Issue - decisions

Cabinet noted that in Aylesbury, the scale of development as set out in the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) would result in cumulative impacts that required link roads spread across a range of sites and which were not readily deliverable by a single landowner or developer. For this reason and to address cash flow issues a wide-ranging package of infrastructure to support housing delivery and funded by HIF was agreed. The scale of the link roads delivery and the need to coordinate multiple developers and other external funding was proving extremely challenging. Cost inflation, energy prices and unseen issues means that cost estimates have risen substantially over the past year, and there was now not enough funding to meet all infrastructure commitments.

The Council was engaged in negotiation with Homes England regarding reallocation and reprofile of HIF funding. This would also require agreement of DfT, DLUHC and The Treasury. The Council was in discussions with all parties. It should be noted that the funding sources proposed were all external and therefore this project did not require any further Buckinghamshire Council funding. The next link road to be delivered was the South East Aylesbury Link Road - a strategically important dual carriageway link road that would provide part of the link road network around Aylesbury. The project would provide a new route connecting the new Stoke Mandeville Relief Road, Lower Road, Wendover Road, and the new Southern Link Road in the Hampden Fields development. The road could be delivered if government departments agreed with the proposals that the council was putting forward.

RESOLVED

1.                 That the approach the Council is taking to negotiate with Homes England, HS2 and the Department for Transport to use external funding to help deliver the Aylesbury link roads be noted and endorsed, including negotiating extra flexibility of the £172m Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) to ensure delivery continues.

2.                 That authority is delegated to the Corporate Director, Planning, Growth and Sustainability, in consultation with the Leader and the Section 151 Officer, to:

(a)          finalise the budget for the project (and HIF programme), following further target cost considerations, and subsequently varying HIF financial contributions in conjunction with Homes England.

(b)          agree the HS2 funding contract for the Bridge Assurance in Phase 1 of works.

(c)           subject to recommendation (a) and (b) above, award contracts in 2023 for the phased construction of works, subject to the target cost and all other project related forecast costs being within the budget. This would commence with work on new junctions on Wendover Road and Lower Road. These contracts include detailed design fees, utilities costs, main construction contracts and land acquisition costs.

3.                 That the draft budget and release of funding for the delivery of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of SEALR to a combined value of £112.8m be approved.  This is subject to the final budgets (which may increase or decrease as detailed in recommendation 2a.), agreements of request to vary HIF funding, and external funding.  Details are set out in confidential Appendices B & C.