Agenda item

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The Assistant Director, Regeneration Project Officer and consultant from WSP provided the Panel with a presentation on the Active and Clean Towns Fund, as attached.  Also present at the meeting for this item was Brendan Legrove, Member of the Town Deal Board and Chair of the Active and Clean Travel Project Board.

The Chair thanked officers for the presentation and requested that presentation be made available to Members in advance of the meeting in the future.  The Chair invited questions and comments from members, as summarised below.

Councillor Bone raised concerns about the location of the hub and the budget available for it.  He acknowledged that the railway bridge needed widening.  He also felt that more consideration and consultation was needed on the gyratory options.  The Assistant Director set out the next steps and timescales and explained that there would be more consultation as the project was in the early stages.  The next step would be to achieve Towns Fund Business Case approval for delivery by 2024/2025.  The Assistant Director also clarified that there would be engagement with large employers.

Councillor Bambridge questioned if the Nar Ouse Enterprise Zome site was the right place for the hub and that more businesses needed to be involved in the process to encourage take up.  She was also concerned about proposals for Norfolk Street and how this could affect businesses in the area if vehicles were prohibited.  She supported proposals to slow traffic down on Railway Road as she felt it was dangerous.  The Assistant Director reminded Members that options were currently being looked to find the best balance and nothing had been agreed as yet.  Wider consultation would be carried out.

Councillor de Whalley commented that the pathways and cycle ways did not seem good value for money and that the proposed location was not right for the active travel hub.  He commented that the Ferry Service was in desperate need of investment to provide an active route into the town centre.  The Assistant Director explained that the comments from the Panel would be considered during the consultation stage and also made reference to the Local Cycle and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which extended beyond the works proposed in this programme and included further projects to improve cycling and walking routes.

Councillor Crofts asked if Hardings Way would be considered as an alternative route into the Town and the Assistant Director informed Councillor Crofts that his comments would be considered.

Councillor Jones commented that the railway station or Hardwick would be a better location for the hub.  He also made reference to cycle routes in North Lynn and felt that different routes needed considering.

Councillor Moriarty hoped that large employers would engage and hoped that the Borough Council would be one of those employers.  He thanked Brendan Legrove for his work on this and asked if background information on the proposals could be made available on the Town Deal Board Website.  He asked if the Panel would have an opportunity to see revised proposals before they went out to wider consultation and the Assistant Director explained that an update could be presented to the Panel in July.

Councillor Nockolds hoped that the proposals would encourage other businesses to make their own provisions for encouraging active travel, for instance installing showers.  She was disappointed that there were no proposals for people coming in from northern areas and consideration needed to be given for those coming in from the Woottons areas.

Councillor Morley commented that there needed to be broader synergy between projects as there was the Guildhall Project which was about bringing more visitors into the Town Centre, which he felt would increase cars and buses in the town and this project which was about reducing the amount of cars in the Town.

Councillor Hudson addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34 and commented that Park and Ride schemes needed to be looked at.

The Chair commented that additional electric vehicle charging points should be considered and she also did not feel that the NORA site was the right location for the hub.

RESOLVED: 1. The information was noted and comments from the Panel to be taken into consideration as appropriate.

2. An update be presented to the Panel at its meeting in July.