Agenda item

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

The Joint Assembly RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(a)        Notes the findings from the initial assessment and technical study.

(b)        Approves public consultation on the illustrative measures as set out in the report and as shown on the accompanying plans, and encourages all other ideas to be properly considered.

(c)        Agrees to receive a report on consultation in late spring of 2016 on a preferred set of measures.

Councillor Tim Bick, Chairman, agreed to facilitate the consideration of this item and the following item at minute number 6(b) in respect of Milton Road as one debate. 

Two reports were considered which set out a range of measures that had emerged from an initial technical study of Histon Road and Milton Road.  The reports explained the background to the development work in each case and sought approval to carry out a public consultation on these measures to inform the development of preferred proposals.

Stuart Walmsley, Head of Major Infrastructure Development at Cambridgeshire County Council, presented the two reports and reminded Members of the Assembly that these were well defined projects that had been within the County Council’s long term Transport Strategy for some time.  It was well known that the two routes suffered from congestion and that bus times along the routes were unreliable, with delays very frequent at bus stops and junctions.  City Deal schemes for the two routes provided an opportunity to look at them in a broader sense and consider a radical approach.  The width and geometry of the two roads changed quite dramatically, but officers were confident that they could develop options to provide the best possible mixture of solutions to support all modes of transport.

Mr Walmsley emphasised that these schemes would seek to include innovative and real-time ‘smart’ infrastructure and that there would be opportunities to incorporate this along the entire length of both routes.  He noted that there were issues from a public realm perspective, in terms of trees, grass verges and the environmental impact, all of which would be properly considered as part of the process moving forward.  The purpose of this initial consultation for both schemes was to understand what was achievable and acceptable along those corridors.  Subject to approval, consultation documentation was scheduled to be published in December 2015, with exhibitions to be held in January 2016.

Claire Ruskin proposed an amendment to recommendation (b) of both reports by adding the words ‘and encourages all other ideas to be properly considered’ at the end of the sentence to ensure that it was clear that all ideas would be given due consideration.  The Joint Assembly unanimously supported this proposal.

In answer to a question as to whether there was any danger of options for these schemes being unaffordable, it was noted that all options would be properly costed for delivery with the funding available.  Mr Walmsley highlighted that costs in relation to these two schemes would be high as a result of the anticipated complexities and issues that arose from working in urban areas, together with the technology and signals intended to be put in place.  Provision would be made in the costings of each option for contingencies and risk mitigation.

Responding to questions regarding the consultants appointed to lead these projects, Mr Walmsley reported that they had been appointed through a tendering process, with quality and cost being key specifications.  The chosen consultants had experience of working on similar projects and had demonstrated very good levels of engagement, leaving officers with no question that the right people had been appointed to lead these schemes.  He added, by way of reassurance, that Greater Cambridge City Deal transport schemes were attracting interest from high-quality, international consultants.

It was suggested that an aspect missing from the report was an understanding of what people were using these corridors for in terms of where they were travelling to and from.  Brian Stinton, Team Leader for Major Works from Cambridgeshire County Council, said that work was underway on traffic modelling to establish and identify the origin and destination of people using those routes.

It was noted that members of the public would appreciate specific dates in terms of when consultation processes were due to commence and when certain reports would be considered by the Joint Assembly and Executive Board.  Mr Walmsley acknowledged this point and confirmed that consultation documentation should be available for publication on 15 December 2015, with exhibitions taking place in the middle of January 2016 and an update report being submitted to the Executive Board on 16 June 2016.

Discussion ensued on the loss of trees and vegetation, specifically in relation to Milton Road but also the scheme at Histon Road and urban transport infrastructure schemes in general.  It was noted that Cambridge City Council, from a landscaping perspective, formed part of the stakeholder group and its expertise would be utilised to address this issue and help shape the project.  Councillor Maurice Leeke referred to a number of innovative measures that could be put in place to maintain or replace greenery or vegetation in such circumstances and suggested inviting an expert or consultant on landscaping to a future meeting of the Joint Assembly.  This was unanimously supported. 

During discussion it was agreed that further clarity  needed to be provided in the documentation that would be published as part of the public consultation regarding the dotted lines in the maps relating to potential bus routes, explaining what these represented, together with a definition of each of the ‘advisory’, ‘mandatory’ and ‘segregated’ cycleway categories.  It was also highlighted that cycling, as well as bus use, needed to be reflected as a priority as part of both projects.

The Joint Assembly unanimously RECOMMENDED that the Executive Board:

(a)        Notes the findings from the initial assessment and technical study.

(b)        Approves public consultation on the illustrative measures as set out in the report and as shown on the accompanying plans, and encourages all other ideas to be properly considered.

(c)        Agrees to receive a report on consultation in late spring of 2016 on a preferred set of measures.