Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/2) on the South West Exeter Housing Infrastructure Fund Project update and Alphington enhancements scheme, attached.
An Impact Assessment has been prepared for Members at the meeting, is attached and can be found at - https://www.devon.gov.uk/impact/south-west-exeter-housing-infrastructure-fund-hif/
Additional documents:
Decision:
RESOLVED
(a) that the progress on the South West Exeter Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) projects be noted;
(b) that the HIF package of Alphington village enhancements, Exeter, as shown in Appendix 3 of the Report, for construction at an estimated cost of £486,000, be approved;
(c) that the advertisement of any necessary Traffic Regulation Orders be agreed and approve the making and sealing of the order if no objections are received; and
(d) that the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highway Management and Local Member, to make minor amendments to the scheme, as required.
Minutes:
(Councillors Connett, Leaver and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).
The Cabinet considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/2) on the South West Exeter Housing Infrastructure Fund Project update and Alphington enhancements scheme, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
The Cabinet noted that as set out in previous Cabinet reports, South West Exeter was a strategic allocation of 2,500 dwellings and 21.5 hectares of employment land within the administrative areas of Teignbridge District Council and Exeter City Council. It was a complex site, with a number of constraints including a key arterial road (the A379), proximity to the Exe Estuary Special Protection Area, difficult topography and multiple land ownership and the development required a significant amount of infrastructure to enable it to come forward.
The infrastructure to be delivered included, four signal junctions on the A379, realignment of Chudleigh Road, Devon Hotel roundabout upgrade, Alphington enhancements, school access road, pedestrian / cycle bridge, suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANGS), new electricity substation, community building to include a GP surgery and southern spine road.
The Report updated on the progress with infrastructure developments including the delivery of two new signal junctions, the new pedestrian / cycle bridge and opening of the first phases of the SANGS. Works had also started on site in September 2023 for the third signal junction as well as improvements to the Devon Hotel roundabout. Planning permission had been granted for the new community building and GP surgery. The impact of this had seen over 250 dwellings completed, including over 60 affordable homes, and over 400 further dwellings currently under construction.
An initial consultation was carried out on proposals for enhancements in Alphington from December 2021 to January 2022 to address concerns about impacts of additional development traffic travelling through the village. From this, a consultation report had been produced and could be viewed at https://www.devon.gov.uk/swexeter/documents-and-plans/highway-works
An additional consultation was held in July 2023 and the Report summarised the views received could be viewed in Appendix 2. On this feedback, the Report recommended progressing the enhancements shown in Appendix 3 (proposals 1, 2c, 4, 5 and 6) at an estimated cost of £486,000.
Other opportunities were presented within the consultation which were not recommended to be taken forward due to the overwhelming lack of local support and more limited wider benefits, which are shown in Appendix 2 (proposals 2a, 2b and 2d, proposal 3 and 7).
The scheme was well aligned to a range of the Strategic Plan priorities by prioritising sustainable travel to encourage more sustainable lifestyles and giving people opportunity to increase their physical activity. The table at section 7 of the Report summarised how the proposals would impact achievement of relevant Strategic Plan actions according to a seven-point scale.
The Cabinet noted that the HIF funding was a capital grant to the Local ... view the full minutes text for item 456