Agenda item

To consider a report recommending a preferred route for the proposed Poynton Relief Road and seeking approval to undertake further work.

Cabinet considered a report recommending a preferred route for the proposed Poynton Relief Road.

The report highlighted the findings of a recent pubic consultation exercise, recommended a preferred route for the road and sought approval to undertake the further work necessary to submit a planning application for the scheme and further develop the scheme business case. The report also provided an update on recent funding successes through the Local Growth fund and the need for the Council to support, in principle, meeting the remaining funding gap.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.    notes the findings of the Public Consultation report;

2.    approves that the Green route be taken forward as the preferred route as set out in the Preferred Route Assessment Report;

3.    approves that the necessary steps be taken to protect the preferred route shown in Annex A to the report from future development including introducing the necessary modifications into the Local Plan Core Strategy at the earliest opportunity;

4.    requests Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to make the necessary adjustments to its adopted development plan to protect the preferred route within SMBC;

5.    acknowledges SMBC’s concerns that appropriate mitigation is provided to ensure that the impact of the Green route on properties within Stockport is managed to a level similar to that for the existing (extant) protected route;

6.    agrees to remove the extant route protection for the former route of the road from the Council’s Local Plan policy once the new preferred route has been fully protected;

7.    approves that the alignment of the preferred route be further developed to enable the submission of a planning application, reflecting where possible feedback received through consultation; that the business case for the scheme be developed to the next level and work be commissioned for the Phase 2 multi-modal study; and that the professional support required for these activities continue to be provided by Jacobs through the Highways Contract with Ringway Jacobs;

8.    notes the findings of the A523 Route Management Feasibility Report and endorses the recommendations that local Improvements are further developed, after further local consultation ,at the following junctions independently from the main scheme.

§  A523 London Road / Bonis Hall Lane Junction

§  A523 London Road / Butley Town Junction

§  A523 Adlington Cross Roads

                     and that minor speed/safety measures are developed at the A523 at Issues Wood and at Prestbury Lane;

9.    recommends that the capital budget (highlighted in Section 7 of the report) to progress the next stage of work for PRR and the complementary measures be made available, subject to the usual budget-setting process;

10. approves that officers immediately commence detailed discussions with affected landowners, local residents, businesses, parish councils and recognised community groups to refine the design details (including access arrangements and traffic management measures) and that supplementary formal consultation be undertaken to inform planning submission material;

11. approves that a ‘pre-planning application’ consultation be held and that the details and arrangements be delegated to the Head of Strategic Infrastructure in consultation with the Portfolio Holder;

12. notes the anticipated programme for the next stage of work;

13. following the outcome of the public consultation, confirms the objectives of the scheme as:

§  To support the economic, physical and social regeneration of Poynton and the North of the Borough, in particular Macclesfield.

§  To relieve existing Village centre traffic congestion and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and reduce traffic on less desirable roads on the wider network.

§  To deliver a range of measures on the A523 corridor to Macclesfield that addresses road safety, congestion and mitigates the wider environmental impact of traffic.

§  Boost business integration and productivity: improve the efficiency and reliability of the highway network, reduce the conflict between local and strategic traffic, and provide an improved route for freight and business travel.

§  To allow improvements to the highway network for walking, cycling and public transport.

14. to approve that a Section 8 Agreement be entered into with SMBC in order to:

§  Allow CEC to take the lead and responsibility for managing the scheme within SMBC

§  Be responsible for delivery of any necessary improvements within SMBC

§  Accept liability for compensation aspects of the scheme within SMBC

and that the details and arrangements be delegated to the Head of Strategic Infrastructure in consultation with the Portfolio Holder;

15. to note the Council’s success in securing £16.4m of funding for the scheme through the Local Growth fund and to authorise officers to explore additional funding opportunities; further, to note that as a reserve position, an approval for the full funding required for the scheme will be made though the Council’s budget-setting process;

16. to delegate authority to the Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity to authorise entering into licences for the purpose of gaining access to third party land for the purpose of carrying out surveys or in the event that the use of a licence is not possible or appropriate then to authorise the use of the Highway Authority’s powers to gain access to land pursuant to Sections 289-290 of the Highways Act 1980.