Agenda and minutes

Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation and Highways Projects Manager, presented a report setting out a proposed response, on behalf of the Council, to a Government consultation.

The Department of Transport was consulting on its proposed ‘Exceptional Hardship’ Scheme in relation to the high speed rail links from the West Midlands to Leeds and Manchester and a Heathrow spur (HS2). Rotherham was being directly consulted as the route of the proposed HS2 link to Leeds passed through the Borough.

The Government had acknowledged that, until a final decision was made on the route, there would be uncertainty about which properties would be required to be purchased in order to construct and operate the new line and which additional properties may be affected during its construction.  Accordingly the Government intended to introduce a discretionary Exceptional Hardship Scheme which would be available to residential, agricultural and small business owner occupiers whose property values may be affected and could demonstrate the need to sell their properties before the usual statutory protection and compensation rights took effect.

The criteria for eligibility was as follows:-

Criterion 1 - Property Type

Criterion 2 - Location of Property

Criterion 3 - Effort to sell and the impact of blight

Criterion 4 - No prior knowledge of Phase 2 of HS2

Criterion 5 - Exceptional hardship

A majority independent panel would consider all applications and make recommendations to the Secretary of State as to whether an application should be accepted or not.  If successful, an applicant’s property would be purchase at 100% of its unlighted open market value, the figure being assessed by 2 independent valuers with associated costs paid by the Government.  The Secretary of State would be required to provide a decision on each complete application within 3 months of receipt.

Discussion ensued on the 3 specific consultation questions together with the proposed responses.  It was felt that the response to question 2 should be strengthened and include the view that the criteria should include an indication of the distance from/to the line of the route for potential applicants, although this should not prejudice an application from properties falling outside of this distance from applying.

Responses to be consultation had to be submitted by 29^th April, 2013.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the proposed responses, subject to the amendment highlighted above, be approved for submission in accordance with the 29^th April, 201, deadline.

(2)  That, due to the consultation deadline, authorisation from the Mayor be sought for the decision to be exempt from the call-in procedure.

(Following the meeting the Mayor’s agreement was confirmed to the decision being exempted from the Council’s call-in procedure.)

Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation and Highways Projects Manager, presented a report setting out Sheffield City Region’s proposed bid to the Department for Transport's Cycle City Ambition Grant and sought endorsement for the infrastructure improvements for which funding was to be sought.

The focus of the bid was to improve cycle access towards urban centres/interchanges and to improve routes for leisure cycles though pedestrians would also benefit from a number of the interventions proposed.

The Grant would provide £30M of funding for measures to increase cycling levels that also improved conditions for pedestrians.  It was part of the Government’s ‘City Deals’ proposals and only first wave City Deal areas and any city applying to be a second wave City may apply.  A maximum of 3 City Deal areas would be awarded funding with the total fund available in 2013/14 and 2014/15.  The grant was entirely capital funding and could not support revenue activity.

The Government saw more and safer cycling strategies as important tools for cities to unlock a range of cross cutting economic and social benefits that enabled growth.

Sheffield City Region partners had considered the objectives of the Fund and the eligibility criteria and agreed to prepare a bid based on improving access for cyclists to urban areas/interchanges and to improve routes for leisure cycles.  The bid would be entitled South Yorkshire Cycle Loops and Links and would include schemes to improve infrastructure for cyclists across South Yorkshire to be delivered over the bid funding period to March, 2015.  It would also include a 10 year strategy consisting of longer term ambitions with a number of proposed routes which would build upon existing strategic infrastructure.

The funding would be sought for:-

-          6km cycle lane along Thorne Road towards Doncaster Town centre and resurface 11.5km of the Trans Pennine Trail;

-          Sheffield and Barnsley plan to introduce a 18.91km new and improved route from Langsett through Stocksbridge and towards Sheffield City Centre and

-          A series of improvements to overcome key barriers in Rotherham and improve access for cyclists and pedestrians to the Town Centre and interchanges from the western and north-eastern side of Rotherham.  This would form a continuous route from Masbrough to Dalton via the Town Centre.

The Department for Transport had advised that bids should have match funding in the region of 30%.   Accordingly, it was proposed to include the walking and cycling improvements agreed as part of the Tesco’s development Section 278 works as a contribution towards the scheme.

The deadline for the submissions of bids to the CCAG was 30^th April, 2012.

Resolved:-  (1)  The Rotherham elements of the Cycle City Ambition Grant bid for inclusion within the overall Sheffield City Region bid to the Department for Transport be approved.

(2)  That, due to the consultation deadline, authorisation from the Mayor be sought for the decision to be exempt from the call-in procedure.

 (Following the meeting the Mayor’s agreement was confirmed to the decision being exempted from the Council’s call-in procedure.)

Resolved:-  That a further meeting be held on Monday, 3^rd June, 2013, commencing at 10.30 a.m.