Capital Project Business Case A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy The template This document provides the business case template for projects seeking funding which is made available through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. It is therefore designed to satisfy all SELEP governance processes, approvals by the Strategic Board, the Accountability Board and also the early requirements of the Independent Technical Evaluation process where applied. It is also designed to be applicable across all funding streams made available by Government through SELEP. It should be filled in by the scheme promoter – defined as the final beneficiary of funding. In most cases, this is the local authority; but in some cases the local authority acts as Accountable Body for a private sector final beneficiary. In those circumstances, the private sector beneficiary would complete this application and the SELEP team would be on hand, with local partners in the federated boards, to support the promoter. Please note that this template should be completed in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the HM Treasury’s Green Book. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-green-book- appraisal-and-evaluation-in-central-governent As described below, there are likely to be two phases of completion of this template. The first, an ‘outline business case’ stage, should see the promoter include as much information as would be appropriate for submission though SELEP to Government calls for projects where the amount awarded to the project is not yet known. If successful, the second stage of filling this template in would be informed by clarity around funding and would therefore require a fully completed business case, inclusive of the economic appraisal which is sought below. At this juncture, the business case would therefore dovetail with SELEP’s Independent Technical Evaluation process and be taken forward to funding and delivery. A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy Business Case Page 1 of 43 The process This document forms the initial SELEP part of a normal project development process. The four steps in the process are defined below in simplified terms as they relate specifically to the LGF process. Note – this does not illustrate background work undertaken locally, such as evidence base development, baselining and local management of the project pool and reflects the working reality of submitting funding bids to Government. In the form that follows: •Consideration of long list of projects, submitted with a short strategic level business case •Sifting/shortlisting process using a common assessment framework agreed by SELEP Strategic Board, with projects either discounted, sent back for further development, directed Local Board to other funding routes or agreed for submission to SELEP Decision •Pipeline of locally assessed projects submitted to SELEP, with projects supported by strategic outline business cases - i.e., partial completion of this template •Prioritisation of projects across SELEP, following a common assessment framework agreed by Strategic Board. SELEP •Single priorisited list of projects is submitted by SELEP to Government once agreed with SELEP Strategic Board. •Following the allocation of LGF to a project, scheme promoters are required to prepare an outline business case, using this template together with appropriate annexes. •Outline Business Case assessed through ITE gate process. •Recommendations are made by SELEP ITE to SELEP Accountability Board for the SELEP ITE award of funding. •Lead delivery partner to commence internal project management, governance and reporting, ensuring exception reporting mechanism back to SELEP Accountability Board and working arrangements with SELEP Capital Programme Manager. Funding & •Full Business Case is required following the procurement stage for projects with an LGF Delivery allocation over £8m. Version control A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy Document ID Business Case Version Gate 1 Version 1 – 180326 Author Dave Joy Document status Final Authorised by Date authorised A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy Business Case Page 2 of 43 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW 1.1. Project name: A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy Business Case 1.2. Project type: A transport package with safety and highways improvements to key junctions along the A131 corridor, together with enhancements to cycling and pedestrian crossing provision. 1.3. Federated Board Area: Essex 1.4. Lead County Council / Unitary Authority: Essex County Council 1.5. Development location: The A131 corridor from Marks Farm Roundabout, Braintree to the Suffolk border just south of Sudbury. 1.6. Project Summary: The purpose of this bid is to deliver a package of schemes to improve safety and reduce delays along the A131 corridor from Braintree to the Suffolk border, just south of Sudbury. The A131 is the primary route from Braintree, through Halstead, to Sudbury as shown in Figure 1 below. The route covers 13.5 miles (21.6 km), along which there is one roundabout, three mini roundabouts, a signalised junction, two zebra crossings and one signalised pedestrian crossing. Braintree is undergoing significant growth and there is the potential for exponential growth with the adoption of a new garden community to the west of Braintree. The A131, leaving the north of Braintree, also provides an essential commercial link, via the A1017, on to the A14 and the M11. Similarly, there are significant growth plans for Sudbury, which, together with developments in Halstead (the main town) halfway between the two destinations, will put increased pressure on the capacity and performance of this corridor. The key junctions along the routes, from south to north, are as follows: Marks Farm roundabout – this important four-arm roundabout provides a key link at the eastern side of Braintree, to the A120 southwards to Chelmsford, westwards to Bishops Stortford and Stansted, and the A120 eastwards towards Coggeshall, Marks Tey and the A12. Broad Road roundabout – a three-arm roundabout providing access to Bocking and north Braintree. High Garrett – a three-arm signalised intersection, where the A1017 splits off towards Haverhill and subsequently the A11. Halstead – there are a number of minor junctions throughout the town, and, at the top of the High Street, there are two mini-roundabouts which connect the A1124 towards Earls Colne and Colchester, and the Hedingham Road towards Castle Hedingham and on to Haverhill. Halstead to Bulmer Tye – there are a number of minor country road intersections until the three- way junction between the A131 and the Hedingham Road, just south of Bulmer Tye, is reached. There is then only one additional minor intersection before the county boundary is reached, 800m south west of Sudbury. A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy Business Case Page 3 of 43 Figure 1: A131 Braintree to Sudbury Following a Route Based Strategy review, that was conducted during 2015, a workshop was held with stakeholders in early 2016 from which twenty potential improvement schemes were identified. After a sifting exercise, conducted using a tool based on the DfT East sifting tool, the options were prioritised and resulted in the following list of potential improvements:- Marks Farm – widening of the entry flare and addition of a left turn slip for traffic travelling south and then heading east to Colchester along the A120. Broad Road – improving entry and exit flares to improve traffic flow. High Garrett – safety improvements including improved bus stops and crossing points High Garrett junction with A1017 – improvements to layout, changes to signals and improved crossings and pedestrian facilities Halstead – improvements to parking facilities in the High Street Hedingham Road Junction – improvements to mini roundabout layouts to improve traffic flow Bulmer Tye – safety improvements. During 2017, and after further, more detailed discussions with the client and with Essex County Council’s Network Management, the list of options was reduced and the content modified to the following:- Marks Farm – widening of all four entry flares, introduction of a left turn slip from the A120 heading south and general improvements to the roundabout. Broad Road – improving entry flare from Broad Road and realignment to improve traffic flow. High Garrett junction with A1017 – major improvements to layout, changes to signals, relocated and improved crossings and pedestrian facilities Plaistow Green and Bulmer Tye – safety improvements, including improved signage and non- slip surfacing. A131 Braintree to Sudbury Route Based Strategy Business Case Page 4 of 43 Particularly, at the junctions near Braintree, there are capacity issues, which if not addressed, will only get worse with the impending developments that are scheduled. The issues in Halstead are a little more complex. There is a feeling that echelon parking in the High Street, with forward entry in and forward exit out, would resolve some of the issues with vehicles reversing into the main flow of traffic. However, because of delivery vehicles only being able to deliver from the High Street, and because, where echelon parking has been tried elsewhere, but not found to be successful, it has been agreed that this option will not be progressed. Also, because of significant land issues, it would not be possible to increase the highways boundary at this point, and, according to modelling results, introducing signals does not provide any benefit, because