Issue - meetings

With the assistance of a report by the Assistance Director, Environment, Growth and Planning, to consider a response to the public consultation exercise by the Highways Agency on the proposed A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme.

Authorised the Assistant Director, Environmental, Growth and Planning to respond to the Highways Agency reiterating that the District Council’s financial contribution would be conditional on the overall scheme including the removal of the Huntingdon Viaduct, the creation of an improved new local road network for Huntingdon and the construction works commencing by 2016 and stressing

that if the scheme has to include a tolling element, that this must be collected in a free-flow fashion and that the daily charge must be maintained at a level which is as low as possible at a lower end of the charging scale i.e. £1 for cars and £2 for HCV’s over an appropriate extended time period to be agreed between all the funding partners.

(Councillors Ms L Kadi? and R West were in attendance and spoke on this item)

With the aid of a report by the Assistant Director, Environment, Growth and Planning (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet considered the Council’s response to consultation by the Highways Agency on the proposed A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme.  The report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

By way of background, Members were advised that the Council’s response would be endorsed as part of the Highway Agency’s non-statutory public consultation exercise. A further statutory public consultation on the detailed design of the whole scheme would be undertaken in spring 2014.

Executive Councillors were reminded that the scheme would be supported by a local finance package of £100M comprising of contributions from various partners including the County Council and the local enterprise partnership, with the District Council contributing up to £5M over a 25 year period.  In that respect, Executive Councillors reiterated that the District Council’s financial contribution would be conditional on the overall scheme including the removal of the Huntingdon Viaduct, the creation of an improved new local road network for Huntingdon and the construction works commencing by 2016.

The Cabinet’s attention was drawn to a proposal to introduce a Toll Road between the A1/A14 junction and Swavesey.  Executive Councillors agreed that if the scheme has to include a tolling element, that this must be collected in a free-flow fashion and that the daily charge must be maintained at a level which is as low as possible at a lower end of the charging scale i.e. £1 for cars and £2 for HCV’s over an appropriate extended time period to be agreed between all the funding partners.

Councillors Kadi? and West addressed the Cabinet in support of the improvement scheme.  However, Councillor West was of the view that tolling would create an additional tax for residents. Reference was made by Councillor Kadi? to the need to effectively communicate the benefits of the scheme to residents as there was a general perception that local roads will become gridlocked.

Having expressed their support for the scheme and in noting that the Council would have a significant role to play in the determination of the Development Consent Order application which it was hoped would be given approval in late 2014, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

that the Assistant Director, Environmental, Growth and Planning be authorised to respond to the Highways Agency along the lines described in the foregoing preamble and paragraphs 11.5 and 11.6 of the report relating to funding and tolling.

To receive a report from the Assistant Director of Environment, Growth and Planning on the A14 Improvements.

(The following item was admitted by the Chairman as a late urgent item under Section 100B (3) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 to enable the Council to meet the public consultation deadline).

(Councillor N J Guyatt, Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing, was in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered a report by the Assistant Director, Environment, Growth and Planning (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking endorsement of a draft response to a consultation being undertaken by the Highways Agency on the proposed A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme. The consultation period ended on 13th October 2013.

By way of background, the Transport Team Leader reported that the Highway Agency was conducting a non-statutory public consultation exercise on the scheme. A further statutory public consultation would be undertaken in spring 2014 and the construction works were planned to commence in late 2016. An explanation was then delivered of the proposals for the A14 from Ellington heading eastwards and from the A1 at Alconbury heading south. Members’ attention was drawn to a number of key issues arising from the proposals including the introduction of a Toll Road between the A1/A14 junction and Swavesey. It was further noted that the Council would have a significant role to play in the determination of the Development Consent Order application which it was hoped would be given approval in late 2014.

In response to a question by a Member, it was confirmed that the Highways Agency would be responsible for the removal of the Huntingdon Viaduct. Following further questions about traffic near Brampton, the Transport Team Leader reported that the overall intention was to avoid creating any new traffic movements.

RESOLVED

  that the Cabinet be recommended to

(a)  inform the Highways Agency of the Council’s support for the A14 improvements scheme as proposed, reiterating that the Council’s approved local financial contribution would be conditional upon the overall scheme including the removal of the Huntingdon Viaduct and the creation of an improved new local road network for Huntingdon, with construction works commencing by 2016; and

(b)  further inform the Highways Agency that if the scheme is to include a tolling element, this must be collected in a free-flow fashion and the daily charge must be maintained at a level which is as low as possible (to be agreed) at the lower end of the charging scale i.e. £1 for cars and £2 for HCV’s over an appropriate extended time period to be agreed between all the funding partners.