Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Committee Room 'D' - The Henry Bolingbroke Room, County Hall, Preston. View directions

Contact: Cath Rawcliffe  Tel: 01772 533380 Email:  cath.rawcliffe@lancashire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

Observers:

 

Mike Sinnott – Highways England

 

Also In Attendance

 

Mike Cliffe, Strategic Transport Manager, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Jeremy Walker, Transport Policy Manager, Blackpool Council

County Councillor Michael Green, Lancashire County Council

Richard Kenny, Interim Director of Economic Development and Planning

Dave Colbert, Specialist Advisor - Transportation, Lancashire County Council

Anne-Marie Parkinson, Investment Programme Manager, Lancashire County Council

Michelle Holroyd, Planning Officer, Lancashire County Council

Cath Rawcliffe, Democratic Services, Lancashire County Council

 

1.

Welcome and Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

County Councillor Geoff Driver CBE welcomed all to the meeting.

 

It was noted that apologies had been received from Richard Perry, Department for Transport and Richard Ellis-Hobbs, Network Rail.

2.

Declaration of Interests

Minutes:

Councillor Phil Riley declared an interest in Item 5 as a Member of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

3.

Minutes of the meeting held on 5 June 2018 pdf icon PDF 107 KB

The Committee are asked to agree that the Minutes of the last meeting held on 5th June 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Minutes:

That the Minutes of the last meeting held on the 5 June 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

 

4.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

Dave Colbert, the county council's Specialist Advisor, Transportation, presented an update on the Transforming Cities Fund submission at item 6 of the Minutes.

 

The committee was informed that following an initial sift of bids, the Government had selected Preston as one of the twelve city regions to co-develop plans into packages of schemes. Each package would then be competitively assessed and funding awarded to those councils that could demonstrate the greatest improvements to productivity and offer best value for money.

 

The meeting was reminded that the county council's bid had focused on Preston city centre and the development of inclusive growth corridors linking key employment and housing growth opportunities. It was proposed that these opportunities could extend beyond Preston into adjacent local transport authority areas, via public transport interventions that would benefit the Blackpool Airport and Samlesbury Enterprise Zones.

 

Resolved: That the outcome of the bidding process be noted.

 

5.

North Blackburn Funding Application pdf icon PDF 112 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Dave Colbert, Specialist Advisor Transportation at Lancashire County Council, accompanied by Peter Hibbert from the consultants Jacobs, presented a report on the independent assurance of the Strategic Outline Business Case for the North Blackburn funding application.

 

The scheme comprised of one of three infrastructure packages that collectively form the 'Pennine Gateways' project. The project proposes to support the delivery of new homes, new businesses and jobs in three specific growth areas in Blackburn, whilst at the same time alleviating congestion on key routes.  This particular scheme comprised various improvements at a number of junctions along the A6119 route to the north of the town to support delivery of 427 new houses across two sites.

 

The committee was informed that the total risk adjusted cost of the scheme was expected to be £2.6m, funded through a maximum £2.3m contribution from the Local Growth Fund through the Lancashire Growth Deal, and a £300,000 local contribution from Blackburn with Darwen Council.  The local contribution amounted to 11.5% of total scheme cost.  It was noted that Blackburn with Darwen Council's S151 officer had confirmed the council's commitment to fund the local contribution together with any overspend.

 

The committee was also advised that there was a strong economic case for the scheme, with the analysis presented showing a core Benefit to Cost Ratio of 7.9 (representing ‘Very High’ value for money). However, low traffic growth sensitivity tests had resulted in the scheme Benefit to Cost Ratio dropping to between 3.7 and 6.0; nevertheless, this still represented ‘High’ and ‘Very High’ value for money respectively.

 

Having undertaken independent assurance of the Strategic Outline Business Case on behalf of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Jacobs advised that they were satisfied thatthe project had been developed to the expected standard and recommended that funding approval be granted to enable works to take place between January and November 2019.  However, this was conditional on Blackburn with Darwen Council providing confirmation that the collective economic output forecasts for the three 'Pennine Gateway' schemes remained in line with the targets provided in the original Expression of Interest.

 

Resolved: That the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership be recommended to grant the scheme a maximum £2.3m Growth Deal funding, conditional on Blackburn with Darwen Council providing confirmation that the collective economic output forecasts for the three 'Pennine Gateway' schemes remain in line with the targets provided in the original Expression of Interest.

 

6.

Lancashire Local Transport Plan Update pdf icon PDF 70 KB

Minutes:

Dave Colbert, Specialist Advisor - Transportation, Lancashire County Council, presented a report on the development of the next Lancashire Local Transport Plan.

 

The committee was informed that Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council were all working collaboratively to prepare a joint local transport plan covering the three local transport authority areas. It was expected that the draft plan would be available for consultation by June 2019 and adopted by April 2020. 

 

It was noted that Blackpool Council had now updated their local transport plan to 2021, which brought them in line with the county council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

 

It was also noted that the three councils would be working closely with Transport for the North whose own policy positions now provide a strategic context within which local transport plans should evolve in the future.

 

The committee welcomed the report and the opportunity to review the plan on a 5 yearly basis. They also looked forward to receiving an update on the progress of the draft plan in June 2019. 

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

 

7.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

Department for Transport

The committee was provided with an oral update on the Department for Transport's response to a consultation on its proposals for a Major Road Network.

The consultation response confirmed the final Major Road Network, the principles and criteria by which decisions to allocate funding would be made, and clarified how the environmental impact of schemes would be considered.

The meeting was also informed of a major change to the Large Local Majors programme and how it will align with Major Road Network investment planning in future, with only road schemes eligible.

 

Strategic Transport Plan

The committee was provided with an oral update on Transport for the North's final Strategic Transport Plan, which was expected to be published on 30 January 2019.

The committee was advised that the plan would have a wide ranging and ambitious scope, setting out connectivity priorities across the North that to encourage and support business growth and help transform economic performance up to 2050.  The plan would also include a number of Strategic Development Corridors, which aim to deliver improvements on both the road and rail networks through a multi-modal investment programme.

 

Resolved:  That the oral update in respect of the Department for Transport's Major Road Network and the publication of Transport for the North's final Strategic Transport Plan be noted.

 

8.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Transport for Lancashire Committee will be held on Thursday 28 March 2018 at 2.00pm in Committee Room C, The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

It was noted that the next meeting would be held on Thursday 28 March 2019 at 2pm in Committee Room 'C', County Hall, Preston