National Cycle Network Route 422 Transport Business Case

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NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK ROUTE 422 TRANSPORT BUSINESS CASE

CONFIDENTIAL NOVEMBER 2015

NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK ROUTE 422

TRANSPORT BUSINESS CASE West Berkshire Council

Transport Business Case (Draft) Confidential

Project no: 70011799 Date: November 2015

– WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Mountbatten House Basing View Basingstoke RG21 4HJ

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT

ISSUE/REVISION FIRST ISSUE REVISION 1 REVISION 2 REVISION 3

Remarks Draft FINAL

Date September 2015 November 2015

Prepared by Rachel Mercy Sarah Thorneycroft Emily Buddin

Signature

Checked by Sarah Sarah Thorneycroft Thorneycroft

Signature

Authorised by Peter Day Peter Day

Signature

Project number 70011799 70011799

Report number 1

File reference 151104 NCN 422 Business Case FINAL.docx

PRODUCTION TEAM

CLIENT

West Berkshire Council Navtej Tung

WSP GLOBAL INC. (WSP)

Graduate Transport Planner Rachel Mercy

Principal Transport Planner Sarah Thorneycroft

Senior Technical Director Peter Day

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 1

2 PROJECT BACKGROUND ...... 3

2.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 3

2.2 KEY OBJECTIVES ...... 3

2.3 BACKGROUND TO BUSINESS CASE ...... 3

2.4 BACKGROUND OF SUPPORT ...... 4

2.5 STRUCTURE OF DOCUMENT ...... 4

3 SCHEME DESCRIPTION ...... 6

3.1 PROPOSED NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK ROUTE 422 ...... 6

3.2 KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS ...... 6

3.3 MANAGING THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION ...... 7

4 STRATEGIC CASE ...... 8

4.1 AREA DESCRIPTION ...... 8

4.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDY AREA ...... 9

4.3 BUSINESS STRATEGY: NATIONAL TRANSPORT PRIORITIES...... 10

4.4 BUSINESS STRATEGY: REGIONAL TRANSPORT PRIORITIES ...... 10

4.5 BUSINESS STRATEGY: LOCAL TRANSPORT PRIORITIES ...... 11

4.6 PROBLEM IDENTIFIED AND DRIVERS FOR CHANGE...... 12

4.7 THE IMPACT OF NOT CHANGING ...... 12

4.8 OBJECTIVES ...... 13

4.9 MEASURES OF SUCCESS ...... 13

4.10 CONSTRAINTS ...... 14

4.11 INTER-DEPENDENCIES ...... 14

4.12 PARTNER ORGANISATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS ...... 14

4.13 OPTIONS APPRAISAL ...... 15

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5 ECONOMIC CASE ...... 17

5.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 17

5.2 OPTIONS APPRAISED...... 17

5.3 ASSUMPTIONS ...... 17

5.4 SENSITIVITY AND RISK PROFILE ...... 19

5.5 APPRAISAL SUMMARY TABLE ...... 19

5.6 VALUE FOR MONEY STATEMENT ...... 20

5.7 MONETISED COSTS AND BENEFITS ...... 28

5.8 ASSESSMENT OF WIDER STRATEGIC BENEFITS ...... 29

6 FINANCIAL CASE ...... 30

6.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 30

6.2 COST ESTIMATES ...... 30

6.3 ANTICIPATED SPEND PROFILE ...... 31

6.4 FUNDING PACKAGE ...... 31

6.5 FINANCIAL CASE CONSIDERATIONS – BY BERKSHIRE AUTHORITY ...... 32

6.6 SUMMARY ...... 34

7 COMMERCIAL CASE ...... 35

7.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 35

7.2 OUTPUT BASED SPECIFICATION ...... 35

7.3 PROCUREMENT STRATEGY ...... 36

7.4 SOURCING OPTIONS ...... 36

7.5 PAYMENT MECHANISMS, PRICING FRAMEWORK AND CHARGING MECHANISMS ...... 36

7.6 RISK ALLOCATION AND TRANSFER ...... 36

7.7 CONTRACT LENGTH & CONTRACT MANAGEMENT...... 39

8 MANAGEMENT CASE ...... 40

8.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 40

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8.2 EVIDENCE OF SIMILAR PROJECTS ...... 40

8.3 PROGRAMME AND PROJECT DEPENDENCIES ...... 41

8.4 GOVERNANCE, ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND ROLES ...... 42

8.5 ASSURANCE AND APPROVAL PLAN ...... 42

8.6 COMMUNICATIONS AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT ...... 43

8.7 PROGRAMME / PROJECT REPORTING ...... 43

8.8 KEY ISSUES FOR IMPLEMENTATION ...... 43

8.9 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT ...... 43

8.10 RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ...... 44

8.11 BENEFITS REALISATION PLAN ...... 44

8.12 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ...... 44

8.13 CONTINGENCY PLAN ...... 45

8.14 OPTIONS ...... 45

9 CONCLUSIONS ...... 46

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 48

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TABLES

TABLE 1.1: ANALYSIS OF MONETISED COSTS AND BENEFITS (AMCB)...... 1 TABLE 3.1: SUMMARY OF KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ...... 6 TABLE 4.1: SUMMARY OF THAMES VALLEY LEP’S INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES AND NCNR 422S CONTRIBUTION ...... 10 TABLE 4.2: LOCAL TRANSPORT POLICY ASPIRATIONS AND NCNR 422S CONTRIBUTION ...... 11 TABLE 4.3: WITHOUT SCHEME POLICY IMPACT ...... 12 TABLE 4.4: OPTION SIFTING FROM THE OAR ...... 15 TABLE 4.5: DISTRIBUTION OF TRIPS WITH A DESTINATION IN BRACKNELL ...... 16 TABLE 5.1: SUMMARY OF ACCIDENTS ON LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK (SCHEME ALIGNMENT) ...... 18 TABLE 5.2: SUMMARY OF KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ...... 19 TABLE 5.3: SUMMARY OF ACCIDENTS ON LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK (SCHEME ALIGNMENT) ...... 24 TABLE 5.4: SUMMARY OF ACCIDENTS ON LOCAL HIGHWAY NETWORK (OTHER AFFECTED LINKS) ...... 25 TABLE 5.5: ANALYSIS OF MONETISED COSTS AND BENEFITS (AMCB)...... 29 TABLE 6.1: BREAKDOWN OF COSTS ...... 30 TABLE 6.2: QUANTIFIED COST ESTIMATE (£M, OUTTURN) ...... 31 TABLE 6.3: FUNDING PACKAGE ...... 32 TABLE 6.4: SUMMARY OF BUSINESS CASE CONSIDERATIONS BY BERKSHIRE AUTHORITY ...... 321

TABLE 7.1: KEY PROJECT RISKS ...... 38 TABLE 8.1: LOCAL TRANSPORT POLICY ASPIRATIONS AND NCNR 422S CONTRIBUTION ...... 41 TABLE 8.2: P(50) AND P(80) VALUES FOR BRACKNELL TOWN CENTRE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ...... 44

FIGURES

FIGURE 1: PROPOSED NCNR 422 ALIGNMENT: WEST BERKSHIRE FIGURE 2: PROPOSED NCNR 422 ALIGNMENT: READING FIGURE 3: PROPOSED NCNR 422 ALIGNMENT: WOKINGHAM FIGURE 4: PROPOSED NCNR 422 ALIGNMENT: BRACKNELL FOREST FIGURE 5: PROPOSED NCNR 422 ALIGNMENT: ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD FIGURE 6: JOURNEY TIME CATCHMENTS TO NCNR 422 FIGURE 7: EMPLOYMENT LOCATIONS FIGURE 8: RECENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT LOCATIONS ADJACENT TO PROPOSED ROUTE FIGURE 9: WEST BERKSHIRE ROUTE OPTIONS

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FIGURE 10: READING ROUTE OPTIONS FIGURE 11: WOKINGHAM ROUTE OPTIONS FIGURE 12: BRACKNELL ROUTE OPTIONS FIGURE 13: ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD ROUTE OPTIONS FIGURE 14: DISTRIBUTIONAL AIR AND NOISE QUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT FIGURE 15: PERSONAL INJURY ACCIDENT ANALYSIS FIGURE 16: JOURNEY TIME ANALYSIS FIGURE 17: SEVERANCE ANALYSIS

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A APPRAISAL SUMMARY TABLE (AST) APPENDIX B AST WEBTAG WORKSHEETS APPENDIX C WSP|PB ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY MEMO APPENDIX D QUANTIFIED RISK ASSESSMENT

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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1.1 The proposed NCNR 422 will bisect five local authorities in the Thames Valley: West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest, and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The route directly serves the major town centres of Newbury, Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell, and can be used to access Windsor town centre via other existing NCNRs.

1.1.2 The route follows the A4 / A329 corridor between Newbury and Ascot, a key commuter route due to its alignment through major areas of employment in the Thames Valley such as Newbury, Theale, Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell.

1.1.3 Economic, distributional, environmental and social appraisals have been conducted in accordance with the Department for Transport’s (DfT) WebTAG guidance. These appraisals consider the impacts associated with the highways schemes proposed. The strategic, commercial, financial and management cases of the scheme have also been considered in this report.

1.1.4 The value for money assessment has been prepared in accordance with the DfT’s ‘Value for money assessment: advice note for local transport decision makers’.

1.1.5 The scheme will also provide benefits socially through:

Reduced Mortality benefit of £13,056,075 over a 10 year period; HEAT Cycling Economic Benefits of £3,230,000 over a 10 year period; and Reduced Absenteeism benefit of £551,293 over a 10 year period.

1.1.6 As detailed in Table 1.1 there are highway infrastructure benefits of £12,361,000 (PVB) with costs of £5,940,000 (PVC) giving a BCR of 2.08 (n.b. all monetary values have been discounted to 2010). This represents the benefits for the core elements of the scheme, and is considered high value for money according to DfT guidance.

Table 1.1 Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB)

ITEM VALUE (£MILLIONS)

CoBALT (Accidents) 0.569

HEAT cycling economic benefits 2.262

Reduced mortality benefit 9.145

Reduced absenteeism 0.385

Present Value of Benefits (PVB) 12.361

Broad Transport Budget 5.94

Present Value of Costs (PVC) 5.94

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OVERALL IMPACTS

Net Present Value (NPV) 6.421

Initial Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) 2.08

1.1.7 All of the required economical, distributional, environmental and social appraisals have been undertaken for the proposed NCNR 422 between Newbury and Windsor. The assessments have been produced using Lower Level Super Output Area (LSOA) and Output Area (OA) data as well as Local Authority Level data. LSOA and OA data was considered to be the appropriate level of data due to it providing a useful radius around the route to accurately analyse the data of different social groups. The level to undertake the analysis at was determined from the guidance produced by the Department for Transport (DfT) for each impact assessment.

1.1.8 The full appraisal of impacts through the worksheets provides an assessment score. These assessment scores range from Highly Beneficial to Highly Adverse on a seven point scale. The overall assessment of these impacts is recorded in the AST along with supporting information. A copy of the final AST can be found in Appendix A. All the completed worksheets are located in Appendix B.

1.1.9 Extensive work has been undertaken to ensure that the mechanisms for delivering the scheme are in place, and that the scheme is overseen by a Steering Group (Project Board). The key milestones of the project following the submission of this Transport Business Case are:

Conditional approval sought from Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP): November 2015 Tendering process date: to follow planning consent Construction work begins on site: April 2016 Completion of highway works date: March 2019 Monitoring of works: this is still to be negotiated

1.1.10 The total scheme cost, on which this Business Case is based, is £6.685million. The Thames Valley LEP contribution is requested to be £4.2million.

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2 PROJECT BACKGROUND 2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.1.1 WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff has been commissioned by West Berkshire Council to provide support in the development of the business case and scheme details for National Cycle Network Route (NCNR) 422. This would act as a commuter and utility route, traversing the Berkshire Unitary Authorities and has provisionally been allocated funds by the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), subject to a Full Business Case. The proposed route alignment is shown on Figure 1.

2.1.2 The Transport Business Case sets out the strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management case for the proposed NCNR. While a significant amount of the infrastructure required to deliver this scheme already exists, the funding would be used to complete gaps in the infrastructure by upgrading crossings and addressing pinch points, marking new on-road sections including Advance Stop Lines and providing adequate lighting. Further detail is given in Section 4.2.

2.1.3 An Options Assessment Report (OAR) and Appraisal Specification Report (ASR) have previously been prepared setting out the background and methodology for the NCNR422 Business Case. These have been reviewed and approved by the Thames Valley LEP’s consultant’s White Young Green.

2.2 KEY OBJECTIVES

2.2.1 The proposal to provide an NCNR between Newbury and Windsor will:

Provide a full, coherent east-west cycle link between Newbury and Windsor for commuters; Support commuters by linking residential developments (existing and proposed) to key employment areas and town centres on the A4 / A329 corridor; Connect existing local and national cycle infrastructure, enhancing cycling connectivity locally and more strategically; Improve journey times, reliability, and journey quality for cyclists; Improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians; Encourage a modal shift towards cycling and reduce car dependency for journeys on the corridor; and Support each local authority in achieving its sustainable / active travel aspirations. 2.3 BACKGROUND TO BUSINESS CASE

2.3.1 Sustrans were commissioned in 2013 by Wokingham Borough Council (with the support of Reading Borough Council, Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) to investigate a potential National Cycle Route linking all four Boroughs. Funded by Wokingham’s Local Sustainable Transport project (LSTF), Sustrans examined the proposal as a way of adding value to the planned A329 on-carriageway cycleway scheme.

2.3.2 The scope of the proposal has now expanded with the route originating in Newbury, West Berkshire, and then continuing through to Windsor. The route requires funding in in all five authorities, although large sections of the route have been provided through LSTF programmes or already exist.

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2.3.3 The Thames Valley LEP has selected the development of a new National Cycle Route to be funded, following final funding approval in November 2015, provided that all the assessment criteria can be met. In addition, the scheme has been selected for forward funding as part of the Local Growth Fund which would be released in 2016/17.

2.3.4 The emerging scheme focusses on the A4 / A329 corridor, with the overarching aim to improve cycling connectivity and to promote cycling as a realistic method of travel to, and between, Berkshire’s key leisure residential, commercial and employment centres. The route would connect existing and future residents to major employment centres in Newbury and Thatcham, Theale, Reading, Winnersh and Bracknell, and to the major town centres in Newbury, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and Windsor. The route would also act as a link to key leisure attractions in the area, serving popular visitor destinations such as LEGOLAND® and Windsor Great Park.

2.3.5 By improving cycling infrastructure and connectivity, the route will help to tackle congestion by supporting a mode change from car to cycle for local journeys. The NCNR will also act as a feeder into other strategic and local routes, improving localised connectivity, as well as linking with projects being undertaken by Reading (including the new ReadyBike cycle hire scheme), Wokingham and Bracknell as part of their LSTF programmes.

2.4 BACKGROUND OF SUPPORT

2.4.1 The proposed NCNR 422 is part of the wider national and local commitment to increase the number of trips made by sustainable modes. Stakeholder requirements identified in the OAR suggest that there is demand for a cycle lane between the key destinations.

2.4.2 Reading Cycle Campaign, a voluntary organisation, believes that Reading should have better facilities for cyclists, including a network of safe cycleways that link the town centre and key residential, industrial and commercial areas. A significant public consultation was undertaken as part of the development of the Reading Cycle Strategy which shows that there is a desire for improved cycle routes and the development of infrastructure where gaps exist on key routes in the network.

2.4.3 Furthermore, feedback from public sessions held in Earley, Woodley and Wokingham town all identified the A329 as a corridor that requires improvement to encourage sustainable forms of transport. Feedback from residents was that the route was dominated by cars and heavy goods vehicles that acted as a barrier. There was a common perception that the corridor was dangerous for cyclists.

2.4.4 A workshop with members of the public was held in Windsor in December 2013 to consider existing and proposed cycle routes. A number of priorities were identified including a cycle route to connect Windsor and Ascot. The Ascot and Neighbourhood Plan Transport Group have also been consulted on the scheme and have expressed their support.

2.5 STRUCTURE OF DOCUMENT

2.5.1 The chapters of this report are set out as follows:

Chapter 3: Scheme Description; Chapter 4: Strategic Case; Chapter 5: Economic Case; Chapter 6: Financial Case; Chapter 7: Commercial Case; Chapter 8: Management Case; and

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Chapter 9: Conclusion.

2.5.2 Other documents which are integrally linked to this report include Appendix A which is the Appraisal Summary Table and Appendix B which are all the worksheets which contribute to the report.

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3 SCHEME DESCRIPTION 3.1 PROPOSED NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK ROUTE 422

3.1.1 The proposed NCNR 422 would act as a commuter and utility route, traversing five of the Berkshire Unitary Authorities: West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The alignment of the scheme through each of these authorities is shown on Figures 1 to 5.

3.1.2 As there is already a significant proportion of the infrastructure in place, the funding provided by the Thames Valley LEP would be used to connect the existing infrastructure and provide a coherent and direct route from Newbury to Windsor.

3.1.3 Where the route already has appropriate infrastructure, such as shared pedestrian/cycle paths or on-carriageway cycle lanes, new signage will be provided to ensure that the continuous nature of the route is clear to users.

3.1.4 There are two sections of the route that would require more substantial works:

Thatcham to Theale;

On-road cycle lane markings and direction signage; and Ascot to Windsor.

Junction entry treatments at Kennel Avenue / Kennel Ride junction and at Winkfield Road / Kennel Ride;

Cycle logos and direction signs along the route;

New junction arrangement at Hatchett Lane / Mounts Hill junction

3m off-road cycle track between Mounts Hill and LEGOLAND ® 3.2 KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS

3.2.1 Table 3.1 identifies the key infrastructure elements for each section of the route.

Table 3.1: Summary of key infrastructure

SECTION OF ROUTE KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS

On-carriageway cycle lanes – marked route between Newbury Newbury – Reading and Theale and NCN direction signs Bath Road (Advisory Cycle Lanes and ASLs) Berkeley Avenue (Advisory Cycle Lanes and ASLs) Town Centre Link Routes (Cycle Symbols) Reading – Wokingham London Road signage (Existing Shared Path) Wokingham Road (Advisory Cycle Lanes and ASLs

Note – for all cases, appropriate NCN direction signs will be provided Completion of Phase 4, 4a and 4b – additional on-carriageway Wokingham – Bracknell works and NCN direction signs

Bracknell – Ascot Route around town centre utilises new infrastructure provided

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through other schemes, including the Town Centre Regeneration NCN direction signs will be provided through the town centre Towards boundary with RBWM – Winkfield Road entry treatment; Hatchett Lane treatment to new junction arrangement at Hatchett Lane / Mounts Hill; and Mounts Hill BFC section of new 3m wide off-road new cycleway

Junction entry treatments at Kennel Avenue / Kennel Ride junction and at Winkfield Road / Kennel Ride Cycle logos and direction signs along the route Ascot – LEGOLAND ® Windsor New junction arrangement at Hatchett Lane / Mounts Hill junction Shared use path and ‘cycle street’ along Hatchett Lane 3m off-road cycle track between Mounts Hill and LEGOLAND ®

3.3 MANAGING THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION

3.3.1 Due to the limited works required for the project between Newbury and Ascot the environmental impacts are not considered to be significant. Where works are required, including between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor through Windsor Great Park SAC, good practice construction techniques will be employed to minimise any impact on potential receptors by the implementation of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). Further detail regarding the environmental impact of the scheme between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor is detailed in Section 5.6.

3.3.2 A CEMP will be implemented during construction to control and minimise any potential impacts. This document includes working times, equipment to be used, delivery and construction routes and temporary traffic management arrangements.

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4 STRATEGIC CASE 4.1 AREA DESCRIPTION

4.1.1 The proposed NCNR 422 will bisect five local authorities in the Thames Valley: West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest, and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The route directly serves the major town centres of Newbury, Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell, and can be used to access Windsor town centre via other existing NCNRs.

4.1.2 The route follows the A4 / A329 corridor between Newbury and Ascot, a key commuter route due to its alignment through major areas of employment in the Thames Valley such as Newbury, Theale, Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell.

4.1.3 The route also passes through major residential areas in the Thames Valley and can be accessed by almost 600,000 residents within a 20 minute cycle. Almost 250,000 residents across the five local authorities can access the route within a five minute cycle of their home, providing direct access to many key destinations. Figure 6 shows the distribution of the households within a 20 minutes cycle of the route.

EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITY

4.1.4 In addition to linking the town centres in the Thames Valley, the proposed NCNR 422 will improve connections with key centres of employment along the A4/A329 corridor. The key employment locations are summarised below and shown, in the context of the proposed route and existing NCNRs, on Figure 7.

4.1.5 In Newbury, there are a number of large companies close to the town centre, including the UK head office of Vodafone and Bayer AG. Both of these major companies are located just off the A4 corridor and therefore within easy reach of NCNR 422. Within Thatcham, the A4, and the proposed route, forms the northern boundary of Colthrop Business Park, which is home to a number of companies including Southern Electric, Kuehne + Nagel and Saica Pack. Arlington Business Park in Theale is approximately 250m to the south of the proposed route and is home to a number of companies, including multinationals such as PepsiCo, Hewlett Packard, KPMG and Royal Bank of Scotland.

4.1.6 Central Reading is a key commercial and business destination. There is a wide range of large employers in the area, such as HSBC, Barclays, Yell and Thames Water. To the south of central Reading, the route skirts around the edge of the University of Reading’s campus on Whiteknights Road, a key employer and trip attractor in the town.

4.1.7 Thames Valley Business Park (TVP) in Wokingham can be accessed from the Reading town centre via Route 4 on the Thames Path. TVP is a key employer for residents in the Reading and Wokingham area, and across the Thames Valley. There are a number of large multinational companies in the park including Microsoft, Oracle and the BG Group. Furthermore, Winnersh Triangle Business Park is currently undergoing significant redevelopment and is home to a wide range of employers including Harris Systems, Jacobs, Virgin Media and Daewoo.

4.1.8 There are two main areas of employment in Bracknell; the Western Business Park to the south of Wokingham Road, and the Southern Industrial Area, to the south of the A329. The Western Business Park is home to a number of large technology firms including Hewlett Packard, Dell, 3M and Honda. The Southern Industrial Area houses the headquarters of Waitrose, and technology firms including Panasonic and Fujitsu.

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4.1.9 The centre of Ascot is directly to the east of Heatherwood Hospital roundabout, where NCNR 422 heads north towards Windsor. This area is home to numerous small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and Ascot Racecourse, which will have access to NCNR 422 via a new cycle route on the A329 to the south of the racecourse which will be delivered in the near future.

4.1.10 LEGOLAND® in Windsor is a top-20 UK visitor attraction and also a major employer with a large number of young staff, many of whom do not have access to a car for commuting journeys. The cycle route will provide a direct connection from Bracknell and Ascot, and can be accessed from Windsor via an existing shared use path along Winkfield Road. Windsor is home to numerous SMEs and other major employers include Centrica, Eton College and Windsor Castle.

HOUSING GROWTH

4.1.11 Over 49,810 new homes are due to be delivered across West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest and the Royal Borough within each local authority’s respective plan period. The projected growth in housing across the Thames Valley will require greater investment in walking and cycling infrastructure to limit the increasing pressure on the local road network. The proposed NCNR 422 will help to serve them and reduce their impact on the highway network by encouraging new residents to switch to cycling for appropriate journeys. The locations of developments adjacent to the route are shown on Figure 8.

4.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDY AREA

4.2.1 At the time of the 2011 Census, the LSOAs bordering the routes proposed alignment had a combined population of over 176,000. The socio-economic distribution of the area has been assessed based upon 2011 Census Data for the LSOAs which surround the route. Key statistics for these areas include:

Almost 18% of residents in the LSOAs analysed do not have access to a car or van, which is higher than the combined boroughs’ average of almost 16%; The average number of cars owned per household in the area, as well as across the wider area, is 1.38; The average household size in the area analysed is 2.43, which is slightly lower than the boroughs’ average of 2.49; Over 50% of the population between 16 and 74 are in employment, which is similar to the boroughs’ average; and Almost 16% of residents either walk or cycle to work, which is higher than the boroughs’ average of under 14%.

4.2.2 Analysis of the 2010 English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) shows that almost 64% of the population in the LSOAs bordering the route are in the 40% least deprived areas in the country. Less than 1% of the population is in the 20% most deprived areas in the country.

4.2.3 The statistics illustrate that a high proportion of residents have access to a car or van (82%) and that a slightly higher than average number of residents currently walk or cycle to work. This suggests that there is the potential to encourage further trips by bike through the implementation of the NCNR 422 scheme, given the high proportion of residents travelling to work by car, providing the opportunity to influence modal shift to bike.

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4.3 BUSINESS STRATEGY: NATIONAL TRANSPORT PRIORITIES

4.3.1 The Government’s 2014 National Infrastructure Plan outlines the Government’s approach to identifying and delivering infrastructure that is required. The plan states that there is a strong economic case for infrastructure investment as it is shown to have a significant positive effect on output, productivity and growth rates.

4.3.2 A key point mentioned in the NPPF relates to the promotion of sustainable transport as a method of facilitating sustainable development and contributing to wider sustainability and health objectives. The improvements proposed will improve access to key town centres, employment areas and areas of existing and proposed housing development. This will encourage residents to walk or travel by bicycle, benefiting both their health and the wider economy.

4.4 BUSINESS STRATEGY: REGIONAL TRANSPORT PRIORITIES

4.4.1 The Thames Valley LEP submitted their Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) in March 2014, which outlines the case for necessary investment to infrastructure, enterprise and employment that is required for the Thames Valley regions economic growth. The plan states that the TVB area is ranked second, behind London for Business birth rate (12.4%) and in economic output per head which is valued at £32.8k. To keep up these standards, infrastructure will need to continually improve and grow.

4.4.2 The growth of TVB economy is reliant upon transport and communications infrastructure and the SEP states that currently ‘it is threatening to undermine our intrinsic growth potential’. It has therefore been deemed important to focus on creating new networks and encouraging local sustainable transport networks to allow people to travel easily by foot, bicycle or by bus.

4.4.3 The TVB SEP states that the ‘biggest single risk to the future economic contribution of TVB concerns our transport and communications infrastructure’. The proposed NCNR 422 will provide improved access to key employment centres and town centres by cycle, which will also help to reduce the number of motor vehicles on the existing highway network. This will have economic benefits for the Thames Valley in terms of reduced congestion, improved employee productivity and improved health.

4.4.4 Table 4.1 below shows how the NCNR 422 will contribute to achieving Thames Valley LEP’s infrastructure priorities in the Strategic Economic Plan.

Table 4.1: Summary of Thames Valley LEP’s infrastructure priorities and NCNR 422s contribution

INFRASTRUCTURE HOW WILL NCNR 422 CONTRIBUTE? PACKAGE

The cycle route will provide a direct and coherent route across the Thames Valley, linking key employment areas and town centres with new housing developments and existing residential Unlock housing development areas. This will encourage residents to cycle for some trips instead of using the private car, reducing the impact of the new developments on the local highway network.

The cycle route will connect existing sections of cycle Enhancing urban connectivity infrastructure, producing a coherent and direct route to key destinations which is an enhancement of urban connectivity.

The route will serve the key town centres of Newbury, Reading, Encouraging vibrant town Wokingham, Bracknell and Windsor, encouraging more people to centres access them by sustainable modes, and reducing congestion.

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Improving access to town centres by bicycle will also have economic benefits, since it has been shown that cycle users provide as much if not more spending power than car users in town centres1 A reduction in congestion on the A4 / A329 corridor will improve Positioning TVB for a digital journey times between residential areas and the employment future sites, making the area more attractive for investment by new businesses in the high technology sector.

The route will help to unlock future housing growth and provide Foundations for future growth – an alternative, more sustainable route for new and existing housing, transport, utilities residents to reach key destinations.

The reduction in car trips resulting from some users switching to Enhancing the strategic cycle, will release capacity on the A4 / A329 corridor, part of the transport network areas strategic road network.

4.5 BUSINESS STRATEGY: LOCAL TRANSPORT PRIORITIES

4.5.1 The proposed NCNR 422 is key to achieving the participating local authorities’ transport policy aspirations for active travel due to the links that it will provide between key residential, business and commercial centres. A summary of the policy aspirations and key policy links across the route’s local authorities is provided in Appendix A of the Options Appraisal Report (OAR). The key elements are summarised in Table 4.2, with details about how NCNR 422 can contribute.

Table 4.2: Local transport policy aspirations and NCNR 422s contribution

LOCAL TRANSPORT HOW WILL NCNR 422 CONTRIBUTE? POLICY ASPIRATION

To improve and promote The provision of a direct and coherent route will provide improved opportunities for sustainable access to key employment areas and town centres, promoting the travel opportunity for sustainable cycling trips to these destinations

To increase levels of cycling by establishing, improving The cycle route will provide an attractive, and direct, route to key and promoting attractive destinations, encouraging car users to switch to cycling cycle routes

To give priority to walking, cycling and public transport The route improves access to key town centres and employment and improving access by areas by cycle, by joining up a currently unconnected network those modes

The route will be direct and link up existing cycle infrastructure, To promote healthy and safe providing a safer alternative to other cycling routes and travel encouraging more car users to switch to cycling

To minimise energy The switch of car users to cycling will ease congestion on the local

1 Essential Evidence on a page: No 68 Spend on high streets according to travel mode, Bristol City Council (Feb 2011) http://www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/sites/cycling-embassy.org.uk/files/documents/eev68.pdf

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consumption and the impact highway network, and thereby reduce consumption of energy and of all forms of travel on the the resultant polluting emissions environment

The provision of a direct and coherent route to key destinations will To reduce car dependency encourage car users to switch to cycling for suitable trips

The route requires the input and governance of five local To maintain close working authorities in the Thames Valley (West Berkshire, Reading, relationships with Wokingham, Bracknell Forest and the Royal Borough of Windsor neighbouring authorities and and Maidenhead). This requires them to maintain a close working other key stakeholders relationship with each other

4.6 PROBLEM IDENTIFIED AND DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

4.6.1 Through consultation with the public and during policy making exercises, a number of problems with the existing transport network have been identified:

There is currently not a coherent cycle route across Berkshire; Local authorities want to reduce car dependency and promote sustainable transport and therefore need to provide alternative, sustainable options; Substantial housing growth is proposed for coming years, with 49,810 homes across each local authorities prospective plan period, which will have a significant impact on the transport network; and Improved access to key employment areas and town centres is required to support the proposed housing growth.

4.6.2 NCNR 422 will provide a coherent and direct cycle route between Newbury and Windsor, connecting major town centres and employment areas with new areas of housing growth. This will help to encourage new and existing residents to use the private car less and substitute some car trips for cycle trips.

4.6.3 The scheme is needed now to continue encouraging people to switch to more sustainable modes and to help reduce the impact of the new developments on the A4 / A329 corridor and the surrounding local highway network.

4.7 THE IMPACT OF NOT CHANGING

4.7.1 Table 4.3 below illustrates the strategic policy impact of not bringing forward NCNR 422. This exercise shows the importance of the route in helping each of the authorities to address policy objectives and targets aimed at providing for and encouraging increased numbers of cycling trips, particularly for access between homes and employment to support economic growth.

Table 4.3: Without Scheme Policy Impact

CAN IT BE ACHIEVED POLICY OBJECTIVE WITHOUT NCNR 422?

Improve & promote opportunities for sustainable travel x

Increase cycling by providing attractive routes x

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Give priority to and improve access by cycling xx

Promote healthy & safe travel x

Minimise energy consumption -

Reduce car dependency x

Maintain close working relationships with neighbouring authorities

Support economic growth by providing sustainable access to jobs x

Key: = will meet policy objective; - = no impact on policy objective; x = will not meet policy objective

4.7.2 Providing a cycling connection across the county and linking homes with key employment destinations will help to encourage greater uptake of cycling as a realistic mode of travel to work.

4.7.3 Without the proposed NCNR 422, the local authorities would not achieve their policy objectives to improve and promote opportunities for sustainable travel, to increase levels of cycling by improving access and routes, to promote safe and healthy travel or to reduce car dependency. Furthermore, should the NCNR not come forward, there will be fewer means of sustainable access to jobs, limiting economic growth.

4.7.4 Furthermore, with nearly 50,000 new homes planned within the local authorities through which the cycle route passes, if no alternative sustainable means of travelling are provided, a significant amount of pressure will be put on the highway network resulting in increased congestion. This will negatively impact economic growth and cause increased levels of pollution and driver stress.

4.8 OBJECTIVES

4.8.1 The proposal to provide a NCNR between Newbury and Windsor will:

4.9.1 The following specific outcomes are expected upon completion of NCNR 422, and can be used as a measure of the success of NCNR 422:

An increase in cycle mode share for all journey purposes – each local authority already undertakes annual cycle counts, which will continue after the schemes completion;

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A reduction in peak hour single occupancy vehicle trips along the corridor; An improvement in local air quality; and Help for local authority areas to address Smarter Travel and Health & Wellbeing policy objectives. 4.10 CONSTRAINTS

4.10.1 There are a number of constraints associated with the delivery of the proposed NCNR 422, as detailed below:

Cross-boundary collaborative working; Land securement from Crown Estates; and Planning permission from Crown Estates. 4.11 INTER-DEPENDENCIES

4.11.1 A comprehensive list of risks has been prepared as part of the management case (Chapter 8). The delivery of NCNR 422 is dependent on these risks either not arising or being sufficiently mitigated so that the scheme remains unaffected.

4.11.2 A total of three strategic and ten project specific risks have been identified (detail provided in Chapter 8 and further to Section 2.8 of the ASR). In most cases, the impact is so low that the NCNR 422 scheme cannot be defined as dependent upon their negation. However, the implementation of the NCNR 422 is dependent upon planning permission and land securement from Crown Estates (Ascot to LEGOLAND ® section of the route). The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is liaising with Crown Estates to ensure the development of a mutually acceptable scheme.

4.12 PARTNER ORGANISATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS

4.12.1 The partner organisations supporting the scheme comprise the local authorities which the scheme passes through, and who are contributing to its construction cost:

West Berkshire Council; Reading Borough Council; Wokingham Borough Council; Bracknell Forest Council; and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

4.12.2 Other key stakeholders of the scheme were first identified within the Options Assessment Report and include (in no particular order):

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Cycle Forum; Crown Estates; Reading Cycle Campaign; Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan Transport Group; Local Ward Members; and Residents, commuters and business along the entirety of the route.

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4.13 OPTIONS APPRAISAL

4.13.1 An Options Appraisal Report (OAR) was produced in July 2015 by WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff on behalf of the partner local authorities, which outlined the options considered for each section of the route and detailed the sifting process that was undertaken to arrive at the final route alignment.

4.13.2 A subjective appraisal of each of the options against growth and smarter travel policy objectives, as well as deliverability and stakeholder support, was undertaken. Table 4.4 provides a summary of this process, and Figures 9 to 13 show the route options for each section.

Table 4.4: Option sifting from the OAR

4.13.3 Following the production of the OAR, further options appraisal has taken place for the Bracknell Forest section of the route due to constraints that were previously unforeseen.

4.13.4 Bracknell town centre is currently undergoing a series of redevelopment works, and therefore the existing pedestrian / cycle links are subject to change. It has come to light that as part of the new plans the existing pedestrian / cycle path from south of Bond Way, along the eastern side of Waitrose to the north of A329 Millennium Way, will be replaced by a pedestrianized plaza. As such, it is unlikely that cyclists would formally be allowed to use a route across the plaza due to potential conflicts with pedestrians and therefore the original alignment through Bracknell town centre has been re-evaluated.

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4.13.5 Bracknell Forest Council has proposed a new route around the town centre which is shown on Figure 4. While the route is not as direct as the original alignment, it will unlock economic benefits by directly serving a greater number of businesses, and will provide access to Bracknell train and bus stations. Furthermore, analysis of 2011 Census Travel to Work origin-destination data has shown that there is a very small proportion of cyclists from West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham or the Royal Borough who would cycle through Bracknell to access destinations in other boroughs. As shown in Table 4.5, the significant majority of trips in Bracknell terminate there and originate from Bracknell Forest itself, Wokingham or the Royal Borough.

Table 4.5: Distribution of trips with a destination in Bracknell

PROPORTION OF LOCAL AUTHORITY TRIPS LOCAL AUTHORITY THAT HAVE A DESTINATION IN BRACKNELL

West Berkshire 0%

Reading 1%

Wokingham 6%

Bracknell Forest 73%

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 2%

4.13.6 Given the nature of existing cycle trips undertaken within the Borough it is considered that the less direct nature of the route will not have a detrimental impact upon the scheme. The proposed route will serve the purpose of cyclists travelling in the borough by providing direct links to a greater number of businesses.

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5 ECONOMIC CASE 5.1 INTRODUCTION

5.1.1 An assessment of the economic case is undertaken to ensure that all features of the scheme are assessed and that they fulfil the Treasury’s requirements for appraisal and demonstrating value for money.

5.2 OPTIONS APPRAISED

5.2.1 An Options Appraisal Report (OAR) was produced in July 2015 by WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff on behalf of the partner local authorities, which outlined the options considered for each section of the route and detailed the sifting process that was undertaken to arrive at the final route alignment.

5.2.2 As discussed in Section 4.13 of this report, a subjective appraisal of each of the options was undertaken against a range of criteria including deliverability. It was considered that the options selected for the final scheme were the most cost effective due to their significant use of existing infrastructure in Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest.

5.3 ASSUMPTIONS

5.3.1 The economic case has been compiled in accordance with the assumptions set out in WebTAG. However, further assumptions have been drawn to enable forecasting of cycle trips that will utilise the new route.

5.3.2 The assumptions that have been applied to determine the forecast number of cycle trips are as follows:

Increase due to new NCNR 422 route – assumption applied: 8% in urban areas and 4% in rural areas

There is limited evidence/literature available relating to the increase in cycling that can be derived from new cycle routes (with minimal new infrastructure) and information that is available infers increases of between 10% and 30% when associated with new infrastructure.

Before and after survey data undertaken for implemented sections of the A329 cycleway in Wokingham showed an average growth in cycle trips, as a result of the new cycleway, of 8%. Since this is a local and comparable scheme we have used 8% increase within urban areas and 4% increase in rural areas. Increase due to Local Transport Plan (LTP) policy – assumption applied: 21% (average mode share increase)

Assumption derived from an average across the mode share increases stated within each of the local authorities LTP documents. Increase due to new housing growth – assumption applied: increase based on the following calculation:

A review of housing growth within each local authority boundary was undertaken. This looked at total number of units and an assessment of distance from the new cycle route.

An average household occupancy rate was applied (Census 2011) to the total number of units to determine total number of occupants, to which the local mode share for cycling was

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then applied. This provided the total number of residents that could be expected to cycle from each new development.

Dependant on the distance of the new homes to the cycle route, a factor was then applied to determine likelihood of use of new route (0-5minutes – 100% / 5-10minutes – 75% / 10- 15minutes – 50% / 15-20minutes – 25%).

5.3.3 The resultant trips are presented in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1: Summary of scheme cycling trip generation

STAGE DESCRIPTION OUTCOME

1 Base AADT 1980

2 Increase in cycling trips due to infrastructure 155 provision (~8% (8% in urban areas, 4% in rural areas))

Forcast AADT (1+ ~8% (8% in urban areas, 4% in 2136 rural areas))

3 Increase in cycling trips due to LTP policies 408

2 + Increase in mode split due to LTP policies 2544

4 Increase in cycling trips due to new housing 986 growth

3 + Forecast Housing Growth 3530

TOTAL AADT (ONE WAY) 3530

TOTAL RETURN TRIPS 1765

5.3.4 The change from the baseline is therefore:

Increase in one-way trips from Baseline scenario – 1549 Increase in return trips from Baseline scenario – 775

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5.4 SENSITIVITY AND RISK PROFILE

5.4.1 WebTAG Unit M4.3 stipulates that a “Core Scenario” should be defined which is based on the most “unbiased and realistic set of assumptions” that will form the central case for appraising a scheme. A single route has been assessed and Table 5.2 identifies the key infrastructure elements for each section of the route.

Table 5.2: Summary of key infrastructure

SECTION OF ROUTE KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS

Note – for all cases, appropriate NCN direction signs will be provided Completion of Phase 4, 4a and 4b – additional on-carriageway Wokingham – Bracknell works and NCN direction signs

Route around town centre utilises new infrastructure provided through other schemes, including the Town Centre Regeneration NCN direction signs will be provided through the town centre Bracknell – Ascot Towards boundary with RBWM – Winkfield Road entry treatment; Hatchett Lane treatment to new junction arrangement at Hatchett Lane / Mounts Hill; and Mounts Hill BFC section of new 3m wide off-road new cycleway

Junction entry treatments at Kennel Avenue / Kennel Ride junction and at Winkfield Road / Kennel Ride Cycle logos and direction signs along the route Ascot – LEGOLAND ® Windsor New junction arrangement at Hatchett Lane / Mounts Hill junction 3m off-road cycle track between Mounts Hill and LEGOLAND ®

5.5 APPRAISAL SUMMARY TABLE

5.5.1 The Appraisal Summary Table (AST) is a single page summary of the key aspects of the economic case (found in Appendix A). It focuses on four key appraisal areas, in accordance with guidance presented in WebTAG:

Economy; Environmental; Social / Distributional; and Public Accounts.

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5.5.2 NCNR 422 can be considered a medium sized project due to the estimated cost of the scheme being over £5 million. Supporting the AST is a range of specific worksheets relating to the appraisal areas. These can be found in Appendix B.

5.6 VALUE FOR MONEY STATEMENT

SCHEME APPRAISAL

ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

5.6.1 An environmental constraints study has been undertaken for the route between Newbury and Ascot (Appendix C). This was undertaken at a high level due to the limited impact of the scheme along this route as a result of limited new infrastructure provision. The key findings of the high level constraints study are summarised below (further detail can be found in Appendix C):

due to the limited works required for the project (Newbury to Ascot and specifically related to the NCNR 422 project and not being delivered as part of other schemes) the environmental impacts are not considered to be significant. A Construction Environmental Management Plan should be implemented during construction to control and minimise any potential impacts.

5.6.2 As such it is considered that there will be no detrimental impact on the environment between Newbury and Ascot and that no further environmental assessment is required for this section.

5.6.3 Given the infrastructure requirements for the section of the NCNR 422 between Ascot and Windsor, which will see junction treatment, lighting and a new off-road cycleway, it is anticipated that there may be some environmental impact. As such, a more detailed environmental appraisal is considered to be appropriate for this section of the NCNR 422. DfT WebTAG Unit A3 identifies that there are eight environmental aspects which should be considered in the environmental appraisal. These are:

Air Quality; Noise; Greenhouse Gases; Landscape; Townscape; Historical Environment; Biodiversity; and Water Environment.

5.6.4 An appraisal was completed for each of these aspects to understand whether the scheme will cause significantly beneficial to significantly adverse impacts.

5.6.5 Air Quality and Noise were also assessed as a distributional impact, but for the route as a whole. The outcome of these assessments is discussed in the sections below.

5.6.6 Appendix B contains all of the worksheets for the environmental appraisals undertaken and described below.

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Air Quality

5.6.7 This appraisal considers the impact of the NCNR 422 scheme on air quality and vehicle emissions.

5.6.8 It is assumed that the households affected by changes in air quality will be within a 200m radius of the scheme. This suggests that 25,123 households along the route will directly benefit from improved air quality as a result of reduced traffic and congestion on the local highway network (based on the assumptions discussed in Section 5.3). Figure 14 shows the distribution of those affected in relation to the area which will experience improvements.

5.6.9 The overall assessment of the scheme’s impact on air quality is Slightly Beneficial.

Noise

5.6.10 Potential noise effects are likely to decrease as a result of the operation of the scheme. This appraisal considers the noise and vibrations impact of the proposed NCNR on the surrounding area.

5.6.11 It is assumed that the population affected by changes in noise levels will be within a 200m radius of the scheme. This suggests that 61,131 residents along the route will directly benefit from improved noise levels as a result of reduced traffic and congestion on the local highway network. Figure 14 shows the distribution of those affected.

5.6.12 The overall assessment of the impact of the scheme on noise and vibration levels is Slightly Beneficial.

Greenhouse Gases

5.6.13 Since the scheme is concerned with cycling, there will be no impact on greenhouses gases. An assessment has not been undertaken.

Landscape

5.6.14 This appraisal discusses the scale of the proposed infrastructure in relation to the natural landscape and its importance between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor.

5.6.15 The proposed route section from North Ascot to Windsor is within a urban/semi-rural context passing through a quiet residential area, a busy vehicular route, and a quiet sub-rural vehicular route. The proposed development will have a slightly beneficial impact on landscape pattern, providing visual amenities for adjacent pedestrian and highway users. A slight beneficial impact to the tranquillity of the area will also occur due to the provision of infrastructure to support a modal shift from car to cycle use. The planning and management of existing trees alongside the use of complimentary design and materials will maintain the existing cultural character of the area and improve landcover features adjacent to the proposed rote section.

5.6.16 The overall assessment of the impact of the improvements on the landscape is Slightly Beneficial.

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Townscape

5.6.17 Townscape can be defined as the physical and social characteristics of the built and non-built environment, and the way that these characteristics are perceived.

5.6.18 The townscape of the area surrounding the proposed route is primarily concentrated in North Ascot; an area primarily divided between low to medium density low-rise residential areas and the Ascot Racecourse. The proposed NCNR 422 route through North Ascot to Windsor will provide pedestrian/cyclist improvements resulting in improved access throughout the area. These improvements will influence improved human interaction with the area and help create a balance of spaces between transitioning areas of medium to lower density and different land uses. The use of complimentary materials and design will maintain the appearance and cultural integrity of the townscape.

5.6.19 The overall assessment of the impact of the scheme on the townscape is Slightly Beneficial.

Historic Environment

5.6.20 The historic environment encompasses features of historic significance including listed buildings, registered parks and gardens, ancient monuments, battlefields and archaeological sites. There are three in the vicinity of the scheme between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor.

5.6.21 The Grade II listed buildings in the development area are located along the proposed NCNR 422 route connecting North Ascot and South Windsor. Both the Church of Saint Peter and The Old Hatchet Inn are relatively isolated with few neighbouring buildings within the setting. Number 57 Kennel Ride is located within a residential area. All buildings are located in areas of low traffic flow. Mitigation techniques to limit the potential visual and perceptual effects as a result of the introduction of the proposed development including positioning of the supporting infrastructure will be applied. All buildings will therefore have their visual setting preserved and the proposed works will have a neutral impact on their setting.

5.6.22 The overall assessment of the impact of the scheme is Neutral.

Biodiversity

5.6.23 The biodiversity appraisal assesses the species of flora and fauna which will benefit or be adversely affected by the proposed improvements.

5.6.24 The section of route between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor, lies in relatively close proximity to an area designated for it's European and national conservation value. Any potential effects upon the area resulting from the scheme will be mitigated to ensure that the effects are neutral. The scheme also has the potential to affect UK Statutory designated sites within a 2km radius and Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) within a 1km radius alongside habitats of a range of protected species and species of conservation concern. With the implementation of suitable mitigation measures, it is considered that the scheme will have a neutral effect on biodiversity at a local scale.

5.6.25 The overall assessment of the impact of the improvements on biodiversity is Neutral.

Water Environment

5.6.26 The water environment appraisal details the key environmental resources related to the water environment in the vicinity of the site, and the features and quality of these.

5.6.27 The section of route between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor has a number of potential impacts to the local resources in the water environment during both the construction and the operational phases, including increases in surface water run-off and elevated sediment levels.

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5.6.28 Mitigation measures have been proposed to limit the significance of these impacts. During the construction stage, site boundaries will be enforced including minimal land clearance and restrictions on the use of machinery adjacent to water bodies to reduce the increase of sediment loads. Settlement tanks and/or cut off ditches will be used on-site to control site runoff and water from dewatering. Concerning the risk of the release of pollutants, interceptors will be incorporated into the site drainage system to remove hydrocarbons and oils from surface water prior to drainage. Oil and chemicals will be stored in bounded areas to contain any spillages, should they occur.

5.6.29 During the operational stage surface water flooding will be managed through the implementation of appropriate drainage systems. The cycle lane will be located at a slightly higher elevation than the adjacent road to reduce depth of surface water flows, and sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) techniques will be implemented. New and existing surface water management features will be maintained to remove any debris, blockages or overgrown vegetation.

5.6.30 Runoff allowed to flow across/through vegetation, percolate through soil/gravel layers or pass through trapped gullies prior to discharge will have more than sufficient treatment of any low levels of contaminants that may be present within the runoff. Impacts associated with flooding from the proposed cycle routes are likely to be limited to inconvenience and temporary closure of the routes; it is highly unlikely that flooding of the cycle routes will pose a risk to human health.

5.6.31 If no new structures are proposed within or over identified watercourses and the cycle route will remain within the existing road/track alignments, potential impacts to aquatic habitats and species within these watercourses, including potential impacts to hydromorphology, are considered to be negligible.

5.6.32 Taking into account the impacts and the proposed mitigation, the overall assessment of the water environment showed that the scheme could result in an impact that is Negligible.

ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL AND DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACTS

5.6.33 There are five social and four distributional aspects of the scheme which should be considered in the social and distributional appraisals, following guidance provided in DfT WebTAG Unit A4. These are:

Social

Accidents;

Journey quality;

Physical activity;

Security; and

Severance. Distributional

Accidents;

Security;

Severance; and

Strategic accessibility.

5.6.34 It was not seen as beneficial to consider affordability or strategic accessibility, as the works are highway and cycle infrastructure based, with no focus on public transport. Further information regarding the appraisal of these impacts can be found in the worksheets in Appendix B.

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Accidents

5.6.35 Analysis of accidents that have occurred on the local highway network along the scheme’s alignment has been undertaken for the latest available four year period (01/01/2011 to 31/12/2014). The distribution of accidents is shown on Figure 15. The DfT’s COBALT software was used to calculate the expected annual accidents based upon the type of link and observed traffic flows. Two sets of links were assessed, those which follow the scheme’s alignment, and other links which are currently used by car drivers to travel between the same destinations and therefore may be affected by a change in traffic flows as a result of the scheme.

5.6.36 Table 5.3 shows a summary of the accidents along the scheme alignment and a comparison of the observed annual accidents with the expected annual accidents from COBALT. The results show that most links experienced a lower number of accidents on average each year than would be expected. However, five links experienced higher levels of accidents than expected. Despite these links experiencing more accidents than expected, the total number of accidents observed on average annually is 41% less than the expected based upon the COBALT analysis.

Table 5.3: Summary of Accidents on Local Highway Network (Scheme Alignment)

COBALT OBSERVED OBSERVED EXPECTED NUMBER OF ANNUAL LINK / JUNCTION ANNUAL ACCIDENTS (OVER ACCIDENTS ACCIDENTS A 5 YEAR PERIOD) (AVERAGE) (AVERAGE)

A4 from Newbury to Theale 132 33.0 85.4

A4 Bath Road Calcot to junction with Hogarth Avenue 28 7.0 25.5 (Reading)

A4 junction with Hogarth Avenue to junction with 36 9.0 9.6 Berkeley Avenue (Reading)

A4 Berkeley Avenue 39 9.8 6.5 (Reading)

A4 Pell Street (Reading) 2 0.5 0.4

A4 Pell Street to Cemetery 42 10.5 4.8 Junction (Reading)

A329 from Cemetery Junction to junction with 13 3.3 0.9 Palmer Park Avenue (Reading)

A329 from junction with Palmer Park Avenue to 17 4.3 0.0 junction with St Peters Road (Reading)

A329 from Three Tunns junction to Showcase 47 11.8 11.9 Roundabout (Wokingham)

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COBALT OBSERVED OBSERVED EXPECTED NUMBER OF ANNUAL LINK / JUNCTION ANNUAL ACCIDENTS (OVER ACCIDENTS ACCIDENTS A 5 YEAR PERIOD) (AVERAGE) (AVERAGE)

A329 from Showcase Roundabout to junction with 72 18.0 24.6 Rectory Road (Wokingham)

A329 from Rectory Road to Western Roundabout 47 11.8 36.8 (Bracknell)

A329 from Western Roundabout to junction with 21 5.3 7.0 Broad Lane (Bracknell)

A329 from Broad Lane to Heatherwood Hospital 47 11.8 15.3 roundabout (RBWM)

From Heatherwood Hospital 11 2.8 7.7 roundabout to Mount’s Hill

From Mount’s Hill to North 3 0.8 1.6 Street / B3022 junction

Total 557 139.3 237.9

5.6.37 Table 5.4 shows a summary of the accidents on other links that may be affected by the scheme. Overall, the observed number of accidents was 43% higher than the expected number from the COBALT calculation. Four out of the six links assessed experienced slightly higher accident rates than expected, however the A329 from its junction with Castle Hill to Cemetery Junction in Reading experienced a significant number more. This is likely due to its alignment through Reading town centre which has high traffic flows and experiences significant congestion. However, the implementation of the NCNR 422 scheme will have a slightly beneficial impact on accidents on these links by encouraging a shift from car drivers using these links to cycling on the new route.

Table 5.4: Summary of Accidents on Local Highway Network (Other Affected Links)

COBALT OBSERVED OBSERVED EXPECTED NUMBER OF ANNUAL LINK / JUNCTION ANNUAL ACCIDENTS (OVER ACCIDENTS ACCIDENTS A 5 YEAR PERIOD) (AVERAGE) (AVERAGE)

A4 Bath Road from junction with The Green to 25 6.3 4.2 Sainsbury’s Calcot roundabout (West Berkshire)

Bath Road / Castle Hill 29 7.3 4.6 (Reading)

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COBALT OBSERVED OBSERVED EXPECTED NUMBER OF ANNUAL LINK / JUNCTION ANNUAL ACCIDENTS (OVER ACCIDENTS ACCIDENTS A 5 YEAR PERIOD) (AVERAGE) (AVERAGE)

A329 from junction with Castle Hill to Cemetery 125 31.3 9.8 Junction (Reading)

A329 Rectory Road / Wiltshire Road / Peach 11 2.8 3.7 Street (Wokingham)

From Heatherwood Roundabout to A332 10 2.5 1.7 Windsor Road (junction with A330) (RBWM)

Total 221 55.3 31.4

5.6.38 The scheme’s overall impact on accidents is seen as Slightly Beneficial, as the improvements will help to encourage a shift from car driving to cycling for journeys, reducing the traffic flow on the road. The infrastructure improvements will also encourage cyclists to use cycling appropriate infrastructure, reducing accidents for these vulnerable road users.

5.6.39 Assessment of the costs and benefits associated with accidents has been undertaken using the DfT’s CoBALT (Cost – Benefit-Analysis Light Touch) software.

5.6.40 Traffic flows have been calculated and included for the following years:

Base year (2014) Without scheme (2014) With scheme (2014

5.6.41 A conservative approach has been taken in the use of 2014 observed traffic data. Accident data along the scheme’s alignment has been included within CoBALT for the latest available four year period (01/01/2011 to 31/12/2014).

5.6.42 The analysis shows that there is estimated to be total accident benefits saved by the proposed scheme of £2,442,000 (discounted to 2010) over a 60 year period. Over a 10 year period there is predicted to be accident savings of £568,500 (discounted to 2010).

5.6.43 Total accidents saved by the proposed scheme are predicted to be 45.2 over a 60 year period. Over a 10 year period there is predicted to be accident savings of 7.9.

5.6.44 Total casualties saved by the proposed scheme over a 60 year period (10 year period in brackets) are:

Fatal: 0.4 (0) Serious: 4.6 (0.7)

5.6.45 Slight: 58.5 (10.3)

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Journey Quality

5.6.46 Journey quality is a measure of the real and perceived physical and social environment that is experienced while driving. This appraisal takes into account traveller care, travellers’ views and traveller stress.

5.6.47 Between Newbury and Ascot, NCNR 422 will improve the existing cycle infrastructure by providing a clear and coherent signed east/west route between key destinations. This will have a slight beneficial impact on the provision of information, cyclist route uncertainty and frustration and the cycling environment. New on-carriageway infrastructure will be provided alongside existing shared paths in areas of both Reading and Wokingham, which will help to reduce the potential fear of accidents.

5.6.48 Between Ascot and Windsor, new on and off carriageway cyclist facilities will be provided, which will enhance the journey quality and reduce the fear of potential accidents, providing a moderate beneficial impact. As a whole, the route will provide a slight beneficial impact to cyclists' journey quality.

5.6.49 Overall, the improvements can be considered as having a Slightly Beneficial impact on cyclists’ journey quality due to improved facilities, infrastructure and information which will help to break down barriers to cycling such as route uncertainty and the fear of potential accidents.

Physical Activity

5.6.50 The physical activity appraisal for NCNR 422 has used data from a range of sources, including existing cycle counts, forecast housing growth values from Local Plans and Census 2011 data to assess the potential population which will benefit from improved cycle links. As the route is aimed at cyclists and will not provide any improved accessibility for pedestrians and equestrians, these users have not been considered in the assessment.

5.6.51 NCNR 422 will reduce the journey time between Newbury and Windsor by approximately 7 minutes, which will benefit around 1,765 users per day (approximately 3,530 AADT). This is an increase of 775 users each day. The route connects key town centres and employment areas with residential areas, providing a direct and coherent east-west route through Berkshire. The provision of this infrastructure will encourage residents to increase their levels of cycling and reduce the dependence on the private car. The monetary benefit of this increase in users, as calculated using the World Health Organisation's HEAT tool is £3,230,000 over a 10 year period.

5.6.52 The increase in cycling also has a positive benefit on reducing absenteeism in employees, as well as mortality rates. These have been calculated using DfT's WebTAG guidance as:

Reduced absenteeism savings: £551,293 over a 10 year period (19% reduction in absence); and Reduced mortality savings: £13,056,075 over a 10 year period.

5.6.53 Overall, the assessment of physical activity showed that the implementation of the NCNR would result in a Slightly Beneficial impact.

Security

5.6.54 Changes to transport provision may affect the security of transport users. This impact assessment evaluates the factors which may contribute to a change in the perceived, or real, risk to a user’s security.

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5.6.55 The scheme is unlikely to have significant security benefits as the route primarily follows existing infrastructure. The route already has a high level of informal surveillance, lighting and visibility which is not planned to change as a result of the scheme. However, additional lighting will be provided on the new section of route between Ascot and Windsor.

5.6.56 Overall, the impact of the scheme on the security of cyclists is Neutral.

Severance

5.6.57 Severance relates to the physical separation of residents from facilities and services within their community, caused by transport infrastructure or traffic volumes. This impact assessment evaluates the effect that the change in transport infrastructure provision along the route will have on levels of severance.

5.6.58 Figure 17 shows the results of the severance analysis. Along the length of most of the route, the improvements will comprise resurfacing and new signage which have a neutral impact on severance. However residents close to location C will benefit from pedestrian / cyclist crossing upgrades on the Bath Road in Reading. Approximately 3,510 residents will benefit from improved severance at this location.

5.6.59 Furthermore, as part of the new route provided from Ascot to Windsor, a new cycle crossing will be provided at the junction of Mount's Hill and Hatchet Lane. There currently aren't any crossing facilities at this point and the route's speed limit is 60mph. This is considered to be a moderate positive impact to residents within 400m of location P as it provides new crossing opportunities to access Windsor Great Park and benefits approximately 40 residents.

5.6.60 The overall impact of the scheme on severance can be considered Netural / Slightly Beneficial.

Strategic accessibility

5.6.61 Strategic accessibility was not considered relevant for further analysis due to the scheme’s focus on cycle infrastructure, rather than public transport.

Affordability

5.6.62 Affordability was not considered relevant for further analysis due to the scheme’s focus on cycle infrastructure, rather than specifically looking at public transport affordability.

5.7 MONETISED COSTS AND BENEFITS

VALUE FOR MONEY

5.7.1 The value for money assessment has been prepared in accordance with the DfT’s ‘Value for money assessment: advice note for local transport decision makers’.

5.7.2 The final monetised impacts of the scheme are shown in Table 5.5. All monetary values are in 2010 prices, discounted to 2010.

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Table 5.5: Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB)

ITEM VALUE (£000S)

CoBALT (Accidents) 0.569

HEAT cycling economic benefits 2.262

Reduced mortality benefit 9.145

Reduced absenteeism 0.385

Present Value of Benefits (PVB) 12.361

Broad Transport Budget 5.94

Present Value of Costs (PVC) 5.94

OVERALL IMPACTS

Net Present Value (NPV) 6.421

Initial Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) 2.08

5.7.3 This information shows that the initial BCR (benefit cost ratio) of the scheme, based on standard monetised values, is 2.08. This represents the benefits for the core elements of the scheme, and is considered ‘high value for money’ according to DfT guidance.

5.8 ASSESSMENT OF WIDER STRATEGIC BENEFITS

5.8.1 The scheme will not directly influence housing, GVA of job growth. The new cycle route will help to facilitate access between homes (including planned development) and major town centres for access to jobs.

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6 FINANCIAL CASE 6.1 INTRODUCTION

6.1.1 This chapter presents the Financial Case for the infrastructure improvements associated with the National Cycle Network route 422 scheme. The DfT’s guidance document, ‘The Transport Business Cases’ outlines the areas that should be covered as part of the Transport Business Case documentation. In accordance with this, this chapter provides details about the necessary elements required to achieve compliance in the Financial Case. These are:

The scheme’s anticipated costs; and Details of the budgets and funding cover. 6.2 COST ESTIMATES

6.2.1 The scheme is in its early stages of design, with varying degrees of infrastructure required along the route’s length (as identified in Section 4.2 Key Infrastructure Requirements). The funding sought from the Thames Valley LEP will be used to complete the designs and preparation and the risk associated with potential for cost creep is included within the Risk Assessment.

6.2.2 Where white lining and signage is required, these costs have been determined in-house. More detailed infrastructure is required within the local authority boundary areas of Reading, Wokingham and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Reading Borough Council has undertaken a feasibility study to identify concept designs and to attribute a cost to their element of the scheme. The Royal Borough has commissioned a feasibility study for the section of the route between Ascot and LEGOLAND ® Windsor, through which some early costs have been identified. The costs presented within this section are therefore an indicative forecast of the anticipated final cost.

6.2.3 There are no land costs associated with the scheme as all land is within either Bracknell Forest Council ownership or the Town Centre Developer.

6.2.4 The anticipated cost of the total scheme is £6,685,263 and the breakdown of cost is set out in Table 6.1 below.

Table 6.1: Breakdown of Costs

COST ITEM COST (£)

Preparation costs* £668,526.30

Construction costs* £5,348,210.40

Land Costs £0

Statutory Division costs* £668,526.30

Total £6,685,263

*due to early design stage this has been taken as a proportion of the total cost. Item included within Risk Assessment.

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6.3 ANTICIPATED SPEND PROFILE

6.3.1 The anticipated spend profile has been determined by the Project Sponsor (David Wilby, Wokingham Borough Council) in consultation with the entire project group. The profile is given in Table 6.2 below.

Table 6.2: Quantified Cost Estimate (£m, outturn)

YEAR COSTS ARE INCURRED (£MILLIONS) TOTAL ORGANISATION SCHEME 15 / 16 16 / 17 17 / 18 18 / 19 COST

300,000 200,000 200,000 West Berkshire £700,000

500,000 500,000 490,000 Reading £1,490,000

600,000 600,000 500,000 500,000 Wokingham £2,200,000

400,000 586,963 Bracknell Forest £986,963

208,300 550,000 550,000 Royal Borough £1,308,300

TOTAL COST 600,000 1,608,300 2,150,000 2,326,963 £6,685,263

6.4 FUNDING PACKAGE

6.4.1 The funding package profile has been determined by the Project Sponsor (David Wilby, Wokingham Borough Council) in consultation with the entire project group. The profile is given in Table 6.3 below.

6.4.2 The funding package proposed for the scheme comprises the anticipated contribution from the Thames Valley LEP of £4.2 million, and £1.63 million of Council funding. Table 6.3 shows the estimated funding sources by year, broken down by funding organisation.

6.4.3 The level of funding available matches scheme costs in years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Once funding has been awarded by the Thames Valley LEP the Steering Group will make key decisions regarding the split of funding and actions to be taken to ensure that additional funding options are identified at the earliest opportunity to cover scheme costs in later stages. The detailed design phase, incorporating value engineering, will ensure that costs can be managed and possibly reduced.

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Table 6.3: Funding Package

FUNDING YEAR (£MILLIONS) ORGANISATION TOTAL 15 / 16 16 / 17 17 / 18 18 / 19

LEP Local Growth Deal £1,000,000 £1,500,000 £1,700,000 £4,200,000

West Berkshire Capital £50,000* £50,000* £100,000 Programme

Reading Capital £50,000* £50,000* £100,000* Programme

Wokingham Capital £600,000 £428,300* £171,700* £1,200,000 Programme

Bracknell Forest 50,000* 50,000* £100,000 Capital Programme

Royal Borough Capital 30,000 50,000* 50,000* £130,000 Programme

TOTAL Funding £600,000 £1,608,300 £1,871,700 £1,750,000 £5,830,000

*provisional funding to be confirmed

6.5 FINANCIAL CASE CONSIDERATIONS – BY BERKSHIRE AUTHORITY

6.5.1 Since the funding and delivery of this scheme is split across the five Berkshire authorities, it is appropriate to identify the business case in relation to each individual authority. This illustrates the high level of commitment from each of the authorities and shows that any potential risks have been considered and minimised. In each case all third party contributions will comprise a mix of Thames Valley LEP funding and as well as funds secured through each contributing local authorities Capital budget allocations or Section 106 where applicable. Furthermore, all arrangements are considered compliant with ‘Managing Public Money’ and other central government guidance. A summary of each case is given in Table 6.4.

Table 6.4: Summary of business case considerations by Berkshire authority

LOCAL AUTHORITY SUFFICIENT COMMITTED 3RD PARTY RISK MANAGEMENT BUDGET FUNDING IN PLACE

West Berkshire

Reading Borough

Wokingham Borough

Bracknell Forest

Statutory Division

costs

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6.5.2 The following sections provide further specific detail in relation to each contributing local authority:

1. West Berkshire Council – Newbury to Theale SUFFICIENT BUDGET: The budget to cover the various types of costs will be managed in- house by the lead client Authority (West Berkshire Council), and proposed contributions will be forwarded to the lead authority from supporting LA’s. West Berkshire will be able to draw on the support of the supporting LA’s when required. West Berkshire is committing £100,000 from its own Capital budget towards this project, as stated in a pro-forma to the Berkshire Strategic Transport Forum (Officers) Group (BSTF) in May 2015. This contribution will be formed of £50,000 in 2016/17 and a further £50,000 in 2017/18. Where possible, additional funds may be sought from any available Developer Contributions / S106 funding in specific areas. West Berkshire Council is able to support the scheme with officer time in managing the delivery of the West Berkshire section of the route. A cost estimate will identify if WBC may need to identify any further contribution to the scheme. A further bid for funding to assist with delivery of the section of the route from Calcot to Theale has been made through the First Great Western Customer and Communities Infrastructure Fund. COMMITTED THIRD PARTY FUNDING: All 3rd party funding is a mixture of funding from the Capital Programme and any Section 106/Developer contributions from each individual authority. A proposal for each authority’s contribution was put forward in May to the Berkshire Strategic Transport Forum (Officers) Group, which currently totals to £1.35m. Wokingham have committed £1.2m and Reading £0.05m alongside West Berkshire’s £0.1m contributions. Additional funding may become clearer from all authorities. RISK MANAGEMENT: Inability for any one of the Berkshire Authorities to meet its contribution commitments for all or part of the scheme/years. The early commitment to these funds makes this a low risk. Alternative funding from existing developer contributions and S106 money may also be identified as a backup, if such funding is available. The scheme proposals may exceed the available funding from the proposed contribution and the Thames Valley LEP funds. This will be managed by ensuring the scheme is correctly costed at the outset, with potential cost over-runs or pricing unknowns identified at the earliest opportunity. All risks will be reported to the BSTF during scheduled meetings. These will be reported by the nominated Project Steering Group. 2. Reading Borough Council – Calcot to Wokingham SUFFICIENT BUDGET: Robust scheme costings have been undertaken and sufficient budget has been identified for implementation through the Growth Deal and local contributions. The scheme budget will be managed by the local authority and scheme Steering Group. COMMITTED THIRD PARTY FUNDING: Third party match funding will be committed to the scheme through S106 and/or CIL private sector funding contributions. Historic third party funding contributions which have already been committed to this route include approximately £600k during 2014/15 to implement the shared path on London Road as part of the LSTF project, and approximately £500k during 2015/16 to deliver improvements to the cycle route on the A33 which will form an important link between the NCN 422 route and the significant employment location at Green Park. RISK MANAGEMENT: Key financial risks associated with the scheme include design changes as a result of consultation and unforeseen increases in contractor costs. Competitive procurement of a contractor and value engineering will be used to mitigate these risks if necessary.

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3. Wokingham Borough Council – Wokingham to Bracknell boundary SUFFICIENT BUDGET: Wokingham Borough Council intends to build Phases 3 and 4 of the A329 carriageway cycle way, having already built phases 1 and 2. Wokingham has allocated £1.2m for the next two phases to be delivered. The funding comes from S106 and complements the £1.4m spent on phases 1 and 2 (funded by LSTF). COMMITTED THIRD PARTY FUNDING: Section 106 funding delivering the scheme complements LSTF funding already allocated and Local Pinch Point funding which delivered projects at Coppid Beech Roundabout and Wokingham Station. RISK MANAGEMENT: The risk is that the budget allocated isn’t sufficient to deliver the scheme as intended. WBC has undertaken a ‘basic provision’ philosophy to ensure that the scheme can be delivered with the minimum of disruption and project / budget creep. The Council is also undertaking a comprehensive consultation process to ensure members and residents understand the parameters of what can be delivered to manage expectations and to ensure focus. 4. Bracknell Forest Council – Bracknell to Royal Borough boundary SUFFICIENT BUDGET: Match funding sources have been identified COMMITTED THIRD PARTY FUNDING: Committed funding for the Amen Corner North development (S278) which will fund the link from Coppid Beech roundabout to Coppid Beech hotel (approx. 500m) RISK MANAGEMENT: The scheme proposals may exceed the available funding from the proposed contribution and the Thames Valley LEP funds. This will be managed by ensuring the scheme is correctly costed at the outset, with potential cost over-runs or pricing unknowns identified at the earliest opportunity. 5. Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead – Ascot to LEGOLAND ® Windsor SUFFICIENT BUDGET: Internal funding bids have been submitted for the planning application and the Council’s share of construction costs COMMITTED THIRD PARTY FUNDING: The route passes mostly through Green Belt and Crown Estate land. As such, there is little opportunity to secure developer contributions. RISK MANAGEMENT: Key financial risks are associated with construction, including diversion of utility apparatus and additional costs that may be imposed as a condition of planning permission to address environmental issues. It is unlikely that there will be significant costs associated with utility diversions, since there is little road widening taking place. Risks associated with conditions of planning permission can only be dealt with through value engineering. 6.6 SUMMARY

6.6.1 Following intial high level preliminary design work, the estimated total cost of construction of the NCNR 422 is £6,685,263. This will be funded through a combination of £4.2million requested from the Thames Valley LEP and local Capital Programmes.

6.6.2 Each of the five local authorities is fully supportive of the scheme and has committed to provide the necessary funding and managing risks. The following chapters detail the Commercial Case and Management Case for the scheme.

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7 COMMERCIAL CASE 7.1 INTRODUCTION

7.1.1 The DfT’s guidance document, ‘The Transport Business Cases’ outlines the areas that should be covered as part of the Transport Business Case documentation. The necessary elements required in the Commercial Case to achieve compliance are:

Output based specification; Procurement strategy; Sourcing options; Payment mechanisms; Pricing framework and charging mechanisms; Risk allocation and transfer; Contract length; and Contract management.

7.1.2 The Commercial Case has been developed following the outline set out below:

Set the procurement objectives, outcomes and constraints; Identify potential procurement / purchasing options; Assess the procurement options in terms of pros and cons, as a rationale for selecting the preferred sourcing option; Confirm the preferred payment mechanism and pricing framework; and

7.1.3 Assess how different types of risk might be apportioned / shared, with risks allocated to the party best placed to manage them.

7.2 OUTPUT BASED SPECIFICATION

7.2.1 The Commercial Case is based on strategic outcomes and outputs, against which alternative procurement options are assessed.

7.2.2 The outcomes which the preferred procurement strategy must deliver are to:

Achieve cost certainty, or certainty that the scheme can be delivered within the available funding constraints; Minimise further preparation costs with respect to scheme design by ensuring best value, and appropriate quality; Obtain contractor experience and input to the construction programme to ensure the implementation programme is robust and achievable; and Obtain contractor input to risk management and appraisals, including mitigation measures, to capitalise at an early stage on opportunities to reduce construction risk and improve out-turn certainty thereby reducing risks to a level that is ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’ (HSE Risk Management).

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7.3 PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

7.3.1 Each local authority will be responsible for procurement in relation to the delivery of their element of the NCNR 422 scheme. Each authority will have consideration for the need for any works undertaken to be subject to public accountability and scrutiny.

7.3.2 Due to the value of each section of the scheme it is anticipated that procurement will be undertaken in line with OJEU principles.

7.4 SOURCING OPTIONS

7.4.1 Each local authority has a designated delivery team. Where procurement is required, this will follow protocol as defined by each individual authority.

7.4.2 Across the entire length of the scheme there are likely to be tender processes for procurement of sign and cycle count technology. To ensure consistency of approach and to provide a clear, legible route for users, the project team will agree the best approach for sourcing and procurement of these elements.

7.5 PAYMENT MECHANISMS, PRICING FRAMEWORK AND CHARGING MECHANISMS

7.5.1 Task orders based on a fixed or target price arrangement will be awarded based on the NEC 3 contract model, which allows for penalty clauses, specifically relating to over running.

7.5.2 Payments to the contractor will be made in arrears to the value of 60% of the project subject to an independent clerk of works agreeing with the submission made by the contractor.

7.5.3 Payments made to the contractor will be subject to a further cross checking against the programme to ensure that the absolute minimum over run occurs, if any and if a penalty is due to be applied work with the contractor to rectify/remedy this.

7.5.4 The final 40% will be paid in stages upon receiving invoices for completed elements of the work.

7.6 RISK ALLOCATION AND TRANSFER

7.6.1 Contracts will be awarded via a competitive OJEU tender process ensuring quality and competitive pricing. The contract will be based on a schedule of rates rather than a fixed price and will include a reasonable contingency to cover unforeseen issues. Experience has shown that this approach is the most cost effective, since a fixed price quotation would result in the contractor submitting a considerably higher price in order to cover their risk. The authority and supporting authorities have experience dealing with large procurement and construction contracts, and will work towards minimising risk through the contract process.

7.6.2 The marginal risk, including planning consent where required, will be taken by each individual authority for sections of the route within their own boundary. They will be responsible for any required planning consents, securing the lane and access to the route, with connectivity to across boundaries.

7.6.3 Each authority has experience working on major schemes with large budgets, as well as in-house experience to manage construction and/or contracts. There is confidence that all aspects of contractual and commercial arrangements can be determined before works are implemented resulting in the scheme delivered to plan.

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RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN

7.6.4 A Risk Management Plan will be developed throughout the life of the project. Following confirmation of scheme funding, ownership of the risks will be allocated to those parties best able to manage them.

7.6.5 The Risk Management Plan will set out the full risk management process and responsibilities for undertaking risk management to deliver the NCNR 422 scheme. Implementation of a structured, forward looking and continuous risk and opportunity management process is intended to increase the certainty of cost-effective scheme delivery and operational success.

7.6.6 Further risk identification will be carried out in numerous ways such as:

Workshops; Reviews; Meetings; and Day to day operation.

7.6.7 When a risk is identified, the data will be added to the Risk Register.

RISK MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION

7.6.8 The risk management organisation for this scheme consists of the Steering Group (Project Board) and the Risk Owner. Wokingham Borough Council has agreed to act as Project Sponsor. This role will lead the Steering Group and report directly to the Berkshire Strategic Transport Forum.

7.6.9 The Steering (nominated official from each Berkshire authority) has overall responsibility for ensuring sufficient resources are available to manage risks across the scheme. Risks shall be allocated and managed in a cost effective manner by the most appropriate party to do this and at the appropriate level. The Board shall be primarily concerned with managing strategic level risks relating to interfaces between the scheme and the wider project environment.

7.6.10 The Project Manager has overall responsibility for ensuring that the risk management process is implemented and managed in accordance with strategies. The Project Manager / Risk Manager shall ensure that risks are actively managed in a consistent and appropriate manner across all work streams in accordance with this Plan. All severe risks shall be reported to the Joint Project Board through the Project Manager. In addition, all risks which relate to the overall direction, organisation and control of the scheme, e.g. loss of key project staff, shall be reported to the Joint Project Board.

7.6.11 The Project Manager / Risk Manager shall:

ensure that an appropriate procedural framework is adopted; report to the Developers Project Manager in review and management of project performance; agree the required level of risk management support to be provided for risk identification, analysis, review and reporting; facilitate risk workshops/meetings as appropriate supported by a risk co-ordinator if required; and be the custodian of the risk register and the contained data.

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7.6.12 The Risk Owner shall be responsible for the day to day management of the risk(s) that they own. The selection and appointment (by Project Manager) of a risk owner will be on a “best person for the task” approach and, once appointed, the risk owner will monitor and update the risk register informing the risk manager of changes.

KEY PROJECT RISKS

7.6.13 Table 7.1: Key Project Risks identifies the key project risks throughout the planning and implementation of the scheme. A full risk register can be found in Appendix D.

Table 7.1: Key Project Risks

RISK MITIGATION

PLANNING / APPROVAL RISKS AND MITIGATION

Failure to achieve planning Early discussions with Planning authorities and statutory bodies

COST RISKS AND MITIGATION

Allocated budget does not cover the Capital programme allocation within each council should be used to cost to design and implement the supplement delivery where possible scheme

Statutory Utilities in existing verges and Early C2 collation and adjustment to design as required plus C3 stats road areas design processes

Lack of topographical information Check and update current land survey information for council sections and organise any missing or commission new surveys

Poor accuracy of cost estimates Ongoing review of costs during preliminary and detailed design work and negotiations with Term Contractor known contract rates from

DELIVERY RISKS AND MITIGATION

Lack of commitment from Elected Detailed consultation during project to ensure support Members and senior officers

Co-ordination & agreement issues Close working with partners, regular meetings on details going across the five authorities forward, agreed governance arrangements in place

Early consultation exercises and continued consultation with key Opposition from key stakeholders stakeholders

Failure to agree on technical design Internal discussions between various authority technical officers with input issues from modelling work. Road safety audits will be needed on detailed design

Impact of temporary TM restrictions Early involvement with Technical Officers, discussions with Emergency greater than expected Services, detailed TM plans when contractor in place

Lack of co-ordination with other highway Early discussions over highway access arrangements and section 50 notices. Road space booking as early as possible with NRSWA teams in works RBWM

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Environmental Feasibility study undertaken for Ascot to LEGOLAND Unforeseen ecological sensitivities September 2015 to identify and plan for any risks

Supply chain insolvencies Local Term Contractor to be used for delivery, existing contract in place

7.7 CONTRACT LENGTH & CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

7.7.1 There are five sections of the route as defined by the local authority boundaries across which the NCNR 422 will stretch. Each section will be delivered by the individual local authorities and, therefore, contract length will be dependent upon the individual programming which is yet to be defined in detail. This will be undertaken once the detailed design phases have been completed.

7.7.2 Each local authority with utilise their own delivery agents to implement the scheme and, as such, contracts will be managed in accordance with existing protocol. Risk management is at the heart of these agreements.

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8 MANAGEMENT CASE 8.1 INTRODUCTION

8.1.1 The DfT’s guidance document, ‘The Transport Business Cases’ outlines the areas that should be covered as part of the Transport Business Case documentation. The necessary elements required in the Management Case to achieve compliance are:

Programme and project dependencies; Governance; Communications and stakeholder management; Risk management strategy; Contract management; and Monitoring and evaluation.

8.1.2 The management approach has been developed following the outline set out below:

Set the appropriate governance structure to ensure outcomes and objectives are met; Identify and plan for the key approval milestones ensuring information is provided in good time so as to not delay the programme; and Assess how the delivery process will be managed to achieve the optimum financial and impact performance. 8.2 EVIDENCE OF SIMILAR PROJECTS

8.2.1 Wokingham Borough Council has delivered significant cycle infrastructure improvements along the A329 corridor and which have been implemented via the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

8.2.2 The scheme provides an on carriageway cycle way along the A329 corridor across Wokingham Borough and was facilitated through a successful bid to the DfT’s 2011 Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). The guidance for the fund stated clearly that other sources of funding should be available to support a bid and that any project must demonstrate a high level of partnership working, especially that of local businesses and the emerging Local Economic Partnerships (LEP’s). The scheme to develop a four phase approach to a on carriageway cycleway was part of Wokingham’s £2.75m LSTF bid and this was supported by many local large blue-chip businesses located on or close to the A329 corridor as well as the leader of the Thames Valley LEP.

8.2.3 Work has also been completed in Wokingham Borough delivering a cycleway through Coppid Beech Junction, providing a link from Wokingham to Bracknell. Bracknell Forest Council is in the process of securing funding from a developer to extend the route to join it to the existing network. Bracknell is also planning on integrating the NCNR with the town centre redevelopment which is now well underway.

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8.2.4 The completion of the cycleway will form the backbone of a cycle network across Wokingham Borough, allowing the council to make progress in joining up other local routes to make a comprehensive network. Equally it will facilitate wider partnership working with five of the six Berkshire Unitaries in the development of a new national cycle route, stretching from Newbury to LEGLOAND Windsor, connecting town centres. The project is being delivered in Wokingham Borough with Sustrans and input from other local cycling groups such as the Reading Cycle Campaign.

8.2.5 The project is being delivered by Wokingham Borough Council through its term consultant WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff, responsible for the design works and day-to-day management and the Council’s term contractor Balfour Beatty who are responsible for the delivery and construction.

8.3 PROGRAMME AND PROJECT DEPENDENCIES

8.3.1 To enable the entire route to be labelled as a new NCNR, each section of the route is dependent upon the others to be implemented. As such, risks associated with cost and planning permission will be managed closely. Preliminary design and costing work has been undertaken and the Ascot to LEGOLAND ® Windsor section has been the subject of a detailed Feasibility Study. Consultation with Crown Estates has been ongoing throughout the preparation of the Study and so an understanding of the design solutions required to help achieve planning is fully understood.

8.3.2 Works will be programmed to as to avoid major planned events and activities that will have a major impact on traffic movements such as Royal Ascot Week, Red Bull Air Race and the summer holiday period when LEGOLAND ® is busiest.

8.3.3 Further detailed design work is required for the route, so a detailed project programme is not yet available. Table 8.1 provides an indicative project plan.

Table 8.1: NCNR 422 indicative project plan

Month and Year Key T a sk 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ------t r r r v c n b c a a p o e a e O J A N D F M M

Stakeholder liaison

FBC ready for submission to independent assessor

Consideration at Board

Detailed design works and planning where required

Procurement

Start of construction

Completion of construction

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8.4 GOVERNANCE, ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND ROLES

8.4.1 Each of the five local authorities have met, discussed and agreed a defined governance structure which will be used to take this project forward and to completion. The governance structure is set out below in Figure 8.1.

Figure 8.1 NCNR 422 Agreed Project Governance

8.4.2 Wokingham Borough Council has agreed to act as Project Sponsor. This role will lead the Steering Group and report directly to the Berkshire Strategic Transport Forum.

8.4.3 The Steering Group will comprise the Project Sponsor (David Wilby – Wokingham Borough Council) and nominated officials / Project Managers representing each of the remaining authorities. The nominated officials will be responsible for reporting on budget and programme to the Sponsor.

8.5 ASSURANCE AND APPROVAL PLAN

8.5.1 It is expected that a “Gateway Process” will be used as the mechanism for assessing the project at critical stages in its lifecycle prior to commencing the next stage. The use of the Gateway process enables:

Realistic and achievable targets to ensure successful delivery; Deployment of relevant skills and competencies to a project; Compliance with best practice; Key stakeholder input and understanding; Project feedback through lessons learnt; and A visible audit trail.

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8.5.2 These milestones will be built into the project programme and will be monitored by the Project Manager and reported to the Steering Group.

8.6 COMMUNICATIONS AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

8.6.1 The key objectives of the scheme’s stakeholder management are to:

Keep stakeholders aware of the scheme’s development and progress; Meet statutory requirements (such as Section 278 / 38 and Environment Agency consents); Increase public and stakeholder awareness of the scheme through local publicity, website etc; and Provide information and support to those affected by the scheme during construction and operation.

8.6.2 The Steering Group will ensure a programme of regular meetings take place with the contractors and designers, to ensure that the project is on target.

8.6.3 An overarching communications strategy will be developed and managed by the Project Sponsor, with support from the nominated Steering Group Officials. This will ensure a coordinated approach to communicating with and managing stakeholders. The strategy will include ongoing regular meetings with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

8.7 PROGRAMME / PROJECT REPORTING

8.7.1 Responsibility for accurate, timely and appropriate communications within the project team rests with the Project Sponsor. Nominated officials / Project Managers have a responsibility to provide this information when required. The Project Sponsor will then ensure that this information is reported to the Berkshire Strategic Transport Forum and Thames Valley LEP through scheduled meetings.

8.7.2 The Project Sponsor is responsible for keeping the Lead Members aware of the development of the scheme towards meeting the project objectives. Nominated officials / Project Managers of the Steering Group will disseminate this information within their own authority.

8.7.3 It is the responsibility of the nominated officials to ensure that the Steering Group has sufficient information and is involved in all decisions that affect performance of the project, achievement of the project objectives or deviation from agreed and delegated responsibilities.

8.8 KEY ISSUES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

8.8.1 The live risk register contains a full set of identified risk associated with the implementation of the scheme along with planned mitigation.

8.8.2 Table 8.1 in the Commercial Case identifies the key project risks throughout the planning and implementation of the scheme.

8.9 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

8.9.1 Each individual authority will be responsible for procurement and contract management for works required to be undertaken within their own boundary. This process will follow protocol as defined within each authority.

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8.10 RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

8.10.1 A quantified risk assessment and Monte Carlo simulation have been undertaken for key risks identified at this time. A risk register is contained in Appendix D.

8.10.2 The risk register is provided in Appendix E. The risk register contains all risks associated with the scheme including risks of potential overspend which have been identified. It provides a forecast probability of each risk occurring and defines a range of probable costs which may be incurred in that instance.

8.10.3 A cumulative distribution for forecast risk has been prepared. From this distribution a mean value has been extracted for addition to the costs of appraisal and the P(80) value has been assessed for the outturn cost calculation for the financial assessment. The forecast risk values are provided in Table 8.2 below.

Table 8.2: P(50) and P(80) Values for Bracknell Town Centre Infrastructure Improvements

PRE-MITIGATION POST-MITIGATION

P(50) £387,508 £24,311

P(80) £504,242 £90,460

8.10.4 Each authority will meet all cost overruns associated with their section of the scheme beyond the £5.685million predicted scheme cost.

8.11 BENEFITS REALISATION PLAN

8.11.1 Tracking of the scheme benefits will be a key element to understand the successes. These benefits will be linked to the monitoring and evaluation plan.

8.12 MONITORING AND EVALUATION

8.12.1 Monitoring and evaluation is key to be able to accurately measure the success of a project. An intervention logic map is the important way to create a systematic pathway for a scheme. Figure 8.2 is a logic map with examples of components relatable to the NCNR 422.

8.12.2 To monitor the impact of the cycle route, post scheme completion cycle count surveys will be undertaken to establish the change in cycle flows and whether there has been any improvement to traffic flows as anticipated in the modelling. This will be reported to the participating councils to inform future projects.

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Figure 8.2: Intervention Logic Map for NCNR 422

Context Input

A direct and Money Output coherent cycle Labour route between Engineering A coherent and direct route Newbury and skills Materials between Newbury and Windsor through Surveys Windsor using a combination five Berkshire Agreements of shared use paths and on- authorities road cycle lanes

Impacts Outcome Reduced More choice for congestion sustainable Increased levels travel of cycling Reduced Benefits to the congestion environment Increased levels Increased of cycling employee Improved air productivity and noise quality

8.13 CONTINGENCY PLAN

8.13.1 Contingency planning forms part of the risk register, and are reviewed by the Project Manager and their design team (and reviewed by the Steering Group).

8.14 OPTIONS

8.14.1 A comprehensive range of options have been identified and sifted out, as detailed in Section 5.13. The sifting process, consultation and subsequent investment in design and costing mean that there are minimal options for change.

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9 CONCLUSIONS 9.1.1 The proposed NCNR 422 will bisect five local authorities in the Thames Valley: West Berkshire, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell Forest, and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The route directly serves the major town centres of Newbury, Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell, and can be used to access Windsor town centre via other existing NCNRs.

9.1.2 The route follows the A4 / A329 corridor between Newbury and Ascot, a key commuter route due to its alignment through major areas of employment in the Thames Valley such as Newbury, Theale, Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell.

9.1.3 Economic, distributional, environmental and social appraisals have been conducted in accordance with the Department for Transport’s (DfT) WebTAG guidance. These appraisals consider the impacts associated with the highways schemes proposed. The strategic, commercial, financial and management cases of the scheme have also been considered in this report.

9.1.4 The value for money assessment has been prepared in accordance with the DfT’s ‘Value for money assessment: advice note for local transport decision makers’.

9.1.5 The scheme will also provide benefits socially through:

9.1.6 As detailed in Table 9.1 there are highway infrastructure benefits of £12,361,000 (PVB) with costs of £5,940,000 (PVC) giving a BCR of 2.08 (n.b. all monetary values have been discounted to 2010). This represents the benefits for the core elements of the scheme, and is considered high value for money according to DfT guidance.

Table 9.1 Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB)

ITEM VALUE (£000S)

CoBALT (Accidents) 0.569

HEAT cycling economic benefits 2.262

Reduced mortality benefit 9.145

Reduced absenteeism 0.385

Present Value of Benefits (PVB) 12.361

Broad Transport Budget 5.94

Present Value of Costs (PVC) 5.94

OVERALL IMPACTS

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Net Present Value (NPV) 6.421

Initial Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) 2.08

9.1.7 Extensive work has been undertaken to ensure that the mechanisms for delivering the scheme are in place, and that the scheme is overseen by a Steering Group (Project Board). The key milestones of the project following the submission of this Transport Business Case are:

9.1.8 The total scheme cost, on which this Business Case is based, is £6.685million. The Thames Valley LEP contribution is requested to be £4.2million.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Department for Communities and Local Government (2012) National Planning Policy Framework, DCLG, London. Department for Transport (2014) ‘TAG unit A3 environmental impacts’, WebTAG, DfT, London. Department for Transport (2014) ‘TAG unit A4 social and distributional impacts’, WebTAG, DfT, London. HM Treasury (2014) National Infrastructure Plan 2014, HM Treasury, London. Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (June 2010) Townscape Assessment: Volume 3: Ascot Group, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Sustrans (2013) Reading – Wokingham – Bracknell – Windsor: Feasibility Study for a new National Cycle Route, Sustrans, Bristol. Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (2014) Thames Valley Berkshire: Delivering national growth, locally – Strategic Economic Plan, 2015/16-2020/21, Thames Valley LEP, Berkshire. WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff (2015) Options Assessment Report, WSP | PB, Basingstoke WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff (2015) North Ascot to Windsor Cycle Route Environmental Feasibility Study

National Cycle Network Route 422 WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff West Berkshire Council Project No 70011799 Confidential September 2015