Agenda item

Members to receive a presentation.

Members received a presentation in relation to the Wisbech 2020 Vision and Wisbech Rail Update.

Russell Beal thanked Anglian Water for supporting and financing his work as the Programme Manager on the Wisbech 2020 project.

Members asked questions, made comments and received responses as follows;

1.    Councillor Miscandlon asked what impact the Government’s decision to postpone the rail upgrades to Ely North will have on the project. Rowland Potter explained that discussions are still ongoing in relation to this rail enhancement and assured members that the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) are passionate about resolving these constraints and have lobbied Central Government. He confirmed that the CPCA have highlighted the impact these constraints will have on both the region and wider area.

2.    Councillor Miscandlon said further work needs to be undertaken in relation to public engagement. Rowland Potter agreed.

3.    Councillor Count referred back to the postponement of works at Ely North and confirmed that the Mayor of the CPCA is lobbying Central Government. He said the upgrade work is essential to the project due to train paths that will be released to allow access direct access to Wisbech.

4.    Rowland Potter assured members that partners are standing firm and resolute to accelerate these programmes of work to allow increased rail capacity in the region.

5.    Councillor Booth asked if the delay in work at Ely North will stop the implementation of the Wisbech to Cambridge rail line. Rowland Potter explained that a study is current underway to assess the impact of this with the outcome expected in March 2020. He confirmed that this work will have a transformational impact as it will provide a service that does not currently exist, on to a main line rail link and is a fundamental part of the Wisbech 2020 Vision.

6.    Councillor Count added that if the direct line between Wisbech and Cambridge is not available, this will mean passengers travelling to Cambridge or Peterborough will have to change at March Railway Station. He informed members that whilst the service will be impacted locally, it will also impact other regions that rely on that train line. He explained that consideration is being given to the possibility of delivering a shuttle service which again will be dependent on the timetabling and Ely North junction. He reiterated that whilst we can consider timetabling issues locally, consideration must also be given to the end location of these trains too.

7.    Councillor Cornwell highlighted that following the formation of the CPCA, powers were to be removed from Central Government however there still appear to be blockages from Central Government and asked if the Wisbech 2020 Steering Group could lobby Central Government to appoint a direct representative locally. Rowland Potter that ministers are aware of the challenges and there have been positive discussions at a senior government level.

8.    Adrian Chapman explained that the former Member of Parliament, Steve Barclay, had been a member of the Wisbech 2020 Core Vision Group and had consistently championed both the short term and long term aspirations of the Wisbech 2020 project. He said it was incumbent of the Wisbech 2020 Steering Group to make effective use of the Wisbech 2020 Core Vision Group whilst raising the profile locally and nationally.

9.    Councillor Boden agreed with Councillor Cornwell and said whilst it is frustrating that initiatives take a long time to progress, there are many Government departments involved and the project has benefitted from having a Cabinet Minister on the Core Vision Group.

10.Councillor Skoulding referenced the map included in the presentation. He asked for clarification on the two rail cross over points on the A47 and asked if any studies have been carried out to show how many people currently use the bus service between Wisbech and March. Russell Beal explained that the map included is one of several illustrative maps included in the masterplan. The map was used to show that the project is looking at different rail and road integrations and is purely indicative.

11.Rowland Potter explained that the Rail Study is currently focusing on the disused railway line and the ability to have a town centre or parkway railway station depending on the viability of these locations. He confirmed that the number of current bus users, this will be considered as part of a future study.

12.Councillor Skoulding explained that the current bus service is underutilised between March and Wisbech. He asked if there are still plans to dual the A47. Rowland Potter explained that Highways England has been lobbied and an agreement has been made that these schemes will be considered as part of their rate investment strategy. Further information on the A47 should be available in next year.

13.Councillor Miss Hoy stated that the inclusion of the map is unhelpful and causes confusion. She stated that this was the first time she had seen the presentation and highlighted that these plans are contradictory to Fenland’s Local Plan. She agreed that the Core Vision Group need to meet more regularly as she has considered withdrawing Wisbech Town Council’s support due to the lack of communication.

14.Councillor Topgood explained that as a former Operations Manager at Network Rail, consideration needs to be given as to whether or not trains coming from Wisbech could be joined with trains at March station to increase capacity. Rowland Potter welcomed Councillor Topgood’s expertise but highlighted the issue with this suggestion is the timetabling as the coupling and uncoupling of trains can cause further delays.

15.Councillor Count said his understanding is that the train carriages required to do this are not readily available as the carriages required are diesel carriages and following the Government’s programme to electrify the railway lines, they are no longer manufactured. He explained that the Department for Transport are reallocating the remaining units around the country. This area was promised six carriages last summer however these were unfortunately sent elsewhere which was very disappointing.

16.Councillor Topgood explained that it only takes a short amount of time to couple these trains as most out it is carried out automatically and only takes a matter of minutes.

17.Councillor Yeulett referred back to Councillor Miss Hoy’s comments and asked how Wisbech residents are embracing the project. Russell Beal confirmed that a previous consultation for ‘I ? Wisbech Project’ had shown a lot of public support especially in relation to the rail project. He explained that a forthcoming community event had had to be postponed due to the forthcoming General Election but confirmed that this would be re-arranged in the New Year.

18.Councillor Miss Hoy explained that the public reaction has been mixed and whilst many of the proposals would be welcomed by residents, they do not know enough about them due to the lack of publicity. She stated that as a representative for the town of Wisbech, she wants to ensure delivery of the project for residents of the town.

19.Councillor Yeulett asked what work had been undertaken in relation to Flood Risk. Russell Beal confirmed that strategic work is ongoing in relation to flood risk and the effect of the the changing climate. He stated that discussions have taken place between the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards in relation to future river barrier and the focus will be to ensure that any works carried out are resilient and adequate for future generations.

20.Councillor Yeulett asked if consideration has been given to a guided bus route as oppose to a railway. Rowland Potter confirmed that many options have been considered and the region is currently subject to a study into the delivery and improvement of the current bus provisions.

21.Councillor Booth referred back to Councillor Cornwell’s comments about Central Government involvement and said this role would be best suited to a Civil Servant. He highlighted a study was undertaken a few years ago as part of the Hansford Review, which discussed the streamlining of Network Rail’s processes.

22.Councillor Booth said in relation to public engagement, the project team need to ensure there is a joined up approach between Wisbech 2020 and Wisbech Garden Town project. He added that neighbouring villages need to be included in these consultations too.

23.Councillor Boden agreed and explained that the Core Vision Group has a willingness to work collaboratively with all external partners to address the issues. He added that the Wisbech Garden Town is currently just a concept and until the options are narrowed down, this cannot be communicated to the public.

24.Councillor Mason highlighted that often there can be a detrimental impact on towns with increased transport links. As a resident of Whittlesey, many people earn their living in Peterborough and often the economy is taken out of Whittlesey and spent in Peterborough. He asked what will be done to encourage businesses to locate to Wisbech to stop this from happening there. Rowland Potter agreed that transport can be a ‘two way route’. Whilst it can be used by the public to access employment, leisure and educational opportunities outside of the locality, the infrastructure must attract people to the town as well. He highlighted that whilst he resides outside of the district, he regularly visits Wisbech with his family.

25.Councillor Cornwell said it was positive to see such a high level vision for Wisbech and he offered support to the project. He said increased engagement will allow the public to see the potential results and asked that consideration is given to the short term gains as well as the overarching main vision of the project.

26.Councillor Count agreed and highlighted there have been notable successes in Wisbech which have not been widely reported. He informed members that an anti-smoking campaign has reduced smoking in the area from 27% to 17% and a recruitment drive has also resulted in many teaching vacancies in the town’s schools and colleges, being filled. He said that whilst these are micro successes, the long term effects of these such as increased life expectancy and higher level education, will not be seen for many years. He assured members that the CPCA have had a positive impact on the area with the authority securing high levels of funding for the district. Referring back to the current bus provisions between March and Wisbech, he explained that the current service cannot be used to form future provisions as many of the buses between March and Wisbech currently stop at many villages on the way.

Councillor Miscandlon thanked the Wisbech 2020 representatives for attending today’s meeting.