Agenda item

To consider a report by Graham Hughes, Executive Director (Cambridgeshire County Council), scheduled for consideration by the Executive Board on 3 March 2016.

The Joint Assembly NOTED the findings summarised in the report and the Draft Concepts Report and RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(a)        Discounts from further consideration as part of the Greater Cambridge City Deal reopening the railway to Haverhill and providing a Busway all the way to Haverhill.

(b)        Approves for public consultation the illustrative concepts set out in the report to provide improved Park and Ride linked to Bus Rapid Transit between Fourwentways and Cambridge, and cycling and walking measures along the corridor.

(c)        Agrees to receive a report recommending a preferred set of measures, informed by public consultation and the conclusion of appraisal and assessment work, in late 2016.

The Joint Assembly considered a report which set out the high level transport improvement concepts that had emerged from initial study work undertaken on the A1307 corridor. 

Jeremy Smith, Head of Transport and Infrastructure Policy and Funding at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the report.  He said that further consideration had been given to the scheme since it was initially looked at in view of the changing development picture in the area.  A more comprehensive look into traffic conditions, taking into account seasonal variation, would be necessary together with analysis of smaller parts of the route which could provide more impact.  A summary of concepts for the scheme at this stage were set out in figure 2 of the report.

Councillor Tim Bick, Chairman, clarified that further work would therefore be required on major road interventions contrary to the below recommendation contained within the report to the Executive Board:

‘That the Executive Board discounts from further consideration as part of the Greater Cambridge City Deal reopening the railway to Haverhill, providing a Busway all the way to Haverhill or major road interventions.’

It was unanimously agreed that reference to discounting major road interventions should therefore be removed from the recommendation to the Executive Board.

Councillor Bick read out a question from Peter Wakefield, Chairman of Railfuture East Anglia, who had given notice of the intention to ask a question but was not present at the meeting.  He asked which rail organisations City Deal partners had spoken to and what rail projects were being considered for Tranche 1 funding.  In addition, Mr Wakefield asked what progress had been made with the feasibility study for the reopening of the railway to Haverhill.

Bob Menzies, Director of Strategy and Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, confirmed that the feasibility study referred to in the question had been included in the report as a background paper.  He also explained that Members of the City Deal Executive Board and officers had met with the Chairman of Network Rail as well as there being significant engagement between officers and representatives of Network Rail regarding the large number of railway projects ongoing or proposed in Cambridgeshire.  He reiterated that lots of different engagement was taking place between City Deal partners and the railway industry.

In discussing the contents of the report, the following points by Members of the Joint Assembly were noted:

·         significant employment growth was expected in Sawston which would impact traffic levels and should be taken into account as part of the reassessment of traffic.  A question was also raised as to whether the proposed route could include Sawston to support this growth;

·         growth in other areas affected by the proposed scheme had also not been taken into account as part of the initial modelling, so the reassessment was welcomed;

·         the diagrams included with the consultation document should make it clear as to network links and where they would actually go, as well as demonstrate that this was a linked up scheme;

·         it was difficult to visualise who this scheme was targeted at in terms of people travelling between Cambridge and the M11, with the proposed Park and Ride solution or enhanced bus route also potentially causing some confusion.  Mr Menzies explained that there may be more fluidity to the scheme as it developed and made the point that things continued to emerge in the area, which was one of the key challenges with this particular project.  It was agreed that the vision for this scheme needed to be clear in order that people understood what it was seeking to accomplish;

·         this scheme should not lose focus on cycling and walking provision, in terms of travelling to Haverhill, and consideration should perhaps be given to including a specific link for this purpose;

·         depending on what options emerged as this scheme developed, it was unclear whether it could be delivered within Tranche 1 of the City Deal programme, or Tranche 2.  ‘Off-road options’ would make it very challenging to include as a Tranche 1 scheme as a result of the statutory processes and respective timescales that would be necessary;

·         it was important to establish how the City Deal could ensure that services put in place on transport infrastructure schemes, such as bus services for example, were effective for the solutions that were being made available as a result of the investment.  Councillor Bick suggested inviting representatives of the bus operators to meet with Members of the Joint Assembly to discuss this issue.  Officers were therefore asked to facilitate such a meeting, with an informal setting suggested as being the most appropriate, to also include Members of the Executive Board.

Councillor Bick sought some clarity as to the signing off process for the publication of consultation documentation for City Deal schemes.  Mr Menzies explained that publication occured once approval had been granted by the Executive Board and said that the previously undertaken consultation for the Western Orbital scheme had been shared informally with all Members of the Joint Assembly and Executive Board prior to its publication.  Councillor Bick welcomed this approach.

The Joint Assembly NOTED the findings summarised in the report and the Draft Concepts Report and RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(a)        Discounted from further consideration as part of the Greater Cambridge City Deal reopening the railway to Haverhill and providing a Busway all the way to Haverhill.

(b)        Approved for public consultation the illustrative concepts set out in the report to provide improved Park and Ride linked to Bus Rapid Transit between Fourwentways and Cambridge, and cycling and walking measures along the corridor.

(c)        Agreed to receive a report recommending a preferred set of measures, informed by public consultation and the conclusion of appraisal and assessment work, in late 2016.