Agenda item

1.     The principles and approach for determining local contributions for transport schemes be agreed and a further report to Cabinet in December 2014 will seek agreement to the County Council match funding contribution to the second tranche of 2015/16 schemes.

2.     The proposed approach to prioritising schemes be agreed and be applied to the sustainable transport and resilience schemes for 2015/16.

3.     That approval of the prioritised list of sustainable transport and resilience schemes for submission to the LEPs be delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Leader, the Deputy Leader and the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Flooding Recovery.

4.     That further schemes should be prioritised for funding for 2016/17. Identification of these schemes be delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment and Infrastructure in consultation with the Leader, the Deputy Leader and the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Flooding Recovery.

Reasons for Decisions:

The LEPs’ Strategic Economic Plans, submitted to Government in March 2014, were developed with considerable input from the County Council and identified priority schemes for Surrey. Almost all of the schemes put forward for funding for 2015/16 were successful, including all of the transport projects.

Councils are required to provide a local contribution to the schemes to reflect the local benefits that will be secured. A critical part of the business case submission to secure funding will be identifying the source and amount of such local contributions. Hence the need for agreed principles and a firm agreement with the relevant borough or district on their financial contribution (Recommendation 1). The second tranche of schemes for 2015/16 requiring a contribution from the County Council will come forward in a report to Cabinet in December.

Whilst large schemes were identified in the Growth Deals for specific funding, smaller schemes will be supported through pots of additional funding. The Council needs to make bids into these pots reflecting priority schemes. The approach set out in this report will be the basis for such prioritisation (Recommendation 2). Given the deadlines for submission of proposals to the LEPs and the level of detailed work still to be completed within these timescales, the report proposes that the application of these principles is delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment and Infrastructure, in discussion with the relevant portfolio holders (Recommendation 3).

Government have also set a very tight timetable for any bids for further funding for 2016/17. The report identifies the schemes being considered for Surrey and proposes that the final decision on which ones to put forward is also delegated to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders (Recommendation 4).

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment and Transport Select Committee]

The Deputy Leader introduced the report detailing how the Council proposed to support local growth deals around transport and infrastructure. He explained that it was the second paper of three, looking particularly at the principles around how Surrey County Council would contribute to schemes in conjunction with district and boroughs.

The report sought agreement about how the Council proposes to: take forward securing the local contribution to the second tranche of schemes for which funding had been agreed by the Enterprise M3 (EM3) and Coast to Capital (C2C) Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) for 2015/16; prioritise bids for currently unallocated funds held by the LEPs for 2015/16 to support sustainable transport and resilience projects; and prioritise new projects for funding through the LEPs from 2016/17.

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding explained that the major issue was timing and having the resources to obtain additional resources from central government.

The Cabinet Member for Business Services said that Surrey is the powerhouse of the national economy and that investing in infrastructure is critical for the country’s further prosperity.

RESOLVED:

1.     The principles and approach for determining local contributions for transport schemes be agreed and a further report to Cabinet in December 2014 will seek agreement to the County Council match funding contribution to the second tranche of 2015/16 schemes.

2.     The proposed approach to prioritising schemes be agreed and be applied to the sustainable transport and resilience schemes for 2015/16.

3.     That approval of the prioritised list of sustainable transport and resilience schemes for submission to the LEPs be delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Leader, the Deputy Leader and the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Flooding Recovery.

4.     That further schemes should be prioritised for funding for 2016/17. Identification of these schemes be delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment and Infrastructure in consultation with the Leader, the Deputy Leader and the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Flooding Recovery.

Reasons for Decisions:

The LEPs’ Strategic Economic Plans, submitted to Government in March 2014, were developed with considerable input from the County Council and identified priority schemes for Surrey. Almost all of the schemes put forward for funding for 2015/16 were successful, including all of the transport projects.

Councils are required to provide a local contribution to the schemes to reflect the local benefits that will be secured. A critical part of the business case submission to secure funding will be identifying the source and amount of such local contributions. Hence the need for agreed principles and a firm agreement with the relevant borough or district on their financial contribution (Recommendation 1). The second tranche of schemes for 2015/16 requiring a contribution from the County Council will come forward in a report to Cabinet in December.

Whilst large schemes were identified in the Growth Deals for specific funding, smaller schemes will be supported through pots of additional funding. The Council needs to make bids into these pots reflecting priority schemes. The approach set out in this report will be the basis for such prioritisation (Recommendation 2). Given the deadlines for submission of proposals to the LEPs and the level of detailed work still to be completed within these timescales, the report proposes that the application of these principles is delegated to the Strategic Director for Environment and Infrastructure, in discussion with the relevant portfolio holders (Recommendation 3).

Government have also set a very tight timetable for any bids for further funding for 2016/17. The report identifies the schemes being considered for Surrey and proposes that the final decision on which ones to put forward is also delegated to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders (Recommendation 4).