Agenda item

To consider proposals relative to the road layout at the Tudor Street/New Bridge Street junction.

PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

(Christopher Michael Hayward)

3 October 2017

Tudor Street/New Bridge Street – Alternative Layout Update

The City Corporation had previously agreed to accept and support Transport for London’s (TfL’s) proposal for Cycle Super Highways (CSH) within the City at its Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 19 February 2015. TfL had later set out proposals in relation to the design detail of how the North/South CSH would impact on local streets, including the Tudor Street/New Bridge Street junction. These were agreed by the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee on 22 February 2016, having first deferred the decision to facilitate further local consultation. Thereafter, TfL proceeded to implement their scheme with immediate effect.

In March 2016, the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee decision was ‘called-in’ and overturned by the Court of Common Council at its meeting of 21 April 2016. Despite this, TfL had proceeded to deliver their CSH scheme at Tudor Street through a Works Permit issued in late 2015 and an Experimental Order which the City Corporation was unable to prevent (as this Order related to construction and movement on New Bridge Street, for which TfL were the Highway Authority). The impact of this Experimental Order on Tudor Street was that vehicles were prevented entering from New Bridge Street. The pre-existing restriction, limiting Tudor Street egress to left turning vehicles only, was retained.

Officers were consequently instructed to work with TfL, the Temples and their transport consultant to establish if a more effective scheme could be developed and, on 12 January 2017, the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee advised the Court of Common Council that TfL had agreed to work with the City Corporation to progress an alternative Tudor Street/New Bridge Street Junction layout and that a scheme had been agreed in principle by TfL which would improve egress by introducing the option of a right turn. The Court consequently approved this alternative layout, but noted that it would be subject to detailed design including safety assessments and traffic modelling. Unfortunately, it transpired that the approved layout proved to be undeliverable for TfL on safety grounds.

TfL were committed to developing an alternative layout that would deliver the same benefits as the layout agreed by the Court of Common Council. They had, therefore, been working closely with City Corporation officers and the consultant engaged by the Temples to establish a viable scheme, which had now been produced and was presented for Members’ consideration. The Court’s approval was now sought for officers to work with TfL to confirm whether this new alternative layout was viable through detailed design and modelling, noting that, if it was found to be so, then the cost would be in excess of £2.3million, for which funding had not currently been identified.

The Chairman spoke to introduce the item and a number of Members spoke in support of the proposal. In response to a query concerning the potential cost of the work, the Chairman replied that this represented good value for a scheme which was able to deliver an acceptable solution for all parties.

Resolved – That officers should continue to work with TfL and representatives of the Temples to establish the viability of the new layout through detailed design and traffic modelling; and officers be instructed to investigate possible funding options for the scheme.