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REPORT OFTHE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY SAFETY
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TO THE ASSISTANT MAYOR FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING
ON 12 FEBRUARY 2013
TO THEASSISTANT MAYOR FOR FINANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES
ON 14 FEBRUARY 2013
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TITLE:Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) Delivery Agreement
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Assistant Mayor for Strategic Planning:
1. approves the City Council entering into the LSTF Agreement with Transport for
Greater Manchester (TfGM) with full terms of the agreement to be negotiated;
2. provides delegated authority to the Strategic Director Of Customer and Support
services, following terms of the LSTF Agreement being negotiated and agreed, to
sign and affix the Common Seal of the City Council to the LSTF Agreement;
3. notes the content of the bid and the schemes that are to be delivered. Individual
schemes will be brought forward for approval in due course;
4. notes the match funding commitment from the 2013/14 and 2014/15 Transport Capital Programmes which is required to deliver the programme.
It is recommended that the Assistant Mayor for Finance and Support Services:
1. notes the match funding commitments from the City Council which are
required to deliver the schemes.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) is a Department for Transport (DfT) funding scheme for projects which stimulate economic growth whilst reducing carbon emissions. The funding is administered by TfGM, and Salford City Council has been allocated up to £1.230 million of capital funding, and £0.260 million of revenue funding from the LSTF fund,with an additional capital contingency of £0.34 million and a revenue contingency of £0.047million, to deliver 3 sustainable travel projects. Local match funding totalling £1.230 million is also being provided. The match funding is from a variety of sources, such asSection 106 (S106) contributions andthe City Council’s own capitalprogramme,including the Transport Capital Programme and the Irwell River Park (IRP) programme. The LSTF funding covers the period 2012/13 to 2014/15.
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BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
(Available for public inspection)
LSTF - Large Project Bid (6 June 2011)
LSTF – Greater Manchester Large Project Bid Business Case (20 December 2012)
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KEY DECISION:YES
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DETAILS:
Introduction
1The report details the scope of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF), the schemes to be delivered in Salford, and the funding that is available to deliver the schemes. The LSTF delivery agreement, which is to be made between the City Council and TfGM, will be integral to the delivery of the schemes and the draw down of the LSTF funding.
Salford’s LSTF Programme
2The LSTF funding is spilt into 2 separate funding pots, the Key Component and the Large Component, and these were the subject of 2 separate funding bids compiled and submitted by TfGM on behalf of the Greater Manchester authorities. Salford City Council officers were fully involved in both the Key Component and Large Project bids and provided detailed information on Salford’s proposals. Both bids were successful and the City Council is now in the process of delivering the schemes within the Large Project element. The Key Component related mainly to cycle promotion and adult cycle training, which is being delivered centrally by TfGM.
Large Project
3The focus for Salford’s schemes has been on improving facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, in particular connections to the Salford Quays / MediaCityUK area. The three programmes are,
1. IrwellRiverPark Water Taxi (WAXI)
2. IRP Active Travel
3. Cycle Routes to Salford Quays.
WAXI
4Provision of 5 landing stages at key destinations along the River Irwell and ManchesterShip canal between ChapelWharf and MediaCityUK. The landing stages will enable a commercial operator to run a Water Taxi (WAXI) service.
IRP Active Travel
5The IRP Active Travel scheme is split between capital improvements to the surface and lighting along the Ordsall section of the riverside path between Fairbrother Street and WodenStreetBridge. In addition to this, revenue funding is available for park rangers and a volunteer programme which will maintain the route and encourage community use.
6The re-opening of the footbridge across the Irwell, which linked SalfordUniversityPeelPark campus and Meadow Road campus, is also proposed as part of the LSTF funding. The footbridge has been closed for a number of years. Re-opening the bridge would provide an important connection into IrwellRiverPark and increase accessibility from/to the University. The bridge is currently owned by SalfordUniversity and discussions are ongoing with the University to transfer ownership to the City Council.
Cycle Routes to Salford Quays
7This package of schemes is made up of five routes, eachof which will improve pedestrian and cycle access to the strategic employment site of Salford Quays. A cycle link will be developed between the key destinations at the University of Salford and Salford Quays. A traffic-free route will also be provided adjacent to Broadway, which will connect to existing facilities along Coronet Way and South Langworthy Road, providing increased accessibility to Salford Quays / MediaCityUK.Cycle access from the residential areas located within an easy cycling distance of 3-4km, such as Weaste; Langworthy; Ordsall; Pendleton; and Broughton, will also be improved. The proposed cycle routes are:
- Broadway
- University to Quays link
- Weaste Lane
- Langworthy Road
- Regent Road.
8In total £1.23 million of capital funding and £0.26 million of revenue funding is available from the LSTF fund to deliver Salford’s projects. An additional revenue sum of £47,876 and a capital sum of £339,328 for contingenciesis also available, should this be required. Currently £252,000 of the capital contingency is already committed to the WAXI project.
9Table 1 - LSTF budget
Capital Funding(£’s) / Revenue Funding
(£’s)
LSTF allocation to Salford / 1,229,990 / 259,823
LSTF contingency already committed to WAXI / 252,000 / -
Remaining LSTF contingency (held by TfGM) / 87,328 / 47,876
Sub Total / 1,569,318 / 307,699
Salford Match Funding / 1,079,000 / 150,000
TOTAL / 2,648,318 / 457,699
10Local match funding of approximately £1.230 million is also being provided, through S106 and local capital programme funding, including the Transport Capital Programme and the IRP programme as shown in table 2.
Table 2 -Salford match funding
Package / Phase / Scheme / Salford match funding (capital)£000’s / Source / Salford match funding (revenue)
£000’s / Source / Approval status
Cycle Routes to Salford Quays / Broadway / 130 / 2012/13 Transport Capital Programme / 0 / - / Approved
University to Quays link / 101 / 2013/14 capital programme / 0 / - / Subject to approval
Residential links / 0 / - / 0 / - / -
WAXI / Pontoon Infrastructure / 22 / Section 106 Ordsall / 0 / - / Approved
IRP / IRP general / 574 / IRP programme wide match / 0 / - / Approved
Ordsall Routeway / 105 / Section 106 Ordsall / 0 / - / Approved
IrwellBridge / 70 / SCC IRP Capital / 0 / - / Approved
77 / 2013/14 capital gateway bid / 0 / - / Subject to approval
Parks
maintenance programme / 0 / - / 138 / Environment Directorate maintenance funding / Approved
12 / Environment Directorate maintenance funding / Approved
Sub Total / 1079 / 150
TOTAL Salford match / £1,229,990
11Table 3 - Forecast Spend
Package / Phase / scheme / Year / LSTF Grant / Salford Match FundingCapital
(£000’s) / Revenue
(£000’s) / Capital
(£000’s) / Revenue
(£000’s)
Cycle Routes to Salford Quays / Broadway / 2012/13 / 193 / 0 / 130 / 0
University to Quays link / 2013/14 / 148 / 0 / 101 / 0
Residential links / 2014/15 / 165 / 0 / 0 / 0
Water Taxi (WAXI) / Pontoon Infrastructure / 2012/13 / 27 / 22 / 0
2013/14 / 636 / 36 / 22 / 0
2014/15 / 13 / 0 / 0
IRP Active Travel / Ordsall Routeway / IrwellBridge / 2012/13 / 12 / 0 / 574 / 50
2013/14 / 288 / 94 / 182 / 50
2014/15 / 0 / 104 / 70 / 50
Sub Total / 1482 / 256 / 1079 / 150
Remaining Contingency / 87 / 51 / - / -
TOTAL / 1569 / 307 / 1079 / 150
Total Capital
spend
(£000’s) / 2648
Total Revenue
spend
(£000’s) / 457
Delivery Agreement
12The Delivery Agreement sets out the mechanism by which the LSTF schemes are to be delivered and puts procedures in place for the draw-down of the LSTF funding.The City Council and legal officers have reviewed the delivery agreement and have made a number of amendments to it, to ensure that Salford’s interests are represented and that there is minimal risk to the city Council.
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KEY COUNCIL POLICIES:
Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan, SalfordSustainable Transport Strategy.
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND IMPLICATIONS:
The LSTF proposals will provide a range of sustainable travel choices for trips to Salford Quays and MediaCityUK. The proposed cycle routes will increase accessibility to Salford Quays by bike. The package of cycle routes will provide affordable and accessible transport for residents within a 4-5km radius of Salford Quays, the routes will connect into the wider cycle network and make cycling an attractive choice for the areas of Pendlebury, Kersal, Broughton, Irwell Riverside and Claremont.
Cycling is a sustainable, cheap and easily accessible form of transport, which has the potential to grow significantly in the areas described. This is due to the low levels of car ownership, lack of direct bus services and high levels of unemployment. Cycling can provide a cheap, easily accessible and fast form of transport, which will help residents in these areas to access job and leisure opportunities at Salford Quays, and reduce the high rates of unemployment which is seen in these wards.
The WAXI landing stages will be fully accessible for disabled users, as the pontoons and ramps have been designed to meet the necessary requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
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ASSESSMENT OF RISK:
MEDIUM – Failure to enter into the LSTF delivery agreement would prevent the City Council from claiming the LSTF grant funding and prevent the projects from being delivered.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
- LSTF grant funding
- Developer contributions (S106) and local capital programme funding, including the Block 3 Transport capital Programme
- Details are shown in table 2.
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LEGAL IMPLICATIONS: Supplied by– Richard Holmes Tel: 234 4987
It is considered that the legal implications arising out of this report are limited. The Council will be required to enter into the LSTF delivery agreement for delivery of the project. Before entering into the delivery agreement the Council will need to be satisfied that the Council‘s interests will be protected under the terms and conditions of the agreement.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Supplied by Chris Mee Group Accountant Ext 0434
The capital cost of the above schemes can be met from within the LSTF Grant including the use of £252k from the contingency match funded by Section 106 (£127k), existing Block 3 Transport Capital Programme (£231k) and Irwell River Park programme (£721k of which £77k is still subject to approval in the 2013/14 capital programme).
Joanne Hardman Principal Group Accountant (Revenue) Ext 3156
The match funding identified for the scheme relates to maintenance costs within the IrwellRiverPark scheme and budget provision is built into the Places Service Group in 2012/13 and future years. Grant funding will meet the remaining revenue costs associated with the three schemes up to 2014/15, however, it should be noted that there is no budget provision to meet these additional activities in 2015/16 onwards.
There are potential maintenance costs associated with the IrwellBridge in future years however these will be subject to negotiations with SalfordUniversity and will be the subject of a future report.
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OTHER DIRECTORATES CONSULTED:
Other districts to be consulted as part of the scheme design and approval process as each of the schemes within the LSTF programme is developed.
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CONTACT OFFICER:Lee EvansTEL NO: 793 3801
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WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S): Irwell Riverside, Ordsall and
Langworthy, Claremont, Weaste & Seedley
Ben Dolan
Strategic Director for Environment and Community Safety
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