Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/11) seeking approval to proceed with submission of Final Business Case, Tender Award & Construction for the A361/A39 North Devon Link Road South Molton to Bideford, attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at this meeting.

(Councillors Biederman, Connett, Dewhirst, Greenslade, Hannaford and Whitton) attended remotely in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/11) seeking approval to proceed with submission of a Final Business Case, Tender Award & Construction for the A361/A39 North Devon Link Road South Molton to Bideford,

the Report having been 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 Report outlined the work that had been undertaken since the approval of the Cabinet Report (PTE/19/20) on 15th May 2019 and also the need for final approval for the Scheme to progress through the final stage required by the Department for Transport (DfT) for Local Majors Funding – the Full Business Case (FBC).

The Council proposed to submit the Full Business Case in summer 2020 and, pending approval from the DfT, award contracts to the preferred contractor(s) to build the Scheme, which had been developed over a period of 6 years, with inception beginning in 2014. A Plan of the final scheme was shown in full at Appendix A of the Report.

The Full Business Case outlined the strategic, commercial, management, economic and financial and viability of the Scheme as detailed in The Scheme Plan and other documents outlined on The Scheme website at https://www.devon.gov.uk/ndlr/.

The Report outlined the detail for the award of the main works contract, the award of three minor works contracts (Buckleigh, Heywood Road & Westleigh), the award of Bishop’s Tawton contract and also the design for the pedestrian and cycle bridge at Landkey, shown at Appendix B.

They key dates included the submission of the Full Business Case by August 2020 with a decision and the appointment of contractor in Winter 2020. Advance works would commence in Winter 2020 with the main works in Spring/Summer 2021. Minor junction improvements would continue throughout with the Bishop’s Tawton Junction anticipated completion in 2022 and full scheme opening in 2023. The Cabinet Member for Infrastructure Development and Waste commented that advanced tree planting works had already taken place.

A number of consultations had been undertaken over the course of the project and the results of those consultations could be found on The Scheme website.

The total estimated Scheme cost was £93 million, largely funded by the Department for Transport. However, as was standard practice a local contribution was required. £5 million would be provided by the Council (from the capital programme), and the other £5 million covered by North Devon and Torridge District Councils via Section 106 Developer Contributions and also the Local Transport Plan grant (which was £1 million).

An Environmental Impact Assessment had been submitted for the Scheme as part of the planning application process, which received no statutory objections.  The majority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 521