Agenda item

To consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste on the proposed decisions as indicated below:

i)     approval to the outline design for the A2500 Lower Road Widening, for public consultation, development control and land charge disclosures as shown on Drawing. No. 0323-PH2-PE-001 Rev 0. (Fig. 1)

ii)    to progress the design through the next stages of development and delivery including any ancillary works such as drainage and environmental mitigation;

iii)   to take all steps necessary to obtain and implement all statutory Orders and approvals or consents required for the schemes;

iv)   to enter into land and funding agreements associated with development contributions;

v)    to enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery of the scheme subject to the approval of the Strategic Commissioning Board to the recommended procurement strategy, and

vi)   for the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport, under the Officer Scheme of Delegations, to take further or other decisions as may be appropriate to deliver the A2500 Lower Road Improvement scheme in accordance with these recommendations and the earlier overarching decisions given under Record of Decisions 17/00025, that remains extant.

Tim Read (Interim Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste) and Richard Shelton (Major Capital Programme Project Manager) were in attendance for this item.

1. Mr Whiting (Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste) introduced the report which provided an update to Members on the Phase 1 A2500 Lower Road/ Barton Hill Drive Roundabout Improvement Scheme and sought approval from the Committee for the outline design of the Phase 2 A2500 Lower Road Widening.

2. Mr Shelton said that Phase 1 of the scheme aimed to improve the Lower Road/ Barton Hill Drive Junction through the removal of the traffic light signals and implementation of a new roundabout to help reduce congestion. Phase 2 of the scheme was to realign and widen the existing A2500 Lower Road between the A249 at Cowstead Corner and Barton Hill Drive by 7.3 meters which would facilitate the construction of a new shared footway and cycle path alongside the northside of the road. In terms of funding, the overall cost of the scheme would amount to £6.655 million. Phase 1 secured funding from the Single Local Growth Fund with additional developer contributions; Phase 2 of the scheme was supported through an allocation of funds from the National Productivity Investment Fund with additional match funding provided from developer monies and a further contribution from Swale Borough Council. Mr Shelton advised the Committee that the scheme had made significant progress with the design and procurement of Phase 1 completed, the team now sought Members approval to progress the design through to the next stage of the development and delivery of the Phase 2 scheme.

3. In response to Members concerns regarding streetlighting, Mr Shelton confirmed that this had been included within the proposals set out within the detailed design and said that guidance had been sought from the Streetlight Team to ensure that the construction of streetlighting was viable. Mr Shelton welcomed Members concerns and agreed to provide an update when available to those who sought further information.

4. Mr Shelton confirmed that the extension of the carriage way would require removal of the hedgerows along the north and south side, however the proposed design included a replacement of these along the fence lines as part of the Environmental mitigation within the scheme.

5. Prior to the conclusion of the Committee discussion, Mr A Booth reminded Members that as a Member of the Swale Borough Council Planning Committee, he neither wished to endorse nor object to the recommendations around the decisions in relation to paragraph 1.7 of the report.

6. RESOLVED that the proposed decisions to:

(a)  approve the outline design for the A2500 Lower Road Widening, for public consultation, development control and land charge disclosures as shown on Drawing.

(b)  progress the design through the next stages of development and delivery including any ancillary works such as drainage and environmental mitigation;

(c)  take all steps necessary to obtain and implement all statutory Orders and approvals or consents required for the schemes;

(d)  enter into land and funding agreements associated with development contributions;

(e)  enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery of the scheme subject to the approval of the Strategic Commissioning Board to the recommended procurement strategy, and

(f)   for Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport, under the Officer Scheme of Delegations, to take further or other decisions as may be appropriate to deliver the A2500 Lower Road Improvement scheme in accordance with these recommendations and the earlier overarching decisions given under Record of Decisions 17/00025, that remains extant

be endorsed.