Agenda item

The Executive RESOLVED that

(i)          the Outline Business Case (OBC) to date and the preferred option of a 50mph speed limit on a section of the A331, as set out in the OBC annexed to the agenda report, be endorsed; and

(ii)         the Executive Head of Community, in consultation with the Environment & Health Portfolio Holder, be authorised to

a)    make any minor amendments to the Outline Business Case;

b)    submit the Outline Business Case to the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) at The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) by the 31 December 2018; and

c)     submit the Full Business Case to the Joint Air Quality Unit.

The Executive considered a report seeking approval of the Outline Business Case to implement measures to improve air quality on the A331 (Blackwater Valley Relief Road) and comply with the accompanying Ministerial Direction.

Members were reminded that in July 2017 the Government had published the National Air Quality Plan for Nitrogen Dioxide (the Plan). The Plan set out how it would ensure compliance with air quality limits in the shortest possible time. A key part of the Plan was a requirement on some Local Authorities to undertake feasibility studies to explore a range of measures to improve air quality. The Plan had identified a straight-line exceedance on a short section of the A331, Blackwater Valley Relief Road, within the Borough of Surrey Heath as having predicted exceedances of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive limits of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).

A Blackwater Valley Partnership had been formed withGuildford, Rushmoor and Surrey Heath Councils, who had been named in the Plan in relation to the A331, along with the respective highways authorities of Surrey and Hampshire County Councils, in order to produce a Feasibility Study to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the shortest possible time. Highways England was also a partner, along with Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Partnership had been awarded a grant from the JAQU Early Measures fund to implement a scheme to improve air quality on the A331. Vehicles exiting the A331 were caught in congestion on the south eastern approach to Bradford’s roundabout, with vehicles currently queuing back approximately 60 metres from the roundabout at peak times. The scheme sought to provide improvement by creating a third lane on the northern side of the eastern arm of Bradford’s roundabout, within the existing grass verge. This additional lane would provide additional capacity for traffic entering the roundabout and wishing to proceed to the west or north, or back to the A331 to the east, thereby reducing the amount of time vehicles were idling and improving flows from the northern section of the A331 onto the local highway network.

Members were apprised of the measures proposed to improve air quality along the section of the A331. The Partnershiphad identified one single feasible option: a 50mph speed limit for a stretch of the A331 in the areas of Rushmoor Borough and Surrey Heath Borough. The stretch of road currently had a speed limit of 70mph. The Partnership’s Technical Group considered the preferred measure to be the only solution due to the uniqueness of the straight-line exceedance in this location.

Members expressed concerns about the proposal to reduce the speed limit, particularly in view of the recent advice that the speed limit would not be enforced by Hampshire Police. It was, however, recognised that this had been identified as the only feasible option. It was agreed to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner expressing concerns about the proposed lack of enforcement on the stretch of raod.

RESOLVED that

(i)          the Outline Business Case (OBC) to date and the preferred option of a 50mph speed limit on a section of the A331, as set out in the OBC annexed to the agenda report, be endorsed; and

(ii)        the Executive Head of Community, in consultation with the Environment & Health Portfolio Holder, be authorised to

a)    make any minor amendments to the Outline Business Case;

b)    submit the Outline Business Case to the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) at The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) by the 31 December 2018; and

c)    submit the Full Business Case to the Joint Air Quality Unit.