Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report.

The Executive Board:

(a)        NOTED the accompanying option assessment report, the further background papers containing the outline business case and the map appended to the report.

(b)        AGREED, in principle, that a segregated route between Cambourne and Cambridge, with a Park and Ride near the Madingley Mulch roundabout, best meets the strategic objectives of the City Deal and the City Deal Agreement, given the wider economic benefits.

(c)        AGREED, in principle, that the possibility of a segregated cross country super cycleway running close to or through the key villages between Bourn Airfield and the M11 should be explored as part of a wider examination into improving cycle links between settlements in Greater Cambridge.

(d)        INSTRUCTED officers to undertake a topographical survey of the A1303 from Madingley Mulch to the M11 and undertake preliminary design to assess whether or not it is feasible to provide a two way busway, a cycleway and a road within the existing highway boundary, and to share the information with the Local Liaison Forum.

(e)        INSTRUCTED officers to undertake further appraisal on:

(i)         Possible specific route alignments within catchment area 3a, with catchment area 3 as an alternative if option 3a proves unviable, noting that both would connect with and potentially through Cambridge West, in accordance with the scheme design criteria set out in paragraph 12 of the report, and within established environmental and planning policies.

(ii)        A new Park and Ride at either Scotland Farm or a new location 4, which combines site 2 with the north portion of site 3, as set out in the report, with the remainder of site 3 not to be used for any Park and Ride facilities, in accordance with the scheme design criteria set out in paragraph 12 of the report, and within established environmental and planning policies.

(f)        REQUESTED officers to:

(i)         Ensure designs for the Western Orbital bus route, the bus route through north-west Cambridge to the Science Park and the management of buses in the city centre fully integrate with this project.

(ii)        Seek to deliver all of these schemes as close in time as possible to the eastern section of the A428 Cambridge to Cambourne scheme.

(g)        DELEGATED to Cambridgeshire County Council's Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment:

(i)         To act with input from the A428/A1303 Local Liaison Forum, including the Parish Councils and Residents' Associations along catchment areas 3a and 3, interested Members of the Joint Assembly and interested elected Members from the County Council, City Council and District Council.

(ii)        To act in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the City Deal Executive Board.

(iii)       Responsibility to identify a specific route alignment(s) within catchment area 3a or, if necessary, catchment area 3.

(iv)       Responsibility to identify a footprint for a Park and Ride location at either Scotland Farm or new location 4, as set out above.

(v)        Responsibility to bring back the results of (d), (g)(iii) and (g)(iv)  above to the Joint  ...  view the full decision text for item 9

The Executive Board considered a report which set out the next stage of the A428 Cambourne to Cambridge Better Bus Journeys City Deal scheme and recommended a catchment area and Park and Ride location.  The report also sought to develop a specific route alignment within that catchment area, using the Transport Appraisal Guidance, together with an associated new Park and Ride site and proposed that both of these aspects be approved for public consultation in the summer 2017.  The recommended option contained within the report, from the officers’ perspective, represented the fastest and most reliable route, equating to a 28 minute return journey between Cambourne and Cambridge, and was the route best positioned to enable effective transport into the city.  The wider economic benefits were estimated as being £679 million over a 30 year period with the scheme estimated to cost £142 million to deliver. 

Bob Menzies, Director of Strategy and Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the report.  It was noted that this scheme supported a number of significant local policies, including Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Local Plans, the Local Transport Plan, the Transport Strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire and the Long Term Transport Plan. 

Mr Menzies highlighted that this was still a very early stage in the developmental process for this scheme, with at least two further public consultations due to be held with subsequent decision points for the Executive Board, as well as the high likelihood of the scheme involving a public enquiry.  The Board would be required to prove that the scheme was needed and that all environmental issues had been assessed and mitigated against.  It was emphasised that the next stage of the process would begin to explore those issues and develop detailed route options, setting out the pros and cons of each.  Mr Menzies said it was imperative that that Board could demonstrate that it had not ruled anything out too early and could evidence that it had given due consideration to all possible route options.  This was the main reason behind the catchment area being so wide.

Mr Menzies reported that the option recommended in the report consisted of a dedicated, segregated route that was off-road, rather than an option that used existing infrastructure.  The fact that the route was segregated would mean that more people would be attracted to use buses rather than their own cars, on the basis that bus journeys would be more reliable as a result.  Mr Menzies referred to evidence elsewhere in the county which suggested that this busway would encourage development in areas such as Cambourne and be seen as an attractive quality.  He acknowledged that there were significant environmental issues to consider, but he believed these could be mitigated against and that it would be up to officers to demonstrate this as part of the next stage of the process. 

It was noted that work had already taken place in terms of landscape evaluation for the proposed Park and Ride sites, with plans being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9

To consider the attached report.

The Joint Assembly RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(1)        Notes the accompanying Option Assessment Report, the further background papers containing the Outline Strategic Business Case, and the Map Appendix to the Report.

(2)        Agrees in principle that a wholly or partly segregated bus route between Cambourne and Cambridge, with the possibility of the potential for a segregated, cross country super cycleway running close to or through the key villages between Bourn Airfield and the M11 best meets the strategic objectives of the City Deal and the City Deal Agreement, given the wider economic benefits.

(3)        Instructs officers to undertake further appraisal on:

(a)       possible specific route alignments within Catchment Areas 3a and 4 (with the possibility of a bridge to the north of the existing M11 bridge), noting that both may connect with and potentially go through Cambridge West, in accordance with the scheme design criteria set out in Paragraph 12 of the report, and within established environmental and planning policies;

(b)        new Park & Ride locations 1, 2 and 3, as set out in Figure 3 of the report, and also Scotland Farm, via comparison.

(4)        Requests officers to:

(a)        Ensure designs for the Western Orbital bus route, the bus route through North West Cambridge to the Science Park, and the management of buses in the city centre fully integrate with this project.

(b)        Seek to deliver all these schemes as close in time as possible to the eastern section of the A428 Cambridge to Cambourne scheme.

(5)       Delegates to Cambridgeshire County Council’s Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment:

(a)        Authority to act on input from the A428/A1303 Local Liaison Forum, the Parish Councils and Residents’ Associations along Catchment Areas 3a and 4, interested members of the Joint Assembly and interested Councillors from the County, City and District Councils, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the City Deal Executive Board.

(b)        Responsibility to:

(i)         Identify specific route alignments within Catchment Area 3a and 4.

(ii)        Identify a Park and Ride location.

(iii)        Bring back the result of (i) and (ii) to the Joint Assembly and Executive Board for approval prior to release for public consultation.

(iv)       Undertake a public consultation on those specific route alignments and Park & Ride locations, planned for May to July 2017.

(v)        Subsequent to the above consultation, provide a report to the Joint Assembly and Executive Board, targeted for November 2017, containing a recommendation and Full Outline Business Case for a specific route alignment and one Park & Ride location that would then subsequently be developed in detail and an application made for Statutory Approval in 2018.

NOTE - Dr John Wells, having declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in this item, left the meeting at this stage of proceedings.

The Joint Assembly considered a report which set out the next stage of the A428 Cambourne to Cambridge Better Bus Journeys City Deal scheme and recommended a catchment area and Park and Ride location.  The report also sought to develop a specific route alignment within that catchment area, using the Transport Appraisal Guidance, together with an associated new Park and Ride site and proposed that both of these aspects be approved for public consultation in the summer 2017.

Bob Menzies, Director of Strategy and Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the report and provided a brief presentation to Members.  It was noted that this scheme supported a number of significant local policies, including Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Local Plans, the Local Transport Plan, the Transport Strategy for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire and the Long Term Transport Plan. 

Mr Menzies reported that the recommended option contained within the report was the best option from the perspective of the City Deal's objectives taking into account the longer term view of the Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Local Plans, including the significant proposed development at Cambourne, Cambourne West and Bourn Airfield.  It represented the fastest and most reliable route, equating to a 28 minute return journey between Cambourne and Cambridge, and was the route best positioned to enable effective transport into the city.  The wider economic benefits were estimated as being £679 million over a 30 year period with the scheme estimated to cost £142 million to deliver.  He acknowledged that the option proposed was the most expensive option and that there were significant environmental issues to consider, but he believed that the investment would be worthwhile and that the sensitivities regarding the environmental aspects of the scheme could be mitigated against.  He highlighted that the route would be designed and developed at ground level and in many areas dug into the ground in order that its visual impact was kept to a minimum.

Referring to the busway aspect of the proposal, Mr Menzies reported that evidence elsewhere in the county suggested that this would encourage development in areas such as Cambourne and be seen as an attractive quality. 

Councillor Roger Hickford, Chairman of the Joint Assembly, invited those members of the public who had provided notice to present their questions.  Questions were therefore asked and answered as follows:

Question by Dr Hans Hagen

Dr Hans Hagen said that Cambridge Biomedical Campus partners welcomed the Cambourne to Cambridge Better Bus Journeys assessment and saw it as a positive step forward for those staff currently living in the A428 area and the 2,000 new Papworth Hospital and AstraZeneca staff who would be commuting from the west of Cambridge to the Campus from October 2017 onwards.

He asked for clarification as to how the current plans for this scheme would ultimately link to an effective sustainable transport route from the A428  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8