Agenda item

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report provides information on the Stockport Town Centre access package and transport interchange major transport schemes. These schemes are both included within the Greater Manchester Growth Plan prioritised list of major transport schemes and funding has been allocated for their delivery from 2015. The report summarises the key features of the schemes and the work required to gain approval from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver these schemes.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to comment on the report, prior to its consideration by the Executive Meeting on 12 August 2014.

Officer Contact: Sue Stevenson on 0161 474 4351 or email: sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing information on the Stockport Town Centre access package and transport interchange major transport schemes. These schemes had both been included within the Greater Manchester Growth Plan prioritised list of major transport schemes and funding had been allocated for their delivery from 2015. The report summarised the key features of the schemes and the work required to gain approval from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to deliver the schemes.

The inclusion of both schemes within the recently announced Greater Manchester Growth Deal had been a significant success for the Council. The Stockport allocation was £114.959m, made up of £107.627m of grant and a local contribution (match funding) requirement of £7.332m. This represented 10% of the Town Centre Access Package funding allocation, but just over 6% of the total investment.

The Stockport Town Centre access package would improve access to the area around the town centre for more sustainable modes of transport, for example bus, cycle and pedestrian improvements. It would also rationalise and resolve traffic movements and conflicts throughout the area by providing additional capacity on some routes to allow traffic to be reduced on others.

The scheme would deliver the following benefits and outcomes:-

·         Reduction in the volume of traffic on the A6 through Stockport Town Centre;

·         An enhanced environment along the A6 through Stockport Town Centre, creating a positive sense of arrival for this linear gateway;

·         Lessen the impact of the A6 vehicular corridor as a barrier between the east and west of the Town Centre for pedestrian movement;

·         Improve linkages between the Town Centre and public transport interchanges;

·         Improved bus priority facilities, notably along the A6 but also on east /west routes into the town centre;

·         Improve access to/ from the M60 motorway;

·         Congestion relief to key routes such as St Mary’s Way/ Hempshaw Lane and around Junction 1;

·         A more resilient highway network better able to respond to incidents and accidents by virtue of increased network capacity and a new link road between the A6 and Travis Brow;

·         High quality access to key developments notably Stockport Exchange, Bridgefield, Knightsbridge and Gorsey Bank as well as longer term development aspirations at Heaton Lane and Stockport Interchange;

·         Better wayfinding through an improved signing strategy; and

·         Reduction in conflicts between vehicles and vulnerable users through improved pedestrian and cycle linkages between the Town Centre and surrounding areas.

The Executive would be requested to approve the report, approve the proposals for identifying and securing the local contribution (match funding requirement) and request that officers work with Transport for Greater Manchester to develop the Stockport Town Centre Access Package and Transport Interchange major schemes business cases including consulting on the proposals and undertaking the analysis and appraisals of the schemes.

The Executive Councillor (Communities and Sustainability) (Councillor Martin Candler) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         A detailed report on the Town Centre Access Package would be submitted to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

·         The final business case for the Town Centre Access Package would be submitted to the Scrutiny Committee prior to its approval by the Executive in December 2014. This would include a more detailed profile of the Council’s local contribution (match funding requirement).

·         Additional borrowing would only be undertaken as a last resort. It was currently anticipated that not all of the £7.332m would be required as new funding and work had commenced to mitigate this requirement.

·         A Member enquired as to the amount of prudential borrowing currently undertaken by the Council and it was agreed that a written response would be sent to all Members.

·         It was clarified that the large level of contingencies at this moment in time was in accordance with Government guidance.

·          Members expressed concern about the potential disruption to the borough by the volume of roadworks taking place should schemes be approved and undertaken concurrently over the next few years.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted and a report on the Town Centre Access Package be submitted to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

(2) That the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services be requested to advise Members of the Scrutiny Committee of the amount of prudential borrowing currently undertaken by the Council.