Environment, Transport & Development Department

Minutes of Meeting

A47 Alliance

Held on: 26 November 2010 Time: 2.00pm

Venue: Cranworth Room, County Hall

C:\Documents and Settings\John Frederick\My Documents\01 - NCC Work\A47 Alliance\A47 Alliance Steering Group\Steering Group Meetings 2010\26 November 2010\Minutes 26 November 2010.doc

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Present:
Graham Plant / - / Norfolk County Council
Mike Jackson / - / Norfolk County Council
Bob Tuckwell / - / Cambridgeshire County Council
John Skillings / - / Mott MacDonald
David Cumming / - / Norfolk County Council
Ranjit Mistry / - / Highways Agency
Eric Cooper / - / Highways Agency
Bill Billington / - / RAC Foundation
Paul Claussen / - / Breckland District Council
Stuart Hallett / - / Norfolk County Council
Wendy Otter / - / Fenland Council
Richard Rockliffe / - / Norfolk County Council
Apologies:
Vivienne Spikings / - / Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
Tim East / - / Norfolk County Council and South Norfolk Council
Michael Selfe / - / RAC Foundation
Martin Smith / - / Atkins
Peter Jermany / - / Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
Peter Warner / - / Great Yarmouth Borough Council
John Birchall / - / Norfolk County Council
Laurie Egan / - / Norfolk County Council
Keith Simpson / - / MP
Robert Sturdy / - / MEP
Jonathan Cage / - / Norfolk Chamber of Commerce
David Willis / - / South Norfolk Council
Quentin Brogdale / - / Norfolk County Council
David Dukes / - / Norfolk County Council
Henry Bellingham / - / MP
Brandon Lewis / MP
Simon Wright / MP
Chloe Smith / MP
Paul Rice / Norfolk County Council
Roger Burroughs / Broadland District Council
Tim Edmunds / Norfolk County Council

Action

1.0 / Election of Chairman
Richard Rockliffe nominated Graham Plant; Bob Tuckwell seconded.
Graham Plant elected chairman.
Graham Plant thanked Adrian Gunson, the previous chair for his long and outstanding record as chair. It was agreed that a letter of thanks be sent to Mr Gunson from the A47 Alliance. / JFS
2.0 / Apologies
Noted above.
3.0 / Minutes of meeting 10 September 2010
Eric Cooper stated that, in section 4, the Highways Agency had not agreed to “write formally to Great Yarmouth Borough Council,” but instead agreed to send a copy of the report. This had been done.
Subject to this change, the minutes of the meeting were agreed.
4.0 / Views on what progress the A47 Alliance is making and how our own objectives can be pursued in relation to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
Graham Plant stated that he acknowledged the sterling work of the Alliance in keeping up the pressure for improvements on one of Norfolk's critical transport links; and was very honoured to be taking on the chairmanship.
He reiterated the importance of the A47 to Norfolk, the need for improvement and ultimately its dualling. However, he stated that the financial and political landscape has changed significantly. The Spending Review has seen the Blofield to Burlingham scheme dropped entirely and the prospect of significant improvement anywhere along the route looks to be more distant.
Graham Plant noted that at the same time, a new Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Norfolk and Suffolk is forming, and government will clearly look to this for its main steer on investment priorities in future. He stated that this therefore seems like a good time to think about the future role of the Alliance, what it might be able to achieve going forward and how it relates to the LEP.
Graham welcomed views on what he had said, either during the meeting or subsequently.
Bob Tuckwell noted that Cambridgeshire felt the A47 Alliance had been very good in raising the prominence of the issues and in getting some of them resolved. He stated that they were thinking of setting up an A14 Alliance, modelled on the A47 Alliance, which they considered an excellent model. He went on to say that they were working on the Greater Cambridgeshire LEP and this could offer a partnership means to draw in those along the A47 but not situated within Norfolk itself.
Mike Jackson stated that all needed to think about the most effective means of lobbying. He said that government had put lots of store in the LEPs, and may not be convinced by the efforts of any organisation sitting outside LEPs. Mike was thinking abut how the Alliance could be moved to within the LEP architecture and of talking and linking to other LEPs.
He stated that it was key that this was not diluting the lobbying efforts, but a means of making them more effective.
It was agreed that a letter be sent out to all members of the Alliance to seek everyone’s views. / GP
Eric Cooper asked about the Highways Agency’s future involvement. In reply, Graham Plant and Mike Jackson confirmed that DfT saw the engagement as through the LEPs.
5.0 / A47 Mattishall Road Junction
Update on programme for scheme following CSR
NB: Paul Claussen arrived at this point.
Ranjit Mistry explained that, following a meeting with Norfolk County Council and the Parishes, it had been agreed that peak-time traffic signals would be implemented this financial year.
A47 Acle Straight – Ditch Relocation
Update including Timetable following CSR
Ranjit explained that the Highways Agency had contacted landowners; three had agreed to the proposals and one declined. Negotiations are ongoing. Ranjit stated that this has meant that the Agency had missed the September / October deadline for starting the work on the trials of relocating the ditches. He explained that they will continue to try to get agreement, and would be looking to re-prioritise the works.
Ranjit outlined that safety works had been completed and the accident record has improved.
John Skillings asserted that the Alliance would still like the trials to be completed as they were necessary for the full scheme on the A47 to go ahead, should the trial be successful. He said that having spent almost three years getting to this point it would be ridiculous not to complete the trial.
A47 Wisbech Bypass Walsoken Broad End East / West Junction
Update following CSR
Ranjit outlined that there was no funding for this scheme in 2010/11, but that there would be a further bid for funding for 2011/12. Answering a question from Stuart Hallett, he confirmed that a safety camera was part of the considerations.
A47 Middleton – Pedestrian Crossing
Update on consultation and programme following CSR
Ranjit stated that the consultation had been completed with overwhelming support for the scheme and there would be a bid for funding for 2011/12.
Ranjit said that it was likely that he would know before Christmas which schemes might be included in the 2011/12 programme.
6.0 / Blofield to North Burlingham Alternative Interventions Study
Update on programme following CSR
Eric Cooper confirmed that, following confirmation that the full dualling scheme had been cancelled in the CSR, low-cost options would be considered for implementation. He stated that there would be a value-engineering process on the options previously outlined with the top ones going forward for a bid in the works programme
7.0 / Government Proposals for funding of Trunk Road Schemes, and in particular the A47, following the Comprehensive Spending Review
John Skillings noted that this item was on the agenda as the process was in a period of change. Mike Jackson outlined that previously, funding for trunk road schemes had been prioritised regionally, through the Regional Funding Allocations. However, the regional structures had been abolished by the coalition government.
Eric Cooper stated that he was not yet sure how schemes may be prioritised, but offered to try to find out. He did note that there had been substantial cuts: the Highways Agency budgets would be cut by 28% over the next four years. He stated that in the old East of England region the capital (schemes) budget previously was £96m, £50m of which was PFI and hence committed.
John Skillings noted that with the PFI commitment this would mean a greater cut in the remaining (non-PFI) capital budget.
Eric Cooper emphasised the need for realism regarding delivery. / EC
David Cumming stated that he had recently been in a meeting with senior DfT officials. He reported that it appeared that Ministers were still working proposals through but were keen to see decision-making devolved. LEPs did not necessarily have the same large geography of the regional set-ups and hence may not be a natural fit for decision-making along transport corridors. However, David suggested it could be likely that, for ‘national’ trunk roads it might remain a central government decision, but for ‘regional’ trunk roads such as the A47 government may be looking for this decision-making to be made by LEPs (or across LEPs).
8.0 / Paper on Growth Pressures on A47 and Development Contributions to Infrastructure
Update on preparation
John Skillings stated that he was progressing the paper but awaiting information from various Districts regarding their growth plans.
Wendy Otter noted that, for Fenland, this would not be available until after work on Shaping Fenland had been completed.
9.0 / King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Community Infrastructure Scheme
Update
A note from the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk had been circulated.
10.0 / Scheme Update
A note had been circulated.
Mike Jackson made the point that the financial and policy context had changed significantly recently. Any new group needs to have a critical look at the schemes to ensure they all fit with the new way of thinking, including the carbon and growth agendas. There was a new appraisal process being devised, together with the emerging LEP decision-making processes.
Paul Claussen asked about the private sector role in this. Mike stated that the private sector was already involved in the LEPs. He re-iterated that this further demonstrated the need for any new group to align itself with LEPs, as this helps private-sector engagement, which government is looking for.
11.0 / AOB
None
12.0 / Date of next meeting
TBC when the proposals for LEPs are clearer.
Date and Venue of Next Meeting: TBC
Signed: …………………… (Chairperson) Dated: …………………

C:\Documents and Settings\John Frederick\My Documents\01 - NCC Work\A47 Alliance\A47 Alliance Steering Group\Steering Group Meetings 2010\26 November 2010\Minutes 26 November 2010.doc

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