Agenda item

Mr Andrew Milne (Area Highways Manager) will update members on progress with current year schemes, and seek approval for proposals for works in 2014-15.

Item 7a : A30/St Jude’s Road Pedestrian Improvements (Tabled item)

Mr Andrew Milne (Area Highways Manager North West) apologised to members for the late presentation of this report, which the chairman had agreed to table in response to new information received concerning the costs of this scheme.

Mr Milne summarised the reasons why the Committee had agreed previously to develop the improvements scheme:

*           a survey showing that 2,200 pedestrians had crossed at this junction within a twelve hour period:

*           a letter from Surrey Police urging the Committee to improve safety for pedestrians at this junction;

*           the rate of serious injuries and fatalities (two) at this site in the preceding five years;

*           a petition from local residents which had attracted 1174 signatories, one of the largest ever received by the Runnymede Local Committee;

* the need to balance the aims of reducing injury/accidents whilst minimising traffic congestion on this busy trunk route.

Mr Milne reminded members that the original estimated total cost in February 2012 had been £350k. However this was not a typical scheme for local committee funding and was complicated by the design requiring relocation of six sets of utilities, dedication of private land, licensing, extensive traffic management at a busy location, and drainage improvements (which had just come to light). He explained that a revised total costing had been submitted of £628k. This included an additional £60k as a result of Virgin Media cables discovered through trial holes, which had not been disclosed by the company, as well as the drainage issues, and the need to remove trees on private land. He said it had proved difficult to estimate accurately the extent of traffic management costs, prior to detailed design stage. Following internal negotiations in Surrey Highways and with the contractor Kier, a revised budget of £600k was considered to be sufficient for the project.

Mr Milne then presented the options before members, recommending that they agree that the scheme should proceed using the Local Committee anticipated capital allocations for 2014-15 to enable the final phase of construction from April onwards.

Members discussed the importance of the project and thanked Mr Milne for the clarity of his presentation. They questioned whether there was any contingency budget should costs escalate further, and Mr Milne confirmed that there was approximately £30k of leeway within the 2014-15 budget, plus a discretionary aspect in provision of anti-skid surfacing at the approach to the junction (cost £40k) which could be omitted if other costs came to light during construction. It was also noted that the 2014-15 capital budget was subject to confirmation and that the Royal Holloway College draft masterplan (published autumn 2013) indicated the potential need for crossing points further down Egham Hill (A30).

The recommendations were proposed and seconded prior to voting, with all in favour bar one abstention.

AGREED that

i)  the previously agreed pedestrian improvements should still be installed at the junction despite the increase in the estimated cost of the works (detailed in Section 2 of the report);

ii) the Committee’s full anticipated 2014/15 ITS and capital maintenance budget allocations of £266,572 is allocated to the scheme to enable the improvements to be installed.

ITEM 7B – RUNNYMEDE HIGHWAYS UPDATE REPORT DECEMBER 2013 (Tabled)

It was noted that this report had also been tabled, to reflect changes in the information provided as a result of the A30/St Jude’s Road report.

The local member requested that, if further capital funding became available as a result of underspend on the capital maintenance budget 2014-15, the road suggested in Table 6 line 4: Oak Tree Close, be removed from the LSR programme, and replacement of the worn anti-skid surfacing on Callow Hill, Virginia Water be substituted.

The local member proposed an alteration to the programme for 2013-14 (current year) and this was seconded.

AGREED

i) to remove the programme item Installation of VAS signs in Christchurch Road from the 2013/14 ITS programme (Table 1 of this report) and substitute installation of VAS signs in Lyne Road, at an equivalent cost.