AGENDA ITEM: 11

BYPASSES AND MAJOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS IN VALE AREA BUCKS STREET ATLAS PAGES 58,69,70,79,80,88,89,102 & 115 NO PLANS DISPLAYED

To: Local Committee ()

Date: 17 January 2001

Author: Head of Transportation

A PURPOSE OF REPORT

1 To inform the committee of current and future major proposals for improving the highway network in the Aylesbury Vale.

B PROPOSED ACTION

2 The Local Committee is invited to: NOTE the contents of this report which is written for information purposes only

C RESOURCES APPRAISAL

3 No costs are attributable to this report.

D SUPPORTING INFORMATION

A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass

3 This scheme was accepted for Government funding in December 1999, on the understanding that more work was required to determine the appropriate funding mechanism. In November 2000, after comparisons between conventional funding and private finance initiative (PFI) funding had been carried out, the Government wrote to confirm that the analysis had been inconclusive and that the choice of funding would be left to the County Council, but if the conventional method of TSG and SCA was favoured, the Government grant would be capped.

4 Discussions have since taken place with government officials and more meetings are expected to finalise details.

5 The decision letter in December 2000 included continued recognition of the need for this scheme as a provisionally accepted scheme and reserved the sum of £1.366m SCA to progress the work.

6 The County Council has approved the publishing of the Side Road and Compulsory Purchase Orders for the scheme and it is hoped to publish them in the New Year.

7 The planning approval for section of the scheme in was approved in April 1997 which should allow time to commence construction before the permission runs out. However the planning approval for the section of the scheme in Bedfordshire runs out in January 2001. An application to renew the original approval is with South Bedfordshire District Council at this time. A meeting with members and officers from the District Council and Bedfordshire County Council, was held on 10 October 2000 to discuss the scheme, when all parties continued to support the scheme.

8 The scheme is currently programmed for construction to commence in January 2003. Full details and costing of the scheme can be found in Volume 3 of the Current L TP .

9 Bill Chapple has reported recent changes in the funding of the scheme. The text of his announcement is enclosed below:

STOKE HAMMOND/LINSLADE WESTERN BYPASS

Following the Government’s acceptance, in its 1999 Transport Settlement, of Buckinghamshire County Council's bid for the Stoke Hammond/Linslade Western Bypass, this scheme is now closer to final agreement.

Last year the Government Office made it clear that they, together with the County Council, would determine the most appropriate funding mechanism for the Bypass. There were two choices - conventional (the method used for funding the and Bypasses), or private finance (PFI).

Over the past 12 months comparisons of the two funding methods have taken place, and whilst the conventional method is the preferred option of the County Council, the results of the analysis have been inconclusive when considering overall benefits. In recognition of this the Government has recently written to the Council offering a choice of option to follow. The County Council is therefore pressing ahead with the conventionally .funded offer, however, the Council will be having further discussions with the Government to agree on acceptable funding levels.

Bill Chapple, Deputy Leader, said: “Up until today we only had agreement in principal from the Government for this Bypass. We are now one step closer to final agreement for this scheme. It should not be too long until Stoke Hammond, and the gated road through to Wing will return back to its residents as opposed to cars. The Bypass will also make it easier for people to travel from the county town of Aylesbury to .” The total cost of the scheme is currently estimated at £40m, with contributions expected from Bedfordshire County Council and a developer.

A418 Improvements to the road east of including a Wing Bypass

10 The current LTP includes for improvements to this strategic highway connecting the proposed Aylesbury Link Road east of Bierton up to the A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass. The residents of Wing are behind the County Council in the development of a bypass for Wing. The remainder of the A418 to Bierton will be improved on line except for a local bypass to for which an improvement line has been reserved for some time.

11 During this financial year it is proposed to undertake a topographical survey of all the possible route corridors. Hyder can then commence a research of the likely constraints to enable preliminary designs of suitable options to be prepared. A panel of County Councillors and Parish Council members from Wing will be set up to guide the development of a bypass for Wing.

12 Further details of the proposals for this new Major Scheme can be found in Volume 3 of the Current LTP.

A418 Oxford Road, Aylesbury. Bridge Reconstruction and Bus Lane

13 A contract to reconstruct the existing railway bridge in order to remove the current 7.5 tonne weight restriction was awarded to Edmund Nuttall of West Drayton in October this year. At the same time and as part of the same contract, the opportunity has been taken to extend the bus lane from Fowler Road to Friarage Road, to provide a roundabout outside the college and Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and to undertake other essential maintenance works to this section of road. The overall cost of these works is approximately £4 million.

14 Unfortunately the commencement date of these works were delayed from that envisaged due to problems with finalizing agreements with Railtrack and the contract finally commenced on the 30th October 2000. However, it is envisaged that these works would be substantially completed by Christmas 2001 despite the delay, due to the Contractor’s expectation that he will complete the works in a shorter timescale than originally envisaged. The work is programmed to take place in three separate phases as outlined below:

The first phase of the works for this contract commenced in late October and it is expected to last till the middle of April 2001. This will include the installation of a temporary roundabout at the school/college entrance, the construction of the widened road embankment and half of the new Railway Bridge, the diversion of the existing brooks and widening of the adjacent subway. Additionally work will commence on the construction of the new bus lane, and cycleway at the side of the Railway Bridge. It is anticipated that for the majority of this phase, two-way traffic flow will be maintained using reduced width traffic flows. However, occasional off peak traffic signals during the week and at any time during the weekend may be necessary to restrict the road to single lane running to undertake certain operations safely.

The second phase of the works primarily involves the diversion of telephone cables, gas and water pipes along the length of this road. It is hoped that this can be done with relatively little disruption to traffic although the occasional use of traffic signals at off peak times is almost inevitable. This phase is expected to run between the middle of April 2001 to August 2001. The third phase, will be carried out with traffic running on the first section of the new bridge whilst the old bridge is demolished to allow the remainder of the new one to be built. This is expected to take 14 weeks between August and Christmas 2001. During this period there will be only one available lane for traffic on Oxford Road at all times and this will be used by traffic entering the town. Traffic in the opposite direction out of the town centre will have to follow alternative routes. The only exception to this will be local bus services, which will be allowed to use Oxford Road in both directions by the use of traffic signal control.

During phase 3 a diversion route for traffic will be signed which will recommend drivers to utilise the following roads; Coldharbour Way - Griffin Lane - Gatehouse Road - Big Hand Mo junction rather than Oxford Road. This is the route currently signed for vehicles over 7.5T and drivers will be advised to use this route during phases 1 and 2. During phase 3 some form of traffic signal control will have to be used at the Big Hand Mo junction as otherwise the traffic trying to exit Oxford Road towards the town centre will not be able to, due to the continual flow of traffic travelling across the junction onto the signed diversion route i.e. Gatehouse Road

Upon completion of phase 3 there will be a period of reduced width two-way traffic flow for general completion and tidying up of associated works.

It is envisaged that the works will be substantially complete by Christmas 2001.

15 It is currently anticipated that the major landscaping works planned for this area will be implemented in the autumn of 2002.

E BACKGROUND PAPERS

None

CONTACT OFFICER:

Julian Hartless (01296382295) Paul Turney (01296382531)