Agenda item

Councillor Roger Lawrence presented a report seeking approval to allocate £207m Transforming Cities funding to the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill metro project, and to approve the Midland Metro (Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Land Acquisition) Order to the Secretary of State for Transport under the Transport & Works Act 1992.

The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension would connect with Metro Line 1 at Wednesbury and run via Dudley town centre and Waterfront/Merry Hill to Brierley Hill, covering a distance of 10.7km. The extension would also include 17 new metro stops and three Park & Ride sites. The report provided further details on the project, including the land to be acquired for the extension, the planned schedule of works, consultation with stakeholders, the impact and benefits of the scheme, procurements costs and funding sources.

Councillor Patrick Harley expressed his thanks to officers working at Transport for West Midlands for the progress made in delivering this metro extension.

Resolved:

(1)       The progress on business case and funding on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro Extension project since the report to WMCA Board on 21 April 2017 be welcomed, and the £250m of new Transforming Cities funding announced by Government on 20 November 2017 be noted.

(2)       The allocation of £207m of the above funding to secure the delivery of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill project be approved.

(3)       The submission by the WMCA to the Secretary of State for Transport of an application under the Transport and Works Act 1992 for the Midland Metro (Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Land Acquisition) Order, in accordance with the approved project delivery schedule, to refresh powers of compulsory acquisition in respect of land and interests in land required to implement the scheme be approved, subject to a confirmation by Government of funding for the scheme.

(4)       The delegation of powers from the WMCA to the Metro Programme Director and the Head of Governance be approved to:

(a)       finalise the application documents for the Order;

(b)       negotiate with any affected parties or objectors to the Order with the aim of avoiding, or securing the withdrawal of, objections to the Order;

(c)        comply with the requirements of the relevant procedures for hearing and determining the application for the Order, including any public local inquiry;

(d)       progress negotiations with landowners and leaseholders and enter into any necessary arrangements to acquire the land within the proposed Order, conditional on funding being available; and

(e)       place orders to appoint the Midland Metro Alliance, consultants, legal advisors and others as necessary to undertake further design development work on the scheme and support the ongoing statutory process, in line with any existing agreements and in compliance with internal governance requirements and procurement best practice and in consultation with Head of Governance where appropriate.

(5)       The delegation of powers from the WMCA to the Head of Governance or their nominated representative to negotiate, agree, enter into, execute, approve and serve (where appropriate) all relevant legal agreements, notices and other documentation necessary to facilitate and underpin the application for, and implementation of, the Order be approved.

(6)       It be noted that WMCA Investment Board had agreed to bring forward £1.6m of capital expenditure into 2017/18, to maintain and accelerate progress on development and implementation of this important project.

(7)       It be noted that the WMCA Funding for Growth Board would be asked to look at how to maximise private sector investment in the scheme across the entirety of the route.