Agenda and minutes

Venue: County Hall, Chichester

Contact: Sally Manning on 033 022 23883  Email:  sally.manning@westsussex.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

123.

Declarations of Interest

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personalinterest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it.  If in doubt please contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In accordance with the Code of Conduct the following interests were declared

 

·         Dr Walsh declared a personal interest in item 3 as a Member and Leader of Arun District Council and as a Member and Leader of Littlehampton Town Council.

 

·         Mr Purchese declared a personal interest in item 3 as a Member of Arun District Council.

 

·         Mr Marshall declared a personal interest as a Member of Horsham District Council and as a member of the Storrington Air Quality Steering Group.

124.

Minutes of the last meeting pdf icon PDF 151 KB

The Committee is asked to agree the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20 September 2019 – to follow.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee is asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2019 (green paper).

 

124.1 Resolved – that the minutes of the Environment, Communities and Fire Select Committee held on 20 September 2019 be approved as a correct record, and that they may be signed by the Chairman.

125.

Response to Highways England's Further Non-statutory Consultation on Options for the A27 Arundel Bypass pdf icon PDF 53 KB

Report by Lee Harris, Executive Director Place Services and Matt Davey, Director for Highways, Transport and Planning.

 

The report sets out the County Council’s draft response to Highways England’s consultation options for the A27 at Arundel.

 

The Committee is asked to preview and consider the content of the draft and provide the Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure with comments and observations.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

125.1To inform the Committee’s deliberations, a number of representatives from community groups, town and parish councils and the local county councillors were invited to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

 

125.2The Committee considered a report by Acting Chief Executive and Director of Highways Transport and Planning (copy appended to the signed minutes).

 

125.3Darryl Hemmings, Transport Planning & Policy Manager, introduced the report with a presentation (copy appended to the signed minutes), which set out some of the history regarding this scheme and the Government’s strategic objectives. A brief description of each option was set out together with the assessment of each on transport, economic and environmental grounds. This is a Highways England scheme and that West Sussex County Council is just a consultee.

 

125.4The Chairman invited verbal evidence from the invited speakers.

 

125.5Emma Tristram on behalf of the Arundel Bypass Neighbourhood Committee stated that the Magenta option which is proposed to be  supported by the County Council’s preference for an Arundel Bypass  will completely destroy the community of Binsted and that this had been underplayed in the report. It will require the compulsory purchase of a number of properties and will make it unbearable for many other residents if they choose to remain. The Highways England documents are misleading because the modelling for the Cyan and Beige options overstate the amount of woodland which would be lost. If the correct data is used, the woodland impact figure for the Cyan, Beige and Magenta routes would be the same. The Binsted community is a strong community and currently a haven of peace and at a time of climate crisis should Highways England be continuing with this project.

 

125.6Kay Wagland on behalf of Arundel SCATE (South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment) disputed claims that many people in Arundel just want to get this bypass built. Many are concerned that the damage to the environment, wildlife and communities is just too high. The “predict and provide” thinking from Highways England is now outdated and should be replaced with “plan and provide”. Following the Climate Emergency, the Department for Transport is being called out for ignoring the climate and environmental damage that schemes such as this cause. The Arundel Alternative would cost less than any of the Highways England proposals and would result in a smarter integrated transport system including rail improvements.

 

125.7Derek Waller on behalf of The OneArundel Bypass Support Group stressed the need for this scheme as the A27 is already operating at over-capacity in this area and Arun District is suffering economically as a result. Magenta is the least worst option and the wider regional and national need for improvements to this road must be taken into consideration. The Arundel Alternative option is mainly an online single carriageway road and will do nothing to ease the north/south “rat-running” that happens. Also the Crimson optionis now no longer feasible as this was first suggested before the designation of the South Downs National  ...  view the full minutes text for item 125.

126.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions pdf icon PDF 227 KB

Extract fromthe ForwardPlan dated 8 October.

 

Anextract fromanyForwardPlan publishedbetween the date of despatchof the agenda and the date of the meetingwill be tabled at the meeting.

 

The Committee is asked to consider whetheritwishes to enquireinto any of the forthcoming decisions withinits portfolio.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

126.1The Committee considered the Forward Plan dated 8 October 2019 (copy appended to the signed minutes).

 

126.2The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure stated that item 2 on page 68 is in the process of being changed to a November decision.

 

126.3 Resolved – That the Forward Plan be noted.

127.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on 7 November at 10.30 am at County Hall, Chichester.  Probable agenda items include: -

 

·      Electric Vehicle Strategy

·      Exploitation Strategy

·      Highways Maintenance Contract – Update

·      Restructure of Highways, Transport and Planning

·      Review of Major Projects Cost Estimating

 

Any member wishing to place an item on the agenda for the meeting must notify the Director of Law and Assurance by 23 October.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee noted that its next scheduled meeting will take place on 7 November 2019 at 10.30am at County Hall, Chichester. The agenda items will be:

 

·         Exploitation Strategy

·         Preview of the draft electric vehicle strategy

·         Update on progress in re-procuring the Highways Maintenance Contract

·         Review of consultant’s report, and recommendations for Restructure of Highways, Transport and Planning

·         Review of consultant’s report, and recommendations for future improvements of Major Projects Cost Estimating