Agenda item

(A verbal report by Paul Rusted, Infrastructure Commissioner, in

connection with the latest progress on the Council's major

highway and transport schemes)

The Committee received a verbal report on the latest situation in connection with Major Schemes as follows:-

(a) Lincoln East West Link – on programme for completion for September 2016 and the key opening ceremony had been arranged for 18 November 2016, with the same invited guests that started the works.

(b) Skegness Countryside Business Park – construction contract for roundabout on A52 plus estate roads and servicing would be sent on the 18 July 2016, with a view to awarding the contract on 18 October 2016 and starting work on 15 November 2016. Works were expected to take nine months to complete during which planning permission for the new County Council commercial workspaces would be obtained.

(c) Select List Framework – three and half year's into a four year framework. The first stage had been completed, the second stage (Invitation to Tender) had been released to those who were successful in Stage 1 and they were currently compiling their submissions, due back at the end of July 2016.

(d) Go Skegness - £4m of funding secured from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP) to help improve sustainable transport (bus, cyclists and pedestrian) links to and through Skegness and Ingoldmells. Work would start during the winter months so as not to affect summer traffic movements.

(e) Lincoln Southern Bypass – bids had been submitted to the Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership and Highways England to assist with funding construction of the improvements to the A46 roundabout. Also, an additional bid was prepared for the Government's Large Major Schemes Fund, for submission by the end of July 2016.

(f) Lincoln Eastern Bypass – the selection list of a tender list of four contractors was completed in December 2015. Tenders were issued in early June 2016 with a tender period of twelve weeks. Local suppliers were being encouraged to participate in the tender process. There was still an issue concerning Network Rail's inability to confirm the Disruptive Track Possession required to deliver this element of the scheme.

(g) Lincoln Footbridges – the High Street footbridge opened on 24 June 2016 with the lifts expected to be operational by 4 July 2016.

With regard to Brayford Wharf a planning application was expected to be submitted by Network Rail to the City of Lincoln in Autumn 2016 and it was hoped to have the scheme open in the Autumn of 2017.

(h) Boston Quadrant – Quadrant 1, a mixed use development by Chestnut Homes was now under way, having started installing a new roundabout south of Boston on the A16. The infrastructure for this development would in effect form the first part of the proposed Boston Distributor Road.

(i) Street Lighting Transformation Project – following the announcement by the Council on the 8 June 2016, to revise its plans, the Executive Councillor for Highways and Transport had been requested to make a decision on 18 July 2016, relating to calls, from some of those affected, for part night switch offs to be changed from 10pm to midnight switch off. LED conversions were taking place and the existing "10pm" photocells would be reprogrammed so that they could be reused later in the programme.

(j) Grantham Southern Relief Road – King 31 Phase 1 of scheme extended in to Phase 2 was substantially completed in June 2016. Phase 2 of the scheme was progressing. 

(k) A17/A151 (Peppermint Junction, Holbeach) – the programme would look to award the tender in March 2017 and work would commence in early May 2017.

Responding to comments made by the Committee, officers stated that there was no funding for compensation in the Lincoln Eastern Bypass budget in connection with the issues arising from the Disruptive Track Possession; stated that the change to the part night switch off of street lights from 10pm to midnight would be completed in two months; stated that with regard to proposals for a road from Skellingthorpe Road to Beevor Street, discussions were ongoing with Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and that in connection with the problems of east to west travel across Lincoln all schemes relied on funding from development in order to take place.