Agenda item

Report of the Director of the Built Environment

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment seeking approval to proceed with final design elements and the construction of interim improvements to Bank Junction.

In response to questions from Members, the Director of the Built Environment advised Members that access for taxis and hire vehicles would be reviewed for the longer-term protocol for the junction and would be treated as part of the options at Gateway 4, and that pedestrian comfort levels were measured as number of pedestrians per square metre. Concrete was suggested for material for the interim scheme with the expectation that it would be reworked later.

The Sub-Committee discussed signage and road markings at and approaching the junction. Members stressed their importance in avoiding confusion for motorists and asked that they be given sight of proposals for the permanent scheme. The Director of the Built Environment confirmed that all statutory signage and road markings were currently installed correctly at the junction. Officers would consider the approaches to the junction and the wider area for the permanent scheme and updates could be reported to Committee.

RESOLVED – That the Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee:

1.    Agree that Option 1A, as the base option, (largest area of footway widening is undertaken using concrete paving) is agreed to proceed to construction;

2.    Agree to the proposed prioritisation of the ‘Additional Design Measures’ in the Design Summary, and that should the selected base option not utilise all of the proposed budget, or additional funding be acquired from other sources, agree that an additional design measure can then proceed. This will be delivered in priority order;

3.    Delegate authority to the Director of Built Environment to proceed with items in recommendation 2 above;

4.    Delegate authority to the Director of the Built Environment to approve budget adjustments, above the existing authority within the project procedures and in consultation with Chamberlains, between budget lines if this is within the approved total project budget amount;

5.    Note that subject to the outcome of the Capital Funding and Fundamental Review in September 2019, it could be necessary to reassess the material choice if this measure were to be in place for longer than anticipated;

6.    Agree that the Bartholomew Lane footway widening improvements proceed to construction using existing and separate local risk funding (as detailed in the last paragraph of the ‘Overview of project options section);

7.    Agree a budget increase of £398,716 taking the total project budget to £1,822,374 (Current approved budget is £1,423,658); and

8.    Agree to the departures from the design standards set out in the City’s Public Realm SPD (2016) to use concrete paving and concrete scan kerbs (adhesive kerbs) as interim footway materials.