Ms Cornelius opens the discussion about the BRT:
"A couple of comments on the Bus Rapid Transit system... I’d just like to clarify a couple of issues. We know that all of the residents and councillors will be interested. The Bus Rapid Transit is not a scheme put forward by the developer or devised by the developer it is a Borough-led scheme. It is contained within our own Transport Strategy and in our own Local Transport Plan all of which have had consultation procedures that go with it.
The Transport Strategy that the developers put forward provides a substantial contribution to the Council’s own aspiration and ... I completely concur with the points of view put forward tonight that if I tried to run a Bus Rapid Transit system today down Mead Way I certainly couldn’t get to town in 25 minutes.
The Bus Rapid Transit system isn’t just a bus, there is a whole raft of priority measures that would need to come forward with it to improve the infrastructure to allow that time to be achieved. So just to be clear it is a whole package of works that needs to be undertaken and the developers have provided a substantial contribution to towards our own scheme.
The traffic surveys were mentioned. I can confirm that all of the transport assessment work that has been done - the surveys used were carried out in accordance with standards required so they didn’t use surveys on Bank Holidays and didn’t use surveys on days where there were diversions. You may have seen tubes down, but that is not to say that we used the information – I can just confirm that all the assessments were done right.
The Chair, Cllr Colin Lovell, says:
"OK, thanks, Claire – before we resume does anyone want to add to that topic?"
"Yes, Chair – I’m interested in this consultation regarding the Rapid Transit Route. Should that consultation not have included ward councillors?"
Mr Lloyd, SBC Transport Officer, interjects:"The consultation I was referring to was the Council's Rapid Bus Transit. We conducted feasibility studies into how that may come forward and it’s that the Council has yet to make a decision on. It is committed to the principle of Bus Rapid Transit but there has been no decision made yet as to which route and how it would be achieved."
"Chair, can I just make do a quick clarification. Chair in terms of the aspiration for Bus Rapid Transit. That aspiration is set out within Local Transport Plan 3. It is identified as an aspirational need rather than detailed in terms of what proposals would come forward as a detailed scheme. As a result of that there have been consultations on the basic principles of Local Trasport Plan 3 but not detailed consultation by Officers or representatives of local highway authority on any proposals for individual junction improvements or bus lanes on any routes at this moment in time."
The Chair asks Cllr Tomlinson:
"Do you want to come back?"Cllr Vera Tomlinson says:
"But this is relevant, and it is relevant to these people who live in that area that it will affect the most. There has been no consultation with ward councillors who represent these people, and that’s my point. This Council very often falls down on consultation because Officers take decisions and we are back on that old old story – who runs this Council? Members or Officers?"
Ms Cornelius responds:
"I’m referring to probably the point that Cllr Tomlinson made – Bus Rapid Transit is an accepted part of this Council and it has been through various rounds of consultation in the Local Trasport Plan as a principle. All the developers have done through this application is take this accepted principle of the Council and explored how it could be delivered and explored two options. Now that is not to say that the Council will take forward either of those options, if it chooses not to, but that is the point at which that consultation has to take place. What I can say, with absolute assurety, is that we have tested this development whether it works with or without it."Questions that ORA members might wish to ask:
Why does Cllr Tomlinson only focus on the consultation about the BRT? Why doesn't she question why the BRT is not being delivered as set out in the core strategy? Is this grounds for refusing the application? Why does the Transport Officer not mention the requirements of the core strategy regarding the BRT? Why does the Transport Officer not mention that the £5m bid for DfT funding has been unsuccessful? Why do none of the planning committee councillors mention the non-delivery of the BRT as part of this application? Will Oakhurst Way eventually be bus-laned to deliver the BRT? Why is the application approved without the BRT when the core strategy (used as one of the main reasons this application should go ahead) says its delivery is critical?
