The Working Party will receive a presentation from officers on the A1306 Beam Parkway Programme.

Steer Davies Gleave (SDG), a transport consultancy firm, had won the tender for provision of support for the Beam Parkway project and would give further updates to the Working Party as the project progressed.

Step 1 of the process had been successfully completed in 2015 and had resulted in the release of funding from Transport for London (TfL) to develop step 2 of the process. The final step 2 document was due to be presented to TfL in late 2017 and, if accepted, would allow for implementation from 2018 onwards.

Stakeholder engagement had been undertaken in step 1 that looked at movement issues including traffic modelling. Work in step 2 would build on this in more detail. SDG were working closely with the Council to progress the scheme and covered areas such as transport, highways, developing the project business case and stakeholder engagement.

Current work was focussing on project initiation with a view to developing the business case for the scheme in 2017. A design and risk workshop had been held in the last week including representatives of the Council, TfL, the Greater London Authority and local developers. Meetings were also planned with TfL and Countryside and Circle who were developing nearby sites.

Informal consultation would take place throughout the process but formal public consultation on the scheme was scheduled for late 2017. Data collection was currently taking place looking at traffic modelling for the scheme area.

Detailed design work would be carried out between October 2016 and June 2017 with a design review carried out with TfL in early 2017. This would allow submission of the final project to TfL for approval by December 2017. 

Implementation works would need to be phased and would be scheduled to interface with adjoining development sites and work on the Barking & Dagenham sections. Any ‘quick wins’ that could be identified in the project would be sought to be completed at an earlier stage.

The project would seek to use local suppliers where possible, establish a public art programme and seek to engage with local schools and colleges. It was also hoped that work experience placements with the project teams could be offered to local students.

Some Members felt that the predicted figures for traffic movements were not accurate and that the planned boulevards would not work. Cabinet Members felt that, whilst the boulevards issue could be considered, it was important to move ahead with the project as a whole. Officers added that a majority of residents who had responded had supported these changes during consultation and that traffic modelling of these issues would be extensive. All Members on the Working Party supported the scheme as a whole but it was noted that issues such as the boulevards should be fully considered.

It was emphasised that step 1 had been a vigorous process and concluded that the scheme could work provided that people’s use of the A1306 could be reduced or disincentivised. It had not yet been decided how this would be done.  

Officers accepted that there remained a risk of Travellers getting onto work sites during the construction phase.