Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 December
Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel, Bedford
Hosted by:
Headline Sponsor:
Partner:
Supporters:
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Welcome to the 8th annual Local Transport Summit
LTT is delighted to announce that the 2024 Local Transport Summit will be held in Bedford on December 4th and 5th at the Bedford Centre Hotel.
The Local Transport Summit is a unique 24-hour residential event conducted under 'Chatham House Rules'. It provides a relaxed environment for senior figures in UK local transport to convene and exchange insights. Attendees include political leaders, decision-makers, transport authority strategists, system designers, and others with a stake in the future of local transport—such as providers, advisors, researchers, and activists. The event enjoys active support and engagement from the Department for Transport, England's Economic Heartland, and other leading professional bodies.
With the new government in place, a key theme will be the evolving landscape of local transport. We are inviting ministers and senior representatives from the Department for Transport to share their perspectives on transport strategy and policy. The summit will feature case studies from the EEH area, alongside contributions from senior transport planning professionals and thought leaders from across the country.
Following the success of recent summits in Wales and Sheffield, the 8th annual event promises to be another significant opportunity to address current challenges facing Transport Authorities.
Key focus points for 2024:
• What are the challenges and opportunities for planning in geographies comprising smaller towns and cities with large rural hinterlands?
• What does emerging government policy and funding priorities do to enable / hinder this?
• How do we plan and deliver sustainably connected housing and development at scale?
• How do we enable political decision-makers, many of whom are new?
• What might a Integrated National Transport Strategy do to facilitate?
Previous Local Transport Summits
Oxford 2016
Manchester 2017
Letchworth, Hertfordshire 2018
Bradford 2019
Brentford, West London
2021
Cardiff 2022
Sheffield 2023
About the networking dinner
Table hosts:
The networking dinner takes place on the evening of December the 4th, in the impressive County Suite at Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel, Bedford. The 3-course dinner and reception gives speakers, delegates, sponsors and exhibitors a unique opportunity to meet, network and catch-up in an informal and social environment. We will also be hosting an after dinner speaker soon to be announced.
A sponsored drinks reception at the bar will be open
before dinner.
Places at dinner are limited.
To attend, please ensure you have booked the conference and dinner package if you intend to attend both. The dinner price is inclusive of drinks before and during the meal. A selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available.
Book early to guarantee a place at this must-attend networking experience!
The dinner opens with networking Drinks at 18:30, with guests seated for dinner at 19.30.
Key highlights
24 hour retreat
Networking dinner
Conference
High level discussion
Walking Tour
Programme - 4 December
10.00
Walking tour led by Bedford Borough Council:
Meet at Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel
10:15
Walking Tour
Led by: Members and senior officers from Bedford Borough Council
This 90-minute tour will encompass the Town Deal-funded works currently being undertaken in Bedford town centre ad their links to the Council’s new Town Centre Vision, and examine the likely impacts of East West Rail’s arrival in the town (both positive and potentially negative). Stopping points will include: St Paul’s Square (Town Deal scheme); Mayes Yard (land assembly underway for a major regeneration scheme); Midland Road (upgrading the walking route from the station into town); Bromham Road bridge (to view the impact that two new East West Rail lines would have on existing housing); and to see the development potential around Midland and St John’s stations.
12:00
Registration with lunch served
Registration with lunch served
12:50
Event Introduction
Peter Stonham, Editorial Director, Local Transport Today
Event welcome - The challenges and opportunities for planning in in the context of small and mid-sized towns and cities
Cllr Liz Leffman, Chair of England's Economic Heartland Board (Leader of Oxfordshire County Council)
Cllr Jim Weir, Deputy Mayor of Bedford
13:30
A review of the local transport landscape: where are we now?
Chair: Steven Bishop, Director, Steer
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Emerging government policy and funding priorities
Jessica Matthew, Co-Director, Local Transport, Department for Transport
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What should go into a Integrated National Transport Strategy
Naomi Green, Managing Director, England's Economic Heartland -
The challenges of funding and decision-making
Antony Swift, Sustainable Development and Transport Manager, Luton Council
-
Unlocking the potential for vision-led to deliver integrated transport
Dr Colin Black, Director of Transport & Place, Mayer Brown
-
Tensions between government’s mission and what’s missing?
Stephen Joseph, Transport Planning Adviser, University of Hertfordshire
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What do emerging government policy and funding priorities regarding devolution do to enable/hinder Mayoral Combined Authorities
Monta Drozdova, Policy Advisor, Urban Transport Group
15:00
Tea and coffee break
15:30
England’s Economic Heartland showcase session: Integrating Transport in polycentric geographies
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Compere
Suzanne Winkels, Technical Programme Manager, England’s Economic Heartland
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Context
Cllr Steven Broadbent, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transport, Buckinghamshire Council
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Maximising opportunities from East West Rail
Naomi Green, Managing Director, England’s Economic Heartland
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Delivering better buses
Trevor Brennan, Project Lead, England’s Economic Heartland
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Harnessing innovation
James Golding-Graham, Head of Decarbonisation and Innovation, England’s Economic Heartland
16:30
Short refreshment break
17:00
Round table discussions:
An Integrated National Transport Strategy – removing the barriers to integration – ‘playbook’ recommendations from the Local Transport Summit
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Round table 1: Integrated land use and transport planning
Facilitator – Rachel Toms, Director of Urbanism, Sustrans & David Milner, Director, Create Streets
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Round table 2: Integration between different modes
Facilitator – Rebecca Fuller, Assistant Director, Urban Transport Group & Sarah Tuohy, Associate, Steer
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Round table 3: Integrating technology
Facilitator – Adrian Ulisse, Transit Partnership Lead, Uber & Llewelyn Morgan, Head of Innovation, SYSTRA
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Round table 4: Integration between local, regional and national networks
Facilitator – England's Economic Heartland & Duncan Irons, Market Director, SYSTRA
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Round table 5: Integrating outcomes – decarbonisation vs. economic growth and housing
Facilitator – Dr Drew Pearce, Senior Transport Planner, City Science & Simon Statham, Director, Steer
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Round table 6: Integrating decision-making – enabling politicians to make tough choices
Facilitator – Pete Dyson, Behavioural scientist, Bath University & Nicola Kane, Director, Steer
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Round table 7: Integrating deliverability – ambition vs. affordability
Facilitator – Tracey Stone, Director, City Science & Steven Bishop, Director, Steer
18:20
Networking reception with pre dinner speaker:
Simon Lightwood MP, Minister for Local Transport will be speaking at 19:15.
19:45
Networking Dinner
After-dinner speech:
Tricia Hayes CB, Chair of London TravelWatch and former Director-General for Roads, Places, and Environment at the Department for Transport
21:30
Day 1 close
Programme - 5 December
08:45
Registration with tea and coffee served
09:15
Reflections on day 1
Stephen Joseph, Transport Policy Adviser, University of Hertfordshire
09:30
Bus agenda and planned legislation
Stephen Fidler, Co-Director, Local Transport, Department for Transport
09:50
An in-depth look at current issues – “doing the difficult”
Issue 1 – Integrating sustainable transport and demand management schemes
Aron Wisdom, Programme Lead (Oxford) - Environment & Place, Oxfordshire County Council
Issue 2 – Integrating transport and land use planning: Stepping off the Road to nowhere
Rachel Toms, Director of Urbanism, Sustrans & David Milner, Director, Create Streets
Issue 3 – Step Forward Luton – regeneration and place-making
Gerard McCleave, Corporate Director - Inclusive Economy, Luton Council
Issue 4 – Integrating public health and local transport planning
Lourdes Madigasekera-Elliott, Public Health Strategic Lead, East Sussex County Council
11:00
Tea and coffee break
11:30
Professional Practice next steps: How we can incorporate themes from the summit into our activities at national, regional and local level?
Decarbonisation
Greg Marsden, Professor of Transport Governance, University of Leeds
EEH Centre of Excellence
Suzanne Winkels, Technical Programme Manager, England’s Economic Heartland
Integrating transport and land use planning
Victoria Hills, Chief Executive Royal Town Planning Institution
Engaging the ‘silent majority’ to drive successful change in transport
Leigh Bramall, Director – Transport and Sustainability, Counter Context.
Speaker 5 - Active Travel
Graham Grant, Director of Planning and Development, Active Travel England
13:00
Summing up and event close
Published programme subject to change
Speakers
PETER STONHAM
Editorial Director and Chairman
Local Transport Today
REBECCA FULLER
Assistant Director
Urban Transport Group
Tricia Hayes CB
Former Director-General for Roads, Places, and Environment at the Department for Transport
& Chair of London TravelWatch
CLLR LIZ LEFFMAN
Chair of EEH Board, Leader
Oxfordshire County Council
SIMON LUSBY
Managing Director
City Science
PETE DYSON
Behavioural Scientist and Author
Transport for Humans
ANTONY SWIFT
Sustainable Development and Transport Manager
Luton Council
TREVOR BRENNAN
Project Lead
England's Economic Heartland
DAVID MILNER
Director
Create Streets
LLEWELYN MORGAN
Head of Innovation
SYSTRA
SIMON LIGHTWOOD MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport
Department for Transport
VICTORIA HILLS
Chief Executive
Royal Town Planning Institution
RICHARD WALKER
Transport Planning and Policy Advisor
Department for Transport
STEVEN BISHOP
Director - Sustainable Transport
Steer
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NAOMI GREEN
Managing Director
England's Economic Heartland
STEPHEN FIDLER
Co-Director, Local Transport
Department for Transport
SIMON STATHAM
Director - Strategy & Policy
Steer
SINEAD MCNAMARA
Service Director, Inclusive Growth
Luton Borough Council
DR COLIN BLACK
Director of Transport & Place
Mayer Brown
JAMES GOLDING-GRAHAM
Head of Decarbonisation and Innovation
England's Economic Heartland
SARAH
TUOHY
Associate
Steer
DUNCAN IRONS
Market Director
SYSTRA
LOURDES MADIGASEKERA-ELLIOTT
Public Health Strategic Lead
East Sussex County Council
NICOLA KANE
Director
Steer
CLLR JIM WEIR
Deputy Mayor & Portfolio Holder for Environment, Highways & Transport
Bedford Borough Council
STEPHEN JOSEPH
Transport Planning Adviser
University of Hertfordshire
JESSICA
MATTHEW
Co-Director, Local Transport
Department for Transport
Leigh Brammall
Director- Transport and Sustainability
Counter Context
GRAHAM GRANT
Director of Planning and Development
Active Travel England
SUZANNE WINKELS
Technical Programme Manager
England's Economic Heartland
RACHEL
TOMS
Director of Urbanism
Sustrans
ADRIAN ULISSE
Transit Partnership Lead
Uber
GRACE SOLSBY
Principal Transport Consultant
City Science
GREG MARSDEN
Professor of Transport Governance
University of Leeds
Sponsorship, Partnership & Evening Dinner Table Hosting
For sponsorship, partnership and evening dinner table hosting enquiries please contact Jason Conboy on: 020 7091 7895 or email him here.