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ITEM EX10

EXECUTIVE – 6 JULY 2004

CROSS THAMES TRAVEL

Report by Head of Transport

Introduction

  1. A notice of motion by Councillor Peter Skolar was put to a meeting of full Council on 15 June 2004. The motion as amended was adopted as follows: ‘This Council confirms its opposition to any third Thames bridge in the Reading/Chilterns area that would significantly increase car movements in southern Oxfordshire but recognises the need to find, in partnership with other relevant authorities, a solution to the existing bottlenecks. To this end the Council asks the Executive to reconvene the Cross Thames Steering Group (comprising members representing this Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and the neighbouring Berkshire Councils) to consider measures to relieve those bottlenecks.’

  2. The report provides background information on cross-Thames travel issues and details of the current planning framework. An oral report on any further developments and the potential willingness of the relevant Councils to reconvene the Cross Thames Steering Group will be given at the meeting.

    3. Background

  3. A major study to examine cross-Thames travel problems was commissioned in 1998 jointly by this Council and the councils of South Oxfordshire, Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire. The work was managed by the Cross Thames Steering Group comprising one member from each of the other four authorities, but with two members from Oxfordshire County Council to satisfy the principle that there should be an equality of representation across the County boundary. The Steering Group was supported by a separate officer working group. Following the decision by Executive on 19 March 2002, the Oxfordshire County Council representatives for the Steering Group have been Councillors Robertson and Purse.

  4. The final report of the Cross Thames Travel Study was received by the Steering Group in April 2002 and the report and views of the Steering Group were reported to the Executive on 11 June 2002. The Executive approved the recommendation and this decision forms the basis of the County Council’s current approach to cross-Thames travel issues. The report to Executive is attached as Annex 1.

  5. The other authorities represented on the Cross Thames Steering Group also considered the final report at their Executive/Cabinet. South Oxfordshire broadly supported the consultants’ recommended strategy. However, Reading did not accept the conclusions set out in the final report and stated the Council’s position that a third Thames bridge would be required to deliver both Reading’s and the wider Thames Valley’s transport strategies. West Berkshire noted some concern that the chance of having a third bridge in the area seemed to have been ignored, but resolved to take forward those initiatives that complemented the Council’s Local Transport Plan objectives. Wokingham rejected the Steering Group’s recommendations that the final report should be further considered within the Reading Area Transport Study and the Thames Valley Multi Modal Study.

  6. In terms of future Steering Group meetings, both Wokingham and Oxfordshire endorsed the view that the Steering Group should be retained and a further meeting be arranged when all the authorities had considered the final report. However the other three authorities made no recommendation on this issue. No further Steering Group meetings have taken place since April 2002.

  7. The Thames Valley Multi Modal Study (TVMMS) was commissioned by SEERA in 2001 to identify the most effective means of addressing the current and future transport-related problems within a defined study area that included Reading, High Wycombe and Staines. Oxfordshire was not represented on the Steering Group. The final report setting out the preferred strategy was published in January 2003. In relation to the issue of a new Thames crossing the consultants recommended that ‘the case for the bridge be considered further, but as part of a package for the Reading urban area which considers also the scope for re-allocation of existing north-south capacity across the river to public transport.’

  8. At a local level and following completion of the Cross-Thames Travel Study, the Thames Crossing Councils Group (TCCG) was formed, but the Councils involved do not include highway authorities. In March 2003 and in response to the TVMMS consultation by SEERA, the then chairman of TCCG wrote to state his view that ‘all the affected authorities, Reading, Wokingham and Oxfordshire should collaborate in seeking to identify a form of new crossing between Reading and Sonning…’

  9. SEERA reported the TVMMS recommendations and the results of their consultation to the Regional Planning Committee (RPC) on 2 April 2003. In relation to a new Thames crossing, SEERA’s report stated that ‘It is clear that further work needs to be undertaken to consider the case for the bridge and move the debate forward. This work should consider the scope for re-allocating existing north-south capacity across the river to public transport. Given the sub-regional significance of this issue it should be a priority area of work for the new implementation partnership.’ The recommendation from the RPC to the Executive Committee, on behalf of the Regional Assembly, was to advise the Secretary of State that ‘The case for an additional crossing of the River Thames should be considered in greater detail and the Regional Assembly wish to see this issue resolved as soon as possible.’

  10. The Secretary of State’s response to the Multi-Modal Study was published in July 2003. The response did not refer to the issue of a new Thames crossing. However, it strongly endorsed the study recommendation for closer working between local authorities and other stakeholders to develop coherent cross-boundary transport strategies.

  11. In May 2003 the Association of Councils of the Thames Valley Region (ACTVaR) in association with the Government Office and Regional Assembly, agreed to establish the TVMMS Implementation Co-ordination Group to progress the outcomes of the study. The group includes officers from the relevant highway authorities and government agencies. A pro forma has been prepared by the Government Office to track progress on initiatives arising from the study. Cross Thames travel is one of the initiatives identified on the pro forma.

  12. In October 2003 a presentation by Reading Borough Council for Members of Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire District, Wokingham and Reading Councils was arranged in Oxford to explain Reading’s emerging transport strategy. The issue of cross-Thames travel was a major topic for discussion. It was agreed that further ad-hoc meetings of Members would be useful.

  13. An informal officer group comprising representatives from the same authorities also met in October 2003 and has had a number of subsequent meetings. The meetings provide a forum for liaison on cross-Thames issues including the Reading central area strategy and proposed Caversham study, development of Local Transport Plans and other cross-boundary transport and planning issues.

  14. Recently, at a meeting of the TCCG on 25 May 2004, representatives from the three highway authorities, including Councillor Robertson for Oxfordshire, were invited to outline their authorities’ positions. Theresa May also put forward her views as MP for Windsor and Maidenhead. Following the presentations, each town and parish council represented on the group was given an opportunity to express a view and to indicate their choice of preferred route for a Sonning bypass crossing the river. All representatives were asked to complete route preference sheets to indicate those options they would and would not support. The note of the meeting and plan of proposed bypass routes has been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre.

    15. Planning Framework

  15. The recently revised Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) for the South East makes no reference to Thames crossings. This omission indicates that the issue is not considered to be a regional priority.

  16. The consultants carrying out the County Council’s Transport Networks Review will be considering the issue of cross-Thames travel in the vicinity of Henley in preparation for the next Local Transport Plan (LTP). It will be necessary to show as part of the LTP process that cross-boundary issues are being addressed through joint working with neighbouring authorities.

  17. Phase 2 of the Henley-on-Thames Integrated Transport Study (ITS) has recently commenced to look at the longer term elements that need to form part of the overall strategy for the town. This study will investigate the problems caused by ‘through’ traffic. Clearly this will consider strategic issues including cross-Thames travel from Henley’s perspective. However, the ITS has a limited budget and so the work would be confined to a desk based study of current issues.

    18. Views of Head of Transport

  18. The County Council’s position on cross-Thames issues has been arrived at over many years and was confirmed following extensive study of all the issues and options for improvement in 2002. The real risks of increasing river crossing capacity include the diversion of existing traffic from more suitable strategic routes, the generation of entirely new car trips, the environmental impact of new road construction and pressures for development in southern Oxfordshire. Recognising these difficulties, the Council has been seeking a balanced approach. The broad conclusions included in the 11 June 2002 report to Executive are still valid. Since then a number of factors have changed which underline the need for renewed cross-authority liaison at Member level.

  19. Although the County Council and South Oxfordshire broadly supported the recommendations of the Cross Thames Steering Group, Wokingham and Reading expressed a view that new river crossings should form part of any strategy. West Berkshire also noted concern that an opportunity might have been lost. The lack of support for an agreed strategy by the relevant authorities led to the failure to reconvene the Cross Thames Steering Group.

  20. The TVMMS recommendations included further consideration of a bridge. This was contrary to the recommendations of the Cross Thames Steering Group and reflected more the clearly articulated views of the Berkshire authorities and some local councils. SEERA, TCCG and the Secretary of State have all emphasised, in response to the TVMMS, the importance of joint working to reconcile differing views and arrive at an agreed strategy.

  21. Changes to the planning process will lead to the increasing importance of sub-regional strategies which will apply across administrative boundaries. The Western Corridor sub-region includes Berkshire and parts of Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Surrey as well as southern Oxfordshire. Cross-Thames travel issues are likely to be considered as part of the sub-regional strategy developmental process. During the development of the second round of LTPs, authorities will be expected to demonstrate progress on resolving cross-boundary transport issues and to ensure consistency between neighbouring LTPs. The importance attached to sub-regional and cross-boundary working will require effective liaison arrangements to be in place.

  22. Finally it is clear that increased importance is being attached to the resolution of congestion issues through effective management and small-scale improvements. This is reflected in the concept of ‘Manage and Invest’ which is central to the revised RTS. Ambitious new rail or light rail schemes and environmentally damaging road schemes were rejected by the Secretary of State in his responses to a number of multi-modal studies. More likely to be favoured are measures to improve management of the existing infrastructure, combined with small-scale improvements that avoid the need for new construction and can be agreed at the local level. The onus will be on authorities to work together to arrive at an agreed strategy that can be implemented through the LTP process. Improvement schemes related to cross-Thames travel are likely to need joint bids for funding. This will require a co-ordinated approach to cross-Thames issues as second round LTPs are developed over the next six months.

  23. It is clear that there is strong local feeling about the issue of cross-Thames travel and the relevant authorities need to be able to respond to this in a positive way. Currently it is not clear what measures can be agreed and taken forward. However, the key to successful identification of measures must include effective cross-authority liaison. The need for renewed liaison is reinforced by the changes that have occurred since the last report to Executive in June 2002. Although co-ordination measures are in place at officer level, I believe that political co-ordination will be needed. I am therefore recommending that the Cross Thames Steering Group should be reconvened. This would provide a forum for seeking agreement between the authorities on a joint approach towards the relief of cross-Thames travel problems.

    24. Environmental Implications

  24. The Cross Thames Travel Study took into account the environmental impacts of potential transport changes and these were important in the rejection of increased cross-river road capacity. Possible transport strategies for the area will need to be assessed for their environmental benefits and impacts, particularly their propensity for increasing traffic on the existing road network. The wider environmental impacts of any proposed infrastructure improvements and the resultant development pressures will also need to be taken into account.

    25. Financial and Staff Implications

  25. Officer support for the work of the Steering Group can be provided from existing staff resources. Work on new transport projects and assessments would require additional financial resources. The need for additional resources and the possibility of joint bids for funding with the Berkshire authorities will need to be considered as part of the development of second round LTPs.

    26. RECOMMENDATION

  26. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to press for the reconvening of the Cross Thames Steering Group as a forum for seeking agreement between the authorities on a joint approach towards the relief of cross-Thames travel problems.

 

DAVID MCKIBBIN
Head of Transport

Background papers: Note of meeting of Thames Crossing Councils Group, 25 May 2004

Contact Officer: Richard Carr Tel: 01865 815735

June 2004

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