Agenda and draft minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

Mr Alan Cooper (Kennington Community Council), Mr Nathan Whitington (Network Rail), Ms Leyla Amir-Alikhani (Network Rail), and Mr Colin Sefton (Kent Ramblers) were in attendance virtually. Mr Simon Cole (Assistant Director of Planning and Development at Ashford Borough Council) attended in person.

1.          Ms Maria McLauchlan (Definitive Map Officer) introduced the addendum to the report. She explained that the original reports from the meeting on 6 October remained valid and the addendum included the information, provided by Network Rail, that had been requested at that meeting. Ms McLauchlan noted that there was broad consensus that the footpath was unsafe, with the main point of contention being the stepped design of the bridge.

2.          The Applicant, Mr Nathan Whittington on behalf of Network Rail, introduced and explained the financial breakdown of costs relating to each type of bridge (Appendix C of the report). He clarified the meaning of indirect construction costs and employer’s indirect costs and gave examples. He said that risk allowances covered potential liabilities if something went wrong and inflation was applied using Consumer Price Inflation (CPI).

3.          Mr Whittington responded to questions from the Panel Members including:

·         How long the railway would be closed to which Mr Whittington explained this would be approximately one weekend.

·         Regarding the costs associated to the Industry Risk Fee & Network Rail Fund Fee, Mr Whittington explained that the stepped footbridge required approximately 125m² to build, whereas a ramped bridge required around 578m². The larger scale of the ramped option meant more land, setup, and time, making it a significantly bigger project.

4.          Mr Alan Cooper, on behalf of Kennington Community Council, addressed the Panel. He noted that Kennington Community Council had no objection to closing the crossings but raised concerns about costs for a stepped bridge increasing from £1.5m (a figure discussed at the meeting on 6 October) to £3m (the figure included in Appendix C). He referenced a bridge with lifts being built in East Anglia for £5.5m, compared to £3m here without ramps or lifts. He also stressed that the Diversity Impact Assessment (DIA) considered only one side of the crossing and did not account for Kennington. He said that the bridge would stand for decades but the DIA did not include speculative growth. Mr Cooper emphasised that failure to provide ramped access would lead to unnecessary vehicular movement and reduced integration between housing estates. He urged the Panel to consider the long-term community impact.

5.          Mr Simon Cole, Assistant Director for Planning Development at Ashford Borough Council confirmed that approximately £5.17m was available for the bridge, with £200,000 to be repaid to the developer. Based on current estimates, a stepped bridge at £3m could be delivered within this budget, while a ramped bridge at £6.3m was unaffordable. He stated that the choice was between a stepped bridge or no bridge at all, given the funds available. He reiterated that Network Rail intended to close the crossing on safety grounds, making the bridge necessary. While ramps could be considered in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.