Issue - items at meetings - Brighton Station Gateway

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Issue - meetings

Brighton Station Gateway

Meeting: 30/04/2013 - Transport Committee (Item 77)

77 Brighton Station Gateway pdf icon PDF 92 KB

Report of the Executive Director Environment, Development & Housing (copy attached).

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the Committee:-

 

1.         Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to  progress to detailed design a preferred scheme that retains taxis in their current location (as set out in Appendix 5) and to advertise any necessary traffic regulation orders (TROs).

 

2.         Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to implement the detailed design subject to the outcome of the statutory TRO consultation process

 

3.         Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to work with other relevant partners to develop a Taxi Management Plan that will ensure the station taxi rank is properly managed in future.

 

 

4.         Agrees that a decision on the future of the Station Canopy be deferred, subject to receipt of a future Network Rail planning application.

 

Minutes:

77.1         The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Environment, Development & Housing that requested permission to undertake the preferred option for the Brighton Station Gateway project. The report was supplemented by a presentation.

 

77.2         The Chair praised the outcome of the report, which he believed to be the best outcome from difficult circumstances. Specifically, the Chair highlighted the areas conservation area status.

 

77.3          Councillor Mitchell stated that on the basis of the informative and thorough presentation provided, the Labour & Co-Operative would reverse their original intention to abstain and now fully supported the project. Councillor Mitchell added that she hoped the Network Rail would realise Brighton & Hove City Council’s commitment to the advancement of Brighton Station as a network link and that they would reciprocate. Councillor Mitchell supplemented that whilst this project was a good start, a lot more needed to be done in the area including developments to the Mangalore Way area. Councillor Mitchell noted that the work appeared expensive with cost £1.5m and asked for further information to this end.

 

77.4            Councillor Robins stated that he supported the comments made by the Chair. The project had a difficult brief and the best outcome had been reached.

 

77.5            Councillor West thanked the Project Manager for his work. As ward councillor for the area he was aware how thorough the consultation had been via workshops, public meetings and meetings with community and traders associations. Councillor West added that there were a number of complications arising from the location of a taxi rank on Fredrick Place and, whilst the possibility of doing so needed to be examined, it was clear that logistically and from the negative reaction from the North Laine Community Association and North Laine Traders Association that this was not viable. Councillor West summarised that even though the issue of the relocation of the taxi rank had not been resolved, this would be offset by other benefits including a gyratory system and a large increase in pavement space.

 

77.6            Councillor Follett stated he felt the final project proposals were a magnificent achievement in the circumstances and praised officers for their achievement.

 

77.7            Councillor Cox moved the following motion to change the recommendations as shown in bold and italics below:

 

2.1       Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to progress to detailed design a preferred scheme that relocates the Station taxi rank to Frederick Place using one of the options recommended by JMP Consultants in the North Laine Transport Study retains taxis in their current location (as set out in Appendix 5) and to advertise any necessary traffic regulation orders (TROs).

 

2.2    Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to implement the detailed design subject to the outcome of the statutory TRO consultation process

 

2.3       Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to work with other relevant partners to develop a Taxi Management Plan that will ensure the station taxi rank is properly managed in future.

 

2.4    Agrees that a decision on the future of the Station Canopy be deferred, subject to receipt of a future Network Rail planning application.

 

77.8            Councillor Janio formally seconded the motion.

 

77.9            Councillor Cox commended the work of officers adding that his proposed amendments were not a criticism of the work. However, he had concerns that the Committee were presented with a £1.5m scheme that had not found a solution to the significant problem of taxi flow outside Brighton Station. Councillor Cox noted the consultant’s report, and their work which had cost £27,000, identified Fredrick Place a viable location for the taxi rank. Councillor Cox commented that in not relocating the taxi rank, the administration were not adhering to their own policies that placed great emphasis on decongestion of the public realm. Councillor Cox believed the scheme should adhere to its original promise and to do so would involve relocating the taxi rank to Fredrick Place. Councillor Cox felt that if the Committee could not agree to the relocation, the scheme should be abandoned and the allocated budget of £1.5m be diverted to the Old Town pedestrianisation scheme in order for the proposals there to fill their potential.

 

77.10       Councillor Janio supported the comments made by Councillor Cox and added that he could not establish why the scheme should go ahead. Councillor Janio supplemented that he believed there were better ways to spend the money.

 

77.11       The Chair commented that he was surprised by Councillor Cox and Councillor Janio’s comments as the original vision for the Gateway scheme had been inherited from the previous Conservative Party administration. The Chair stated that the Brighton Station Gateway project was not simply about the relocation of the taxi rank although that topic had dominated the process. The Chair added that improvements in the area were badly needed and had been neglected too long. He believed the proposals put to Committee would deliver those improvements.

 

77.12       Councillor Mitchell agreed with the Chair adding that the area was becoming increasingly dangerous and could not be left as it was. Councillor Mitchell asked if the £1.5m budget for the scheme represented value for money and sought assurances that Network Rail would also provide significant investment.

 

77.13       The Executive Director of Environment, Development & Housing clarified that it was for Members to determine whether they believed the proposals represented value for money. However, he believed there would be a significant, visible difference from the investment benefiting tourists, visitors and residents of the city. The Executive Director also commented that investment in changes to the physical landscape were often expensive due to the purchase of materials to do so. The Executive Director also highlighted the significance of the linkage to other investments in the area, specifically in the New England Quarter.

 

77.14       The Project Officer stated that the project covered a very large area and included significant structural changes, particularly to road junctions.In addition, the Project Officer referenced the improvements made to New Road as an example of how value for money could be achieved through good public realm design”

 

77.15       The Chair put the motion moved by Councillor Cox to the vote with the following result:

 

            For: 3

            Against: 7

 

77.16       Therefore, the motion was not carried.

 

77.17       RESOLVED- That the Committee:-

 

1.         Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to  progress to detailed design a preferred scheme that retains taxis in their current location (as set out in Appendix 5) and to advertise any necessary traffic regulation orders (TROs).

 

2.         Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to implement the detailed design subject to the outcome of the statutory TRO consultation process

 

3.         Instructs the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing to work with other relevant partners to develop a Taxi Management Plan that will ensure the station taxi rank is properly managed in future.

 

4.         Agrees that a decision on the future of the Station Canopy be deferred, subject to receipt of a future Network Rail planning application.

 


 


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