Agenda item

That Officers be granted a period of six months for the closure in order to allow them to make a robust case for either opening or closing Hollow Hill Lane.  However, Officers, following consultation with the Commissioner for Transport & Highways, would review the experimental scheme after 3 months (2nd November 2016) to take on board the negotiations outcome; reply from Andrew Jones MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport; and if sufficient information is compiled by this date to make an informed decision on the matter.

The Cabinet considered an update on the experimental order process and duration required for Officers to make a decision on the closure of Hollow Hill Lane.  Following the Cabinet resolution of 19^th September 2016, the Assistant Director Assets, Infrastructure & Regeneration had written to Andrew Jones MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport to seek clarification on the minimum period of closure required to obtain sufficiently robust data to develop the mitigation package necessary to address the long term traffic issues if the road was to close permanently in the future.  A formal response had not yet been received.

The Cabinet considered comments and representations from Langley St Mary’s ward Members Councillors Amarpreet Dhaliwal and Diana Coad, via written correspondence; and the Chair of Neighbourhoods & Community Services Scrutiny Panel (who was also a Member for Langley St Mary’s).  The Chair of Langley Neighbourhood Forum, Eleanor Cryer MBE, was invited to address the Cabinet to set out the views of the Forum from their public meeting on 11^th October.  The Cabinet was informed of the continued significant traffic disruption in the area attributed to the closure and was asked to reopen the road after three months i.e. 2^nd November 2016.  The Officer recommendation was for a closure of six months to 2^nd February 2017 to provide sufficient time for the required data collection and consultation; and to negotiate with HS2 and other relevant parties on the mitigation package.

The Commissioner for Transport & Highways set out the extensive discussions that he had held with residents, ward Members and stakeholders; and that he understood the level of concern about the closure.  He confirmed that the scheme would not have been trialled were it not for the major national infrastructure schemes coming forward which meant that the Council had a duty to local residents to fully prepare for any future permanent closure and secure the best possible mitigation package.  The Commissioner proposed a change to the recommendation to add a review after three months, i.e. 2^nd November, to take account of any outcomes of negotiations with HS2 and the Ministers reply regarding the sufficient level of data collection required.

A range of issues were discussed including the accuracy of the information provided to the Neighbourhood & Community Services Scrutiny Panel, about which the Chair had expressed dissatisfaction; the communication and engagement process with residents; and the reasons for the closure continuing after 2^nd November.  Officers responded that the six month period included data collection, traffic surveys, consultation feedback and drop-in sessions and provided sufficient time to fully assess the impacts of closure across periods including school holidays, varying weather conditions and adjustments made to the network in response to changing patterns of traffic.  Commissioners sought assurance that any funding secured in a mitigation package would be spent in Langley and it was confirmed that there would be a legal agreement setting out the specific schemes designed to address the issues caused by any future closure.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Cabinet agreed the recommendation for a six month period of closure to 2^nd February 2017, subject to a review at three months by Officers as proposed by the Commissioner for Transport & Highways and agreed by the Cabinet.

Resolved –  That Officers be granted a period of six months for the closure in order to allow them to make a robust case for either opening or closing Hollow Hill Lane.  However, Officers, following consultation with the Commissioner for Transport & Highways, would review the experimental scheme after 3 months (2nd November 2016) to take on board the negotiations outcome; reply from Andrew Jones MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport; and if sufficient information is compiled by this date to make an informed decision on the matter.