Issue - meetings

To receive an update on the City Deal programme, including the A428 consultation.

 

The Committee welcomed the Greater City Deal Programme Director to the meeting, who provided a general update on the City Deal.

 

The Greater City Deal Programme Director explained that the City Deal would help Greater Cambridge to maintain its status as a prosperous economic area, working to Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Local Plan to ensure securing business investment, innovation and economic growth, shared prosperity, housing and affordable homes and to tackle congestion and transport, improve public transport, cycling and walking routes in and around the City.

 

The City Deal would:

     i.        Create an infrastructure investment fund.

    ii.        Accelerate the delivery of 33,000 planned homes by 2031, with an estimated increase in population of up to 25% to 345,000.

   iii.        Enable delivery of 1,000 extra new homes on rural exception sites

  iv.        Deliver over 400 new apprenticeships for young people

   v.        Provide £1bn of local and national public sector investment, enabling an estimated £4bn of private sector investment in the Greater Cambridge area

  vi.        Create 40,000 extra jobs by 2031 and increase research jobs from 53,000 to 80,000.

 vii.        Create a governance arrangement for joint decision making between local councils.

 

The City Deal Funding Overview:

     i.        Up to £500m for transport infrastructure, payable in 3 tranches.

    ii.        Tranche 1: £100m 2015-20

   iii.        Tranche 2: Potentially up to £200m 2020-25

  iv.        Tranche 3: Potentially up to £200m 2025+

   v.        Tranches 2 and 3 depend on independent economic    assessments.

  vi.        Aligns with other local capital investment from development and Councils.

 

 

The Greater City Deal had carried out two public consultations on the A428 and the Chisholm Trail, both of which generated a high level of response from the public.

 

The Histon and Milton Road public consultation was still open and the Greater City Deal Programme Director encouraged people to take part and provide their opinion. Plans for the Western Orbital were also in the public domain.

 

For further details on these schemes could be found in the minutes of a meeting of the Greater Cambridge City Deal Executive Board who would met on 3 March 2016, at the  following link:

http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=1074

 

Further information could be found on the Greater City Deal Website at http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/citydeal/

 

Comments from members of the public:

 

     i.        Would like to see more proactive communication concerning the City Deal.

    ii.        Enquired if there was any evidence concerning the A428 consultation of tactical voting.

 

Comments from the Committee:

 

     i.        Questioned if the various schemes mentioned would be delivered on time as agreed with Central Government and if the projected economic growth would be generated.

    ii.        Enquired how the consultation results influenced the outcome of the decisions undertaken.

   iii.        Residents had expressed concern that there did not seem to be the necessary information to show the plans for the western orbital, for example the graphic showed three lines on and along the M11 which did not provide any detail or explanation of how and when the park and ride buses would run.

  iv.        Asked where would a bus road to the East or West of the M11 be positioned and advised that further information on the park and ride was required.

   v.        Noted the online questionnaire regarding the Western Orbital did not allow for multiple options.

  vi.        Enquired how data from the Hack Cambridge event would be used by the City Deal, if at all, as the January event or future events 

 vii.        It was noted that ‘Hack Cambridge’ in January or future events had not been very well published.

viii.        Suggested that a similar event the Cycle Hack Event planned for June 2016 could be used by Officers to look at data to improve cyclist routes in and around the City. Was there or could there be some form of joint working?

  ix.        Enquired how the City Deal Board could be sure that they could deliver what had been promised.

 

In response the Programme Director made the following statements:

 

     i.        The City Deal Board was officially set up in early January 2015 and had agreed their priorities.

    ii.        Agreed that the targets for delivery of schemes were a challenge but these targets had been approved with Central Government and needed to be delivered. The delivery would result in economic growth investment in the local area.

   iii.        Welcomed suggestions on how communication could be improved which could be e- mailed to the Greater City Deal Team.  City.Deal@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

  iv.        Consultation results were important factors when making decisions; in terms of the A428 consultation the report would go to the Executive Board for the March meeting which would provide an update on the scheme and ask the Board to further consider the three options at the September meeting.

   v.        The Western Orbital consultation provided a number of options for the public to consider.

  vi.        Reiterated earlier comments for the Committee and the public to take part in all public consultation to have their say.

 vii.        Acknowledged the success of Hack Cambridge and would pass on the comments regarding this event and Cycle Hack Cambridge to relevant Officers.