Issue - meetings

To ask questions of Portfolio Holders. Questions received will be tabled at the meeting. (Members are reminded that questions must be submitted to the Chief Executive or to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services by not later than noon on Friday 10 July 2015.)

Cllr Harrison asked the Leader of the Council whether, in developing the devolution proposal, the Waterside Railway and the ambition to return it to a passenger service should be included. The Leader welcomed Cllr Harrison’s support for a combined local authority being given greater freedoms over transport spending, but did not wish to make any reference to specific schemes at this stage. In the event that the powers were granted, a range of proposals for transport funding were likely to come forward which could be comprehensively appraised by people with detailed local knowledge in due course.

Question 1: from Cllr Harrison to Cllr Rickman, Leader of the Council

“Would the Leader agree that in developing the case for devolution of powers, such as major transport infrastructure, from central government to a local combined authority, it would be a good idea to include the example of the Waterside Railway and the ambition to return it to a passenger service?”

Answer:

The Leader of the Council welcomed Cllr Harrison’s support for a combined local authority being given greater freedoms over transport spending but did not wish to make any reference to specific schemes at this stage. In the event that the powers were devolved, it was likely that a range of proposals for transport funding would come forward which could be comprehensively appraised by people with detailed local knowledge in due course.