Agenda item

Quarterly Progress Report

Minutes:

County Councillor Susan van de Ven was invited to speak as local member on the A10 Melbourn to Royston cycle link. She updated the Joint Assembly on the progress made on the A10 cycle link, 75% of which was complete. The final segment to be completed would connect Melbourn to Royston. This would require a bridge with footings in two different counties. Hertfordshire County Council had funded a feasibility study and North Hertfordshire District Council had committed £55,000 towards funding the final section of the route. Big businesses  were also contributing financially to this. The current position was very positive and Councillor van de Ven hoped that the GCP could push for the final stretch of the cycle route to be completed. The Chairman thanked Councillor van de Ven for her update.

 

The GCP’s Head of Strategy and Programme presented the report which updated the Joint Assembly on progress across the GCP programme.

 

In response to a question asked at the last meeting. The  Joint Assembly was informed that smart panels had been situated in the following locations:

·         The West Cambridge site (two panels)

·         Shire Hall

·         Cowley Road

·         South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne

·         AstraZeneca

·         Anglia Ruskin University.

 

It was also intended to provide a smart panel at Cambridge North Station and discussions were taking place with the station’s operator about this.

 

Responding to a second question asked at the last meeting, the Joint Assembly was informed that data was not collected on the average age of apprentices. Information was collected by age ranges; 16-18, 19-24 and over 25s. In the previous financial year, 46.6% of apprentices were in the over 25s age category; 29% were in the 19-24 category and 24% were aged 16-18. It was noted that the GCP should be in a position to appoint an apprenticeships service provider in November 2018.

 

Joint Assembly members made the following comments:

·         Councillor Massey informed officers that she had tried to use a wayfinder outside Cambridge Station but had been unable to find an option to change the language from English and had found that the map did not work. The direction sign was inaccurate and could mislead those that were not familiar with Cambridge. She referred to directional stones on the pavement in Peterborough and wondered if this was an option for Cambridge.

·         Councillor Topping requested that further information be provided in the Transport Delivery Overview on the more immediate projects rather than detail about projects due in 2023.

·         Regarding the Transport Delivery Overview, Heather Richards suggested it would be useful to see the projected design, construction and completion periods of the projects. This would enable the Joint Assembly to talk about the potential impact of projects and to enable a better view of the bigger picture.

·         Councillor Bick queried what else was happening on skills in addition to the apprenticeships tender. In response to this the Joint Assembly was informed that the GCP was considering what else could be done on skills with the budget available, in addition to the apprenticeships service.

·         Dr Wells suggested it would be useful to outline the forecast total cost of projects and forecast cash flow.

 

The Joint Assembly noted the progress across  the GCP programme and the update on the A10 Melbourn to Royston Cycle Link and the Arbury Road Cross City Cycling Scheme. In summing up, the Chairperson highlighted Members’ requests for more information around projected design/construction/completion periods of projects and detail around immediate projects rather than those due in 2023.

 

 

Supporting documents: