Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report.

The Executive Board AGREED to:

      I.        Note the responses to the consultation on the Western Orbital bus infrastructure improvement scheme.

    II.        the next steps as set out in this report for the ongoing strategic assessment of the Western Orbital scheme as part of the City Deal programme to support related potential Tranche 1 schemes.

   III.        to take a key role in working with Highways England to establish clear priorities along the M11 corridor and for these discussions to form part of the next report on the Western Orbital, and arrange a meeting of City Deal Board and Assembly members and officers and local MPs with Highways England, the minutes of which will appear on the City Deal’s website, to press the case for firm commitments from them to improve the M11 west of Cambridge including:

(a)  Making that section of the M11 a “managed motorway” and seek a date for that, and

(b)  Improving the motorway junctions, including priorities for junctions 11 and 13.

(c)  Remodelling the Girton interchange.

Ashley Heller, Team Leader – Public Transport Projects, presented this report on the outcome of the consultation on future options for bus and cycle infrastructure improvements along the Western Orbital corridor.

Helen Bradbury gave a presentation on behalf of the Local Liaison Forum (LLF), which made the following points:

·         The plan to extend the current Park and Ride site at Trumpington was supported.

·         A new Park and Ride site at Hauxton was not supported.

·         The Park and Ride sites should be situated further from the City centre.

·         There should be a full assessment of the A428 Cambourne to Cambridge options to make best use of the existing infrastructure.

Councillor Lewis Herbert stated that recommendations regarding the Cambourne to Cambridge route did not form part of the report on the agenda and no notice of decisions had been published, so the Executive Board could not make any decision on those recommendations under this item. Helen Bradbury explained that these recommendations went to the Greater Cambridge City Deal Joint Assembly in September and so should have been available to the Executive Board. Councillor Lewis Herbert advised that a meeting would be arranged with LLF and resident representatives, where these issues would be discussed.

Councillor Bridget Smith suggested that the Park and Ride sites should moved further away from Cambridge so that traffic did not have to use a congested road to access the site. It was for this reason that the LLF supported the Scotland Farm site on the Cambourne to Cambridge route. It was suggested that residents could cycle to the Park and Ride sites. A five mile radius from the City Centre was suggested. Councillor Roger Hickford explained that the Park and Ride sites only had the capacity to be part of the solution.

Councillor Bridget Smith explained that she had revised her opinion on the need for bus hub at Foxton, as the village was already served by a train station.

Councillor Francis Burkitt stated that as the City Deal Portfolio Holder for South Cambridgeshire District Council he had contacted all the district’s parish councils, asking if they could suggest a suitable site for a bus hub. He would share the results of this consultation shortly. He expressed the hope that funding could be found for rural transport hubs.

Bob Menzies explained that the Western Orbital scheme was currently not in tranche 1, but that it was closely linked  by tranche 1 schemes.

Bob Menzies, Director of Strategy and Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, stated that Highways England were opposed to the inclusion of a bus only slip road on the hard shoulder of the M11. He also explained that whilst making a section of the M11 a “managed motorway” would improve traffic flow it could increase congestion closer to Cambridge, as many M11 journeys were local. Councillor Ian Bates recommended that the Executive Board contact Essex County Council to discuss the possible impact the M11 improvements would have on the southern parts of the motorway.

It was hoped  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8

To consider the attached report.

The Joint Assembly RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(a)        Notes the responses to the consultation on the Western Orbital bus infrastructure improvement scheme.

(b)        Agrees the next steps as set out in the report for the ongoing strategic assessment of the Western Orbital scheme as part of the City Deal programme to supported related potential Tranche 1 schemes.

(c)        Agrees to take a key role in working with Highways England to establish clear priorities along the M11 corridor and for these discussions to form part of the next report on the Western Orbital.

The Joint Assembly considered a revised version of the report which had been published as a supplement, summarising the outcomes of the consultation on possible future options for bus and cycle infrastructure improvements along the Western Orbital corridor.

Ashley Heller, Team Leader of Public Transport Projects at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the report and highlighted the following key messages received in response to the consultation exercise:

·         over 64% of respondents supported the need for public transport improvements along the corridor;

·         over 67% of respondents felt it was important or very important that cycling and pedestrian facilities were improved within this scheme;

·         the greatest support was given for option A, consisting of a route on the existing M11, with 61.8% supporting or strongly supporting this option;

·         53.4% of respondents supported or strongly supported option B, east of the M11;

·         the greatest opposition was shown for option C, west of M11, with 43.1% opposing or strongly opposing this option.

·         the majority of respondents supported the concept of Park and Ride, with the greatest support expressed for a new Park and Ride site at the Junction 11 exit of the M11, with 70.9% of respondents supporting or strongly supporting this option;

·         over 70% supported a Park and Ride and/or a Cycle and Ride at Junction 12 of the M11.

Mr Heller reported that the outcomes of the public consultation would form part of the ongoing strategic assessment of options.  He acknowledged that the Western Orbital scheme had a close link with the Cambourne to Cambridge Better Bus Journeys scheme on the A428.  This would be taken into account as part of ongoing assessment work which he expected to be complete by July 2017, at which time the Executive Board was programmed to make a final decision on options for detailed consultation on the Cambourne to Cambridge scheme.

Mr Heller highlighted the ongoing communication with Highways England in terms of its development proposals for the M11 motorway and anticipated that Highways England would provide further clarity on longer term measures to be taken on the M11 during 2017 when its next Route Investment Strategy was set out.  He expected the City Deal to engage at the highest levels with Highways England to influence this process.  In view of the timescales relating to Highways England’s decision-making in this respect, Mr Heller made the point that any significant decisions by the City Deal Executive Board on this scheme at this stage were not essential, particularly given that currently the Western Orbital scheme was an unfunded tranche 2 scheme.

Helen Bradbury, Chairman of the Local Liaison Forum, reported that the Forum had decided not to meet in order to consider this report since it did not put forward any recommendations on preferred options.  The Local Liaison Forum would instead meet on 17 January 2017 and give consideration to the report and, committing to circulate a full statement of discussions and any resolutions passed, asked that its recommendations be given due consideration in shaping the preferred options. 

With  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7