Transport

We expect LEPs to form a view on the strategic transport priorities which best support sustainable economic growth in their areas and to play a key role in implementing devolution of transport decision making to local areas.

Opportunities for LEPs in the short term include:

• Partnering bids with Local Transport Authorities to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (£560m revenue and capital between 2011 and 2015);
• Limited prioritisation and leverage of additional funding for existing schemes; and 
• Joint-working between DfT and a small number of LEPs in major urban areas to agree joint approaches to the worst congestion hotspots.

The Government is considering whether and how capital funding for local transport major schemes can be devolved to local areas for the Spending Review period after 2014/15. Over the longer term, we hope that:

• LEPs will help us to move away from organisations lobbying and advising central government about investment priorities, to ones acting as endorsers of local solutions; and
• LEPs will be able to mobilise part funding for schemes as well as being a valuable funding and delivery partner.

The first point of contact with the Department for Transport should be through the sub-national engagement teams: 

• Northern Engagement Team: Head, Margaret Jackson margaret.jackson@dft.gsi.gov.uk; Deputy, Richard Perry richard.perry@dft.gsi.gov.uk (covering Yorkshire and Humber, the North East and the North West) 
• Midlands and South West Engagement Team: Head, Elizabeth Charlton elizabeth.charlton@dft.gsi.gov.uk; Deputy, Katie Marsh katie.marsh@dft.gsi.gov.uk (covering the West Midlands, East Midlands and the South West) 
• South East and East Engagement Team: Team Leader, Lee Sambrook lee.sambrook@dft.gsi.gov.uk ; Deputies, Natasha Kopala natasha.kopala@dft.gsi.gov.uk and Susanne Ringham, susanne.Ringham@dft.gsi.gov.uk (covering the South East and the East) 

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