Agenda item

By 9th Sept 2011 the Council must submit a Best & Final Bid to DfT for the funding of the Bath Transport Package.  The Council meeting on 14th July is the last opportunity to amend the transport policy to reflect what is likely to be included in the Best and Final Bid.  Following the Comprehensive Spending Review Department for Transport have indicated that they wish to reduce costs, enhance value and improve deliverability of major transport schemes. DfT also wish to increase Local Authority contribution.  In January DfT requested an ‘expression of interest’ from the Council for the Bath Package which proposed removing some parts of the package.  Further work has been undertaken to reduce the cost of the Package which has resulted in the removal of the BRT and the A4 P&R from the BTP.  The removal of these proposals are departures from the Council’s existing transport policy as set out in the Joint Local Transport Plan.

Peter Davis made a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 8 and is available on the Council's website] welcoming the removal from the Package of the Rapid Transport and the A4 P&R proposals.

Major Tony Crombie (The Bath Society) made a statement welcoming the removal of Bathampton Meadows Park and Ride from the proposals.

Councillor John Bull made an ad hoc statement welcoming the removal of the rapid transport proposals and the Bathampton Park and Ride proposals.  However, he was bemused that the total Council contribution had not reduced.

Councillor Tim Warren made an ad hoc statement pointing out that there had been no new alternatives put forward by Cabinet.  He felt that the new scheme lacked substance.

David Dunlop made an ad hoc statement emphasising that a Park and Ride in Batheaston would not reduce congestion on the London Road because “suppressed demand” would take up the slack.  He encouraged the Cabinet to consider rail options.

Councillor Roger Symonds, in proposing the motion, referred to the amended recommendations which he wished to move [copies of which had been placed in the public gallery and are attached to these Minutes as Appendix 2].  The update document also contained details of the Financial Implications of the new proposals.  He said that the previous plans had not attracted government funding and so it had been necessary to put together a realistic bid for government funding in the short time since the local elections.  Only 6 weeks still remained before the final submission had to be made to government.  He agreed with others that the bus provision should be much better, and promised to improve the Council’s relationship with First Bus so as to have greater influence in their commercial decisions.  He also emphasised that there was tremendous demand for rail transport but to capitalise on this it would be essential for trains to stop at stations such as Keynsham.

Councillor Symonds referred to clauses 2.15 to 2.21 of the amended recommendations and said that officers would work with the Cabinet to look at these in the time remaining until September when the application would be finalised.

Councillor Paul Crossley seconded the motion.  He said that the previous administration’s policy had been designed when money was no object but the new financial realities meant that it was necessary to give careful consideration to priorities and value for money.

Councillor David Bellotti said that it was important to pause for thought about the financial implications.  £7M had already been spent by the previous administration and it was essential to get some value for that money.  He acknowledged the point made by Councillor Bull about the Council’s contribution being the same, for a smaller package, but said that made it all the more important to get good value.  It still remained to persuade the Minister to fund the scheme.

On a motion from Councillor Roger Symonds, seconded by Councillor Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously):

(1) To AGREE and RECOMMEND to Council that the following elements of the BTP should not be included in the Best & Final Bid to DfT:

·  The Bus Rapid Transit Segregated Route.

·  The A36 Lower Bristol Road Bus Lane.

·  The A4 London Road Lambridge Bus Lane.

·  New A4 Eastern P&R (1400 spaces), plus bus lane priority on the A4/A46 slip road.

·  And in addition reduce the size of the P&R expansion at Newbridge.

(2) To AGREE that as a result the BTP would comprise of the following elements:

·  Upgrades to bus stop infrastructure on 9 service routes, including real time passenger information.

·  Expansion of Odd Down P&R by 250 spaces, of Lansdown P&R by 390 spaces and of Newbridge P&R by 250 spaces on the proposed site or a suitable alternative.

·  Variable Message signs on the main approaches to Bath, and within the city centre.

·  City centre works: High Street improvements and timed access restrictions (currently ongoing).

·  Works to support BWR including a bus rapid transit system serving the site.

(3) To AGREE as a result of the above to formally withdraw the CPOs agreed at its meeting on 3rd September 2008 and subsequently served to allow for the implementation of the BTP.

(4) To AGREE and RECOMMEND to Full Council that the Council contribution towards the BTP would be no more £17.8m as set out in the updated Financial Implications. The schemes costs as recommended in this report have been reduced from £58.8m to £34.3m.

(5) To AGREE and RECOMMEND to Full Council that the final submission to DfT be approved by the Strategic Director Service Delivery and Chief Executive in consultation with the portfolio holder, the S151 officer and monitoring officer, and with a report back to Cabinet only if necessary notably if there is a material change in the financial costs or scope of the scheme which go beyond the parameters set out in this report.

(6) To RECOMMEND to Full Council additional borrowing of £3M to fully finance the costs of the Council contribution of up to £17.8M with an additional annual revenue cost of approximately £190K which will need to be included in revenue budgets for future years following completion of the scheme.

(7) To NOTE the revenue reversion risk as set out in the report and the potential need to fund the costs of project work on aspects of the scheme which are no longer going ahead from reserves with the appropriate financing to be dealt with in a later report to Cabinet and Council as appropriate and if the need arises.

(8) To AGREE and RECOMMEND to Full Council to instruct officers to:

·  work on alternatives to Bathampton Meadows P&R, possibly involving rail, as part of our future Transport Strategy

·  work with the Highways Agency to improve signage on the A46 to direct more traffic to an extended Lansdown Park and Ride

·  talk to Wiltshire Council about measures to remove some of the through traffic along the London Road and other cross border transport issues

·  evaluate measures to remove HGVs from London Road - this 10% of traffic creates 40% of the pollution

·  examine how we can obtain substantial "modal shift" from the private car to rail in recognition of potential for rail expansion with the electrification of the GWR and the awarding of an extended rail franchise

·  evaluate options to address the problems caused by a lack of affordable home to school transport

·  consider measures to make the whole area much more cycle friendly - we have already secured Govt funding through the Regional Sustainable Transport Fund to link Batheaston to NCR 4 on the canal towpath, thereby taking many cyclists off the London Road and encouraging others to get out of their cars and cycle into Bath.