Agenda item

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport and to consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the taking the highway improvement through the next stages of development and delivery including authority to progress statutory approvals and to enter into funding and construction contracts.

(1)       The Cabinet Committee received the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport which contained information on the construction of two new northbound lanes and traffic controlled junctions as part of the Maidstone Bridges Gyratory.  John Burr, Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste; Tim Read, Head of Transportation; and Russell Boorman, Project Manager; were in attendance to introduce the report and in particular referred to the following:

(2)       The Maidstone Gyratory was a congestion and air quality hotspot within Maidstone town centre where the A20, A26, A229 and A249 primary routes converged and crossed the River Medway.

(3)       The proposed scheme involved the construction of two additional northbound lanes on the eastern side of the River Medway, with new junctions controlled by traffic signals.  This would enable northbound traffic on the A229 to avoid the existing gyratory system, thereby reducing journey distances and travel times and enabling the regeneration of the western riverside. 

(4)       The estimated cost of the scheme was £5.75m.

(5)       The recently announced award from the Single Local Growth Fund together with Maidstone Borough Council’s New Homes Bonus and KCC’s Local Transport Plan contributions would enable the scheme to proceed.

(6)       The scheme was within the highway curtilage of the A229.  Planning consent was not required, no land needed to be acquired and it was unlikely any other statutory approvals or consents would be required but had been included in the decision recommendation as a contingency.

(7)       In response to questions raised and comments made the Committee received the following further information from officers:

(8)       The scheme was unlikely to be eligible for any further EU funding but funding opportunities would be kept under review.

(9)       A major development plan was in place for St Peter’s Street and the Power Hub Baltic Wharf site.  The Hub’s highway contribution had been to offer an additional traffic lane over St Peter’s bridge to increase capacity.  The gyratory scheme would increase capacity by up to 20% and make this additional lane unnecessary enabling the pedestrian and cycle lane to be retained.

(10)    The subways under the River Medway had been built in 1971 to take pedestrians safely under the Maidstone gyratory and to take excess water in a flood situation.  When the subways were full of water they were gated.  One of the pumps was broken and due for replacement.  For pedestrian safety closing the subways was not viable.

(11)    The outline designs for the scheme were expected to be ready by the end of March when they would be considered by the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board.  The public consultation and leaflet drop would contain all the relevant information.

(12)    RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport be endorsed to give approval to:

(a)     the outline design scheme for Maidstone Bridges Gyratory on the eastern side of the river Medway for development control and land charge disclosures shown in principle on Drg. No. 4300066/000/05 attached at Appendix 2 to the report;

(b)     progress all statutory approvals or consents required for the scheme shown in principle on Drg. No. 4300066/000/05;

(c)     enter into a Single Local Growth Fund funding agreement subject to the approval of the Corporate Director of Finance & Procurement; and

(d)     enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery of the scheme subject to the approval of the Procurement Board to the recommended procurement strategy.