Agenda item

A report seeking authority to buy land required for a proposed road scheme, by the making of a compulsory purchase order if voluntary negotiations with affected landowners are unsuccessful.

Cabinet Portfolio Holder – Councillor Jan Matecki

Councillor Jan Matecki, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning noted that Cabinet were aware of this proposed scheme and explained that the report outlined the process for land acquisition for the scheme and sought authorisation for Compulsory Purchase Order powers to run in parallel with negotiations with landowners to acquire land by voluntary agreement.  The proposed scheme sought to achieve a number of objectives including promoting active travel opportunities, supporting local climate emergencies and net-zero targets, improving bus journey times and reliability, supporting housing delivery, economy growth and rebalancing, improving network resilience and improving road safety.

Councillor Matecki noted that since the report had been written, notification had been received that the Department for Transport may provide 100% of the capital funding required to deliver the scheme subject to approval of the Outline Business Case and Full Business Case.  Whilst this was not a confirmed position, it may mean that the Council’s contribution of £4m in capital funds would no longer be required.

Councillor Peter Butlin supported the scheme and associated proposals which would address congestion in this area of the town.  He was delighted to hear the update regarding funding.  Councillor Dahmash echoed support for the proposals and asked that the bottleneck at Mill Road be considered when any schemes were being considered. 

Councillor Matecki reminded Cabinet that the scheme was subject to funding approval, approval of the Outline and Full Business Cases by the Department for Transport and securing planning permission.  Therefore, the scheme could not move forward until those elements were in place.

Resolved:

1.     That Cabinet authorises the Executive Director for Resources to acquire the land or rights in respect to the land shown on Drawing No. 9.2-333--010-6309 (Appendix A to the report), whether by agreement or by means of a Compulsory Purchase Order (the Order), as is required to enable the construction of the A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane Improvements, Rugby, subject to acquisition taking place only after:

(i)    planning permission has been granted; and

(ii)   authorisation by Cabinet and Full Council via separate reports to be brought forward in 2023/24 to add the proposed £4 million Capital Investment Funding (CIF) local contribution to the scheme Capital Programme; and

(iii)approval of the external Full Business Case (FBC) by the Department for Transport (DfT) and subsequent funding award, or funding for the purchase of the land is otherwise secured to the satisfaction of the Executive Director for Resources, subject to final authorisation by Cabinet;

2.     That Cabinet authorises the Executive Director for Resources to take any steps incidental, conducive or consequential thereto including the making of the order, the publication and service of all notices and the presentation of the Council’s case at any Public Inquiry;

3.     That Cabinet authorises the Executive Director for Resources to approve agreements with landowners setting out the terms for the withdrawal of any objections to the Order, including where appropriate seeking exclusion of land or new rights from the Order; and

4.     That the Executive Director for Communities and the Executive Director for Resources be authorised to make such amendments to the drawing referred to in Resolution 1 as they consider to be minor and necessary modifications after consultation with the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning.