Sub-national transport body
A sub-national transport body is a type of ad hoc statutory transport governance organisation in the United Kingdom. They are intended to provide strategic transport governance at a much larger scale than existing local transport authorities, by grouping councils together.
In 2016 the Local Transport Act 2008 was amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 to allow the creation of sub-national transport bodies. The first such body created was Transport for the North. Typically a sub-national transport body exists in a shadow form before being put on a statutory footing by secondary legislation. Sub-national transport bodies produce transport strategies for their areas.
Current sub-national transport bodies are:
- England's Economic Heartland
- Midlands Connect. The first strategic transport plan was created in 2017, and updated in 2022.
- Transport East. Released their transport strategy in February 2023.
- Transport for the North. Their second strategic transport plan was released in March 2024, following consultation in 2023.
- Transport for the South East
- Western Gateway
- Peninsula Transport - Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay