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Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/21/20), attached.

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

(a) that approval be given for the Council to work with the District Councils (excepting iii) to submit bids to the Government’s “Levelling Up Fund” (LUF) in June 2021, for the following schemes:

                  i. Okehampton - new rail station & transport hub

                  ii. Cullompton - Town Centre Relief Road

iii. Exmouth - Completion of Dinan Way and Town Centre improvements (County bid)

iv. Teign Estuary Trail and associated cycle links

v. Lee Mill - Slip road and associated local improvements

 

(b) that the Levelling Up Fund bids be submitted with a total estimated cost of £92m incorporating a contribution of up to £5.7m from Devon County Council;

 

(c) that approval be granted to enter into any funding agreements required to secure the funding or any part of it, with authority being delegated to the Head of Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, to negotiate and enter into those agreements;

 

(d) that delegated approval be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, in consultation with the Local Member and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, to make minor amendments to the bid submissions.

Minutes:

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Hannaford and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

(Councillor’s Connett and Dewhirst declared personal interests in this matter by virtue of being Leader and Deputy Leader respectively of Teignbridge District Council).

 

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/21/20) on the Government’s Levelling Up Fund which had 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 Department for Transport, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Treasury were planning to invest £4.8 billion in high-value local infrastructure. It’s intention was to support investment in places where it could make the biggest difference to everyday life. The Levelling Up Fund (LUF) was to be distributed as a capital grant, as part of the Government’s broader offer to level up opportunity across the UK.

 

The Report highlighted that work had taken place with key stakeholders and a programme of schemes identified which covered a range of transport modes and spread the bids over a wide geography covering a number of key Market Towns.

 

The Report identified five projects including a rail station, a strategic multi-use trail and three highway schemes, with associated pedestrian/cycle improvements aimed at reducing the impact of traffic on sensitive residential areas and town centres.

 

Each scheme would demonstrate a net gain in biodiversity, a reduction in carbon and air quality improvements. The total cost of the programme was approximately £92m which included £74.3m in capital grant, £12m from other contributions and a contribution of £5.7m from the Council. Section 7 of the Report outlined the cost of each scheme and the proposed contributions of the Council, District Councils and monies required from the Levelling up Fund.

 

The proposals included a West Devon Transport Hub in Okehampton which would include a new rail station close to the emerging development and the junction off the A30 to the east of Okehampton and working with Mid Devon District Council to submit a bid for Cullompton Town Centre Relief Road (CTCRR). The scheme had recently received planning permission.

 

The third scheme was in Exmouth to submit a package bid which included the Dinan Way extension and the Cabinet Member clarified this scheme would be a County Council bid, rather than a joint bid as initially referred to in the Report.

 

Also, a scheme of work with Teignbridge District Council to make a bid for the Teign Estuary Trail. Development work on the trail was progressing well with a massively positive response to the consultation.

 

The last scheme related to Lee Mill and the Council would submit a bid for a new Lee Mill eastbound slip road, a bus gate on the existing A38 slip road and improvements for cyclists/pedestrians.

 

Numerous discussions and consultations had taken place with District Councils and MP’s in the development of the programme of works and some District Councils were also preparing other, non-transport bids. The proposed programme was ambitious but deemed deliverable.

 

Various consultations had taken place on every scheme at the appropriate level and all schemes had a high level of support.

 

The Report outlined that Impact Assessments had either previously been prepared or were in the process of being developed and would be reviewed as bids were advanced. Successful schemes would be subject to a further Cabinet Report and the inclusion of an Impact Assessment.

 

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 approval be given for the Council to work with the District Councils (excepting iii) to submit bids to the Government’s “Levelling Up Fund” (LUF) in June 2021, for the following schemes:

                  i. Okehampton - new rail station & transport hub

                  ii. Cullompton - Town Centre Relief Road

iii. Exmouth - Completion of Dinan Way and Town Centre improvements (County bid)

iv. Teign Estuary Trail and associated cycle links

v. Lee Mill - Slip road and associated local improvements

 

(b) that the Levelling Up Fund bids be submitted with a total estimated cost of £92m incorporating a contribution of up to £5.7m from Devon County Council;

 

(c) that approval be granted to enter into any funding agreements required to secure the funding or any part of it, with authority being delegated to the Head of Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, to negotiate and enter into those agreements;

 

(d) that delegated approval be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, in consultation with the Local Member and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, to make minor amendments to the bid submissions.

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