Agenda item

Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation Unit Manager, to report.

-  to consider the current position relating to the A57 Worksop Road / Sheffield Road Major Scheme, and to seek to gain Cabinet Member’s support to use LTP Integrated Transport capital funding and Maintenance allocations and to increase RMBC’s local contribution and to confirm with the DfT the Council’s continued support for the scheme.

Further to Minute No. C134 of the meeting of the Cabinet, consideration was given to a report, presented by the Transportation Unit Manager, outlining the current position relating to the A57 Worksop Road / Sheffield Road Major Scheme, the Department for Transport’s (DfT) review of the ‘best and final offers’, and the subsequent request from the DfT to reduce their contribution towards the scheme. 

The report sought to gain Cabinet Member’s support to use Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport capital funding and Maintenance allocations and to increase the Council’s local contribution and to confirm with the DfT continued support for the scheme.

A summary of the background to the scheme was given.  Reference was made to the previous funding arrangements for the scheme and the decision by the coalition Government to abolish Regional Development Agencies which had meant that funding from Yorkshire Forward was no longer available.

It was explained that the ‘best and final offer’ approved by Cabinet and submitted to the DfT allowed for a reduction in scope which included the retention of a dual carriageway scheme designed for a 50mph speed limit including an at grade signalised crossing to replace the subway at a total scheme cost of £14.7m. The offer sought a £12.7m contribution from the DfT and included a £2.0m local contribution from the Council’s Capital Programme.

The amended scheme therefore removed the funding gap created by the lack of Yorkshire Forward funding and reduced the DfT contribution from around £12.8m to £12.7m.

However, it was now reported that the DfT had suggested that the A57 (M1 to Todwick Crossroads) Major Scheme was unlikely to receive continued support from the DfT unless their contribution was reduced by a further £900,000.

In order to reduce the DfT contribution by a further £900,000 either the cost of the scheme would have to reduce; the local contribution would have to increase; or a combination of the two.

Whilst the report to Cabinet indicated that further cost savings may be achievable at the time the scheme is put out to tender, at present these costs had not been quantified.  It was therefore considered that in order to confirm the Council’s continued support of the scheme that additional funding should be identified.

Consideration was therefore given to identifying £900,000 of additional funding from LTP Integrated Transport capital funding and future Maintenance allocations as a contribution towards the A57 Major Scheme.  It was anticipated that the additional funding would be required in 2013/14.

This would increase the Council’s Local Contribution to £2,900,000 thereby reducing the DfT contribution to £11,800,000.

Reference was made to the following:-

-          potential savings to be achieved as the scheme was designed and tendered for

-          planning permission and anticipated public inquiry

-          risk assessment and contingencies

-          likely scheme commencement date

-          speed limits between M1 (J31) and Anston

Resolved:- (1)  That approval be given to increase the Council’s local contribution towards the A57 (M1 to Todwick Crossroads) Major Scheme from £2,000,000 to £2,900,000 using £900,000 of Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport capital funding and Maintenance allocations, thereby reducing the DfT contribution towards the scheme from £12,700,000 to £11,800,000.

(2)                  That the agreement of the Mayor be sought to exempt this decision from the provisions of the call in procedure on the grounds that it is urgent as the DfT require notification of the Council’s decision to increase the local contribution by 24th January 2011.

(DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THE ABOVE, THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR WAS SOUGHT TO EXEMPT THE MINUTE FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE CALL-IN PROCESS.  APPROVAL WAS GRANTED ON 24^TH JANUARY, 2011)