Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Tim Bick, Chairman of the Greater Cambridge City Deal Joint Assembly.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 June 2015 as a correct record.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 June 2015 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Executive Board.

No declarations of interest were made.

To receive any questions from members of the public.  The standard protocol to be observed by public speakers is attached.

Questions asked or statements made, together with an responses from Members of the Executive Board or officers, were noted as follows:

Statement by Edward Leigh

Mr Leigh spoke about a bigger vision for transport in Greater Cambridge and acknowledged the Board’s desire to get more people onto public transport, which he stated was a big challenge for practical, social and financial reasons. 

He felt that Park and Ride sites were needed on all arterial routes into the City, making them easily accessible to as many people as possible and minimising the need to travel on the M11 or the A14 to reach one.  Mr Leigh believed that there was a strong case for eight or nine new sites, which could be complemented by a network of cycle-and-ride hubs in the villages and outskirts of the City and bus-and-cycle hubs within the City.  He was of the opinion that this would take some pressure off roads, but would not solve the problem.  He added that Park and Ride sites had shown to abstract users from regular bus services, making those less financially viable and leading to a reduction in rural services with more people having to drive to Park and Ride sites.  He made the point that some people did not have their own vehicles and said that there was a real danger that the poorest people living in rural communities could be cut off from the City.

Mr Leigh proposed a solution known as ‘gating’ or queue relocation, whereby vehicles were held at points outside of the City where there was space to increase road capacity.  Traffic lights, connected to queue detectors in the roads ahead, could release cars only as fast as they could move freely and a bypass lane could be introduced to allow access for emergency vehicles, buses and other classes of road users to skip the queues.  He had identified a possible sixteen locations where roads would need to be gated, mostly close to Park and Ride sites.  These measures, in terms of building more Park and Ride sites and introducing gating, he felt, were affordable within the City Deal programme.

Mr Leigh explained that he was working with a small group of people, currently resourced by the Cycling Campaign, to expand this vision for enabling everyone to use the most convenient and appropriate combination of driving, public transport, cycling and walking to get around Greater Cambridge.  He welcomed the opportunity to discuss how this could be developed further.

Councillor Lewis Herbert, Chairman of the Executive Board, informed Mr Leigh that he and representatives of the Executive Board would welcome a discussion around these proposals ahead of a report on city centre congestion scheduled for consideration by the Board later in the year.  He agreed that more investment in Park and Ride facilities was needed and recognised the significance of tackling congestion as part of City Deal investment.

Question by Jim Chisholm

Mr Chisholm referred to the support that had been received for the proposed Chisholm  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Councillor Roger Hickford, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Assembly, will be in attendance to present the recommendations for the meeting of the Joint Assembly held on 15 July 2015.

Councillor Roger Hickford, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Assembly, reported that the Assembly had met on 15 July 2015.  He presented a report and recommendations from the Joint Assembly for each respective item on the agenda for this meeting, which it was agreed he would present at the relevant point of the meeting. 

To consider the attached report by Graham Hughes, Executive Director (Cambridgeshire County Council).

The Executive Board:

(a)        APPROVED the proposed route option for the Chisholm Trail for the purposes of public consultation.

(b)        GAVE APPROVAL to proceed to consultation on the route in the Autumn 2015.

Consideration was given to a report which provided the Executive Board with an opportunity to consider whether to commence with public consultation in respect of a proposed route option for the Chisholm Trail.

Councillor Roger Hickford, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Assembly, provided the Board with a report following consideration of this issue at the meeting of the Assembly held on 15 July 2015.  He said that progress made with Cambridge Past, Present and Future since that meeting was extremely encouraging.  The Assembly had recommended a slight amendment to the recommendation contained within the report, to make it clear that the route had not already been agreed and that it was out for public consultation.

Graham Hughes, Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the report and explained that the Chisholm Trail had been included as a City Deal transport scheme due to the range of benefits it could deliver, which included:

·         being a safer, direct and more convenient largely off-road route for cycling and walking;

·         providing improved access to green spaces, employment areas, retail sites and residential centres;

·         providing links into a network of existing cycle routes;

·         ensuring a minimal impact on motor traffic journey times;

·         enhancing the environment, streetscape and air quality;

·         creating more capacity for sustainable trips along the rail corridor;

·         links to strategic priorities for City Deal cross-city cycle improvements.

Further to the public questions received earlier at this meeting, Mr Hughes confirmed that discussions would continue with Cambridge Past, Present and Future to seek to address the issues raised and agree an amicable way forward.

The following points were noted following discussion by Members of the Executive Board:

·         going ahead with the consultation was the right thing to do and any comments, such as those received as part of public questions or statements at this meeting, could be submitted and fed into that process.  This would then inform further consideration of the final route for the Trail;

·         one of the public questions received earlier at the meeting suggested delaying the consultation until surveys at the Leper Chapel had been undertaken.  This was not a realistic option as the scheme had to be delivered in accordance with strict deadlines in order to secure further City Deal funding from subsequent tranches.  Officers reported their understanding that the ecology survey had already been received;

·         a report on the findings of the consultation would be reported back to the Board in January or February 2016;

·         there may be some elements of the Trail’s programme that could be accelerated ahead of the proposed timetable for delivery.  Officers agreed to look at this in further detail, highlighting and mitigating any risks associated with doing so, including the risk of abortive work;

·         one of the key risks from a programme delivery perspective was how long it could sometimes take for decisions to be made on specific issues by Network Rail, especially in respect of land ownership;

·         most landowners potentially affected by the proposed Trail had already been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider the attached report by Graham Hughes, Executive Director (Cambridgeshire County Council).

The Executive Board:

(a)        APPROVED the choice of the proposed priority strategic cross-city cycle schemes set out in the report.

(b)        APPROVED the public consultation on the schemes set out in the report.

(c)        AGREED to receive a report on the consultation results of each scheme and endorse the findings.

The Executive Board considered a report which summarised the strategic approach and key principles for developing the cross-city cycle improvements programme in Cambridge and set out some early work that had been undertaken, informed by stakeholder engagement, on the routes which would benefit most.

Councillor Roger Hickford, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Assembly, provided the Executive Board with a report following consideration of this issue at the meeting of the Assembly held on 15 July 2015.  He reported that the Assembly was very encouraged by the report and had unanimously endorsed the recommendations contained within it.

Graham Hughes, Executive Director of Economy, Transport and Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the report and highlighted that the proposed priority cross-city cycle schemes represented strategic links to both radial and orbital cycle routes, especially those to employment or development sites.  Appendices 2 and 3 of the report set out a scoring methodology and a list of scored schemes, respectively.  Plan 1 attached to the report also illustrated the proposed location of City Deal cross-city schemes.  It was noted that the chosen schemes were the result of the outcomes of a stakeholder workshop held on 7 March 2015, but that these were in addition to schemes planned to form part of other City Deal packages or other highways projects that would be delivered by the County Council.

The Executive Board unanimously:

(a)        APPROVED the choice of the proposed priority strategic cross-city cycle schemes set out in the report.

(b)        APPROVED the public consultation on the schemes set out in the report.

(c)        AGREED to receive a report on the consultation results of each scheme and endorse the findings.

To consider the attached report by Graham Hughes, Executive Director (Cambridgeshire County Council).

The Executive Board APPROVED the establishment of a Smarter Cambridgeshire work stream for Greater Cambridge, as outlined in the Appendices to the report, to be overseen within the City Deal governance arrangements.

The Executive Board considered a report which set out a proposal to incorporate a ‘smart cities’ approach within the City Deal programme to help support the delivery of improved transport, skills and housing and unlock further sustainable economic growth within Greater Cambridge. 

Councillor Roger Hickford, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Assembly, provided the Board with a report following consideration of this issue at the meeting of the Assembly held on 15 July 2015.  He reported that the Joint Assembly had unanimously supported the recommendations contained within the report.

Noelle Godfrey, Connecting Cambridgeshire Programme Director, presented the report and referred to a ‘smart cities’ workshop that was held early this year with a number of local expert speakers and City Deal Joint Assembly and Executive Board representatives, where it was requested that a ‘Smarter Cambridgeshire’ proposal be developed.  Proposals had therefore been worked up and the initial objectives of the Smarter Cambridgeshire project, through to 2016, were noted as being to:

·         generate an outline ‘smart architecture’ blueprint which would facilitate the delivery of a ‘test bed/demonstrator’ programme;

·         establish and deliver an initial one year test bed/demonstrator programme of work packages which implemented small scale ‘smart’ solutions, with a focus to transport related opportunities;

·         establish and participate in a wider forum for collaboration with and information exchange between complementary work programmes and other initiatives across the wider Cambridge research and development communities to develop and showcase the smart credentials and profile of the area;

·         investigate Government, EU and other funding opportunities and co-ordinate funding bids to develop the Smarter Cambridgeshire programme in both the short and medium term;

·         investigate and develop collaboration opportunities with other nearby cities, including Peterborough and Milton Keynes;

·         develop a longer term smart cities approach which reflects the level of ambition for Greater Cambridge.  This would complement and influence the emerging City Deal programme to ensure that smart characteristics were incorporated within the overall approach to housing, transport and skills as part of the delivery of the City Deal.

In answer to a question regarding the conceptual nature of the technology concerned and how to assess the architecture to put in place, it was noted that this was the reasoning for having a blue print which would enable flexibility and for changes to be made as and when technology developed.  An important factor that had usefully supported this was reported as being the joint working that had taken place across all sectors.

In terms of testing, Members of the Board were informed that officers had commenced discussions with Milton Keynes and other ‘smart’ cities to assist with testing.  It was agreed that the infrastructure used had to be replicable and scalable if it was to be successfully rolled out.

The Executive Board unanimously APPROVED the establishment of a Smarter Cambridgeshire work stream for Greater Cambridge, as outlined in the Appendices to the report, to be overseen within the City Deal governance arrangements.

To consider the Greater Cambridge City Deal Work Programme and schedule of meetings.  Future meetings of the City Deal Executive Board are schedule to be held as follows:

9 September 2015 – 2pm (Cambourne)

1 October 2015 – 2pm (Cambridge)

3 November 2015 – 2pm (Cambridge)

3 December 2015 – 2pm (Cambourne)

15 January 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

3 March 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

8 April 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

16 June 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

22 July 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

8 September 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

13 October 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

17 November 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

15 December 2016 – 2pm (location to be confirmed)

The Executive Board NOTED the City Deal work programme.

Future meetings of the Executive Board were confirmed to be held as follows:

1 October 2015 – 2pm

3 November 2015 – 2pm

3 December 2015 – 2pm

15 January 2016 – 2pm

3 March 2016 – 2pm

8 April 2016 – 2pm

16 June 2016 – 2pm

22 July 2016 – 2pm

8 September 2016 – 2pm

13 October 2016 – 2pm

17 November 2016 – 2pm

15 December 2016 – 2pm