Councils join forces to build new Northamptonshire Strategic Transport Model

A spokesperson for West Northamptonshire Council said: “The model uses a computer simulation to anticipate traffic flows and is used to inform strategic planning where new developments or major roads are proposed.

“It was last rebuilt in 2015, since when technology has moved on significantly, meaning a full overhaul is needed to ensure the data it produces is as accurate as possible.

“Each council will contribute £78,000 toward the project from fees charged to developers using the model, alongside £400,000 previously allocated by the former Northamptonshire County Council.

Hosting, maintenance and operation fees could take costs to a total of around £2m over the life of the contract.”

Cllr Phil Larratt, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste, said: "This joint effort between our two councils shows our commitment to transport planning across the whole county.

"By pooling our resources and expertise, we can ensure the accuracy and relevance of the Northamptonshire Strategic Transport Model while saving taxpayers money."

West Northamptonshire Council will lead on procurement of the model rebuild. As part of the process, each council will have its own version of the new model, but it will be managed through a continued relationship with the consultancy building it.

Cllr Matt Binley, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, said: “As new authorities this is the ideal opportunity to refresh our transport modelling to make sure the data is as accurate as possible, helping us plan our highways network for the future.

“It makes complete sense to do this in partnership in terms of efficiency but also because so many journeys are made across the county as a whole.”

The new model will have a 2023 base year, informed by verified traffic count data, and the process is expected to be complete by autumn 2024, with a contract anticipated to run until 2031.