Agenda item - A27 Chichester Bypass Improvement Scheme Response to Highways England Public Consultation

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its three appendices and to make the following recommendations to the Council namely that it:

(1) Agrees the overall conclusions of this report set out in paragraphs 5.27 to 5.29, providing qualified support for Option 2, based on the information published by Highways England at this stage.

(2) Approves the comments set out in Appendix 3 for submission as Chichester District Council’s formal response to the Highways England consultation on options for the A27 Chichester Bypass Improvement scheme.

[Note For ease of reference, the three appendices to this report are page numbered as follows:

· Appendix 1 - CDC officer summary and analysis of A27 options: pages 16 to 30

· Appendix 2 - Summary table showing positive and negative aspects of A27 options: pages 31 to 34

· Appendix 3 - Formal CDC comments in response to the A27 options consultation: pages 35 to 64]

RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL

That the Council:

(1) Agrees the overall conclusions of the report set out in paragraphs 5.27 to 5.29, providing qualified support for Option 2, based on the information published by Highways England at this stage.

(2) Approves the comments set out in Appendix 3 (including the Annex) for submission as Chichester District Council’s formal response to the Highways England consultation on options for the A27 Chichester Bypass Improvement Scheme.

(3) Advises Highways England that Chichester District Council is only minded to support Option 2 provided that Highways England gives serious consideration to the following:

i. Strategic improvements to the Portfield roundabout to increase east-west capacity, possibly including an eastbound flyover for cars and light vans only using the A27;

ii. The provision of good access for traffic going from the B2145 to the east of Chichester without impeding through east-west traffic (possibly by a slip road from the Whyke Road flyover down to the A27 or a right turn from the flyover down to the A27);

iii. The reduction of the length of the Stockbridge Link Road, either to only a section from the A286 to the Fishbourne roundabout or to the two sections from the B2201 via the A286 to the Fishbourne roundabout;

iv. The provision of safe, segregated crossings of the A27 for cyclists and pedestrians at the Bognor Road, Whyke Road and Stockbridge Road junctions;

v. The installation of noise abatement screens on the flyovers;

vi. The examination of the scope for lowering the roundabouts and flyovers at the Bognor Road and especially Fishbourne junctions;

vii. The use of Highways England’s Designated Fund to finance the mitigation measures listed above.

(4) Gives delegated authority to the Head of Planning Services to make any consequential amendments to Appendix 3 in agreement with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing.

[Note Mr Finch was not present for this agenda item]

The Cabinet considered the agenda report and its three appendices and also the report update sheet with a revised set of recommendations which had been circulated electronically and published online the previous Friday and was available in hard copy at this meeting (copies attached to the official minutes).

The report was presented by Mrs Taylor.

Mr Allgrove, Mr Davidson and Mr Frost were in attendance.

Mrs Taylor summarised the background to the Highways England consultation on the five published options (summarised in para 3.5 of the report), which would end on 22 September 2016 and the analysis undertaken by Chichester District Council (CDC) officers (section 5 of the report) which had led to the recommendations in para 2.1 of the report in favour of Option 2 albeit this was qualified by concerns regarding the potentially significant impacts on the landscape, natural and historic environment and on some residential areas. The officers’ overall conclusion regarding the options was set out in paras 5.27 to 5.30 of the report. It should be noted that the report did not address (in the absence of any supporting evidence) other possible options eg the formerly mooted northern route. She drew attention to the third appendix which contained CDC’s formal comments in response to the consultation. At its meeting on 15 September 2016 CDC’s Development Plan and Infrastructure Panel considered this matter and recommended some amendments to the recommendations in para 2.1 of the report. These were set out in red text in the report update sheet circulated at this meeting.

During the debate two Cabinet members commented as follows.

Mr Barrow said that it was clearly not advisable to favour no option. He commended officers for their work, particularly section 5 of the report. Whilst he was inclined to agree with the recommendation in favour of option 2 as being the most favourable option for Chichester and the local/through traffic flows, he did not consider that the option did a great deal for the Manhood Peninsula, having listened to the views of many local residents and parish councils, particularly with regard to the proposed Stockbridge Link Road. He outlined the route which would be used by drivers travelling from the Manhood Peninsula using the Option 2 routes and highlighted traffic/road problems which he foresaw would be encountered. He questioned whether the mitigation measures would adequately address the environmental impacts of Option 2 on the AONB and expressed concern about the demolition of 20 properties. A northern route had not been included in the consultation but this was an option strongly supported by those who lived in the south of Chichester District. It would not be right to ignore such a high level of support for a northern route. It was very unfortunate that Highways England had excluded this as an option; its omission had dashed the hopes of many southern residents. Accordingly he felt unable to support the recommendations as currently framed. He advocated the need first to seek much greater detail about the environmental and community impacts of Option 2 and the need to comment on options not being proposed by Highways England ie a northern route. The Cabinet’s remit was to make recommendations to the Council meeting and he felt that the opportunity should not be missed to invite the Council to address other potential options with a view to inviting Highways England to seek a review of the northern option.

Mr Dignum said that Mr Barrow’s concern about the length of the link road was in fact shared and in his view it should be reduced but Mr Barrow replied that he did not see how a reduction would assist. Mr Dignum added that the northern route option was one for the Council meeting.

Mrs Hardwick said that she awaited the Council debate later in the day with great interest. Option 2 clearly met the objectives best of facilitating the east-west traffic flows around Chichester. Many of the concerns expressed by local residents were real and important but the benefits of maximising traffic flows for local traffic were not to be underestimated and the need to ameliorate the impact on roads of the considerable population growth in the southern England had to be recognised. Moreover with good design there could be an aesthetically pleasing result. Nevertheless it was a very difficult decision to make and was causing worry to many residents. Her current position was to favour Option 2.

The officers present were not asked any questions.

Decision

The Cabinet voted (with Mr Finch not present at this stage of the meeting) by a show of hands in favour of the recommendation in para 2.1 of the report by five votes to none against and one abstention (Mr Barrow).