Issue - meetings

(1)      The addendums to the Sprint A34 and Sprint A45 full business cases, which detailed the second stage of delivery for 2024, including bus priority interventions, cycling and walking infrastructure, signal upgrades, shelter enhancements, ticket machines, and utility diversions were endorsed.

(2)      The £30.6m City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement allocation for the delivery of phase 2 of the A34 Walsall to Birmingham Sprint scheme was approved, subject to Department for Transport confirmation of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement programme and the Section 151 Officer accepting the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

(3)      The £25.4m City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement allocation for the delivery of phase 2 of the A45 Birmingham to Airport and Solihull Sprint scheme was approved, subject to Department for Transport confirmation of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement programme and the Section 151 Officer accepting the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

(4)      It was noted that as construction and utility costs for the scheme were not yet finalised, the project team might need to flexibly manage the scope of the scheme in order to maintain the overall budget, and this would be managed to ensure that the benefits were not materially affected, and appropriate change control processes were implemented.

(5)      The inclusion of cycling and walking measures within phase 2 delivery were noted.

(6)      It was noted that realising the full benefits in the business case and on-going affordability of WMCA revenue liabilities arising from the scheme were predicated on all areas pursuing the principles recently agreed in the Local Transport Plan core strategy.

(7)      The delegation of authority to officers as set out in the report was approved.

(8)      The authorisation of the award of contracts to the successful tenderer for the design and build stage was jointly delegated to the Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Director of Finance, subject to:

(a)      The total cost for both A34 and A45 phase 2 projects being within the £56m recommended budget.

(b)      Any future revenue costs falling to the WMCA being accommodated.

(c)      All funding agreements being signed and sealed to the satisfaction of the Section 151 Director of Finance and Monitoring Officer.