Agenda item

RESOLVED: That Cabinet;

1.     Noted continued progress to deliver the Northampton North West Relief Road; 

2.     Supported the capital investment required to complete this scheme as set out in Section 6.1 of this report and required to proceed to construction including forward funding against future S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy payments; 

3.     Agreed to progress a bid to the Levelling Up Fund for £20 million; 

4.     Noted SEMLEP’s proposed conditions on the continued financial support from the Local Growth Fund as set out in Section 5.2. 

REASONS:

1.     The scheme is identified within the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy as being required to support anticipated additional growth, much of which is already consented requiring the additional highway capacity the scheme provides to mitigate their impacts. 

2.     The Levelling Up Fund provides an opportunity to gain the additional financial support the project requires and the project is a very good fit to the aims and requirements of this funding opportunity. 

3.     The £7.93 million Local Growth Deal funding administered by SEMLEP provides an essential contribution to the project funding. 

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

The road is required in order to improve the highway network and help to address traffic problems in parts of northern Northampton and surrounding villages. By providing additional capacity the road will help to enable development including the major Sustainable Urban Extensions at Buckton Fields, Dallington Grange and Northampton West.

During previous consultation, 64% of those responding to the consultation supported the need for the North West Relief Road. A number of respondents commented on potential flooding, noise and visual impacts and the severance of rights of way or thought that the road should be built as a dual carriageway from the outset. There was also significant concern expressed about possible traffic impacts due to the road opening before the Northampton Northern Orbital Road and it was suggested that the two roads should be built at the same time. However, there were very few suggestions that an alternative route would be more advantageous.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS DECLARED AND DISPENSATIONS GRANTED: None.

At the Chairman’s invitation Councillor Larratt presented the report, copies of which had been previously circulated. The report stated that the scheme would provide the necessary infrastructure for new residents in the areas and lessen any travel time. The business case for the proposal had been strong.

Councillors made the following comments;

·       It was suggested that travel times may not be helped by this road. It could make travel worse and as such would be of no benefit to Northampton.

·       It was suggested that the Council had been backed into a corner over this issue, considering that the project had gone £20 million over budget and could possibly be more.

·       It was noted that there was a need for an orbital road but that this road should be viewed as an access road, and as such should not be part of the orbital road project.

·       Clarification was requested with regards to where the section 106 money had been taken from. If money had been borrowed this would be a concern for residents, and could impact the Council’s budget.

·       It was advised that there had been some confusion from residents as to purpose of the road.

·       It was unclear how some residents would use part of the route.

·       It was hoped that Audit and/or Scrutiny would take a look at this item and include it in their work plan.

·       It was asked whether any money had been signposted to go into the neighbouring communities.

Councillor Larratt made the following comments in response.

·       It was advised that there was a requirement to deliver the relevant housing to the area and as such the project was needed.

·       The air quality and amount of congestion and pollution had been taken into account.

·       It was noted that a bid was being put forward. If the bid were not not be successful then a report would come back to Cabinet for further discussion.

·       He had been informed that the relief road was essential to the development of Dallington Grange.

Stuart Timmiss Executive Director of Place and Economy made the following comments.

·       Section 106 funding had been agreed and was assigned for this project, with a fair level of commitment.

·       If the development was over a certain number of houses then the Council would get funding for this.

·       Scrutiny of the project was welcomed.

·       Going forward, work would be undertaken with The Executive Director of Finance and his team in order to look at what further plans could be put into place.

·       The priority of the orbital road development was noted with regard to infrastructure.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet;

1.     Noted continued progress to deliver the Northampton North West Relief Road; 

2.     Supported the capital investment required to complete this scheme as set out in Section 6.1 of this report and required to proceed to construction including forward funding against future S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy payments; 

3.     Agreed to progress a bid to the Levelling Up Fund for £20 million; 

4.     Noted SEMLEP’s proposed conditions on the continued financial support from the Local Growth Fund as set out in Section 5.2