Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to update all members of Local Committee with regard to the preliminary design for improvements at this junction; its estimated costs and benefits; and to seek authority to progress the scheme to the next stage.

(Report and Annex attached)

Resolved:

The Local Committee (Reigate & Banstead) RESOLVED to:

·         Agree the Redhill STP Member Task Group recommendation to proceed with the preferred scheme option and to progress to public consultation and then detailed design stage and public consultation.

·         Note that the next steps will involve:

o   An application being made to the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to deregister the necessary common land at the junction and to offer equivalent exchange land.

o   The acquisition of land at the Maple Road allotment site from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.

o   Applications being made to secure additional funding to enable the delivery of the scheme.

·         Delegate authority to the Area Highways Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Transport Strategy Project Manager and Electoral Division Member covered by the scheme to agree the consultation material.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Capacity improvements are needed at the junction to allow for current and

expected increased future traffic volumes to operate effectively along the A23

corridor and through the junction with Three Arch Road and Maple Road.

2. Sustainable transport improvements are required at this junction to provide

safer routes for cyclists and pedestrians travelling through the junction.

3. Improved traffic flow through the junction combined with measures to provide

bus priority are needed to make bus travel in the area more reliable and

attractive in order to increase passenger numbers, and provide a quality

alternative to using the car.

4. Capacity and sustainable travel improvements to the junction are required for

improved emergency and visitor access to East Surrey Hospital.

5. Further work is required to develop the scheme and associated costs; this

includes identifying the extent of ground utility stats that will be affected by

the proposed works, providing a plan for any displaced local parking,

undertaking the process for common land exchange and proposed way

forward, and developing a programme with provisional timescales for scheme

delivery.

6. Holding a consultation with Council Members, stakeholders, local residents

and businesses, and other members of the public will assist the development

of a final detailed scheme design.

7. A number of possible funding sources have been identified for the anticipated

costs of constructing this scheme. Greater detail and refinement of scheme

costs is needed before a business case bid can be prepared to secure the full

funding necessary for the scheme.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: Neil Mcclure, Transport Strategy Project Manager; Peter Boarder, Horley Regeneration Project Manager

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: Question received from Salfords and Sidlow Parish Council, which was asked during the Open Forum. The question is annexed to the minutes of the open forum agenda item.

The Transport Strategy Project Manager gave a verbal correction to the report – the affected division was listed as Salfords and Sidlow, but should have read Earlswood and Reigate South. He introduced the report, reminding members of the need for improvements at this junction, and the recommendations within the report. 

Member discussion – key points:

• The chairman thanked officers and the member task group for getting the proposals to this point. With the committee’s support, it will go out for public consultation, to inform the detailed design. Improving access to and from the hospital is a key priority.
• The chairman proposed an amendment to the first recommendation, to reflect that public consultation will be the first step. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Hal Brown.
• Members asked for the cost break down in terms of the split between feasibility, design and actual implementation.  Officers responded quoting the estimate cost figures provided within the feasibility report. Total scheme cost estimate is £2.82m - £3.29m. The upper and lower estimates being dependent on the level of risk and contingency factored in to the scheme at this stage of design. The breakdown of costs is: scheme construction estimated at £1.61m; statutory undertakers costs £0.74m; with an additional £0.47m - £0.94m allocated for risk and contingency measures. Members expressed concern about the loss of parking places, and asked that this is reviewed as detailed design work progresses.
• Members questioned the expected timeline for securing funding. Officers confirmed that no bid to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) had been made as they are waiting on an announcement for new funding opportunities. The Department for Transport may also be a possible source of funding. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council have committed funding through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) but are not currently in a position to offer anything further. Officers are keen to have the scheme prepared so they are ready to respond quickly to new funding opportunities.
• Ian Mackenzie, Director of Information and Facilities at East Surrey Hospital was in attendance, and spoke of the importance of this junction for staff, patients and ambulances getting into and out of the hospital. The hospital strongly supports this proposal, and it needs to be treated as urgent.
• Members noted that members of the public had already started to make proposals for improving the outline design of the scheme, and these need to be considered during the public consultation.
• The Area Highway Manager noted that some smaller tweaks to the junction are being progressed now, in advance of the main scheme. This includes changing the give way arrangements to provide priority for vehicles exiting the hospital from Three Arch road, and discouraging the existing situation of vehicles using the junction to ‘rat-run’ when travelling southbound along the A23. This current situation is known to prevent vehicles from exiting the hospital via Three Arch Road, causing queues and delays back into the hospital site at peak times. This scheme is currently being costed separately, but would not be funded through the local committee’s budget.
• Could the waste depot be part of the scope of the scheme, as this is another cause of congestion.

Resolved:

The Local Committee (Reigate & Banstead) RESOLVED to:

·         Agree the Redhill STP Member Task Group recommendation to proceed with the preferred scheme option and to progress to public consultation and then detailed design stage and public consultation.

·         Note that the next steps will involve:

o   An application being made to the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to deregister the necessary common land at the junction and to offer equivalent exchange land.

o   The acquisition of land at the Maple Road allotment site from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.

o   Applications being made to secure additional funding to enable the delivery of the scheme.

·         Delegate authority to the Area Highways Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Transport Strategy Project Manager and Electoral Division Member covered by the scheme to agree the consultation material.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Capacity improvements are needed at the junction to allow for current and

expected increased future traffic volumes to operate effectively along the A23

corridor and through the junction with Three Arch Road and Maple Road.

2. Sustainable transport improvements are required at this junction to provide

safer routes for cyclists and pedestrians travelling through the junction.

3. Improved traffic flow through the junction combined with measures to provide bus priority are needed to make bus travel in the area more reliable and attractive in order to increase passenger numbers, and provide a quality

alternative to using the car.

4. Capacity and sustainable travel improvements to the junction are required for improved emergency and visitor access to East Surrey Hospital.

5. Further work is required to develop the scheme and associated costs; this

includes identifying the extent of ground utility stats that will be affected by

the proposed works, providing a plan for any displaced local parking,

undertaking the process for common land exchange and proposed way

forward, and developing a programme with provisional timescales for scheme

delivery.

6. Holding a consultation with Council Members, stakeholders, local residents

and businesses, and other members of the public will assist the development

of a final detailed scheme design.

7. A number of possible funding sources have been identified for the anticipated costs of constructing this scheme. Greater detail and refinement of scheme costs is needed before a business case bid can be prepared to secure the full funding necessary for the scheme.

The reason for the amendment to the first recommendation was to make it clear that consultation with the public was the first step to inform the detailed design.