Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/9) seeking approval to proceed to tender and construction on the Seaton to Colyford Multi-Use Trail, attached.

In progressing this particular scheme / proposal, an Impact Assessment has been prepared which is attached and also available on the Council’s website at Seaton to Colyford Multi-Use Trail - February 2023 - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk).

RESOLVED

(a) that the preferred scheme, as shown in Appendix 1, to proceed to tender and construction at an estimated cost of £1,234,376 be approved; and

(b) that the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport be given delegated powers, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highway Management and the local Member, to make minor amendments to the scheme details.

(Councillors Brazil 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/23/9) seeking approval to proceed to tender and construction of the Seaton to Colyford Multi-Use Trail, 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 Seaton to Colyford Multi-Use Trail proposed to link the communities of Seaton and Colyford with a safe, direct and attractive path which was accessible for all. The route between the settlements was designated as part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 2, which included the Exe Estuary Trail and connected the East Devon market and coastal towns of Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Seaton and Axminster through to the Dorset border and onwards to Portsmouth.

Whilst the majority of the existing NCN2 between Seaton and Colyford consisted of high-quality off-road provision, there was a missing gap which currently diverted users onto a section of road, unsuitable for families and less confident cyclists. The scheme proposed to complete this section of the route with a parallel and off-road shared use path, delivering approximately 3km of high-quality, safe and attractive cycle route suitable for all ages between Seaton and Colyford.

A planning application had been approved in September 2011 and Compulsory Purchase Orders for the required land successfully secured in 2021, therefore the Council was in a position to construct the link during the summer of 2023.

The Proposed Route was outlined in full at Appendix 1 and explained fully in paragraph 3, and the new path would bypass the on-road section. The specific route proposed was supported in the Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 3, 2011-2026 and the Council’s own Cycling and Multi-Use Trail Network Strategy prioritised the Seaton to Colyford Multi-Use Trail, as did the 2021 update.  The route also aligned with the vision of the future for Seaton, as set out in the adopted East Devon Local Plan 2013 - 2031.

The Report also explained why other options had been rejected for example the Eastern Route, shared use provision along Seaton/Colyford Road and the existing route along Seaton/Colyford Road.

The proposals were well-aligned with a range of Strategic Plan priorities and the table in the Report summarised how the proposals would impact achievement of relevant Strategic Plan actions according to a seven-point scale.

The financial considerations were outlined in section 7 of the Report and how the scheme was being funded, including the potential of a successful bid to the Active Travel Fund Tranche 4 which would reduce the LTP funding required.

In progressing this particular scheme / proposal, an Impact Assessment had been prepared which had been circulated with the agenda and was also available on the Council’s website at Seaton to Colyford Multi-Use Trail - February 2023 - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk). The proposals were expected to enable people to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 294