On Thursdays I gave the opening speech at the My Journey: Best way to Work Conference. The My Journey project is the education and information arm of the Council's sustainable transport commitment. We want to see more people choosing sustainable methods of transport and moving away from their cars. This will have financial, health and eco benefits to all. The billboards, posters and even petrol pump notices are up; hopefully you've seen the pictures of the birds saying the travel revolution is coming...
This is our chance to make a difference and save a few pounds in the process too. Heres the text of my speech; apologies if it doesnt read too well - they are my direct notes!
Good morning and Welcome, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to address you all today at My Journey: The Best Way to Work Conference.
I'd like to start by telling you a story; a story of how one young...well still fairly young man, got involved in local politics.
I'd always been political or outspoken as my teachers used to describe me; whether it was being elected school president at my primary school with the promise to deliver a tuck shop; I was elected president of my sixth form college with a manifesto pledged to deliver softer toilet paper; and so when I found myself on the internet late at night and the worse for wear after watching the 2010 election results, I did two things. I joined the Labour Party and I applied to be on the Weakest Link. Thankfully, due to the judgements of the people of Millbrook, I finished first in one contest and second in another. But thankfully I am not hear to talk to you about ornithology.
And so to May 2012, and the promise our administration was elected to deliver; Times are tough. The choice is simple as I described to our outgoing Chief Executive when I first met him; the city cannot survive on continuing cuts to services; we cannot indefinitely raise charges. The choice is how to get our economy moving in our city. How can we be in a place to attract new money into our city to drive forward our economy.
Southampton has to be seen on a world stage as being a great place to live, visit and do business in. We are making changes to our council to meet the financial penalties placed upon us; but we are also making changes to our council from the top to the bottom so that it and our city have the tools to get the job done. Saving money and getting quality leaders trained and delivering better ways of working is a bit like trying to fix a car engine whilst its running. I was due to use a cardio-thoracic surgeon as an example at that point but given recent events in Eastleigh and the saga of the Children's Heart Unit, it probably wouldn’t be prudent.
It will come as no surprise that the road ahead is not an easy one, reduced funding, difficult market conditions and rising costs such as increased fuel prices are impacting on business performance. Staff and employees are facing increases in the cost of living and rising commuting costs at a time when wages are at best stagnating. We have the choice to say woe is me or innovate. Our City Centre Plans suggest 320,000 m2 of new office employment, 130,000 m2 of new retail, over 16,000 new homes and additional leisure facilities. With complex formulae suggesting approximately 30,000 new jobs will be created. These plans show us the promised land, but we have to actually deliver them and not consign them to another false dawn for our city. The world around us will not stop...the estimated population increase will generate more than seven million additional journeys per year on the city’s transport network...and so to drive our economic recovery, we must identify those enablers that will get us there; as my cabinet colleagues will testify, transport and sustainable transport is, in my opinion, the tool to do this.
As Cabinet member for Environment and Transport, I will continue to do my level best for this city and its people. This is my focus. So far this year officers within the environment and transport portfolio have brought in over £40 million new funding; I’ve held honest discussions with our bus companies; embraced partnership work with political administrations from Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and even Portsmouth; engaged in debate with academics on the robustness of methodologies and weighed up the options of whether or not to be pictured riding a tricycle...
There are opportunities out there, and fortune does favour the brave; We know that in peak periods 10% of highway travel is spent in queues...businesses suffer through wasted time. But there is hope, Southampton has the second lowest average journey to work commute in the South presenting real opportunities to change travel behaviour.
We look forward to the years ahead working together through Transport for South Hampshire, from May of this year as chair, and now as we enter into negotiation with the Government over a Portsmouth and Southampton City Deal – there are opportunities for all of us to grow our way out of these tough times into a sustainable future. Southampton City Council has been successful in securing funding up to March 2015 from the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund for transport improvements across the city. I won't be precious; I'll work with anyone to get extra money from anywhere. I'll even dress up as one of the tweety birds to do it.
We all have to come together. The pots of money may be ring fenced. They may are definitely dwindling. But there is still some finance and the will to make our city a better place to live. Recently I have secured £200,000 to redesign and repair pavements across Southampton; specifically focusing on the needs of the vulnerable - not just accident black spots, but areas where local people tell us near misses go on unreported. So our work must be informed locally, but it must be worked out jointly. Being frank, redesigning the pavements is morally the right thing to do, even if financially the main beneficiaries will be healthcare partners. So as well as £200,000 from the council, I will be asking healthcare partners to put their hands in their pockets to support the right thing to do. The benefit is clear, but we must share that information so that we can ensure that the return on investment pays dividends and that at least one person does not end up in the General facing life limiting mobility issues.
These choices as we are repeating, sadly as a mantra are not easy; Recently, the Council has taken some flack for saving the mayoral car. The lease too expensive, the car too polluting; with accusations of pomp and ceremony. Actually, the work which Southampton's first citizen does as an ambassador is crucial to the economic survival of our city. I make no bones about the mayor's role. Whether its speaking to school children on the work of the docks; welcoming ambassadors from investing countries or greeting paying passengers from our cruise port; the office of mayor is one which delivers for our city. Albeit that from next year, the lease will be cheaper, and hopefully the car electric. It’s not a lot to change one person’s mode of transport, but it goes a little way towards our goal.
In terms of our manifesto, number 14; We will invest in the roads and bridges and support any expansion which has a positive impact on the city's economy…but not forgetting article 40; standing shoulder to shoulder with officers, political colleagues and most importantly the community against inappropriate developments in our city. The honest appraisal of politics is that you are going to annoy someone, somewhere every single minute of the day. People assume that your trustworthy levels are akin to that of a journalist or Findus representative. It is the art of balancing often competing priorities. My answer is that I want both. I wanted better recycling rates at a cheaper cost, whilst retaining the vast number of staff in jobs. But it is not just for a politician to demand. It is for a politician to create the solutions; often as simple as a fertile environment for officers from a myriad of organisations to come together.
My role is to lead; my role is to listen but actually my role is the same as everyone’s in this room. It is to deliver. Deliver that better place for the people we care about. We will deliver a 12 percentage change in modal share away from the private car to other modes of transport; A real terms cut in emissions of at least 10% despite the addition of 7 million more trips per annum over the next 20 years; and we will focus on our economy by removing transport barriers and increasing travel choices; using small scale infrastructure improvements with support measures such as marketing, engagement and training. As we look around at our billboards, our buses and even at Millbrook Petrol station the My Journey brand, the one stop shop for travel information and resources in the city – continues to grow.
Our approach is not to simply plan and aspire; Our core programmes are taking shape on the ground;
The workplace programme is providing practical advice and support on how to promote sustainable and physically active travel modes across the city. The workplace team will be presenting the programme in detail later.
The In to Work project, supported wholeheartedly by our cabinet, is working with Job Centre Plus to reduce the transport barriers for 18-24 year olds to access and stay-in employment. Helping those without work to get it and stay in work. And tying this in to other projects which drill those young adults in interview technique and even lend them a suit to attend the interview.
Going beyond those areas which are people based, the Sustainable Distribution Centre will act as delivery hub for organisations in and around Southampton in order to reduce the number of part load deliveries into and around the city, thus reducing the number of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) using the road network. Simon Fry will introduce this project after the mid-morning coffee break.
And our friends in the public transport sector should not be forgotten; A range of improvements to the network including wifi on all buses, real-time bus information at bus stops and interchanges and a multi-modal journey planner at myjourneysouthampton.com.
All of these measures will help to reduce congestion and improve journey times for businesses including commuting journeys, business trips and deliveries.
Lets come together to innovate; lets think laterally to deliver better transport options so that people can see change and hold onto it during these tough times. It need not be a multi-million pound scheme such as the eastern cycle route, linking Hedge End and Botley to Southampton Central Railway Station or the pinch point funding bids, which have to be with HM Treasury by 5pm this evening. Of all the press releases, party leaflets, heated discussions in council, the proudest achievement of my tenure as a small cog in a much larger machine is the work undertaken due to a 16 and a half thousand pound grant. There are now 23 children with special educational needs that are now able to travel independently. The can now choose to leave their homes. They can walk in the sunshine or ride a bike in the rain or take a bus into town. These are gifts of a lifetime, for a lifetime.
The door is firmly open. Work with me. Work with our officers. This is not my approach. This is our approach.
