Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 December
Mercure Bedford Centre Hotel, Bedford

Hosted by:

Headline Sponsor:

Partner:

Supporters:

Organised by:

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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 national Integrated 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

4 December

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

13:00

Event welcome - The challenges and opportunities for planning in in the context of small and mid-sized towns and cities

Cllr Jim Weir, Deputy Mayor of Bedford
Cllr Liz Leffman, Chair of EEH Board (Leader of Oxfordshire County Council)

13:45

A review of the local transport landscape: where are we now?

Chair: Steven Bishop, Director, Steer

Speaker 1 – Emerging government policy and funding priorities
Jessica Matthew, Co-Director, Local Transport, Department for Transport (invited)
Speaker 2 – What should go into a national Integrated Transport Strategy
Naomi Green, Managing Director, England's Economic Heartland
Speaker 3 – The challenges of funding and decision-making
Speaker 4 – Tensions and complementarity of government’s ‘missions’ / DfT priorities
Tim Bellinger, Senior Policy Lead, East Midlands Combined County Authority (invited)
Speaker 5 – The planning perspective
Speaker 6 – What’s missing?
Stephen Joseph, Transport Planning Adviser, University of Hertfordshire

15:00

Tea and coffee break

15:30

England’s Economic Heartland showcase session: Connecting economies in a polycentric geography

16:45

Short refreshment break

17:00

Round table discussions:

An Integrated Transport Strategy – removing the barriers to integration – ‘playbook’ recommendations from the Local Transport Summit

Integrated land use and transport planning Letchworth Garden City Trust
Between different modes
Between local, regional and national networks
Goals – decarbonisation vs. economic growth/housing/inequality
Decision-making – enabling politicians to make tough-choices
Ambition vs. affordability

18:30

Networking reception

19:30

Networking Dinner

with guest speaker

21:00

Day 1 close

5 December