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Maidstone Joint Transportation Board

16 October2019

 

Maidstone Integrated Transport Package (MITP)

 

Decision Making Authority

Kent County Council/Maidstone Borough Council

Lead Director

Simon Jones

Lead Head of Service

Tim Read

Lead Officer and Report Author

Russell Boorman/Lee Burchill

Wards and County Divisions affected

Maidstone Borough including Tonbridge & Malling

Which Member(s) requested this report?

Committee

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations:

 

That the report be noted.   

 

 

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Maidstone Joint Transportation Board

16 October 2019



Maidstone Integrated Transport Package (MITP)

 

1.        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

1.1                  This report provides an update in respect of the proposed junction     improvements contained within the Maidstone Integrated Transport Package (MITP).

 

1.2        Design work is being carried out consecutively on all schemes to mitigate any delays and achieve the SELEP spending requirement of 2021.  A programme of delivery has been derived to minimise the impact on the network and ensure network resilience with the uncertainty of BREXIT and other key Strategic schemes being delivered in and around the Borough of Maidstone. 

   

2.          CONSULTATION:

 

2.1                  The Maidstone Integrated Transport Package consultation, to be known as ‘Keep Maidstone Moving’, contains information on the following junction improvements:

 

·       A20 Coldharbour Roundabout Aylesford

·       A274 Sutton Road Maidstone junction with Willington Street

·       A20 Ashford Road Maidstone junction with Willington Street

·       A229 Loose Road Maidstone junction with A274 Sutton Road

·       A229 Loose Road Maidstone junction with Armstrong Road

·       A229 Loose Road Maidstone junction with Cripple Street

·       A229 Loose Road Maidstone junction with Sheals Crescent

 

2.2        Due to the complexity of promoting this as ‘one’ consultation and ensuring that the details contained within are of a nature and standard that provides the consultees with the most relevant and up to date information, the decision has been taken to reschedule the ‘go live’ date to the 7th November 2019.

 

2.3                  This will ensure all responses received are meaningful and provide a more robust guidance as to the direction of the proposed designs.

 

2.4                  During the consultation phase, there will be three individual engagement sessions where Members, Councillors and members of the public will be invited to talk to the project teams.

 

2.5                  Due to the scale of the consultation, these sessions will be both informal and formal within specified timings.  One during the day, one during the evening and a session at a weekend.  This will give the opportunity for a wide range of consultees to attend at a time that suits them.

 

2.6     Following the closure of the consultation, 20th December 2019, the responses will be collated, and a report presented to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport & Waste to give approval to the recommendations contained within.  An update report will be brought back to the most relevant Maidstone JTB thereafter.  It must be noted that Members will be engaged following the results of the consultation, so they are aware of the proposed recommendations. 

 

3.           SCHEME UPDATES:

 

3.1      A20 Coldharbour Roundabout:

 

3.2        Detailed design has progressed well, with many of the early challenges being mitigated.  The required acquisition of third-party land has been de-risked with extremely positive negotiations being held with the landowner and Heads of Terms drafted awaiting approval.

 

3.3                  The design is due to complete in October 2019 which will allow the contractual           documents to be prepared and completed by the end of the year.  KCC procurement have been engaged and a programme for the procurement phase identified to commence early 2020 with an award of contract in       March/April 2020.

 

3.4        Construction is due to start in April 2020, which is after the planned SMART motorway completion and is expected to complete within 6-8 months.  A large   quantity of the construction can be undertaken off-line and therefore the need for traffic management on the highway is reduced. 

 

4             A229 Loose Road Corridor:

 

4.1        The loose road corridor comprises of four separate junctions but has been combined as one commission to ensure a timely completion.  The junctions are as follows:

 

·       A229 Loose Road junction with the A274 Sutton Road (Wheatsheaf junction)

·       A229 Loose Road junction with Armstrong Road/Park Way

·       A229 Loose Road junction with Sheals Crescent

·       A229 Loose Road junction with Cripple Street/Boughton Lane

 

4.2        Despite significant challenges in relation to the designs for the above, great progress has now been made and the detailed design continues at pace.

 

4.3        All investigatory work has been completed, including geotechnical, environmental, topographical etc which have all fed into the design process.

 

4.4        The detailed design for all schemes named above will be completed in November 2019, with the procurement commencing in early 2020.

 

4.5        Construction is likely to start in the summer of 2020 as this provides reduced traffic volumes and gives a longer period for mobilisation and engagement with the local community providing information about traffic management phasing.

 

5           A20 Ashford Road junction with Willington Street:

 

5.1        This scheme requires the re-positioning of a listed rag stone wall which needs a planning application to be submitted to the planning authority.  Whilst there is support for this scheme, this has been recorded as a risk on the project risk register.

 

5.2        The detailed design is continuing and will be completed in early 2020.  This will allow the planning application to be submitted and the procurement phase commence in the summer of 2020.

 

5.3        Due to other projects being carried out on the network in the near vicinity, this scheme has been placed to the back of the construction programme and is likely to commence in early 2021.

 

6             Other Schemes:

 

6.1        The following schemes are not contained within the MITP but are being delivered within the Borough of Maidstone.

 

6.1.1  A249 Bearsted Road Major Infrastructure Project:

 

6.1.2   This scheme is now in the procurement phase with the tender being issued in October 2019 and a Contract Award in December 2019. The construction phase will commence in early 2020 with the new access to Newnham Court being constructed and operational prior to any works on the highway network. 

 

6.1.3   It is anticipated the construction phase will take 12 months (including the off-line works).  A communication strategy has been jointly agreed with MBC/KCC and will start in earnest shortly, this will provide updates on phasing, timings etc.

 

6.2      A26 Tonbridge Road junction with Fountain Lane:

 

6.2.1   Following a recommendation by KCC at the latest Maidstone Joint Transportation Board to remove this scheme from the MITP due to the lack of achievable capacity benefits, direction has been given to seek alternative solutions that demonstrate good value for money and provide capacity benefits.

 

6.2.2   A solution has been identified which requires the acquisition of adjacent third-party land, as such, negotiations have commenced with the relevant landowner and it is hoped that voluntary acquisition can be achieved.

 

6.2.3   The concept design is progressing and will be completed in December 2019.  This will allow the outline design to commence in early 2020.  Currently there is insufficient S106 contributions to deliver this scheme, currently estimated at £3.0/£3.5m, however, KCC are continuing to work with MBC and TMBC to seek other funding opportunities to be able to deliver this scheme in conjunction with the MITP projects.

 

6.2.4   Due to the Local Growth Fund spending constraints (funding to be spent by the end of March 2021), this scheme is not suitable to utilise any potential underspend from the MITP, as the deliverability is unlikely to be completed within this timeframe, especially if CPO powers are required. 

 

6.3      A274 Sutton Road junction with Willington Street:

 

6.3.1   A proposal for this junction has been designed to try and retain as many of the existing cherry trees/vegetation as is practicable.  However, there are concerns that this will not provide the required capacity benefits. 

 

6.3.2   The detailed design will complete in December 2019, it will then be decided as to whether this scheme progresses to the next phase of procurement.

 

7           MITIGATION:

 

7.1        The above schemes still represent an underspend in the Maidstone Integrated Transport Package; Kent County Council has therefore ‘over programmed’ the package of improvements to ensure that the LGF is not lost and remains being spent in the County. 

 

7.2        As there is still not a suitable scheme within the Borough of Maidstone, that can demonstrate good value for money and return capacity benefits required.  It must also be noted that due to the SELEP delivery timeframe of 2021, LGF would need to be spent within this period.    

 

7.3                  Designs would need to be completed, a business case submitted and given endorsement by the SELEP Independent Technical Evaluator, all within the identified timescales identified in 7.2.

 

7.4        Therefore, the proposed scheme for the A20 London Road Aylesford, continues to be developed accordingly.  This demonstrates good value for money, achieves the capacity benefits required, design work is almost complete and has an endorsed Business Case. 

 

8            CONCLUSION:      

 

8.1        The ‘Keep Maidstone Moving’ consultation document will be released in November 2019 and results/recommendations shared with this board accordingly.

 

8.2    The MITP will continue to be ‘over programmed’ and ALL the original identified junction improvements continue to be developed with a view to delivering each scheme and more.