Agenda item

To update Cabinet on the March Future High Street Fund (FHSF) Market place, Riverside and Broad Street workstreams and also seek Cabinet approval to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Cambridgeshire County Council allowing the project to proceed with the next step within the delivery phase.

Members considered the Grant Funding Agreement – Future High Street Fund Construction Works report presented by Councillor Seaton.

Councillor Mrs French said she would like to point out that she is Chairman of the March Area Transport Study project, which also involves the High Street; and although she has no direct interest, she has been working on this project.

Councillor Count thanked Councillor Seaton for the report. He commented that as it is a rather dry and technical report about the funding agreement for a plan to make changes to the March Broad Street area then, for the benefit of the public, he would like to split down what is happening. Firstly, the number of public utilities that will be upgraded. March residents have suffered from burst water mains, exploding gas pipes etc. and this provides an opportunity for aged infrastructure to be replaced and updated. Apart from the marketplace, this will be the first work to go ahead and as with any major project there will be disruption, but he is pleased to see the efforts that have gone into minimising this; there will be always a north and south lane open when possible. The infrastructure has nothing to do with Fenland District Council, but it will be good to see this replaced so we do not have to experience emergency works again. Secondly, there is the County Council MATS Highways work, which is not limited to the Broad Street scheme, but is   a package of measures that will relieve congestion from March and its environs for the foreseeable future, including housing and business developments coming forward in the local plan. He said that we are in the latter stages of definite funding for the northern link road around Longhill Road, past the prison and heading toward Tesco. There will be a new junction by Tesco at Hostmoor with Wisbech Road and a redevelopment of Peashill roundabout. Along with other measures, and the works at Broad Street, all these add up to relieving congestion in the March area. That was the original driver for this entire project as County Council needed to relieve the congestion that we are experiencing. At the same time, Fenland District Council lobbied hard and successfully secured a significant amount of funding to develop the public realm. Councillor Count said he is fully supportive of this report and one day when all the disruption is finished and works are completed, we will all be happy with the outcome.

Councillor Mrs French thanked Councillor Count and added that it should also be mentioned that the A141 at Hobbs Lot will be signalised.

Proposed by Councillor Seaton, seconded by Councillor Count and Cabinet AGREED to note the progress of the project as detailed in the Report and to authorise the S151 officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) with Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) to allow the Broad Street construction contract to be let. The construction contract will be between CCC and the Contractor, with the GFA allowing FDC to pay CCC from the FHSF fund grant for the contractors works.

(Councillor Mrs French and Councillor Count declared themselves to be members of the Future High Street working group but are not predetermined on this item).