Agenda and minutes

           

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 7^th April 2008, having been printed and circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The report will incorporate:-

 

i)                    Consultations with the Department for Transport; and

ii)                  The delivery of the Statutory Procedures.

 

 

The report is to follow

            The Board received a report from the Mersey Gateway Project Director, that provided an update of the progress made towards the statutory planning procedures, together with issues reported to the Department for Transport (DfT) in the routine quarterly progress report.

 

            It was reported that discussions with DfT officials continued to focus on reaching a consensus on value for money based on the revised traffic model outputs.  It was noted that  the funding agreement with Ministers required both value for money and deliverability to be reviewed prior to any Public Inquiry based on the results of the new traffic model.

 

            It was noted that the delivery programme had slipped to two weeks to accommodate a recent procedural requirement where the Council was required to provide a mandatory 28 day pre-application lead time to allow the DfT to review the draft Transport and Works Act Order (TWA).  The draft TWA was submitted on 2^nd May which established the new Application date as 30^th May 2008.  The project team were working to achieve this revised date so that the programme toward a Public Inquiry at the end of the year could be maintained. 

 

To assist the public to respond to what was an unusual statutory planning process, the Board considered a leaflet which detailed the plans for the Mersey Gateway Project and the two stages that were planned.  The leaflet also detailed the timetable for planning applications and legal orders that were being submitted to or made by the Council and the DfT.  The Board noted that the leaflet was now being distributed widely across the Borough.  It was also reported that exhibitions were scheduled for June to be held in Widnes and Runcorn inviting members of the public to find out more.

 

Members queried whether residents could claim for double glazing and other noise reducing methods if they were to suffer from traffic noise from the proposed scheme.   In response it was noted that although properties on the approach roads to Silver Jubilee Bridge would benefit from reduced noise, the Mersey Gateway route through Runcorn would increase traffic noise.  To combat the noise increase, noise barriers were proposed along the route south of Astmoor.  In general properties in Runcorn are some distance away from the improved road and the increase in noise levels at properties would be slight, taking into account the mitigation from the proposed barriers. The project team would be assessing the entitlement for residents to claim for double glazing under the Land Compensation Act and would publish draft results later in the year.

 

RESOLVED: That the Mersey Gateway Executive Board note the progress made and the actions taken.

           

The report is to follow.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Environment which sought the approval of the Mersey Gateway Relocation Strategy and recommended its adoption to support the Mersey Gateway project.

 

            It was reported that the land referencing exercise for the Mersey Gateway project had identified around 70 businesses that need to be acquired in order to complete the land assembly package for the construction of the scheme. 

 

            It was noted that in order to complete the land assembly it would be necessary to acquire the land either by negotiation with the freeholder or via the Transport and Works Act (TWA) or the two compulsory purchase orders, one for the area to the south of the TWA and one for the area to the west of the TWA.

           

            It was noted that the businesses to be acquired fall into wide-ranging industrial sectors including high value goods, retail, engineering and the service sector.  Ownership of the businesses varied from sole traders through to several foreign owned multi-national corporations.

 

            Members were advised of the Council’s business relocation and support process, the need to understand the requirements of individual businesses and the identification of relocation options. The recommended strategy was designed to support the varied requirements of businesses that want to relocate.

 

            RESOLVED: That the Mersey Gateway Executive Board approve the Mersey Gateway Relocation Strategy for formal adoption as the Acquiring Authority’s Relocation Strategy for the Mersey Gateway Project.

MINUTES ISSUED: 11^th June 2008

CALL IN: 19^th June 2008

Any matter decided by the Mersey Gateway Executive Board may be called in no later than 19^th June 2008