Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Growth & Infrastructure

Forward Plan Ref: 2009/091

Contact: Adrian Saunders, Rail Development Officer (01865

815080)

Report by Head of Transport (CA 9).

Chiltern Railways will shortly be submitting a Transport and Works Act application for works to enable introduction of a new half hourly rail service between London Marylebone and Oxford via High Wycombe and Bicester.   Works would include a short new stretch of railway in Bicester, upgrading and partially doubling the existing railway between Oxford and Bicester, improvement of Bicester Town station, a new Parkway station at Water Eaton and new platforms at, and track approaching, the north end of Oxford station.   The County Council will be a consultee on this application and needs to form a view on it.   The report discusses the potential benefits of the proposal; its relationship with the East West rail proposal over the same stretch of line; its relationship with the County Council's Access to Oxford project; possible implications for the Water Eaton Park and Ride site; other transport implications; implications for green belt policy; implications for minerals and waste strategies; implications for public rights of way; and some other issues.   It invites the Cabinet to consider in principle the overall County Council view on the proposal, and any conditions to be applied to that view.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)                                                                                      advise Chiltern Railways that, if the full transport benefits as now outlined in this report continue to be offered, the council supports in principle the Evergreen 3 proposals subject to:

(1)                                                               the submission of a full and acceptable Transport Assessment which addresses the points raised in Annex 2 of this report;

(2)                                                               the Transport and Works Act application being accompanied by evidence to demonstrate that there are very special circumstances which justify the development on the site in the green belt;

(3)                                                               the proposals accommodating the existing Aggregates Rail Depot and, if appropriate, the development of a Materials Recovery Facility at the Water Eaton site;

(4)                                                               satisfactory arrangements to ensure that there is no prejudice to continued operation of the free County Council car park at Water Eaton for bus access to the city centre and hospitals;

(5)                                                               effective liaison with the Access to Oxford project to upgrade Oxford station;

and on the basis that Chiltern Railways should also pay due regard to all other impacts in Oxfordshire of their proposals, including in particular the Rights of Way issues mentioned in the report.

(b)       delegate to the Heads of Transport and Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, the authority to respond to the TWA application and other aspects of this project as it develops, in accordance with the general principles outlined in this report.

Councillor Purse stated that she was a strong supporter of Chiltern Railways, and that although this was a strange routing from Oxford to London it would be popular with the stations along the route.  She referred to the lack of parking at Thornhill Park & Ride and the number of people parking there and travelling to London; she hoped that the same would not happen at Water Eaton.

Councillor Fooks stated the proposal would be a benefit to the residents of north Oxford.  She noted that the County Council needed to address traffic congestion but also expressed concerns from local residents close to the railway line about the speed of trains on that stretch of track.

The Cabinet considered a report (CA9) on Chiltern Railways intention to submit a Transport and Works Act application for works to enable introduction of a new half hourly rail service between London Marylebone and Oxford via High Wycombe and Bicester.

Works would include a short new stretch of railway in Bicester, upgrading and partially doubling the existing railway between Oxford and Bicester, improvement of Bicester Town station, a new Parkway station at Water Eaton and new platforms at, and track approaching, the north end of Oxford station.  The County Council will be a consultee on this application and needs to form a view on it.   The report discussed the potential benefits of the proposal; its relationship with the East West rail proposal over the same stretch of line; its relationship with the County Council's Access to Oxford project; possible implications for the Water Eaton Park and Ride site; other transport implications; implications for green belt policy; implications for minerals and waste strategies; implications for public rights of way; and some other issues.   The Cabinet was invited to consider in principle the overall County Council view on the proposal, and any conditions to be applied to that view.

RESOLVED:                        to:

(a)               advise Chiltern Railways that, if the full transport benefits as now outlined in this report continue to be offered, the council supports in principle the Evergreen 3 proposals subject to:

(1)               the submission of a full and acceptable Transport Assessment which addresses the points raised in Annex 2 of this report;

(2)               the Transport and Works Act application being accompanied by evidence to demonstrate that there are very special circumstances which justify the development on the site in the green belt;

(3)               the proposals accommodating the existing Aggregates Rail Depot and, if appropriate, the development of a Materials Recovery Facility at the Water Eaton site;

(4)         satisfactory arrangements to ensure that there is no prejudice to continued operation of the free County Council car park at Water Eaton for bus access to the city centre and hospitals;

(5)         effective liaison with the Access to Oxford project to upgrade Oxford station;

and on the basis that Chiltern Railways should also pay due regard to all other impacts in Oxfordshire of their proposals, including in particular the Rights of Way issues mentioned in the report.

(b)               delegate to the Heads of Transport and Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, the authority to respond to the TWA application and other aspects of this project as it develops, in accordance with the general principles outlined in this report.