Issue - meetings

The Committee received a presentation detailing progress following the ‘Better Choices Journeys’ consultation and an update on progress regarding Milton Road and Histon Road schemes delivered by GCP  Head of Communications and the Project Manager (Milton Road and Histon Road)

 

The Better Choices Journeys asked residents what they wanted out of a public transport system and asked people how they thought it should be funded. 

·        The results of the consultation indicated that bus transport provision needed to double and the quality of provision needed to improve. 

·        On average those aged between 29-54 years responded to the consultation.

·        73% of people who responded were travelling to work and half of those were travelling by car.

·        People wanted a reliable and frequent public transport system.

 

Histon Road scheme

·        Was at the detailed design stage and consultants had been compiling detailed drawings so that contractors could build the scheme, although there were more surveys due to be undertaken. Had been working with Skanska who had provided advice regarding the construction of the scheme.

·        Lots of work has been done on drainage, and the team is looking further at how to treat the ditch at the end of Histon Road.

·        Local Liaison Forum planned for 22 July. It is hoped to have a construction management plan in place and to bring the final landscape design to the forum.

·        Was currently drafting a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and aimed to publish this in July; this would be advertised in the press.

·        Construction planned to commence in late 2019.

 

Milton Road Scheme

·        Starting detailed design with WSP so surveys were yet to be done.

·        Looking to provide a regular update over the summer.

·        Had had detailed discussions with shop owners on Arbury Road.

·        Construction planned to start in Mid 2020.

 

1.  Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) the following statement was received at the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) Executive Board Meeting from Peter Blake:  ‘Rest assured that the project team is very much aware.  This will be addressed during the detailed design phase when new TROs are raised’. Will these matters be added?

 

The project manager indicated that he had spoken with the Highways Team at County Council and assessed if there could be 20mph included with the current TRO which was being drafted, it would have to be demonstrated that the scheme was self-policing. The project manager was therefore of the opinion that the 20mph zone was a separate issue to the infrastructure project.  Once the project had been completed then the required assessment would be able to take place in order to consider whether the road was suitable for a 20mph zone 

 

Therefore the forthcoming TROs which were due to be published will not contain the 20mph zone.

 

2. Commented that the cycle path in Milton Road should be similar to the west side of Trumpington Road and asked how the cycle paths were going to be handled.

 

3. Asked what notifications would be sent out to local residents (Histon Road and Benson Road) and what would be put in place for residents who would lose parking, how would they get deliveries?

 

A construction plan had been drafted and he was meeting with the Street Work Team in the next week, they had strong views about the hours that they could work on the roads. In advance of construction, officers would need to be walking the streets and liaising with residents. Hedgerows and arrangements for access would also need to be discussed. There should always be a point of contacts for residents to contact with their concerns.

 

4. Asked whether discussions would take place with residents who lived off Histon Road?

 

The construction plan should set out the diversion route we expect to be taken and should try to direct people along the diversions.

 

Action: To look into the construction plan and diversion routes off Histon Road and what measures will be put in place to monitor routes taken.      

 

5. Reduced capacity of Milton and Histon Road if construction is undertaken at the same time.

 

Suggested that work started with Histon Road at A14 end and worked inwards, if work was undertaken in this order then in 6 months’ time works could start at Mitchams Corner. He needed to speak with the Street Work Officers to get their agreement.

 

6. Pollution and congestion charges could make it unaffordable for people to live in Cambridge.

 

Proposals were going to the GCP Executive Board on the 27 June, consideration did not need to be given to charges and how made sure that people could still get access that they needed. Proposals were due to go back to the GCP Board in November.

 

Councillor Price commented that he had been opposed to congestion charges he was aware of a number of people who had had to move away from Cambridge as they were unable to afford to live in the City. Commented that decent, regular, accessible and cheap public transport needed to be made available. This might need to be forward funded to offer a carrot to encourage people to use public transport.  

 

Councillor Scutt commented that at the GCP Board there was an undertaking given regarding the monitoring of pollution and biodiversity and asked when anything was going to be put in place? Queried whether the Milton Road project would include the shops on Arbury Road.

 

The Milton Road project was just dealing with the shops on Milton Road, the shops on Arbury Road would be picked up in the Arbury Road project which would link to Milton Road.  Consideration needed to be given as to whether the monitoring would be long term or short term and the benefits and negatives of this. There were already monitoring stations which monitored nitrogen dioxide levels (which was an industry standard) and gave a good indication of traffic levels.

 

Councillor Scutt commented that cameras should be set up to complement pollution monitoring before, during and after the construction of the GCP schemes.

 

Councillor Todd-Jones commented that mitigation measures should be considered for the roads off Histon Road to prevent ‘rat running’ and referred to Histon Road workshops and Local Liaison Forums (LLFs) also questioned whether Local Highway Improvement (LHI) Schemes could be used.