Norfolk Constructing Excellence 7 February 2017 David Allfrey David Cumming Giles Perkins Norfolk County Council Mouchel
Introduction • NATS • Transport for Norwich • Norwich Northern Distributor Road • Transport Future • Growth & the importance of infrastructure
Norwich Area Transportation Strategy (NATS) • NATS sets out how the transport system will be developed to accommodate growth in Norwich and address problems such as congestion • Implementation Plan (‘Transport for Norwich’) adopted 2010 following extensive consultation and support, including from the business sector (since updated in November 2013) The Strategy: • Tackling existing transport problems and planning ahead • Reducing congestion and improving air quality • Creating reliable, sustainable transport for all • Maintaining the vitality of the city centre • Supporting economic growth
Norwich Area Transportation Strategy (2009) The vision (2009): – To provide the highest possible level of access to and within the strategy area to benefit people’s individual needs and enhance the economic health of the strategy area. To ensure that journeys minimise any adverse impact on people and the built and natural environment. Key issues (2009): • Population increases and additional housing / jobs • Minimise impacts on built and natural environment • Increasing congestion, particularly around north of city • City centre vitality to be maintained • Inadequate transport links compromising investment by industry • Increasing travel choice and making travel easier • Tacking social exclusion • Address air quality issues
Norwich Area Transportation Strategy (NATS) City Centre circulation • Ensure Norwich retail status remains strong and vibrant • Secure continuing investment • Improve walking and cycling access and facilities • Improve bus service reliability through bus priority • Additional bus stop capacity • Retain access to key city centre car parks • Maintain access for goods and services
Norwich Area Transportation Strategy (NATS) Bus Rapid Transit and Core Bus Route enhancements. Dereham Road and Newmarket Road already being delivered. Published cycle network in 2012 (enabled city cycle status)
Norwich Area Transportation Strategy (NATS) Key NATS & TfN delivery: • City Centre improvements currently being delivered (Golden Ball Street, Westlegate, Ber Street/Finklegate) • Cycle Network published 2012 and City Cycle Ambition projects being delivered • Bus Rapid Transit being rolled-out on key corridors • Postwick Junction complete & Norwich Northern Distributor Road in construction • Other previous schemes include - Norwich Bus Station, St Augustine’s Gyratory, Park & Ride facilities • City Centre already recently delivered (St Stephens Street, Chapelfield North).
Chapelfield North Before and after Opened up new public transport route from city centre to west of city avoiding lengthy, congested route via ring road Before: • One way route outbound only for all traffic After: • Two way route • All traffic but to limited destinations (city-centre through-routes closed) 8
Westlegate Before and after Route pedestrianised (except for deliveries / access) Key pedestrian route between John Lewis and city centre retail core 9
Westlegate Completed section 10
Infrastructure is more than just engineering • Smart Ticketing • Park and Ride • Air Quality • AtoBetter • Bus Charter • Business Travel Pack
Strategic Rail Connections Great Eastern Main Line • New Greater Anglia franchise – Replacement of entire train fleet – Commitment from operator to run Norwich in 90 – Commitment to infrastructure improvements required Ely Area Enhancement • Key bottleneck for King’s Lynn to London and east west (passenger and freight) services • Ely Task Force formed to progress and seek funds for study • Commitment to infrastructure improvements required 12
Rail Journey times Destination Distance Rail time Rail (miles) (mins) mph York 210 1-50 115 Manchester 200 2-08 92 Leeds 195 2-13 87 Bristol 118 1-25 83 Birmingham 118 1-25 83 Ipswich 77 1-10 66 Norwich 115 1-50 63 13
Northern Distributor Road Northern Distributor Road is a key element of NATS: • Transport plans for Norwich are dependent on delivering the Northern Distributor Road. Main aims of the Northern Distributor Road are to: Bring much needed traffic relief for communities to the north and east of Norwich and the city centre, and improve accessibility Free up road space enabling the implementation of NATS Help support and encourage economic growth outlined in the adopted Joint Core Strategy (employment and housing). Provide direct access to Norwich International Airport
Northern Distributor Road • NDR forms part of adopted Joint Core Strategy • JCS includes 10000 new homes (Norwich North East Growth Triangle) – and up to 12000 long term jobs • Postwick directly releases potential for 1600 new homes (planning consent already in place – but delayed by Network Rail approvals relating to access road) • It provides a direct connection to/from an international airport to the Strategic Road Network • Improves connection to/from the GY Enterprise Zone which supports the offshore energy industry and supply chain.
Northern Distributor Road
Northern Distributor Road . Development Consent Order – Process Timescales shown in bold are the legal maximum. The Inspectorate has 28 days to You can send in your decide whether the application comments in writing. You meets the required standards to can request to speak at a There is the proceed to examination including public hearing. The opportunity for whether the developer’s Inspectorate has 6 months legal challenge. consultation has been adequate. to carry out the examination. Pre- Pre- Post- Acceptance Examination Decision application examination decision Look out for information in You can now register as an A recommendation to the relevant local media and in public interested party; you will be Secretary of State will be issued places near the location of kept informed of progress by the Inspectorate within 3 the proposed project, such and opportunities to put months . The Secretary of State as your library. The your case. Inspectors will then has a further 3 months to developer will be hold a Preliminary Meeting issue a decision on the proposal . developing their proposals and set the timetable for and will consult widely. examination.
Northern Distributor Road NSIP Application
Northern Distributor Road Construction Progress • Mobilisation from 26 November 2015 • Works started 4 January 2016 • Programme completion date is February 2018 • Target road opening date is December 2017 • Challenging timescales given scale of project • Safety record – Year 1 completed with over 570,000 man hours with no recorded incident (target now is 1,000,000) • Key risk is now winter weather • So far so good……………….
Northern Distributor Road Environment • Archaeological investigation complete on 22ha (including a wartime Mustang crash site in Rackheath) • Over 300ha of site clearance (5000 trees) • 7km of newt fence installed and maintained • Over 2,000 amphibians, including 587 great crested newts, 488 smooth newts, 885 toads and 103 frogs, trapped and moved. Newt dog Rocky helped clear sites. • Tree, shrub and hedge planting underway • Four newt habitat ponds created • 81 bat roost boxes installed • Two bat roost barns built • Over 100 bird boxes put up
Northern Distributor Road Fencing and drainage • 42km of fencing complete - 2km remaining • 10 km of drainage installed so far- 23km remaining • 20 Drainage lagoons created – 7 remaining • Ditch and lagoon excavated to protect Wensum Valley Utility Service diversions • 50 Utility service diversions changed over or ready – 30 remaining • High Pressure gas main (right) diversion completed
Northern Distributor Road Earthworks • 512,000 cubic metres of topsoil strip (almost complete) • 1.2 million cubic metres of bulk excavation – 0.3 cubic metres remaining Completed roundabouts • The stretch of the NDR from the A1067 Fakenham Road to the A140 Cromer Road junction is furthest advanced. • Fakenham Road, Fir Covert Road and Reepham Road roundabouts are complete and already being used by traffic.
Northern Distributor Road Bridges • Marriott’s Way and Bell Farm Track - Concrete bases, columns and central pier poured, reinforced earth walls complete • Cromer Road (A140) - Bases and columns poured. Reinforced earth walls on-going • Buxton Rd - Bases, columns and central pier poured. Reinforced earth walls complete. Crosshead beams and deck very soon • Newman Road - Excavated, with works to structure to commence soon • Plumstead Road (right) - Piling, and bases completed, walls and deck beams soon • Rackheath Railway - piling works completed. North and south abutment bases poured: Bridge beams on by Easter 2017 • Middle Road Piling complete.
Future Transport Infrastructure
Infrastructure and Growth
Norfolk’s Economy 26
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