Agenda Item: 7G Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE DECISION ITEM Cabinet / Cabinet Team CABINET Date 24 MARCH 2010 Portfolio(s) Originating Service Group(s) COUNCILLOR MRS BRADLEY (REGENERATION AND ENTERPRISE) REGENERATION AND ENVIRONMENT Contact Officer(s)/ DAVID ORTON LYDIA BARNSTABLE Telephone Number(s) EXT 5685 EXT 5684 KEY DECISION: IN FORWARD PLAN: YES YES Title VINE ISLAND/WOBASTON ROAD MAJOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT SCHEME Recommendations 1. That the Vine Island/Wobaston Road Major Highways Improvement Scheme Plans reference P D111665/SK/22, P D111665/WOB/202, P D111665/WOB/203, P D111665/WOB/204, and P D111665/WOB/205 (to be displayed at the meeting) be approved. 2. That a contractual commitment be given as Highways Authority to South Staffordshire District Council to substantially complete and have operational the Highway Works outlined in this report by 31 December 2012 or such later date to be agreed by the Director for Sustainable Communities if the Deed of Variation for the i54 Site detailed in this report is not completed by the 31 March 2010. 3. That authority be delegated to the Head of the Transportation Service to commence voluntary negotiations and, in parallel, to prepare a Compulsory Purchase Order in respect of the land required for the scheme, shown on Plan LP1 (to be displayed at the meeting). 1 Cabinet Report 240310
VINE ISLAND/WOBASTON ROAD MAJOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT SCHEME 1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT. 1.1 The report seeks Cabinet s approval to the Vine Island/Wobaston Road Major Highway Improvement Scheme Plans, to agree an end date for the substantial completion of the works and for the scheme to be operational. Authority is also sought for officers to commence negotiations and, in parallel, to prepare for a Compulsory Purchase Order in respect of land required for the scheme. 2.0 REPORT BACKGROUND. 2.1 A major highway improvement scheme is proposed at the A449/Vine Island Junction and along Wobaston Road to cater for background traffic growth in this part of Wolverhampton and to support the proposed i54 employment development site located immediately to the north of Wobaston Road. The i54 employment development site is 90 hectares in extent and has planning consent for 235,000m 2 that is estimated to generate over 6,000 jobs. 2.2 Despite the current economic conditions there is interest from investors in the site and it is considered imperative that, to secure this investment and the jobs it would bring, there needs to be certainty that the highways scheme is implemented in a timely manner. The future uncertainty of public funding is also a factor influencing the programme. The prompt signing of the Legal Agreement is therefore considered important to secure early development and jobs and to ensure the funding for the associated highways scheme. 2.3 The Vine Island/Wobaston Road Scheme is identified in the West Midlands Local Transport Plan and is regarded as a priority scheme for the region. The objectives of implementing the scheme are to reduce congestion; address local environmental impacts; improve accessibility; improve road safety; and support economic regeneration. 2.4 Cabinet on 12 September 2007 considered and endorsed a scheme for Vine Island and Wobaston Road as the basis for public consultation and to make a funding bid to Government to implement the scheme. The funding bid was submitted in November 2007 and, subsequent to that, there have been ongoing discussions with the Department for Transport and our Regional Partners about the technical justification of the scheme and the cost benefits. Public consultation was undertaken with residents and businesses directly affected by the proposals during October 2007 and ongoing contact with interested parties and Local Neighbourhood Partnerships has been maintained. 2.5 In recent months a funding package has been agreed in principle with an allocation approved from the Regional Funding Allocation and the remaining monies being provided by Advantage West Midlands as part of the S106 Agreement (yet to be signed) attached to a recent planning application for i54. We are therefore now able to progress the implementation of the scheme. 3.0 SCHEME PROPOSALS 3.1 Wobaston Road: Currently Wobaston Road is a single 2-lane carriageway road linking the A449 Stafford Road at the Vine Island roundabout junction to the west and the towns of Codsall and Bilbrook. The proposed scheme would be widened to dual carriageway (D2) standard between A449 Stafford Road and The Droveway junction. Vine Island junction and junctions at Headway Road, IMI access, Patshull Avenue and The 2 Cabinet Report 240310
Droveway will be replace with signal controlled crossroads. A shared footway/cycleway will be provided along both sides of Wobaston Road from Vine Island to The Droveway and, on the southern side of the road, between The Droveway and Pendeford Business Park. Capacity will also be increased at the Pendeford Business Park junction through the provision of a dedicated right turn lane. The junction with The Droveway is currently a four-arm roundabout with the fourth arm having been added to provide access to the i54 development during construction. The scheme would involve the removal of the roundabout and its replacement with a signal controlled junction to provide access to Phase I of the development and, longer term for this to provide the main public transport and emergency vehicle access to the site and access to just 15,000 sq m of development. 3.2 Vine Island Junction: The proposed scheme for the Vine island junction would involve the removal of the Vine Island roundabout junction and its replacement with a signal controlled junction. In detail this would provide two lanes from the north for traffic travelling straight on and two lanes for traffic turning right. Traffic from the south is provided for with two straight-on lanes and one lane for left-turning traffic. Traffic travelling from the west along Wobaston Road has two lanes for right-turning (southbound and eastbound) traffic and one lane for left (northbound) traffic. 3.3 Traffic turning out of Bee Lane would only be allowed to turn left onto A449 Stafford Road (southbound). A right-turn movement out of Bee Lane would not be permitted. Traffic would only be able to access Bee Lane from Stafford Road southbound and from Wobaston Road. Access for vehicles travelling northbound from the City Centre along the A449 would not be allowed to turn into Bee Lane. 3.4 The arrangements at the Vine Island Junction provide pedestrian crossing facilities at the junction. Access and parking/servicing to the shops would be provided for via a new service road accessible from traffic travelling in both directions along the Stafford Road and from Wobaston Road. Egress from the service access road would be eastbound only along Wobaston Road. 3.5 The scheme proposals are set out in the drawings reference P D111665/SK/22, P D111665/WOB/202, P D111665/WOB/203, P D111665/WOB/204, and P D111665/WOB/205 to be displayed at the meeting. 3.6 Timing Constraints: In response to South Staffordshire District Council and Staffordshire County Council concerns about traffic problems on the local highway the City Council have been asked to agree as Highway Authority to substantially complete and have the Vine Island/Wobaston Road Scheme operational by the end of December 2012. This, subject to Cabinet approval, would be secured through the Deed of Variation to the Planning Agreement to the I54 Development. The deadline would only be enforceable against Wolverhampton by South Staffordshire and they have agreed to act reasonably and have regard to the causes of any delay before considering any action, in the unlikely event compliance is not achieved by the specified date. In particular they would have regard to any unforeseeable circumstances and matters beyond this Council s control. 3.7 It is considered by officers that the scheme should be substantially completed by this date. However, it is considered that the end date referred to above should be extended in the event that the Deed of Variation is not completed by the 31 March 2010. It is therefore requested that the Director for Sustainable Communities be delegated the authority to agree an alternative later end date if the Deed has not been completed by the end of March 2010. 3 Cabinet Report 240310
3.8 Land Requirements: The scheme would require the acquisition of third party land. This is shown on Plan LP1 to be displayed at the Meeting. The exact land take is likely to be refined in the light of detailed design and following the researching and checking of land title. Some land shown, notably existing private accesses, would only be required during the period of construction for accommodation works. The Plan also shows City Council land required for the scheme that would need to be appropriated to Highways and that would be subject of separate future consideration by Resources Panel. Cabinet are therefore asked to approve the commencement of negotiations with the land owners to purchase that land required for the construction of the Vine Island/Wobaston Road Scheme and associated enabling works. However, experience has shown that negotiations can become very protracted with a consequent risk to delivery. Cabinet are therefore also requested to authorise that Officers prepare for a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). This is imperative in order that the City Council is able to meet its legal obligations of delivering the scheme on time and on budget. A further report will be brought to Cabinet to seek authority to make the CPO when preparations have been completed. 4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 4.1 It is currently estimated that the total scheme cost will be approximately 12.3M. This will be funded from a combination of funding from the Department of Transport and Advantage West Midlands (AWM). The medium term capital programme, approved by Council on 3 rd March 2010 reflects the estimated profile of spend and these funding streams which are detailed below. 4.2 It has been confirmed that the Regional Funding Allocation, which governs the distribution of funding from the Department of Transport, includes provision of 5M for the Vine Island/Wobaston Road scheme. 4.3 Section 278 contributions from AWM have previously been secured in relation to an earlier planning consent to facilitate improvements to The Droveway and Patshull Avenue Junctions. Whilst works to The Droveway have commenced implementation of Patshull Avenue Junction will be combined with the wider scheme outlined in this report. It is anticipated that approximately 1.0M of funding from the Section 278 funding will be utilised in relation to this scheme. 4.4. The first planning consent also secured Section 106 funding totalling 0.9M. The recent application from AWM to vary conditions from the extant Planning Consent would allow an increase in Phase I floorspace to allow 50,000 sq m to be developed and access from The Droveway/Wobaston Road junction. To facilitate this and to accommodate the additional traffic generated by the proposed development AWM will make an additional financial contribution of 5.4M towards the highway improvements at Vine Island/ Wobaston Road, bringing the total Section 106 contributions to 6.3M. 4.5 As mentioned in the body of the report the revised Section 106 agreement has yet to be signed. The work outlined in this report will not commence until such time as the agreement is signed and the associated funding secured. 5.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 5.1 The Council is a Highways Authority under Part 1 of the Highways Act 1980 and the function is delegated to Cabinet under Part 3 of the Constitution. 4 Cabinet Report 240310
5.2 A further report, as detailed above, will be required in respect of any proposed Compulsory Purchase Order outlining the legal context and implications for Members consideration. 6.0 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IMPLICATIONS 6.1 There are no direct implications for the City Council s Equal Opportunities Policy. 6.2 The Scheme will be subject of consultation with key stakeholders and with residents and businesses directly affected by the Scheme. Such consultation will take account of the Council s statutory duty to identify and take account of the particular needs of different groups and reduce the likelihood of discrimination. The Impact Assessment will cover Race, Gender, Disability, Sexual Orientation and Religious Belief. 7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS 7.1 The scheme has been subject of a detailed environmental impact assessment and project implementation will be subject of further assessments and the construction methods with employ best environmental practices. BACKGROUND PAPERS Cabinet Report - 12 September 2007 5 Cabinet Report 240310