The following question was asked by Mr Gregg Black

Question: With the Labour Government cutting funding to the Restoring Your Railway Fund, do you support developing a Plymouth Metro between a new Plympton station and Tavistock to cut carbon emissions and boost public transport use? 

Answer: Yes, the Council is 100% supportive of developing a Plymouth Metro.  We are currently exploring feasibility funding with government, and the concept is included in the Plymouth Plan and Peninsula Transport.  This includes a new Plympton Station and reopening the line to Tavistock. 

The adopted Plymouth Plan Policy GRO4 is to use transport investment to drive growth.  More specifically the policy states that it will deliver targeted integrated transport measures to help support the sustainable growth of Plymouth including working with partners to promote improved and more resilient local rail services, through developing and communicating the Plymouth / Devon Metro concept, reinstating the Tavistock to Plymouth branch line and investigating the need for new rail stations such as Plympton. 

Plymouth City Council is a partner within Peninsula Transport, the sub-national Transport Body for the south-west region responsible for setting transport strategy and for communicating agreed major transport priorities to Government.  It has also identified as a priority, metro type rail services including the reopening of the branch line to Tavistock and opening a new station in Plympton as credible and deliverable schemes capable of being transformational in transport terms to the Plymouth Travel To Work Area.   Plymouth City Council will be working with Peninsula Transport and other key strategic partners in developing these schemes. 

The following question was asked by Mr Danny Bamping

Question: Can Cllr Mark Lowry confirm if he made a formal, recorded, reasoned and published decision as per the law and legislation to change the name of Sir John Hawkins Square (to Jack Leslie Square) in June 2020? 

Answer: As the questioner has previously been informed, Councillor Lowry did not take a decision in June 2020 to rename Sir John Hawkings Square.  Following receipt of a request for the renaming of John Hawkings square, Councillor Lowry approved the commencement of the renaming process, in accordance with the Council’s published Street Naming and Numbering Policy.  There was no decision to be taken at this stage.   The renaming process proceeded in accordance with the Policy until it was discontinued following a hearing in the Magistrates Court. 

The following question was asked by Mr Stoneman

Question: You explained the £72 million pension deal that was done to the date saved?£9 million in interest. Which projects were delayed or cancelled as the money was originally borrowed for infrastructure projects and what is the cost of these delays to date?  

Answer: I can confirm this money was not borrowed for infrastructure projects – funding for this transaction took place separately from that needed for the delivery of our capital programme, and therefore no projects were delayed or cancelled as a result. 

The following question was asked by Alderman Mahony

Question: Regarding the Manadon Interchange Scheme – The Issue is the A386 (Outland Road) in both directions. Could this be improved by an on/off a38 slip-road westbound at Honicknowle Lane which would take traffic off outland road, ham drive and St. Peter’s Road, being less disruptive and better value? 

Answer: Changes to the A38, as part of the Strategic Road Network, would require the involvement and approval of National Highways. Their input would be essential in assessing the technical feasibility, safety implications, and strategic fit of any proposed junction modification and any proposal for a new junction on the A38 would need to comply with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB).  

While the proposal for a new interchange at Honicknowle would have clear local benefits, the DMRB states that where junctions on all-purpose roads are spaced less than 2km apart, a weaving assessment is required. Preliminary measurements indicate that the distance from the Honicknowle Lane overbridge to both the Manadon and St Budeaux junctions is under 2km. This proximity raises concerns about potential weaving conflicts, which could adversely affect safety and operational performance. Specifically, Note 3 of the DMRB guidance highlights the likely interaction between merge and diverge movements when junctions are spaced closer than 2km and so a proposed new junction at Honicknowle Lane would not meet this requirement.  

A further consideration is that a new grade-separated junction between Manadon and Weston Mill would be very expensive and most likely be significantly more costly than the proposed A38 Manadon Interchange scheme. It is considered unlikely, therefore, that a bid for a new junction at Honicknowle would be met favourably by National Highways or the Department for Transport who would need to provide the majority of the funding.