Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Growth & Infrastructure

Forward Plan Ref: 2009/068

Contact: Jacqui Cox, Principal Transport Planner (01865 815713)

Report by Head of Transport (CA8).

The purpose of this report is to inform members of the progress made in developing the Southern Central Oxfordshire Transport Study (SCOTS) Strategic Transport Package being put forward for the Didcot – Wantage/Grove area of southern Oxfordshire, which is part of the ‘Accessing Science Vale UK’ strategy work being undertaken.

The report and decisions are required to allow Oxfordshire County Council to form a strategic response to the Vale of White Horse (VoWHDC) and South Oxfordshire (SODC) District Councils’ Local Development Framework (LDF) proposals for southern central Oxfordshire.  As such it will become part of the evidence base for both SODC’s and the VoWHDC’s LDFs.

The main themes discussed in the report are how/why SCOTS has come about, the Transport Package being put forward to mitigate the planned growth in the area, the environmental, financial and staff implications associated with the package. The report also sets out the next steps required to complete this work and the risks associated with it.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)        Approve in principle the strategic transport package required to mitigate growth in the SCOTS area to 2026, subject to the further work being undertaken, including funding options; and

(b)    Delegate the decision to add to or amend the SCOTS to the Director for Environment and Economy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member of Growth and Infrastructure, should the further work reveal that changes are necessary.

Councillor Purse welcomed the report but added that development has to be supported by infrastructure.  She asked if the risks to funding would impact on the local schemes mentioned in the report but not considered of sufficient strategic importance to be included in the recommended SCOTS schemes.

Councillor Patrick welcomed the report, after some delay, and reminded those present of its importance to the Vale of White Horse DC’s and South Oxfordshire DC’s Local Development Frameworks.  She urged the Cabinet to carry out the next steps as set out in the report, and added that improvements to the road infrastructure were needed before the houses were built at the former Grove airfield and a railway station was opened at Grove.

The Cabinet considered a report (CA8) the purpose of which was to inform members of the progress made in developing the Southern Central Oxfordshire Transport Study (SCOTS) Strategic Transport Package being put forward for the Didcot – Wantage/Grove area of southern Oxfordshire, which is part of the ‘Accessing Science Vale UK’ strategy work being undertaken.

The report and decisions were required to allow Oxfordshire County Council to form a strategic response to the Vale of White Horse (VoWHDC) and South Oxfordshire (SODC) District Councils’ Local Development Framework (LDF) proposals for southern central Oxfordshire.  As such it will become part of the evidence base for both SODC’s and the VoWHDC’s LDFs.

The main themes discussed in the report were how and why SCOTS had come about, the Transport Package being put forward to mitigate the planned growth in the area, the environmental, financial and staff implications associated with the package. The report also set out the next steps required to complete this work and the risks associated with it.

RESOLVED:            to:

(a)               approve in principle the strategic transport package required to mitigate growth in the SCOTS area to 2026, subject to the further work being undertaken, including funding options; and

(b)               delegate the authority to add to or amend the SCOTS to the Director for Environment and Economy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, should the further work reveal that changes are necessary.