Agenda item

Cabinet received a report on the South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) project which was the construction of approximately 1.1 miles of dual carriageway including 3 new roundabout junctions. The report related to SEALR Phase 2, between B442 Lower Road and the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road being constructed by HS2.

The Stoke Mandeville Relief Road was mitigation identified through the HS2 Act, arising from the closure of the A4010. The A4010 was the main route between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough and was a blue light route. The Council had previously entered into a funding and delivery agreement with HS2 for the SEALR phase 2 project, which enabled the Council to replace a section of the single carriageway Stoke Mandeville Relief Road with a dual carriageway road and a new roundabout providing access to the future South West Aylesbury Link Road.

The funding agreement was the contractual mechanism whereby HS2 provided partial funding, based on the cost of delivering the single carriageway Stoke Mandeville Relief Road, in return for the Council delivering SEALR Phase 2, within a specified time period. The report sought the necessary delegations to deliver SEALR Phase 2, within the required timeframes to achieve the intended programme and meet its contractual obligations with HS2.

RESOLVED –  

1. To amend the Cabinet delegation in December 2022, and delegate authority to the Corporate Directors of Communities and of Planning Growth and Sustainability, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to:  

1. Proceed with the delivery of Phase 2 of the South East Aylesbury Link Road. 

2. Take all necessary steps including to enter into any associated agreements, contracts or licenses required associated with the delivery and funding of the works in relation to (i) above. 

2. That it be AGREED to approve and release an increase to the budget in the Capital Programme for SEALR Phase 2 as set out in the confidential Appendix B, funded from reapportioned HIF grant subject to Homes England approval, HS2 Funding Agreement and Section 106 contributions. 

Cabinet received a report on the South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) project which was the construction of approximately 1.1 miles of dual carriageway including 3 new roundabout junctions. The report related to SEALR Phase 2, between B442 Lower Road and the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road being constructed by HS2.

The Stoke Mandeville Relief Road was mitigation identified through the HS2 Act, arising from the closure of the A4010. The A4010 was the main route between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough and was a blue light route. The Council had previously entered into a funding and delivery agreement with HS2 for the SEALR phase 2 project, which enabled the Council to replace a section of the single carriageway Stoke Mandeville Relief Road with a dual carriageway road and a new roundabout providing access to the future South West Aylesbury Link Road.

The funding agreement was the contractual mechanism whereby HS2 provided partial funding, based on the cost of delivering the single carriageway Stoke Mandeville Relief Road, in return for the Council delivering SEALR Phase 2, within a specified time period. The report sought the necessary delegations to deliver SEALR Phase 2 within the required timeframes to achieve the intended programme and meet its contractual obligations with HS2.

The delegations provided in December 2022 by Cabinet were conditional and time limited, based on predicted triggers being met, however these had been unobtainable. Therefore, to give effect to the past Cabinet decisions, a revised delegation was now being sought. The report sought the necessary delegations to deliver SEALR Phase 2 within the required timeframes to achieve the intended programme and mitigate HS2 closure of the A4010.

The programme for SEALR Phase 2 was extremely tight due to the requirement for the road to be open to traffic by the 1 December 2024. In order to meet this deadline, the Council would be required to issue the notice to proceed to the contractors by February 2024. There were several risks to the construction programme including the discharge of pre-commencement planning conditions, Thames Water diversions, ground conditions, land acquisitions and access arrangements.

The Leader commented that there were a number of risks to the overall project cost including liaising with landowners and the possibility that inflation could increase further beyond the identified budget. The Cabinet Member for Transport reported that whilst this was a small stretch of road it was complex to implement and involved a number of stakeholders e.g. Network Rail and HS2. This project involved a series of decisions but hopefully this report would provide reassurance to the public that it was being progressed. The Leader referred to the map showing Phase 2 of the Project, which had been included in the report.

RESOLVED – 

1. To amend the Cabinet delegation in December 2022, and delegate authority to the Corporate Directors of Communities and of Planning Growth and Sustainability, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to:  

i)                    Proceed with the delivery of Phase 2 of the South East Aylesbury Link Road. 

ii)                  Take all necessary steps including to enter into any associated agreements, contracts or licenses required associated with the delivery and funding of the works in relation to (i) above. 

2. That it be AGREED to approve and release an increase to the budget in the Capital Programme for SEALR Phase 2 as set out in the confidential Appendix B, funded from reapportioned HIF grant subject to Homes England approval, HS2 Funding Agreement and Section 106 contributions.