Contact: Jon Ryder, ext 5162 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That the attached Project Appraisal to enable the release of the County Council's contribution of 50% of the cost of construction of a new roundabout on Botley Road including a new bus only link to connect to Yew Tree Drive, Whiteley, to a maximum value of £250,000, subject to the County Council entering into a developer agreement on terms acceptable to the Head of Corporate and Legal Services, be approved.

(ii) That authority be given to the Director of Environment to investigate alternatives to the rising bollard control system referred to in the attached Project Appraisal.

2. Reason

2.1 This decision supports Aims 2 and 5 (Stewardship of the Environment and Improving Services) of the Corporate Strategy by providing a bus, cycle and pedestrian link between Botley Road and Yew Tree Drive, Whiteley to increase travel choices and improve bus service journey times.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Since the roundabout and bus gate proposal has already been agreed in principle, and will be delivered by the developer within his programme, the only alternative options within the proposal relate to the shape and form of the link road and the methods of enforcement.

3.2 Alternative methods of junction control were considered prior to the approval to the principle of the roundabout on Botley Road, and the bus link road to connect on to Yew Tree Drive. The alternative forms of junction control included alternative roundabout layouts designs and priority control. These options were rejected in favour of the current proposal.

3.3 Alternative methods of bus gate enforcement have also been considered in the development of the scheme. These have included use of the Bus Lane Contravention Regulations 2005, where enforcement of the Traffic Regulation Order for the bus lane is undertaken using camera and automatic number plate recognition technologies, instead of the rising bollards proposed. This has been rejected in favour of the current proposal as the support services required to enable such a system to function correctly are not currently available.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or Other Executive Member Consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor T G Knight

738Decn/JR