting the delivery of our Council Plan, Growth Plan and Transport Vision. It also sets out the Council’s ambition to develop high quality city-wide networks for people walking, wheeling and cycling and will be used to inform programme setting at a regional and local level.   In the coming months, the Plan (as part of the wider South Yorkshire Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy) will support the development of the emerging programme aligned to the future transport funding stream expected to be available in the mid-term (the second City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for 2027-2032).     6.2 RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee:-   (a)  approves the Sheffield Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment Plan (WWCIP), setting out the City Council’s ambition to develop high quality city-wide networks for people walking, wheeling and cycling;   (b)  endorses the ‘focus areas’ of neighbourhoods and routes to opportunity, where investment to deliver high quality infrastructure improvements and measures that support and enable people to walk, wheel and cycle more frequently will be prioritised, alongside city-wide measures;   (c)  notes that this Plan will be submitted to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to make the case for resources to further these ambitions;   (d)  notes that the proposed programme to 2035 is recommended based on the analysis carried out during 2024 and into early 2025 for the WWCIP. Taking this forward will be subject to resources and any conditions set on those, as well as other changing circumstances. It will be subject to review as necessary with the involvement of Committee Members; and   (e)  notes that officers propose to take forward the plan, if approved, by continuing to work to listen to voices that are less heard in relation to walking, wheeling and cycling; to understand what local communities consider relevant; build relationships and involve communities throughout the development stages of our projects.     6.3 Reasons for Decision     6.3.1 The Plan sets out the Council’s ambition to develop high quality city-wide networks for people walking, wheeling and cycling, through working with our communities, and to become a more pedestrian-friendly city.     6.3.2 It will be used to inform programme setting at a South Yorkshire and local level, to bring in the resources needed to deliver this ambition.     6.4 Alternatives Considered and Rejected     6.4.1 Alternative Option 1: do-nothing. It would have been an option not to develop a Sheffield Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment Plan. However, that would mean that we would not have been able to make the case for any funding available to progress the ambition of becoming a more pedestrian-friendly city and developing our walking, wheeling and cycling networks.     6.4.2 Alternative Option 2: do-less. With the first South Yorkshire LCWIP, Government asked for the identification of a limited number of strategic active travel routes as Page 36 part of its’ Industrial Strategy. These are the routes are being rolled out through the current programme. However, this has meant that there is no prioritised programme for taking forward after that.     6.4.3 The advantage of this investment plan is that it provides a methodology for identifying a prioritised programme, which can be used again and, of course, can also be reviewed and amended as considered necessary.