Further to Minute No. 152 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Technical Services held on 10 March 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director which provided details of the notification from the Department for Transport (DfT) that a review of the Regional Funding Programmes was taking place in line with the new Government's intention to reconsider all spending plans and, at this stage, the DfT was unable to confirm any continued intention to fund any schemes with Programme Entry seeking conditions or Full Approval, which included the proposed Thornton to Switch Island Link Road.
The report set out the implications of this announcement upon the Council and options for consideration.
This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.
RESOLVED: That
(1) Minute 152 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Technical Services held on 10 March 2010, which authorised the Assistant Director (Transportation and Spatial Planning) to submit the planning application for the Thornton to Switch Island Link Road Scheme and provide appropriate support through consideration by Sefton, be reaffirmed;
(2) further to the outcome of the Planning Application, a report be submitted to a future Cabinet meeting on the progress of the Department for Transport Major Transport Scheme Funding review;
(3) the drafting of the Compulsory Purchase Order/Side Roads Order be completed but not submitted to the Cabinet;
(4) the voluntary acquisition of land already undergoing legal procedures be completed. Further progress on land acquisition to be placed on hold subject to the outcome of the planning application and funding review; and
(5) it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but, unfortunately, had not been included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions. Consequently, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Performance and Corporate Services) had been consulted under Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedures Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet as a matter or urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because key stages in the delivery of the scheme had been planned over the coming weeks. A decision is required as to whether to proceed or not to limit financial liabilities relating to the consultant/legal fees etc.