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ITEM EX10

EXECUTIVE – 6 JULY 2004

CROSS THAMES TRAVEL

Report by Director of Environmental Services

Introduction

  1. Consultants, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) Limited, were commissioned in 1998 jointly by this Council and the councils of South Oxfordshire, Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire to investigate cross-Thames travel problems.

  2. TRL’s final report and a report from officers, were considered at a Members’ Steering Group meeting held on 24 April and attended by Cllr Anne Purse and Cllr Brian Law (representing Cllr David Robertson). The Steering Group resolved to:

    1. seek endorsement by each of the constituent authorities of the Group’s views that:

      1. TRL’s Final Report should be received;

      2. TRL’s study commission should be concluded;

      3. the general principles of TRL’s recommended strategy and the supporting work should be further considered within the Reading Area Transport Study and the Thames Valley Multi Modal Study, and a copy of the final report be forwarded to inform both studies; and

      4. the Cross-Thames Members’ Steering Group be retained and a further meeting be arranged when each of the authorities have considered TRL’s final report.

    2. that the final report be published at the earliest opportunity and be made widely available, and a joint press release be issued to accompany publication.

    The Consultants’ Final Report

  3. The report describes the study process and the recommended strategy. Surveys revealed that about 90% of all travel across the river is by car. During the morning peak, 80% of vehicles had a single occupant and 64% were destined for a free parking space. The heaviest movement was between Caversham and Reading. The consultants considered that, whilst there would be some local benefits of new road bridges, provision of additional road capacity across the Thames would draw extra traffic into the area and through adjacent settlements in South Oxfordshire and former Berkshire with consequential adverse impacts over a wide area. New bridges would also themselves have a detrimental impact on sensitive river environments.

  4. The main components of TRL’s recommended strategy are:-

    5. - a new mass transit system and enhanced rail for the Reading/Wokingham area, including a new mass transit link between Reading and Caversham, with major public transport interchanges.

    - Park & Ride facilities north and east of Caversham.

    - improved bus services for the Reading/Wokingham area.

    - improved bus and rail services for the South Oxfordshire area.

    - traffic constraint at Reading, Sonning and Henley.

    - a heavy goods vehicle management strategy.

    - improved facilities for cycling and walking.

  5. Copies of TRL’s Report will be provided to parish councils and be available at Libraries and council offices in South Oxfordshire. Copies will also be available to members of the public at cost (£7.50). A copy has been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre.

    6. Officer Comments

  6. With a long history of cross-river disagreement and the different policies and circumstances of the Steering Group authorities, it is perhaps surprising that agreement was reached on these resolutions with only Wokingham indicating the possibility of dissent to the recommended strategy. In fact, what is proposed by TRL is in line with national and Local policies and is similar to the strategy that the former Environmental Committee in September 2000 confirmed as being generally in line with the policies of the County Council. It has the potential to improve cross-river travel without major environmental damage and if the endorsement of the 5 authorities is achieved, it offers the possibility of bringing to an end the years of stalemate over solutions to cross-river problems.

  7. The TRL’s recommended strategy only provides a broad framework, and it will take considerable further work to develop the elements of the strategy and assess their potential impacts, practicality and costs. Consideration within the new multi-mode studies, as recommended by the Steering Group, would assist in this and, provided that agreement on the strategy is reached by each authority, then the best way of moving forward will need to be considered by the Steering Group. Some components will naturally fall to particular authorities to progress, others will be likely to require co-operative working. In any event, continued liaison between cross-river authorities will be important.

  8. A key component of the strategy, which is critical to improving travel across the river and relieving pressure on the road crossings, is Reading’s mass transit system. This is already being developed within the Reading Area Transport Study. It is currently envisaged that the mass transit system would link Caversham and Reading and could be extended along the Winnersh/Wokingham corridor as well as to the south and west of Reading. The form the mass transit would take and whether it would require a new bridge has not been determined. Whatever form it takes, it will have considerable consequences for Oxfordshire, as will the proposals for two park and ride sites at Caversham and enhancements of public transport provision in South Oxfordshire.

  9. Until the views of the constituent authorities on the TRL strategy are clarified and how the individual authorities intend, or wish, to progress cross-river measures, the best way forward for Oxfordshire will not be clear. To safeguard Oxfordshire’s interests and make progress with the introduction of cross-Thames travel improvements, the investigation of the mass transit scheme, in particular the terminal arrangements north of the river and the two Caversham park and ride sites, is likely to be a priority for further work. It is suggested that this further work should be considered as soon as the positions of the other authorities are clarified.

    10. Environmental Implications

  10. The consultants’ study took into account the environmental impacts of transport changes and these appear to have been a significant factor in the rejection of increased cross-river road capacity.

    11. Financial and Staff Implications

  11. The way forward and consequently the financial and staff implications will only become clear after the views of all the authorities have been declared. In the meantime the study resource costs are being met from existing budgets.

    12. RECOMMENDATIONS

  12. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. endorse the views of the Cross Thames Steering Group as set out in paragraph 2 of the report;

          2. support the TRL recommended strategy in principle as the basis for further investigation of the means of improving cross-Thames travel; and

          3. authorise the Director of Environmental Services, in consultation with the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste Management, to put in hand the further work necessary to safeguard Oxfordshire’s interests and progress cross-Thames travel improvements as soon as the decisions of the other authorities on the TRL strategy are known, reporting back to the Executive as may be necessary.

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Background Papers: Cross-Thames Travel Study Final Report

Contact Officers: Roger Williams Tel Oxford 810454 Nigel Birch Tel Oxford 815582

2 May 2002

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