Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety

The Cabinet Member Development and Safety, Councillor Andrew McKinlay, introduced the report regarding the release of reserve funds for the Cheltenham Transport Plan (CTP). The report recommended the release of funds to implement temporary and mitigation works related to the Cheltenham Transport Plan. Implementation was about to commence using a phased programme, which differed significantly from the single phase implementation previously envisaged. He explained that funding was from two tranches:

·         £100,000 from unallocated capital receipts was to be available for use immediately the implementation of phase 1 commenced; and

·         £50,000 from Civic Pride reserve (approved as part of the 2014/15 Budget Setting Report – 14^th February 2014 - specifically for mitigation) was to be available for use when phase 4 (works at Boots Corner) commences.

He referred to the amended recommendations which had been circulated to Members before the start of the meeting. The changes addressed some of the concerns expressed by Members and the public in their questions in that the £50K from the Civic Pride reserve would now be held until phase 4 commenced.   This would ensure that there would be funding available for any mitigating issues as a result of the works at Boots Corner.

He emphasised that in passing the resolutions, Council would be allocating funds already included in the budget. There was an immediate need to progress with phase 1 due to the agreement with John Lewis. He emphasised that the council would not necessarily be spending all the money allocated but it would be there if required to carry out mitigation work for any unforeseen issues.

The Mayor invited Members to ask questions of the Cabinet Member.

• Would the local ward councillors be fully engaged in discussions on any mitigation issues?
• The traffic officers at GCC would not necessarily consult with the Cabinet Member but he would pass on any advice he was given to local ward councillors. He suggested that if there were knock-on effects in Oriel Road or St Lukes, which GCC hadn’t addressed as part of their mitigation measures, then this could be a case for using some of the additional funding allocated in this resolution today for mitigation measures.
• Was the Cabinet Member confident that the funding referred to in the report would cover all the necessary mitigation work across the town and would this include mitigation work beyond the ring road?
• The Cabinet Member was confident that it would be sufficient and emphasised that £50K was being held back for phase 4. The funds of £100K that GCC had allocated for mitigation work would be confined to where the TROs were taking place whereas the CBC funds could be allocated in areas beyond this where there were knock-on impacts.
• Asked to consider the hypothetical situation where the funds the Council had allocated were insufficient, the Cabinet Member suggested that something would have gone seriously wrong if the council was to get to that point. The Cabinet Member Finance added that the success of the CTP was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9