Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: September 9, 2025

Purpose: A draft of the Kirklees Transport Strategy was presented to Cabinet earlier this year and received approval to proceed to public consultation. The public consultation ran between March and April, and the strategy document has since been redrafted to reflect feedback received from internal and external stakeholders and Kirklees residents. The final strategy document is now being presented to Cabinet, seeking approval for its adoption by Kirklees Council.   A better approach to transport in Kirklees will help to deliver against core Council priorities: good transport is a core factor in the support of investment and regeneration, it helps places to thrive and allows communities to become more connected. A stronger focus on more sustainable forms of transport, which supports mode shift, will help to deliver a greener, healthier Kirklees and work in tandem with our Net Zero ambitions. The adoption of a distinct Transport Strategy will direct this approach and allow the Council to work to better transport for Kirklees and its communities.     The Strategy will provide policy support for external funding bids and business cases, which will help Kirklees secure further funding for transport investment projects.   The Strategy will direct and influence future work by the council, and as such has the potential to impact all wards in the district.     Background papers   Issue details - Kirklees Draft Transport Strategy Consultation | Kirklees Council   Issue - items at meetings - Kirklees Draft Transport Strategy Consultation | Kirklees Council     Engagement   Considerable engagement activity on the development of the draft strategy has been undertaken, which has included     ·       Two separate member engagement sessions, where feedback on the draft strategy and discussion on the current issues around transport that wards are facing were encouraged. ·       A workshop with technical colleagues from various teams and services across the council, where they were able to comment on the early vision and objectives of the draft strategy. ·       Further workshops with colleagues from Highways, where they were able to comment on specific policies included within the draft strategy and raise potential issues and risks with the implementation of these. ·       Presentation of the draft strategy to the West Yorkshire Transport Committee, where they had the opportunity to comment on the vision and objectives of the draft strategy ·       Presentation of the draft strategy to the Kirklees Climate Commission, where they had the opportunity to engage with an officer on the draft strategy and its policies.  ·       Presentation of the draft strategy to the internal planning team, where its relevance post-adoption was discussed, and how this may impact ways of working. ·       A workshop with the Combined Authority and districts, where the strategy vision, objectives and policy themes were discussed and available to comment on. ·       A workshop with boundary districts (Peak District, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Greater Manchester) where issues pertaining to cross-boundary transport and travel were discussed. ·       Presentation of the draft strategy to the internal Healthy Placemaking Group, where feedback on the vision and objectives was encouraged. ·       Promotion of the draft strategy to all internal council networks, where members were encouraged to speak with an officer on the draft strategy if they wished to do so. ·       Communication on the draft strategy with ward councillors from other districts. ·       Regular bi-weekly meetings held with the local plan team, to encourage comments on the draft strategy throughout its development, and to ensure alignment. ·       Promotion of the draft strategy at various stakeholder meetings, such as the Kirklees Bus Partnership and the Active Travel Network, to keep stakeholders abreast of developments and give them opportunity to comment if they wished to do so. ·       The draft strategy is currently with internal technical teams to allow them to comment for a final time before the strategy redraft is complete. The engagement process is continuing and officers are set to hold interactive workshops with relevant technical teams to discuss how the strategy will be used to influence council work including future pipelines and action plans.   Consultation   The consultation on the draft Kirklees Transport Strategy ran for an eight-week period from 03/03/2025, to 28/04/2025.   A comms campaign promoted the consultation and engagement activity, using funding from West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Full details of the plan can be viewed on the submitted comms plan, but included organic and paid for social media campaigns, billboard advertisements across the district, bus backs, bus interior advertisements, advertisements on Radio Sangam.   The consultation was further publicised via press release and E-marketing.   The demographic response to the consultation was monitored throughout, so that paid for media could be targeted to areas and demographics where the response rate was less than anticipated.   During this period, the team held 16 in-person events across the district promoting the consultation and discussing the issues Kirklees residents are currently facing with transport, and what they would like the Kirklees Transport Strategy to achieve for the district. During these sessions, officers also spoke to businesses, health centres and other public-facing uses in local and town centres, leaving posters and flyers to raise awareness with customers and visitors.   During these in-person events, over 7,000 leaflets and posters were distributed, both to individuals and to local businesses and organisations across the district. In addition to this, 74 networks and organisations which support residents with disabilities in Kirklees were contacted, details of the consultation were circulated to all schools and colleges in the district, and promotional material was shared with the University of Huddersfield. Officers also contacted 291 Kirklees-based businesses individually. 165 external organisations were contacted regarding the consultation, and the Team held engagement workshops with districts within West Yorkshire, as well as our ‘boundary districts’. Parish Councils were contacted regarding the consultation, and provided with promotional material, and two Member Engagement Sessions took place, to brief Councillors on the strategy, and to encourage promotion throughout wards.    Engagement levels with the consultation were high, with over 2,112 responses to the survey. The survey demonstrated a high majority of support for the Strategy’s vision and objectives. Within the 2,112 survey responses, over 1,500 free text comments on the strategy were provided by respondents. Each of these comments has been reviewed and analysed and have been used to make amendments to the document. Most of these comments were supportive to the positive change that the strategy will bring.

Content: RESOLVED – That the Transport Strategy, as attached at Appendix E, be endorsed and that the Cabinet Member for Housing and Transport, in consultation with the Executive Director for Place, be delegated authority to make any necessary changes to the Strategy and formally adopt the Strategy.