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PROPOSED WEST LONDON TRAM: CONSULTATION RESPONSE Contact Officer: Janet Rangeley/Chandra Raval Telephone: 01895 250 553 / 277 206 SUMMARY Earlier this summer Transport for London began a major consultation on the West London Tram. The consultation is on the proposed tram route along the Uxbridge Road Corridor between Uxbridge and Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. The West London Tram is being promoted by Transport for London (TfL) with the participation of the three boroughs concerned (Hillingdon, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham) assisting in the development of detailed proposals. The current consultation has involved roadshows and exhibitions in both Uxbridge and Hayes. This report contains Hillingdon’s proposed response to the West London Tram Consultation and seeks approval from the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation on the response to be sent to Transport for London. RECOMMENDATION That the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation approves the Hillingdon response to the consultation as contained in the letter in the Appendix to this report. REASONS FOR OFFICER RECOMMENDATION As Hillingdon is one of the three boroughs directly involved in the project, a formal response to the consultation document is considered essential. OPTIONS AVAILABLE The Cabinet Member could take the view that Hillingdon should not respond to this consultation. Officers consider that such a view would not be in Hillingdon’s best interests and would undermine the ability of the borough to state its concerns regarding the project once the full details are available. COMMENTS OF OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE Not Applicable INFORMATION 1. As part of its policy of introducing intermediate mode facilities in several parts of London, Transport for London (TfL) is developing four schemes to provide new high PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS Cabinet Member Report 20th October 2004 Page 1 standard public transport routes in different parts of London. One of those schemes involves introducing trams along Uxbridge Road Corridor between Uxbridge and Shepherds Bush. This proposal is being promoted as the West London Tram. The three boroughs concerned (Hillingdon, Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham) have been involved in the development of the proposals. 2. The route of the intended tram operation and associated measures at some locations along the route are discussed in later sections. The main route follows the line of the road presently served by bus routes 207 and 607, which the tram will replace. The general principle of the scheme is to retain both trams and general traffic along the entire route, reallocating road space as needed to allow these different types of traffic to co-exist. 3. Initial consultation on the main part of the route was undertaken in 2001, based on a consultation document issued by the London Mayor in October that year. The Mayor has indicated that he sees the West London proposal as a priority. 4. The Cabinet, at its meeting of 28th January 2003, considered a detailed report on the Tram. The Cabinet decided that Hillingdon should be a “strong client” supporting Transport for London, which would allow the Council to participate in the development of the proposals, whilst safeguarding the Council’s final position on the tram when all the details are known and the implications fully considered. 5. Following the Cabinet decision, Hillingdon officer’s have participated in the development of the detailed design proposals, but have also voiced concerns regarding the aspects of the scheme that do not appear to be in the best interests of Hillingdon. To date,not all of these concerns have been resolved satisfactorily. 6. On 29th June 2004, Transport for London issued its consultation document on the Tram, inviting stakeholder’s views on the proposals. The consultation period ends on 8th October 2004. Transport and Works Order 7. For any form of railway scheme to proceed, an Order is required under the Transport and Works Act. This type of Order gives powers for constructing and operating the railway or tram, including any land acquisition required (minimal in the case of a tram scheme along existing roads). The process of obtaining a Transport and Works Order includes the requirement to hold a public enquiry. The Order also covers any associated highways powers and any complementary measures needed to implement the scheme. Such measures are likely to be needed in the areas either side of the tram route in order to discourage general traffic from seeking unsuitable alternative routes through nearby residential areas and local commercial centres. 8. TfL have identified that all three Boroughs could be formally invited as ‘ joint promoters’ of the project with TfL or could retain a more traditional role as ‘strong client’, PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS Cabinet Member Report 20th October 2004 Page 2 supportive of the project and actively involved in its development, but without the same degree of formal involvement. TfL has indicated a preference for Boroughs to be joint promoters, but each Borough has the opportunity to assess whether the marginal advantages of the role are outweighed by the significant uncertainties that go with it. At present Hillingdon remains a ‘strong client’ so as to ensure its final position is in the Borough’s best interest. 9. The date to lodge the application for a Transport and Works Order has yet to be determined and could be based on the outcome of the current consultation, and availability of funding. The proposed scheme would cost around an estimated £600 million. Route Alignments 10. The proposed route which is being consulted on follows the Uxbridge Road eastwards from Uxbridge town centre through Hillingdon Village and the north part of Hayes to Southall, Hanwell, Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush. The route uses roads for which the three Boroughs are the Highway Authorities. These roads are located within busy developed areas comprising a variety of residential and commercial frontages. The Boroughs need to take full account of the scheme’s implications for residents and local businesses and the general flow of traffic through the Boroughs to reduce congestion. 11. Initial designs have accommodated the tram tracks either in the centre of the road or to one side, depending on the nature of the existing road at its different locations. Within Hillingdon, east of Uxbridge Town Centre, the fairly wide road makes it relatively easy to accommodate a tram route whilst providing for other road users but, further east, there have been severe difficulties designing an alignment within the town centres. The proposals would result in approximately 50% loss of carriageway capacity for other traffic. 12. At the Uxbridge Terminus, preliminary designs have been prepared to show how the tram route would run along the High Street, past the front of the Civic Centre, with single line sections in the narrower parts of the High Street. These sections would carry the route along the restricted access and pedestrianised parts of the High Street from a terminus with space for two trams located in front of the Underground Station. This matter has yet to be resolved satisfactorily. 13. At the east end of the High Street, the tram route would cross St. Andrew’s roundabout ( a significant congestion ‘hotspot’ in the borough), resulting in a major re- building of this critical roundabout as a signalled junction, including a new bridge carrying the tram route. TfL assessments have suggested that existing levels of traffic could be accommodated in a redesigned junction. The change might also achieve other long-sought improvements at this junction, particularly the introduction of surface level pedestrian crossings to replace the pedestrian subways. However there is no certainty that this will happen. PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS Cabinet Member Report 20th October 2004 Page 3 Tram Depot 14. The West London Tram proposal includes a depot for storing and maintaining trams not in service. The scheme envisages that this depot could be on a site south of the Uxbridge Road between the Yeading Brook and the Grand Union Canal. The site is currently used for retail and storage purposes, including a D.I.Y. warehouse and a car dealership. Officers have already been in discussion with the Tram team over the planning issues relating to this site and have provided initial officer comments, which are referred to in the Council’s response. Conclusion 15. In light of the above information, it is proposed that the letter in the Appendix to this report is sent to TfL as Hillingdon’s response. CORPORATE CONSULTATIONS CARRIED OUT • Finance The recommendation has no financial implications for the Council. The Mayor of London’s project will take some years to materialise and financial implications will need to be taken into account at the appropriate time. • Legal : There are none. EXTERNAL CONSULTATIONS CARRIED OUT BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS 1. Report to Cabinet – 28th January 2003 2. Transport for London consultation document – “West London Tram” June 2004 3. Transport for London consultation document – ‘West London Tram Depot’ September 2004 PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS Cabinet Member Report 20th October 2004 Page 4 Tim Finch Transport & Works Manager West London Tram Transport for London Borough of Hillingdon Windsor House 42-50 Victoria Street London SW1V 1LW 30 July 2004 Dear Tim DEPOT SITE ALTERNATIVES I refer to the drawings you recently left with me, regarding the alternative depot sites. I would stress that the views stated below are only initial officer views and are based on the assessments made from Faber Maunsell Drgs 2101B and 3051G. As you will no doubt appreciate, at some stage, Council Member level views/endorsements of these will need to be made. As regards the transport input, Southall Depot site only has merit if the route to Hayes, via Coldharbour Lane, is progressed and adopted in the base scheme.

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