Agenda item

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration.

In March 2015, the government granted funding to the GMCA (on behalf of Stockport Council) to undertake a contemporary review of the strategic case for the A6 to M60 relief road and produce a strategic outline business case for the scheme. In line with DfT guidance, completion of the strategic outline business case is the first phase of the decision making process for any major transport scheme, and further work is required to develop the full business case for the project.

The next phase of development work would include further work on the detail of the scheme and would include a public consultation exercise. Subject to approval by government on completion of that stage, further work would still be required to get the scheme to the point of submitting for planning permission, including further public consultation.

The draft strategic outline business case accompanies this paper. 

Cabinet is requested to:

·         Review and comment on the draft strategic outline business case

·         Advise on the next steps which will include submitting a bid for funding to GMCA and DfT to undertake the next stage of the scheme development process which would include more detailed environmental investigation and extensive public consultation and inform the development of a full business case.

Officer contact: Sue Stevenson, 0161 474 4351, sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Cabinet to consider a draft Strategic Outline Business Case for a relief road between the A6 and M60 as part of a first phase of work to review the strategic case for such a road in light of contemporary evidence. A further phase of work, subject to Government approval, was needed to produce a full business case and detailed scheme prior any application for Government funding of the scheme construction costs and prior to submission of any planning application and associated public consultation.

The Cabinet Member stressed that in considering this document the Cabinet would not be making a decision on whether or not to proceed with the road scheme, only whether it wished to proceed to the next phase of development work on a possible scheme.

The Cabinet Member, echoing comments made during her responses to public questions earlier in the meeting, emphasised that the Council had gone beyond the usual practice of local authorities in publishing the draft Strategic Outline Business Case and the supporting documents because it was aware of the public interest in this matter.

Cabinet Members discussed and commented on the proposals. The issues raised included the following:-

·         the proposal for a relief road would be a waste of public money as it would devastate the environment while only providing short term relief of traffic congestion;

·         once constructed, the road would open up what remained of the Goyt and Poise Brook valleys to development as was almost universally the case with bypass scheme;

·         the road would divide the Offerton community;

·         the environmental impact of the scheme would be significant, damaging the habitats of a range of species, introducing noise and light pollution and reallocating air pollution;

·         there was insufficient detail in the DSOBC on the cost of the scheme and the costs to the Council to progress this work, with no mention of mitigation costs nor spending to encourage alternative travel. The headline cost projection was double the projected costs to introduce Metrolink to Stockport and out to Marple, which should be a preferred aspiration;

·         there were concerns about the modelling and underlying assumptions used in the DSOBC, not least the fact that the well-evidenced induced traffic effect of bypass schemes would erode the congestion relieving benefits of the scheme within a short time of its opening, and insufficient focus on induced traffic was included in the document;

·         the assertion that congestion was a barrier to economic growth could not be substantiated given all the investment in Stockport and the statistics that showed the high quality of employment and high productivity of residents and businesses in the borough;

·         congestion nevertheless remained a problem for many residents, and had been raised most recently during the SEMMMS refresh consultation events. There was sufficient evidence in the document to suggest that not investigating the matter further may let down residents;

·         the impact of the activity of neighbouring local authorities needed to be taken into account, particularly the encouraging of significant house building, as the Council was not in a position to prevent people moving to or through the borough;

·         there was a well established link between air pollution and health, particularly respiratory illnesses, and this needed to be considered as part of any decision to move forward;

·         in developing any further the business case for this scheme there would need to be a thorough public consultation and full environmental impact analysis.

It was acknowledged that there was insufficient evidence in the document to answer all concerns about a possible scheme as this was not the document’s purpose. In light of the strategic significance a relief road represented to the borough, it was suggested that the matter should be debated at the Council Meeting so that whichever approach was chosen this would have the broad support of all of the Council.

Cabinet members also suggested the need for greater clarity on the costs to the Council of moving to the next phase of development work, and the implications of this on other activity, as well as what options were available in the choice of consultants to support that work.

RESOLVED – That in the view of its strategic importance and long term implications, consideration of the draft A6 to M60 Relief Road Strategic Outline Business Case be deferred and the Council Meeting be invited to make a recommendation to the Cabinet on whether to proceed to the next phase of development work.