Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which set out a strategic transport investment strategy ‘Connecting Coventry’ and the opportunities for achieving this including working with Midlands Connect, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). 

The report indicated that Coventry was a dynamic and rapidly growing city where transport investment was essential to keep pace with continuing change. In 2004 the city’s population was under 300,000.  It had grown steadily since to 345,000 and was forecast to reach over 415,000 in the next 20 years.  In the proposed next Local Plan period up to 2031 it was forecast that investment and development in Coventry would create 50,000 jobs, with a consequential growth in housing to meet the needs of the growing city. 

The Council had been very successful in obtaining funding and delivering schemes from a number of sources for investment in the city’s transport infrastructure, with £150m of improvements delivered over the last 5 years.  There was now an opportunity to continue to build on this success.  However in order to maximize the economic potential of the city and to take full advantage of developments such as High Speed Rail (HS2), it was essential that the Council look to get investment both directly within the city and also in strategic cross boundary transport schemes  that support Coventry’s growth aspirations.

The principal objectives of this strategy include improving the resilience of the road network (so the strategic road network does not come to a halt when a motorway has to be closed); ensuring connectivity to HS2 and job opportunities around the new station and linking key developments and employment sites to HS2 including Friargate and Jaguar Landrover; and an expansion of railway capacity and reconnecting Coventry to the East Midlands by rail.  The strategy was summarized in Appendix 1 of the report submitted.

One major opportunity to help deliver this strategy was the £247m strategic transport package agreed as part of the WMCA Devolution Deal package approved by Council in May 2016.  Although an outline package of schemes was included at the time, it was for the City Council to determine which schemes went forward for funding.  The WMCA had an ‘assurance framework process’ which all schemes would have to go through, the main purpose of which was to ensure that all schemes across the region were aligned to the policies of the adopted West Midlands transport strategy entitled ‘Movement for Growth’.  The main aims of this strategy were to drive job creation and growth and were in line with the City Council’s own priorities.

This report submitted outlined the schemes that it was proposed to take forward as part of this package, which were summarised in four programmes:

·  Coventry South – major highway and rail proposals to facilitate growth, especially around Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Warwick and to provide connectivity to HS2 and UK Central;

·  City Centre – a major increase in capacity at Coventry Railway Station (this is subject to a separate Cabinet Report on the ‘Coventry Station Masterplan’ and improvements to selected ring road junctions);

·  Coventry North – road capacity improvements to the North West of the city and on the A444 and M6 junction 3;

·  Rapid Transit – investment in the development of Very Light Rail and subsequent implementation.

Following the recent Autumn Statement, up to £12m Local Growth Deal 3 funding had been indicatively awarded to Coventry City Council to match fund some of the schemes within the programme. This was still subject to the formal Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) governance and contracting processes, but if successful would enable some of the schemes to be brought forward. The funding should be confirmed early in the year.

Approval was sought for the submission of Strategic Outline Businesses Cases to the WMCA for each of these schemes and delegated authority for submission of subsequent business cases in line with WMCA’s Assurance Framework.  It was noted that this strategic transport package was in addition to the £150m City Centre funding package that was also negotiated as part of the Devolution Deal.

The Cabinet noted there was also further potential funding identified as part of the Combined Authority HS2 connectivity package for improving transport connections between Coventry and HS2 which could also potentially fund some further Coventry projects. Subject to approval of the WMCA, £15m of the HS2 connectivity package had been agreed in principle to part fund Friargate West, which was part of the City Centre Package to be delivered as part of this programme.  A further £15m had been identified to match fund Very Light Rail, along with £7m to provide additional parking capacity at Tile Hill Station. Securing the funding would be subject to the approval from the Combined Authority.

The Cabinet further noted that the report had been considered by the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee at their meeting on 18th January 2017, and that a briefing note outlining their recommendations was circulated.  In particular, in addition to endorsing the recommendations to Cabinet, they recommended that:-

i)  The following aspiration for the city is included in the report: ‘That a light rail link be provided to the UK Central HS2 hub as soon as possible and that links be developed to the other major destinations in the city including the hospital’

ii)  Scrutiny be included in the reporting process relating to Connecting Coventry – Strategic Transport Investment Plan.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet recommend that Council:-

1.  To approve the outline Strategic Transport Investment Programme ‘Connecting Coventry’ as indicated in the report submitted and endorse that officers, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, progress the development of the relevant work packages.

2.  Authorise submission of the bids to the West Midlands Combined Authority to secure the devolution deal funding required to deliver the Connecting Coventry packages contained in the report.

3.  Authorise procurement of resources to assist with submission of the bids through the Shared Professional Services Contract which are to be funded from this programme.

4.  Delegate authority to the Executive Director Place and Executive Director Resources, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, to:

•  Determine the final content of the relevant Business Cases required to submit the bids;

•  Submit the relevant Strategic Outline Business Cases to the West Midlands Combined Authority in relation to the work packages within the Connecting Coventry Programme;

•  Progress the Business Cases to the final stage in accordance with the Combined Authority’s Assurance Framework;

•  Agree the bid for allocation of the HS2 connectivity package funding, subject to approval through the Combined Authority’s Assurance Framework.

5.  Should the bids be successful; that Coventry City Council enters into the necessary legal documentations to secure the funding required to deliver the Connecting Coventry Programme.

6.  Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Place to become the accountable body, and authority to the S151 Officer to enter into the appropriate funding agreements with the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, West Midlands Combined Authority and Department for Transport.

7.  Agree the additional recommendations and comments from the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, whilst noting that the Cabinet believed that there was no point in having a very light rail service unless it linked to HS2.