Agenda item

The Executive Board NOTED the City Deal progress report.

Question from Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor read out his pre-submitted question regarding this agenda item:

“When the board next considers plans for Milton Road will it receive a report:
Collating the results of responses to the initial public consultation which ran until February 2016.

·         Identifying who attended the private workshop events, and the basis on which they were invited.

·         Addressing the 200 responses from 300 families to a Milton Road Primary School consultation on the Milton Road plans, and if the school representative reflected the views expressed when participating in the private workshops.

·         Clarifying if the report on private workshops stating: “The majority of attendees were keen to retain as much green verge and as many trees as possible”, is referring to the retention of the existing trees and verges?

I was surprised the public consultation responses do not appear to have been used to inform the private workshop events or the local liaison forum meetings. I would like to take this opportunity to stress to the Board that while the Milton Road Local Liaison Forum meetings took place in public they largely spent their time discussing arrangements for workshop sessions which then took place behind closed doors with selected invitees.

When the board next considers Milton Road will it formally endorse the letter dated 14 September 2016 from the board chair to the LLF and Assembly chairs?

Could a Local Liaison Forum (or Cambridge City Council North Area Committee) meeting be held between publication of the next City Deal Board report on Milton Rd and its consideration by the board so recommendations get discussed locally, by the area’s councillors, before decisions are made? Such a meeting could include a detailed public presentation of, and opportunity for the public to ask questions on, the LLF endorsed “Do Optimum” plan.”

In response to this question the following points were made:

·         A report would be presented to the Board in March 2017 looking at the outcomes of workshops and setting delivery priorities.

·         Milton Road Primary School’s views were taken into account in a report presented to the Board in June 2016 that summarised responses to the consultation on the Milton Road scheme in January and February 2016.

·         A local liaison forum (LLF) meeting was being arranged by the LLF Chair for 8 February 2017.

·         Whilst it was agreed that there should be openness and transparency, it was not felt necessary to hold local community workshops in the public gaze as this may stifle people’s contribution to these. The Executive Board Chairman paid tribute to the local work that had been done.

The Vice Chairman asked for an update on progress regarding the letter written to Heidi Allen MP regarding Foxton. The Board was informed that a letter in response had been received from Heidi Allen who was arranging a meeting with senior Network Rail staff. A further update was requested for the March 2017 meeting.

The Vice Chairman requested an update on progress regarding a letter sent to Highways England regarding the M11 junction 11 and 13. In response to this the Board was informed that the letter had been sent and that receipt had been acknowledged, however a meeting had not yet been set up. The Board was informed that Highways England would be consulting on a five year plan at the end of this year. The Vice Chairman requested that at the meeting with Highways England, they be asked specifically to consult on the specifics of the M11. The Vice Chairman also requested that the minutes of meetings held with Highways England be made available. The Chairman advised that dialogue with the National Infrastructure Commission was continuing as well.

An update on the Cambridge South railway station was requested. Councillor Bates responded and informed the Board that he would be attending an English heartland economic workshop to discuss east/west issues such as the Oxford to Cambridge express route. Councillor Bates highlighted that there was a desire to link Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge by road and rail, pointing out that these issues were not just on the City Deal’s agenda, which built the case to lobby the government for funding. The Executive Board was informed that a meeting with Heidi Allen MP and the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss Cambridge South Station had been arranged for the following week. AstraZeneca would also be attending this.

The Board was informed that the East-West rail annual general meeting would take place on 9^th February and that funding had been confirmed to continue work on route options for east/west rail.

The Vice Chairman requested that City Deal progress reports also reported on meetings that were taking place with Network Rail and Highways England. The City Deal Interim Chief Executive informed the Board that the format of the progress report was being reviewed.

The Executive Board NOTED the City Deal progress report.