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Division(s) Didcot Manor; Didcot Mereland; Drayton; Moreton; Wantage Rural

ITEM EX10

EXECUTIVE – 18 MAY 2004

DIDCOT AREA INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY

Report by Head of Transport

Introduction

  1. The purpose of this report is to advise the Executive of the response received from Didcot Town Council to the Didcot Area Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) Phase 1 Final Report and to seek approval for this part of the strategy.
  2. A full report on the Strategy was brought to the Executive on 20 April 2004. This followed the Members Steering Group agreeing on 3 March 2004 that Phase 1 of the Strategy should be referred to South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils and to Didcot Town Council for endorsement and then brought to the Executive for approval. However, written confirmation of this process was not given and as a result Didcot Town Council did not realise their part in the procedure. They requested postponement to consideration of the strategy in order to enable them to consider the study’s findings. The Executive on 20 April agreed to defer consideration to enable them to respond.
  3. Members are asked to refer to the report circulated with the 20 April agenda and to the study’s Final Report and supporting documents in the Members’ Resource Centre.
  4. Didcot Town Council’s Response

  5. A letter confirming Didcot Town Council’s position was received on 27 April 2004 and is reproduced herewith.(Download as .doc file). The Town Council endorse those recommended proposals of the ITS First Phase that relate to Didcot, while recognising that this is a rolling programme depending on available funding and detailed design and consultation with those directly affected. In the light of this the Executive is recommended now to approve the Phase 1 proposals as submitted from the Members Steering Group.
  6. The Town Council’s letter also raised concerns about matters not covered by the Phase 1 strategy. A summary of their concerns and officer responses are listed below .
  7. Comment from Didcot Town Council

    OCC Officer Response

    Didcot’s traffic model urgently needs to be updated or replaced to provide a basis for development

    This work is being undertaken by the transport consultants working for Great Western Park as part of the assessment of the housing development.

    Completion of the Northern Perimeter Road by the County Council providing advance funding

    There is no guarantee that the development will go ahead and no Section 106 agreement has been signed. The County Council cannot front-fund a scheme with so much uncertainty.

    The A4130/A34 junction is a bottleneck which and is now a brake on economic development and housing supply. Pressure should be applied to the Highways Agency with regard to improvements

    These issues will be dealt with partly by the housing developer's transport assessment but will also form part of the Phase 2 of the ITS. Discussions with the Highways Agency will continue in the context of their related study work on the A34 corridor.

    Planning for alternative or additional road measures, e.g. Thames bridge and other links

    Phase 2 of the Didcot Area ITS will cover road links, including those proposed for further consideration by the Transport Networks Review.

    Forceful negotiations with Network Rail and First Great Western over Didcot Parkway forecourt to provide a proper travel interchange

    Negotiations have already started. A second meeting was held recently and a design brief for the consultants has also been produced. An interim report will be presented to the next Members Steering Group in June, which will highlight work undertaken so far, any issues encountered, a more detailed work plan for the scheme. By the following Steering Group in September, 3 or 4 design options including costs will have been produced for consideration by Members.

    Protection of the villages from inappropriate vehicle movements

    Much initial work has been carried out with the villages as part of the Phase 1 work. The Phase 2 study will include further measures that could offer relief to some villages in the area.

    Review of membership of the Members Steering Group to enable local members to participate and vote

    The membership of the Members Steering Group has been set up to offer representation from the various authorities in the area. It would be unworkable to have all County, District and Town local councillors included as full voting members. The existing representatives are there to feed back their authority’s views. Local members are however encouraged to attend the meetings and join in the discussions.

    Improvement of A4130 from Hadden Hill to the Brightwell bypass

    If this is something that the Members Steering Group feel should be included in the Phase 2 work. It can be added to the brief.

    A timetable for Phase 2 be set out and the County Council should ensure that the resources are available

    Officers are currently working on scoping the brief for Phase 2 and this will be taken to the Members Steering Group on 24 June, including a timetable. The cost of this study will need to be met by the revenue budget allocated to ITS work and will therefore need to be agreed in the context of other pressures on this budget.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

  8. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

(a) approve Phase 1 of the Didcot Area Integrated Transport Strategy as summarised in the report to the 20 April meeting of the Executive and as described in detail in Halcrow’s Final Report;

(b) note the further comments made by Didcot Town Council and endorse the response set out in the report.

David McKibbin
Head of Transport

Background Papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Jacqui Cox Tel: Oxford 815713

May 2004

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