Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/8) outlining the proposed allocation for a two-year transport capital programme covering the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22 (excluding maintenance), attached.

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Greenslade, Hannaford and Hosking 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/20/8) outlining the proposed allocation for a two-year transport capital programme covering the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22 (excluding maintenance), 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 Transport Capital Programme continued to support economic development and the delivery of new housing and jobs. It aimed to balance the delivery of infrastructure so that it had a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions (in line with the climate emergency). Appendix II of the Report included an updated Transport Infrastructure Plan (TIP) setting out planned transport infrastructure investment for delivering growth in a low carbon environment.

The Integrated Transport Block (ITB) settlement from Government was currently set at an annual level of £3.6 million. The County Council had a strong track record of working with partners to secure significant levels of external funding from a range of different grant opportunities and it was expected that additional external funding would be needed to be added to the transport capital programme over the period 2020/21-2021/22 and also that there might be specific grant funding sources from Government relating to a range of initiatives including bus, rail, cycle and road giving opportunities to enhance the transport capital budget over the period 2020/21 - 2021/22, although the Cabinet Member confirmed these were currently on hold.

The Report outlined the various proposals and funding streams and the projects that had been delivered or were due to be delivered. In relation to the Growth Deal, the majority of projects had been completed, but the remaining projects to be delivered were the A382-A383 Houghton Barton Link Road at Newton Abbot, Marsh Barton Rail Station and the A39 Heywood Road junction improvement at Bideford.

In relation to the Large Local Majors Fund (LLM) and Major Road Network Fund (MRN), the Council was preparing a full business case for the delivery of Phase 1 of the A361\A39 North Devon Link Road project, with construction planned to commence in November 2020.

Other schemes included the Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal Construction works for delivering Phase 1 of the A382 Widening project between the A38 and Newton Abbot and a new Rail Station at Marsh Barton.

The Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) offered funding to local authorities for infrastructure to support the delivery of new homes across the Country. The Council had been successful in a Forward Fund bid for £55 million of grant funding to deliver key infrastructure that would support major development to the south west of Exeter. Marginal Viability HIF bids had also been awarded to five District authorities so the Council had been working with District partners on highway projects for the Cullompton Eastern Relief Road, the Dawlish Urban Extension Link Road, the A361 Landkey Junction on the NDLR and the final Phase 2 of the A361 junction for the Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension.

The National Productivity Investment Funded (NPIF) 2019/20 was the second year of a two-year NPIF funded capital programme to deliver highway infrastructure improvements at Sherford and in the East of Exeter growth area.  The Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone (for which East Devon District Council was the accountable body) was working towards the delivery of the Science Park and Park & Change project.

There was also a Safer Roads Fund (which opened in 2017) where Devon had two ‘high risk’ local ‘A roads’. The first being the A3121 (South Hams) and then the A3123 (North Devon). A bid was successful and work had progressed for the delivery of both schemes.

Last was the South Western Railway Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF), where £0.25m had been secured towards the cost of delivering a Pinhoe Rail station interchange.

The Report then outlined emerging Government Funding Schemes including Peninsula Transport (to work with the Department for Transport on strategic transport priorities for the region), Local Pinch Point Fund (PP) was a new tranche of competitive funding for local authorities to bid for schemes to help address congestion pinch points and reduce congestion on local roads (expressions of interest had been submitted to support various schemes including Dinan Way Extension and the E9 Strategic Cycle Rout, Exeter),  and a ‘Market Towns’ package for schemes such as highway and / or junction improvements and air quality improvements.

There was a ‘Restoring Your Railway Fund, and the Council had made a submission to re-open the Bere Alston to Tavistock rail line and the ‘Bus All-Electric Bus Town’ (part of the Government’s commitment to tackling air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions) and the intention was to submit an expression of interest for Exeter to support improvements to air quality along key corridors.

The Report then highlighted the sustainable transport infrastructure programme, which included proposals for an East-West Cycle Corridor bridge crossing of the A361 at Barnstaple and an A38 cycle bridge crossing between Sherford and Langage\Plympton. Promoting walking and cycling remained a core objective of the Local Transport Plan to deliver sustainable development and support the public health agenda, climate emergency and local economy.

The proposed Market and Coastal Towns and Rural Devon programme in Appendix I was heavily focussed on schemes that directly supported walking and cycling in the main market towns and there were a number of multiuuse trail routes within the proposed programme, for example, the Seaton to Colyford Multiuse Trail and Pegasus Way Bridleway\Multi-use Trail and missing links on the Tarka Trail, Drakes Trail and on the Ruby Way. There was also a programme related to bus public transport and systems to improve the passenger experience.

The package of schemes in the Report totalled £95.192 million across financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22, which included funding of £90.91 million from external sources including grants and developer contributions. £0.251 million would be added to the capital programme as per recommendation (b) and detailed in Appendix I.

An Environmental Impact Assessment had been carried out for the overall strategy contained in the Devon and Torbay Local Transport plan 2011-2026. The environmental impacts of individual schemes would be detailed in Cabinet or Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) reports where relevant.

The Cabinet Member for Infrastructure Development and Waste added that whilst it was

a difficult time to set the Capital Programme, it was important to keep developing projects that could be progressed once the situation returned to normality, and support Devon’s economy to recover.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Davis, SECONDED by Councillor Hughes, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the budgets be allocated to the Local Transport Plan (LTP) schemes, as set out in Appendix I to the Report;

(b) that approval be given to enhance the 2020/21 capital programme by £0.181 million and 2021/22 by £0.07 million, funded from developer contributions;

(c) that approval be given to enhance the 2020/21 capital programme for the Long Lane enhancement of £2.237 million and Pinhoe rail station interchange £0.15 million, once funding agreements have been finalised;

(d) that the amendments to the Integrated Block allocations be delegated to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Development and Waste and the Cabinet Member for Highway Management; and

(e) that the updated Transportation Infrastructure Plan, as set out in Appendix II of the Report, be approved.

[NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available at:  http://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/].