Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Development on the proposed upgrading of the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet.

Support the adoption of the ‘Orange’ route, subject to any final alignment of a route east of St. Neots and confirmation that the existing A428 will be retained as a local road along its whole length between the A1 and Caxton Gibbet as outlined at Sec. 5.1.

Support proposals for Black Cat roundabout in accordance with Option C that provides a free-flow route for the A421/A428 and the A1 through this junction, as well as providing and all movements arrangements within the junction.

Advise Highways England that any support is conditional on ‘future-proofing’ any A1 improvement scheme and that the current scheme would not prejudice or prevent that future route improvement.

Determine that this route will eventually form part of the wider Oxford to Cambridge Expressway scheme and that nothing emerging in terms of the design of this scheme must prejudice the wider Expressway proposals.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Development (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) on consultation by Highways England on proposed upgrading of the A428 between Black Cat roundabout at the A1 and Caxton Gibbet at the A1198. Executive Councillors discussed the ways in which the improvements would support growth in the St Neots area. They also took into consideration their links with the A1 East of England Strategic Study.

Having noted the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economy and Growth), on the grounds that the Orange route would result in there being significantly fewer cars on the A428 compared with the other two options, it was

RESOLVED

a)  that, subject to any final alignment of a route east of St. Neots and confirmation that the existing A428 will be retained as a local road along its whole length between the A1 and Caxton Gibbet as outlined in Section 5.1 of the report now submitted, the adoption of the ‘Orange’ route be supported;

b)  that proposals for Black Cat roundabout in accordance with Option C that provides a free-flow route for the A421/A428 and the A1 through this junction, as well as providing and all movements arrangements within the junction be supported;

c)  that Highways England be advised that any support is conditional on ‘future-proofing’ any A1 improvement scheme and that the current scheme would not prejudice or prevent that future route improvement, and

d)  that the route will eventually form part of the wider Oxford to Cambridge Expressway scheme and nothing emerging in terms of the design of this scheme must prejudice the wider Expressway proposals.

At 7.21pm Councillor Mrs A Dickinson took her seat at the meeting.

Members are to receive a report on the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Road Improvements.

With the aid of a report by the Planning Service Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Road Improvements was presented to the Panel. The Executive Councillor for Growth explained to Members that the decision to support a particular route and junction option will feed into the consultation by Highways England which will then inform the decision made by the Secretary of State for Transport.

The Panel was informed that Officers recommend that the Orange Route is the preferred route of the A428 and that Options A or C are the preferred options for the Black Cat roundabout. The Members support the recommendations of Officers particularly Options A or C at the Black Cat roundabout as that will allow the free flow of traffic on both the A1 and the A428.

In response to the question will the existing A428 remain as a local road, the Panel was informed that the details haven’t been published yet however the Executive Councillor for Growth expects that there will be a junction separating the new A428 from the existing A428.

A Member queried the necessity of the previous improvement work on the Black Cat roundabout and asked if it was necessary in light of the new scheme. In response the Panel was informed that the recent improvement work was a short term solution. In addition, depending on the option selected by Highways England in relation to the A1 project, the Black Cat roundabout may or may not be altered and therefore the recent improvement work could be deemed as necessary.

Following a question regarding the environmental impact of the scheme, Members were informed that by selecting options which allow for the free flow of traffic would means that cars are polluting less.

The Panel support the recommendations however they don’t want to see anything to the determent of the A1 scheme. The Executive Councillor for Growth stated that Highways England are attempting to get the A1 study to catch up with the A428 scheme so that they can be progress concurrently.