Last year, the government published its long-term plan on the Future of Freight, which sets out the objectives of a planning system that acknowledges the changing needs of the freight and logistics sector, and enables all stakeholders to plan for them.

CIHT is currently preparing its response to the consultation by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). A call for evidence on freight and logistics in the planning system in England was launched in early July and closes on 6 October.

In an effort to hear and collate the views of members, CIHT (in the partnership with CILT) is hosting a webinar to explore the successes and failures of planning freight and logistics, and what improvements could be made. The webinar is intended to improve knowledge on freight within the transport sector and become a platform for discussion.

Speakers include:

Simon Emery

Simon is National Highways’ policy lead on economic development and spatial planning. He was part of the team that produced the company’s first strategic economic growth plan The Road to Growth in 2017 and authored the company’s external planning guidance Planning for the Future. Prior to joining National Highways England Simon spent over 10-years at Lancashire County Council working in a variety of economic development delivery and strategy roles.

Lynda Addison

Lynda is a Past Chair of the CIHT Sustainable Transport Panel and of the Transport Planning Society. She is now CIHT Technical Champion focusing on the integration of planning and transport also leads on planning and transport integration for TPS including discussions with the Government. She chaired the Working Group responsible for producing the advice “Better Planning, Better Transport, Better Places” with CIHT, TPS and RTPI and others in 2019. She is now an External Examiner in Transport Planning at the University of Westminster.

Julian Worth

Julian Worth has spent 43 years in the rail freight industry in a wide variety of roles, including Managing Director, Transrail Freight, and Marketing Director, English Welsh & Scottish Railway. He now works with a range of organisations in the private and public sectors, providing strategic advice on rail-based logistics. He also writes on rail freight matters and speaks at conferences in the UK and abroad, with a particular emphasis on supply chain decarbonisation and modal shift.

Jason Copper

Jason is the Strategic Transport Plan Delivery Sponsor at Midland Connect. He has over 20 years’ experience in evidence-based, research-led transport and spatial planning policy strategy development and project delivery, at a local level with Lincolnshire County Council and regionally within the East Riding. 

The event will feature presentations and real case studies form the speakers and will give members the opportunity to discover more about the future of freight. In addition, discussions will also include developments such as e-cargo bikes, drones and 3D printing on site, which would obviate the need for deliveries.

There will also be the chance to discuss how the planning system in England should change, engaging with the views of different stakeholders. But above all, members attending the webinar can contribute to shaping future policy and providing an input into the CIHT response the consultation

The presentations will form the first part of the webinar, followed by a workshop in which delegates can participate in the survey and discuss the opportunities and challenges that the freight sector will encounter over the coming years.

Members will benefit from reading the call for evidence on gov.uk before the seminar, along with the 10 questions that the government would like to address.

Photo credit: RHA Dunlop