Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Kreis Viersen Room - Cambridgeshire County Council. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services  03450 450 500 Email: democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

Decision:

There were no apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of interest from members of the Executive Board.

Decision:

There were no declarations of interest other than those already recorded on Members’ Declaration of Interest forms.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest other than those already recorded on the Members’ Declaration of Interest form.

3.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 220 KB

To authorise the Executive Board to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 20th  September 2017 as a correct record.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

The minutes of the meeting held on 20th September 2017 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 20th September 2017 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson.

4.

Questions from Members of the Public pdf icon PDF 190 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Councillor Tim Bick, member of the GCP Joint Assembly, addressed the Executive Board under this item. The Executive Board RECEIVED and responded to public questions as part of agenda items 7 and 9.

Minutes:

12 public questions had been submitted, 8 of which were accepted for the meeting as they related to reports on the agenda. The Executive Board RECEIVED and responded to these public questions as part of agenda items 7 and 9. The questions and answers are included as an appendix to the minutes.

 

Councillor Tim Bick, member of the GCP Joint Assembly, addressed the Executive Board under this item. He expressed concern that the GCP had lost sight of its original aspiration to transform public transport access and that the GCP was not serious about deterring use of private vehicles in the city. He asked when demand management would be grasped and when would it be opened up to properly informed public debate. In response to this,  Executive Board members made the following points:

·         The feedback that came out of the ‘Big Conversation’ consultation would be considered.

·         A package of measures was needed to reduce the number of cars and diesel vehicles coming into the city to tackle congestion and air pollution.

·         The Board was still committed to reducing traffic in the city by 10% based on 2011 levels.

·         It was premature to say what the consultants Steer Davis Gleave, who were conducting the rapid mass transit options appraisal, would recommend.

·         It was advised that business could not deal with sudden changes so a planned approach was needed to enable businesses to adapt while still carrying out their business.

·         Intelligent congestion charging could perhaps form part of a coherent transport strategy, to generate an income stream to improve public transport and sustain this in order to get more people to use public transport rather than their cars.

·         The Chairman advised that full congestion charging was deeply unpopular with some residents, particularly those living outside the City, and that two South Cambridgeshire District Council resolutions against this had been passed. Public buy-in was needed for whatever was taken forward, which took time.

·         The Executive Board advised that the City Access Strategy was to be discussed at its meeting in March 2018, with public debate starting then.

5.

Overview from the Joint Assembly Chairman's report pdf icon PDF 157 KB

Decision:

The Executive Board RECEIVED an overview report on discussions from  the meeting of the Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly held on Thursday 2nd November 2017.

Minutes:

The Executive Board RECEIVED a report from the Chairman of the GCP Joint Assembly, which gave an overview of discussions from the meeting of the Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly, held on Thursday 2nd November 2017. The Joint Assembly Chairman welcomed this approach to the Joint Assembly reporting to the Executive Board and hoped that it would continue. The Joint Assembly welcomed the recommendations being presented to the Executive Board, which reflected that the views of the Joint Assembly had been taken into account.

 

The Executive Board was informed that a meeting had been arranged to take place in early December, between the Chairperson of the Western Orbital LLF and the Executive Board Transport Portfolio Holder. This was to discuss the responses to the LLF resolutions made at both its September and November 2017 meetings.

6.

A1307 Three Campuses to Cambridge pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To consider the attached report.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously to:

 

      i.        Note the revised options and strategies resulting from the work with the Local Liaison Forum (LLF).

 

     ii.        Note the increased cost of the strategies, more than the £39m previously estimated, as a result of additional options.

 

    iii.        Approve the withdrawal of existing park and ride proposals at Babraham Village and Wild Country Organics pending new larger sites being identified.

 

   iv.        Public consultation on the three strategies subject to Strategy 1 being considered as an off-road public transport corridor; with the most appropriate mode being the subject of further consideration and consultation at a later stage of scheme development following the outcome of this consultation.

 

    v.        Consultation to aim to begin in February 2018 following discussion with the Mayor and Combined Authority on the content of the consultation.

 

   vi.        Delegate authority to the Transport Director to approve public consultation materials in conjunction with the Chair and the Transport Portfolio Holder.

 

  vii.        Approve environmental surveys to be carried out starting in January 2018 to meet seasonal windows for species.

 

 viii.        Authorise officers to progress the design and planning of lower cost works within the public highway not requiring consents for early delivery, subject to consultation.

 

   ix.        To rename the project ‘Cambridge South East Transport Study’ and ask the Local Liaison Forum to endorse this.

Minutes:

Councillor Tony Orgee, Chairman of the A1307 Local Liaison Forum (LLF), updated the Executive Board on the work of the LLF:

·         Five workshops had taken place to develop options for the A1307 Haverhill to Cambridge corridor. 200 ideas had come forward which were grouped into 40 proposals. Three of the workshops looked at specific sections of the A1307.

·         The three strategies set out in the officer report to the Executive Board had been developed by the LLF and had been presented at its meeting in September 2017. Councillor Orgee explained that all three strategies were identical between Fourwentways and Haverhill. The LLF agreed that all three strategies should be consulted on. Councillor Orgee emphasised that this did not mean that LLF members supported all three schemes.

·         Councillor Orgee urged that the work on the A1307 Haverhill to Cambridge corridor should not be seen in isolation from the other work of the GCP and that the work of the GCP should not be seen in isolation from the work of other organisations, such as the Combined Authority and the Chamber of Commerce in Haverhill.

·         Once consultation was over, the LLF urged that work on the uncontentious section which was common to all three strategies be progressed with as quickly as possible.

·         Councillor Orgee supported the removal of the park and ride sites from the consultation.

 

The Executive Board Chairman noted and thanked Councillor Orgee for his update and thanked the LLF on behalf of the Executive Board for their work.

 

The title of the project was discussed. The Executive Board Chairman proposed the name ‘Cambridge South East Transport Study’, which the LLF Chairman supported. The Executive Board asked the LLF to endorse the proposed new title.

 

The GCP Interim Director of Transport presented the report and the three strategies detailed within it. He drew the Board’s attention to the cost implications of the three strategies. Strategy 2 and 3 were similar in cost however Strategy 1 was circa £145 million, but was more future proof than the other two strategies.

 

 The following points of clarification were provided:

·         Strategy 2 did not reference mode shift while the other two strategies did.

·         The Executive Board was informed that the economic benefit of the £145 million spend on Strategy 1, was estimated to be £280-320 million.

·         Environmental surveys would look at the presence of any protected species and ecologies. These surveys could only be carried out at certain times of the year and could not be carried out during the Spring and Summer. The survey data would then allow an environmental impact assessment to be carried out by specialists in environmental assessment.

·         The public consultation would present the modelling of journey time savings clearly.

 

The report was discussed and debated, with the Executive Board making the following points:

·         Members advised that Addenbrooke’s Hospital needed to be closely engaged with and that views of staff on the Biomedical Campus needed to be taken into account.

·         The Biomedical Campus’ masterplan exercise needed to be factored in.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Western Orbital pdf icon PDF 695 KB

To consider the attached report.

Decision:

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously to:

 

      i.        Proceed with a Full Outline Business Case for a new Park and Ride site west of Junction 11 of the M11 and associated access/bus priority measures North West, as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report. The Park and Ride site to be based on the emerging Travel Hub concept.

 

     ii.        Not proceed with Park and Cycle at Junction 12 of the M11 for the reasons given in the report but AGREED to the identification of a pilot park and cycle scheme which has the potential to be expanded if successful.

 

    iii.        Remove the remit for Junction 11 from the Cambourne to Cambridge Local Liaison Forum and approve the setting up of a site specific consultation group.

Minutes:

Helen Bradbury, Chairman of the Western Orbital Local Liaison Forum, was invited to address the Executive Board. She brought the following points to their attention:

1.    Process – the LLF requested that more timebe given between the publication of end stage reports and the timing of the subsequent Joint Assembly meeting so that it could better feed its recommendations, concerns and suggestions into the decision-making process. The timing structure made it difficult for the Joint Assembly to take account of the LLF’s views and consequently the LLF did not believe that its views,recommendations and suggestions were given adequate consideration. The LLF Chairman explained the considerable amount of work that needed to be done by the LLF in the time between reports being published and Joint Assembly meetings taking place. This had been particularly difficult for the LLF in September 2017 with a large number of documents to consider in 12 days between publication of the Joint Assembly papers and the subsequent meeting. The LLF therefore asked that the Executive Board recommend that an extra week be given between the publication of relevant end stage reports and the timing of the subsequent Joint Assembly meeting, to enable the LLF to carry out its relevant business within a reasonable timescale before the meeting.

2.    The park and ride at junction 11 – The LLF believed more information was needed and more options needed to be put forward to them in order to provide a considered response. The LLF queried why other locations around junction 11 had been rejected.  The LLF acknowledged the importance of adequate park and ride provision near junction 11 of the M11 however had serious reservations about both the potential expansion of Trumpington park and ride and the potential development of a new park and ride on the Hauxton side of the M11. Regarding the potential expansion of the Trumpington park and ride, the LLF was concerned about visual impact on the local community, the impact on the local network if it was significantly expanded, what would happen during construction and the value for money per new parking space. Regarding the potential for a new park and ride site at Hauxton, the LLF was concerned about the impact of this on Hauxton and Harston villages, the effect on traffic through these already congested villages, access to the new site and further erosion of the green belt buffer between Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire villages. The LLF had passed a resolution at its 17 June 2017 meeting that the new park and ride should be sited before congestion began and as a general principal that new transport infrastructure should not be allowed to urbanise villages surrounding the city or unduly damage the city’s greenbelt.

The LLF requested the following:

a.    Following the meeting with Councillor Bates which had been arranged for early December, a written response to the questions the LLF asked of the GCP at its 11 September 2017 meeting.

b.    A written response to the LLF’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Histon Road pdf icon PDF 457 KB

To consider the attached report.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously:

 

      i.        To note the Histon Road Local Liaison Forum resolutions set out in Appendix 2 of the report and agree the responses set out therein and the resultant actions set out in Section 4.

 

     ii.        That officers should work up and model a revised concept design for Histon Road that aims to provide bus priority through softer measures and which goes further to provide improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, to be brought back for Board approval in March 2018.

 

 

    iii.        To note the next steps in project delivery set out in paragraph 6.1 of the report.

Minutes:

Councillor Mike Todd-Jones, Chairman of the Histon Road Local Liaison Forum, was invited to speak. He gave an overview of the LLF’s resolutions which were detailed in the appendix to the officer report for this agenda item, and thanked officers for their support of the process from which these had resulted. The LLF was supportive of a holistic approach to the redesign of junctions along Histon Road and recognised the capacity and physical constraints of the road in terms of what could be achieved.

 

Referring to this agenda item, Phil Allmendinger informed the Board that he was a resident of Gilbert Road.

 

The Interim Director of Transport presented the report, which was discussed by the Executive Board who raised the following points:

·         The Executive Board acknowledged the concern expressed by the Joint Assembly regarding Histon Road.

·         The Executive Board was informed that following preliminary analysis of the scheme, the cost/benefit ratio was positive. Officers were confident that improvements to public transport along the road could be made while maintaining cycling provision.

·         A final concept design would be developed and consulted on in June or July 2018. The Chairman asked for the public consultation to be launched before summer 2018 if possible.

·         Executive Board members indicated support for the proposals and recognised that there was not the space along Histon Road for an uncontested major intervention.

·         Executive Board members supported the improvement of cycling infrastructure on Histon Road, advising that this was a major cycleway across the city to the guided busway but that it was a dangerous cycle route in its current format due to the width constraints of the road.

·         The proposals offered benefits for local residents as well as significant benefits for the wider transport network.

·         There were four schools around Histon Road, with children using the roads leading to it. Concern was expressed for the safety of these children cycling, as well as for commuters. The LLF was encouraged to engage strongly with these schools.

·         It was felt that parking needed to be addressed in the southern part of the road.

·         The Executive Board thanked the LLF for their work.

 

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously:

 

      i.        To note the Histon Road Local Liaison Forum resolutions set out in Appendix 2 of the report and agree the responses set out therein and the resultant actions set out in Section 4.

 

     ii.        That officers should work up and model a revised concept design for Histon Road that aimed to provide bus priority through softer measures and which went further to provide improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, to be brought back for Board approval in March 2018.

 

    iii.        To note the next steps in project delivery set out in paragraph 6.1 of the report.

9.

Quarterly Progress Report pdf icon PDF 1013 KB

To consider the attached report.

Decision:

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously:

 

      i.        To ask Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire County Councils to undertake a joint study for the completion of the final stretch of the A10 Cambridge to Royston pedestrian and cycle route, to feed into the GCP’s future investment strategy prioritisation process.

 

     ii.        To make up to £1.75M contribution to the development phase of Cambridge South Station, with up to £8.25M from other national and local partners.

 

    iii.        To allocate 50% (£531,000) of the lost annual income resulting form the removal of the £1 parking charge at Park and Ride sites in the GCP area, from 1st April 2018 and to review this at the end of 2019/2020.

 

   iv.        To commission a feasibility study into upgrading the Girton Interchange and to allocate up to £100,000 towards the cost of the study.

 

    v.        To make a £50,000 contribution to a feasibility study into rail capacity in Cambridgeshire, in partnership with Network Rail, Cambridgeshire County Council and the Combined Authority.

 

   vi.        That new financial pressures will be built into the budget.

Minutes:

The Chairman invited Edward Leigh, Dr Ashley Easter, Sambor Czarnawski-Iliev, Cllr Susan van de Ven and Dr Michael Prior-Jones to ask their questions. Details of the questions and a summary of the answers given are set out in Appendix A to the minutes. Dr Easter was not present at the meeting so would receive a written response to his question.

 

The final section of the A10 Cambridge to Royston cycleway was discussed:

·         Clarity was needed regarding what Hertfordshire County Council was prepared to contribute to the project to complete the cycleway, with joint working required between Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire County Councils to deliver this.

·         The Executive Board was informed that the remaining part of the cycleway crossed the A505 and required a path to reach the A505 and a bridge to cross it to be delivered at the same time. Hertfordshire County Council had carried out a feasibility study for a new bridge and had said they would commit to lifetime maintenance of a bridge once constructed.

·         A business case needed to be presented by officers to the Executive Board before a decision could be made. The Executive Board’s Transport Portfolio Holder suggested a joint outline business case be developed by Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire County Councils.

·         The Interim Chief Executive advised that as the GCP was already over committed on tranche 1 funding, this project could not be delivered as part of this. It was advised that a business case be developed for the GCP’s consideration for its future investment strategy.

·         The Executive Board was advised that the Local Enterprise Partnership was supportive of greenways and other cycling schemes and that this project was an opportunity to allow expansion and growth of the area by enabling skills to be brought into it through the use of a cycleway.

 

The Interim Chief Executive presented the quarterly progress report and informed the Board that central government had confirmed an accelerated timeline for the delivery of Cambridge South Station.

 

Cambridge South Station was discussed by the Board:

·         The Vice Chairman expressed disappointment at the lack of clarity from central government regarding East/West rail and expressed concern regarding their commitment to the delivery of Cambridge South Station.

·         The Interim Chief Executive informed the Board of central government’s announcement regarding Cambridge South Station and advised that there was commitment to deliver this. The Board was informed that the Department of Transport would lead on the development phase of Cambridge South Station. A legal agreement was to be signed regarding how the GCP was working with the Department of Transport to deliver it.

·         The GCP’s Transport Portfolio Holder advised that clarity was needed regarding whether Cambridge South Station sat separately from East/West rail and that one organisation should deliver Cambridge South Station. The Interim Chief Executive advised that the development phase would provide clarity  regarding this.

 

The Park and Ride Subsidy was discussed:

·         The Interim Transport Director informed the Board that since the County Council had introduced the park and ride parking charge, usage of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Date of Next Meeting

Thursday 8th February 2018, Council Chamber, South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne.

Decision:

The Executive Board NOTED that the next meeting would take place on Thursday 8th February 2018 in the Council Chamber at South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne.

Minutes:

Mark Reeve informed the Board that this would be his last public GCP meeting as he was standing down as Chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership on 19th  December 2017. The LEP Board meeting on 19th December will consider his replacement. The Executive Board thanked Mark for his valuable contributions to it representing the business community, which had been gratefully received.

 

The Executive Board NOTED that the next meeting would take place on Thursday 8th February 2018 in the Council Chamber at South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne.