Clare Cameron is responsible for all things Transport and Energy within the Cardiff Capital Region. At TRANSPORT Smart Class, Wales 2022 she explained how the CCR Regional Transport Authority and CCR City Deal are offering her the latest opportunities to lead and inform the transport agenda during a period of rapid change. “With a cost of living crisis due partly to energy prices and war, a work behaviour change like no other due to COVID, an economic transformation due to Brexit, and a climate crisis that is causing no end of issues for our survival, the ‘norm’ of our fossil fuelled, car driven society”, observed Clare, “is being challenged, and it’s clear that it’s time for action! The response to these significant problems though are not easy to resolve in the transport world, when there are many conflicting priorities – trying to access everyday services, being appealing to markets to set up, grow and stay in our Region, encouraging people to spend in Wales to keep shops and facilities sustainable, and to foster innovation to respond to the changes we need to fuel our nation, but not harm the environment”.
Clare’s keynote outlined what the CCR is doing today to enable the region to build for the future; how actions and lessons learnt are impacting the ways to enable the growth of vibrant, local economies that encourage increasing numbers of people to want to live, work and spend their leisure time in South-East Wales; and why providing an effective and efficient transport system is key to ensuring a strong, inclusive, and more equitable economy that delivers prosperity for all, by connecting people, communities and businesses to jobs, services, and markets.
The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal is a £1.2 billion programme (£734m of which is funding the Metro) agreed in 2016 between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the ten local authorities in South East Wales to bring about significant economic growth in the region through investment, upskilling, and improved physical and digital connectivity. On 30th June 2022, CCR City Deal will become a Corporate Joint Committee with a wider remit. It will be responsible for preparation of a Strategic Development Plan, Regional Transport Plan and the exercise of economic wellbeing powers. Other potential functions (aspirations to be negotiated with Welsh Government as enacted ‘transfers of power’) include city-region tourism and place branding, inward investment, future iterations of the Valleys Taskforce and Regional Park, aspects of business support, regional engagement, Regional Bus and strategic planning and delivery around regional-Energy.
Clare took us through the long term City Deal targets, the CCR Transport Proposals Map and CCR Transport Programme, including Metro Plus. The CCR Regional Transport Plan aims to provide a modern and reliable, sustainable and low carbon transport network that allows all people the freedom to travel to suit their needs and wants. She considered some of the key components of that plan (e.g. Bus, Active Travel, Rail, Public Sector Fleet, HGV/Freight, Private Sector Fleet, Car, Taxi & Private Hire, Motorbike, School Transport, Ports & Maritime and Integration) and highlighted the need to align with Wales Transport Strategy, CCR Energy Strategy and CCR Rail Vision. Clare also detailed Cardiff Capital Region’s ULEV Strategies and ULEV Delivery (Phase 2 will run almost parallel to Phase 1 and is scheduled to be complete by March 2023), and concluded her presentation by touching on the support that Aberthaw Power Station will provide to green hydrogen production, green energy projects and innovation, industrial de-carbonisation and biodiversity.
If you meet our regular delegate qualification criteria but were unable to join us on May 26th for the live in-person event at voco St David’s Cardiff, CLICK HERE and complete the short “Download form” (located at the bottom of the post) to receive a unique link enabling free access to the presentation video recordings and slides (including the film footage and slides from Clare’s keynote presentation).
Those qualifying to receive the rich presentation content from this event include commissioning, procurement, trialling and partnering leads, senior influencers, strategic decision makers and planners from: local authorities (e.g. city, borough, metropolitan, district and county councils); public and private transport operators; regional transport partnerships, sub-regional transport bodies, combined authorities, integrated transport authorities and passenger transport executives; highways authorities and road operators; government and supporting national transport agencies; fleet operators, vehicle manufacturers, parking operators, prime contractors etc.
