The estimated cost of work to improve Widemarsh Street and replace the kerbs and other features is set to cost around £1.3 million according to Herefordshire Council.
The council entered into a grant agreement with the Marches LEP on 15 December 2020 and varied on 20 December 2021 to jointly fund a package of improvement works throughout Hereford City Centre. This scheme of works must be completed by 31 March 2024.
The report for the Cabinet Member decision of 7 October 2021 set out that this work will be commissioned through the Balfour Beatty Living Places public realm contract. This procurement route has been identified to achieve the timescales and utilising continuity of knowledge through the works and schemes that BBLP have already provided. The existing Widemarsh St design scheme completed in 2011 has been subject to a number of specialist technical design and safety reviews. All have concluded that the scheme is fully in line with design guidance and best practice.
The 7 October 2021 Cabinet Member decision set out the HCCI programme with a budget to enhance Widemarsh St, in recognition that some members of the public continue to experience difficulties in traversing the street despite the scheme compliance.
A wide variety of options for improving the street have been explored and discounted.
The key factors to consider were:
• The visual impact of the street
• The ease of use for pedestrians in terms of the pavement
• Safety of pedestrians regarding the use of the street by vehicles
• Cost
• Drainage
Taking all of these factors into account the recommended option is a full lift of the road surface to remove the 50mm upstand with replacement of the kerb and provision of a linear drainage system.
The estimated total budget envelope for the scheme design and construction/delivery is £1.3m. This will include full design including any additional surveying, drainage modelling etc and the construction including the lifting of 690m² road surface, incorporating new porphyry sets, replacement of kerbing, provision of drainage, traffic management, communications and contingency. It is estimated that the construction works will be an approximately 16 week programme.
More Details – Decision – To approve the design and construction of Widemarsh St enhancement scheme – Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire Council has confirmed that the total budget for the St Owen Street cycle lane and resurfacing has risen from £700,000 to an estimated £1.1 million.
Herefordshire Council has admitted that it has struggled to deliver all elements of the Hereford City Centre Improvements project in line with the initial programme set out by the LEP and incorporated into the delivery contract.
A number of different providers were approached as a part of the estimating process for the scheme, with only one provider presented a priced schedule.
Herefordshire Council says that, ‘Had the Council decided to appoint an external consultant to design the works and prepare tender documentation then there is no guarantee that the scheme would have attracted any further interest from the supply chain, whilst the risk of non-delivery before March 23 was high.’
‘If the scheme could not be delivered then LEP funding could not be expended, this would result in default in terms of the re-negotiated contract and would leave the Council in a position where it would be expected to re-pay the LEP funding that had already been defrayed.
‘It should also be noted that the Council has had to redesign the scheme so that it is fully LTN1/20 compliant. Whilst not a requirement of the LEP to design and build a scheme in this way, should the Council be seen by the Department for Transport to be installing non-compliant cycle infrastructure then future Active Travel Fund allocations may be adversely affected with the Council and its residents losing out in the longer term.
‘The Project Team and Senior Responsible Officer for the HCCI project are satisfied that BBLP made all attempts to attract alternative tenders for the scheme and that, when viewed in the round of potential payback of existing grant and a likely reduction in future DfT grant that the scheme offers value for money in this instance.’
Proposals were developed by Balfour Beatty Living Places to complete the scheme design, prepare construction information, prepare the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and undertake statutory consultation, undertake procurement of a contractor and provide construction works.
The total scheme cost (combining design, TRO consultation, procurement and construction) is greater than the initial £700k allocated within the original decision.
An increase in costs has been as a result of recently introduced Government LTN1/20 guidance. The scheme is designed to be compliant and necessitated additional safety measures and the installation of new traffic lights.
The road surface of St Owen St has deteriorated to an extent that it would be necessary to resurface in the coming years.
A decision was taken to accelerate the resurfacing of St Owen Street preventing future disruption to business. This is not part of the cycle contraflow scheme and is being funded separately through Local Transport Plan funding but is being delivered concurrently to ensure economy and efficiency.
The Hereford City Centre Improvements decision of 07 October 2021 identified that the elements should be delivered within the overall programme budget.
On 6 October 2022 a decision was taken to re-profile the HCCI budget to account for increases within some elements and underspend in others as schemes had progressed.
The Marches LEP have formally approved that budget re-profile and therefore the budget for St Owen St has been increased to encompass the spend outlined above.
Table indicating budget for St Owen Street budget allocation:
Original budget £700,000.00
Additional match £37,536.10
Additional grant £186,398.63
Additional LTP contribution £250,000.00
Total NEW budget £1,173,934.73
Table indicating total spend on scheme:
Design, TRO (including consultation etc) and Procurement £96,276.81
Construction £1,002,369.47
Contingency £75,288.45
TOTAL £1,173,934.73
More Details – https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=9168
