ADD2391 Funding to support the West Anglia Taskforce in 2019/20

The West Anglia Taskforce (the Taskforce) was set up by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Mayor of London in February 2015 to make the case for investment in the West Anglia Main Line (WAML). The Taskforce is chaired by Lord Haselhurst.

The Mayor’s Transport Strategy supports investment in the WAML. It includes proposals which seek to secure improvements to the capacity and reliability of the WAML to support homes and jobs growth, especially in the Upper Lee Valley.

The London Stanstead Cambridge Consortium (LSCC) is responsible for the secretariat of the Taskforce, having taken over this responsibility from the Greater London Authority (GLA) in January 2017. The LSCC is a strategic partnership of public and private organisations covering the same geographic area as the economic growth corridor from north London through to Cambridge and Peterborough, with the common aim of seeking economic growth, higher employment rates, providing places for people and business while preserving the quality and character of the corridor.

To deliver the proposed work programme and perform the secretariat function, the LSCC requires funding support. It is recommended that the GLA provide a grant of £30,000 to support this work up to the end of financial year 2019/20. Other funders include Greater Anglia, London Stansted Airport, and three Local Enterprise Partnerships.

The expected outcome of the GLA’s continued support of and participation in the Taskforce is a much higher recognition across Government of the need to make improvements to the WAML, irrespective of any decision by Government on Crossrail 2.

At a high level the Taskforce will continue to strongly and consistently make the case for Crossrail 2 as a vital infrastructure scheme of local, regional and national importance. The following more detailed workstreams have been agreed for 2019/20:

• Developing short and medium-term technical interventions to relieve the constraints of the WAML capable of meeting the criteria of bids through the Rail Enhancements Programme and thereby increasing the prospects of suitable capital allocations.
• Examining the case for the partial introduction of digital in-cab signalling on key routes within the Anglia region, which would see the replacement of the existing colour aspect lineside signalling and safely reduce the headroom between trains, allowing more services to operate.
• Collaborating with the Great Eastern and Ely Area Taskforces to promote one of the solutions being developed by Network Rail to relieve the congestion caused by the ‘bottleneck’ at Ely North Junction.
• Participation in the LSCC-led study with Grant Thornton LLP to consider the incentives needed to attract debt or equity finance into major infrastructure projects including the railways.
• Working with Greater Anglia to ensure an equitable distribution of its investment in fixed-assets, such as stations and car parks over the remainder of the franchise and ensuring that the most basic of WAML stations will be upgraded in a timely fashion to provide at least some passenger amenities.
• Working alongside the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce to ensure that the aspirations of both taskforces are recognised and advanced in the emerging transport strategy and subsequent priorities of Transport East.
• Engaging with the NHS, businesses, academic institutions and local authorities to obtain a firm commitment and timescale for the establishment of a new station south of Cambridge to be known as Cambridge South.

Pursuant to the requirements of section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

Following consideration of the above requirements as they relate to the subject matter of the decision requested of the Director in this report, officers have concluded that there are no equalities implications relating to the proposed decision.

Key risks

The Taskforce is an important forum for bringing together the wide range of organisations and individuals to push the case for Crossrail 2 and progress improvements to the WAML. There is a risk that the ability of the Taskforce to progress this important work in a timely way would be limited if the GLA was to withhold financial support. Providing funding will mitigate this risk.

There is a risk that the work of the Taskforce does not fully align with Mayoral priorities including making the case for Crossrail 2. The GLA and TfL/Crossrail 2 will continue to be a key member of the Taskforce and work closely with the LSCC to ensure this risk is mitigated.

None of the officers involved in drafting and clearing of this decision form has declared any conflicts of interest.

Link to Mayoral strategies and priorities

Support of and continued engagement with the Taskforce is fully consistent with the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

Progressing the case for and enabling construction of Crossrail 2 is specifically highlighted in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. The Taskforce will continue to be a vocal advocate for Crossrail 2.

The work of the Taskforce will directly deliver against proposals 64 and 84 of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy which call on relevant stakeholders to work together to increase the capacity and reliability of the national rail network and progress enhancements to the WAML to create and support new homes and jobs.

Consultations and impact assessments

Any proposals or interventions arising from the work of the Taskforce would be subject to full assessment and consultation by the relevant authority.

Approval is sought for a contribution by way of a grant of £30,000 to support the (London Stansted Cambridge Consortium) activities of the West Anglia Task Force up to April 2020.

The expenditure of £30,000 will be funded from the GLA Development Enterprise and Environment Minor Programme budget.

The proposed grant supports the Mayor’s general transport duty regarding the provision of safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport facilities to, from and within Greater London and is authorised under s 141 and s 30 and s 34 of the GLA Act 1999. The restriction in section 31 of the GLA Act 1999 relating to the GLA not incurring expenditure on anything which may be done by TfL does not prevent prevent the Authority incurring such expenditure in doing anything for the purposes of, or relating to, housing or regeneration and does not prevent the Authority incurring expenditure in co-operation with, or to facilitate or co-ordinate the activities of, TfL so the proposed grant is within the GLA’s statutory powers.