Purpose:

At its February meeting, the Growth Board agreed to:

·         Work with Department for Transport, Network Rail and Oxfordshire train operators to develop a brief for the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study;

·         Provide a governance framework and accountable body role for the Study including establishing an Oxfordshire Growth Board Rail Sub-Group;

·         Provide an element of local match funding in the form of resource capacity to support the completion of this project

The Board is asked to consider a report (appendix now attached) setting out progress made (in partnership with the Department for Transport, rail industry and other parties) in developing the remit for this study and the proposed way forward.

Recommendations:

The Growth Board is recommended to:

Endorse the draft remit for the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study as set out in Annex 1 (to follow), subject to final DfT and Network Rail approval.

Confirm a Growth Board cash contribution of up to £200,000 towards the study, to be supplemented by other funding sources set out in this paper.

Agree that the County Council as strategic transport authority and accountable body for the Growth Board should act as the lead authority on the study for the Growth Board, including leading on commercial and funding arrangements, drawing in technical and other input from partner authorities, to be coordinated via the proposed Oxfordshire Corridor Study Steering Group.

The Board considered a report proposing the Board’s involvement in developing a rail corridor study for Oxfordshire. The report proposes that the Board:

·                Work with Department for Transport, Network Rail and Oxfordshire train operators to develop a brief for the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study;

·                Provide a governance framework and accountable body role for the Study including establishing an Oxfordshire Growth Board Rail Sub-Group;

·                Provide an element of local match funding in the form of resource capacity to support the completion of this project

The Board noted in discussion:

·         Whilst the Board noted the need to develop the central rail spine of Oxfordshire, then report also needed to reflect the need for wider consideration. For example the Cotswold Line and stations needed to be included in the investment and improvement plans given its role in providing good transport links from new developments in West Oxfordshire.

·         The Board asked that the narrative of the study brief should clarify why only the central area of Oxfordshire was included at this stage as a first tranche on necessary development, from which other developments such as upgrades to the Cotswold Line could then progress.

·         Oxford Station played a central place-making role as the main entrance into the city for many people, was a significant transport hub in its own right and had an impact on surrounding transport links to and past the station concourse. The place-making aspect of the station redevelopment was absent from the project remit.

The Growth Board resolved to:

1.    Endorse the draft remit for the Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study as set out in Annex 1 (to follow), subject to final DfT and Network Rail approval.

2.    Confirm a Growth Board contribution of up to £200,000 towards the study (delegating the detailed award of funding to the Executive Officers Group: to be reported via the Deal financial monitoring), to be supplemented by other funding sources set out in this paper.

3.    Agree that the County Council as strategic transport authority and accountable body for the Growth Board should act as the lead authority on the study for the Growth Board, including leading on commercial and funding arrangements, drawing in technical and other input from partner authorities, to be coordinated via the proposed Oxfordshire Corridor Study Steering Group.

Purpose: to receive a verbal update from officers.

Bev Hindle, Oxfordshire County Council, gave an update from the recent STB meeting and ongoing work and answered questions, making the following points:

·         Discussion covered innovation, activity and transport across the whole region, and the requirement to emphasise the necessity of including the whole M4-A34-M40 link stretch in consideration of the proposed expressway route.

·         The Board discussed the difficulty of providing views as a transport body on proposed options, without the full evidence base, and in light of the immediate disquiet of local residents.

·         Highways England ad not updated their processes to adequately reflect the existence of the STB.

·         The emerging route of the expressway would have an impact on the emerging JSSP, although the timetables for these did not correspond.

·         Currently Network Rail and Department for Transport were developing the rail connectivity study in isolation as a technical study without considering the wider economic case. The STB and Growth Board’s representatives continued to press the need for involvement in this: the Growth Board could take a pro-active role in the study.

Councillors commented that

·         The A34 was the route with the highest impact on all areas: Highways England’s stated wish to separate local and through traffic on this route was welcomed.

·         If the county was expected (as seemed to be the case) to match-fund rail improvements, then the whole county should benefit. Rail improvements would unlock economic opportunity but there was a need for more local as well as central stations to achieve this.

The Board noted the update.

Purpose: to receive verbal updates if necessary.

Bev Hindle (Strategic Director for Communities Oxfordshire County Council) reported on discussions about wider infrastructure including superfast cable networks and internet access.

Members of the Board:

·         Reported that a consultation about major roads not controlled by Highways England was underway and asked for all councils to consider and respond, as there needed to be serious investment in the major roads such as the A40 and A420 that local authorities could not provide alone.

·         Commented that ICT network and broadband infrastructure were crucial for successful businesses but an investment in hardware was not accompanied by an appraisal of its use.  The STB would be able to drive this and give consistency in approach across the corridor

The Growth Board noted the discussion and updates.

Purpose: to consider a presentation by Oxfordshire County Council on the proposed Sub-national Transport Body (STB).

Recommendation: that the Board consider and note the presentation.

Bev Hindle gave a presentation setting out the main points about the proposed Sub-National Transport Body (STB) then Councillors asked questions and commented.

The presentation is available as a supplement to the minutes.

In summary the presentation and discussion covered:

1.    The setting up of an STB and how this would link into, but not replace, cross-regional discussions across the rest of the corridor.

2.    The need to work with England’s Economic Heartland Alliance, to take up both available seats on this body, and to receive updates.

3.    Whether cross-corridor governance could be entirely contained within the remit of the STB or, if this was not the correct form to manage all aspects of cross-corridor decision making, how duplication could be reduced.

4.    The fact that in officer’s opinion funding for transport improvements in an area was likely to be contingent on its membership of an STB.

5.    The necessity of developing relationships with neighbouring STBs and those responsible for major trunk routes like the A34.

Cllr Barber asked that the STB include Swindon given the links developing between there and Vale of White Horse district.

The Board noted the presentation, comments and the recommendations in the presentation:

That the Board:

1.    writes to England’s Economic Heartland to provide support for the current and future work being undertaken to form a Sub-National Transport Body for the area covered by the Heartland’s member authorities

2.    recognising the transport nature of this emerging body, encourage as wide a definition of connectivity as possible to include digital connectivity for the region;

3.    fully participates in the Strategic Transport Forum, alongside the County Council as Local Highway Authority, to ensure we have as much influence as possible on the development of a robust Sub-National Transport Body; and

4.    seeks regular updates from County Council and Growth Board officers on the progress being made

The Board agreed to invite Swindon to join the proposed Sub-National Transport Body.