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331738 ITD TPN 1 A
PiMS Livelink Explorer\EUNA PiMS Livelink\Favorites\331738 - St. Helens MSBC Support - Windl\Document
03 August 2015
Windle Island
Major Scheme Business Case
Windle Island
Major Scheme Business Case
August 2015
St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Mott MacDonald, 9th Floor, Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool L3 1JH, United Kingdom
T +44 (0)151 482 9910 F +44 (0)151 236 2985 W www.mottmac.com
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Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case
Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description
1
03/08/2015
Sarah Tuohy
Amy Leather
Dave Drury
DRAFT FOR COMMENT
2 13/08/2015 Sarah Tuohy Amy Leather Dave Drury FINAL
Issue and revision record
Information class: Standard
This document is issued for the party which commissioned it and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or used for any other purpose.
We accept no responsibility for the consequences of this document being relied upon by any other party, or being used for any other purpose, or containing any error or omission which is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by other parties.
This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from us and from the party which commissioned it.
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Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case
Chapter Title Page
1 Scheme Summary 2
1.1 Headline Description ________________________________________________________________ 2 1.1.1 The Scheme _______________________________________________________________________ 2 1.2 Headline Benefits ___________________________________________________________________ 4 1.3 Background to the Scheme ___________________________________________________________ 4 1.4 Strategic Need _____________________________________________________________________ 4 1.5 Economic Benefits __________________________________________________________________ 5 1.6 Scheme Costs _____________________________________________________________________ 6 1.7 Delivery Timescales _________________________________________________________________ 6
2 The Strategic Case 7
2.1 Key Messages _____________________________________________________________________ 7 2.2 Strategic Case Compliance ___________________________________________________________ 7 2.3 Background _______________________________________________________________________ 8 2.4 The Need for Intervention _____________________________________________________________ 8 2.4.1 Windle Island ______________________________________________________________________ 8 2.4.2 Current Situation in St. Helens _________________________________________________________ 8 2.5 Issues and Opportunities ____________________________________________________________ 16 2.5.1 Strategic Context __________________________________________________________________ 16 2.6 Identified Problems & Issues _________________________________________________________ 18 2.6.1 Economic ________________________________________________________________________ 19 2.6.2 Social ___________________________________________________________________________ 26 2.6.3 Transport ________________________________________________________________________ 28 2.6.4 Environment ______________________________________________________________________ 38 2.7 Scheme Aim & Objectives ___________________________________________________________ 39 2.7.1 Aim _____________________________________________________________________________ 39 2.7.2 Objectives ________________________________________________________________________ 39 2.8 Scheme History ___________________________________________________________________ 41 2.9 Options __________________________________________________________________________ 41 2.9.1 Long-List of Options ________________________________________________________________ 42 2.9.2 Options considered in the Options Appraisal Report _______________________________________ 44 2.9.3 Options Appraisal Report ____________________________________________________________ 46 2.10 Scheme Description ________________________________________________________________ 47 2.10.1 Scope of the Project ________________________________________________________________ 47 2.11 Benefits _________________________________________________________________________ 47 2.11.1 Operational Benefits ________________________________________________________________ 49 2.11.2 Strategic Benefits __________________________________________________________________ 51 2.12 Strategic Fit ______________________________________________________________________ 52 2.12.1 Contribution to National Government Objectives __________________________________________ 52 2.12.2 Contribution to LCR Objectives _______________________________________________________ 54 2.12.3 Fit with Promoting Organisation Aims and Objectives ______________________________________ 56 2.13 Delivery and Success _______________________________________________________________ 60 2.13.1 Delivery _________________________________________________________________________ 60
Contents
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Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case
2.13.2 Constraints _______________________________________________________________________ 60 2.13.3 Key Risks ________________________________________________________________________ 60 2.13.4 Measures for Success and Benefits Realisation __________________________________________ 61 2.13.5 Impact of No Change _______________________________________________________________ 64 2.13.6 Integrated Assurance Plan ___________________________________________________________ 64 2.14 Stakeholder Management ___________________________________________________________ 64 2.14.1 Stakeholders _____________________________________________________________________ 64 2.14.2 Internal or External Business Drivers ___________________________________________________ 66 2.14.3 Synergy _________________________________________________________________________ 66 2.15 Conclusions ______________________________________________________________________ 67
3 The Economic Case 68
3.1 Overview ________________________________________________________________________ 68 3.2 Introduction _______________________________________________________________________ 68 3.3 Methodology ______________________________________________________________________ 70 3.4 Assumptions ______________________________________________________________________ 71 3.4.1 Appraisal Period ___________________________________________________________________ 71 3.4.2 Modelled Years ___________________________________________________________________ 71 3.4.3 Model Inputs ______________________________________________________________________ 72 3.4.4 Annualisation _____________________________________________________________________ 72 3.4.5 Traffic Growth _____________________________________________________________________ 72 3.5 The Transport Economic Appraisal ____________________________________________________ 73 3.6 Transport Economic Efficiency ________________________________________________________ 74 3.7 Public Accounts Impacts ____________________________________________________________ 74 3.8 Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits _______________________________________________ 74 3.9 Safety Benefits ____________________________________________________________________ 74 3.10 Environmental Impacts ______________________________________________________________ 75 3.10.1 TUBA Output _____________________________________________________________________ 75 3.10.2 Environment Impact Assessment ______________________________________________________ 75 3.11 Social and Distributional Impacts ______________________________________________________ 76 3.11.1 Social Impact Appraisal Summary _____________________________________________________ 76 3.11.2 Distributional Impact Appraisal Summary ________________________________________________ 77 3.12 Wider Economic Benefits ____________________________________________________________ 78 3.13 Reliability Benefits _________________________________________________________________ 79 3.14 Appraisal Summary Table ___________________________________________________________ 79 3.15 Value for Money Statement __________________________________________________________ 80 3.16 Conclusion _______________________________________________________________________ 82
4 The Financial Case 83
4.1 Introduction _______________________________________________________________________ 83 4.2 Methodology ______________________________________________________________________ 83 4.3 Assumptions ______________________________________________________________________ 83 4.4 Base Scheme Costs ________________________________________________________________ 83 4.4.1 Maintenance Costs _________________________________________________________________ 84 4.5 Quantified Risk Assessment __________________________________________________________ 85 4.6 Optimism Bias ____________________________________________________________________ 85
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Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case
4.7 Scheme Costs Adjusted for Risk and Optimism Bias _______________________________________ 86 4.8 Preferred Funding Arrangements ______________________________________________________ 86 4.9 Alternative Funding Arrangements _____________________________________________________ 86 4.10 Conclusion _______________________________________________________________________ 86
5 The Commercial Case 87
5.1 Introduction _______________________________________________________________________ 87 5.2 Procurement Method _______________________________________________________________ 87 5.2.1 Alternative Options _________________________________________________________________ 87 5.3 Payment Mechanisms ______________________________________________________________ 87 5.4 Pricing Framework and Charging Mechanisms ___________________________________________ 88 5.5 Contract Length ___________________________________________________________________ 88 5.6 Contract Management ______________________________________________________________ 88 5.7 Programme Implication and Risk ______________________________________________________ 88 5.7.1 Procurement Timeline ______________________________________________________________ 88 5.7.2 Contract Risk Management __________________________________________________________ 89 5.8 Conclusion _______________________________________________________________________ 89
6 The Management Case 90
6.1 Introduction _______________________________________________________________________ 90 6.2 Evidence of Similar Projects __________________________________________________________ 90 6.3 Programme/Project Dependencies _____________________________________________________ 92 6.4 Governance ______________________________________________________________________ 92 6.4.1 Liverpool City Region Governance _____________________________________________________ 92 6.4.2 St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council Governance _____________________________________ 94 6.5 Assurance _______________________________________________________________________ 97 6.6 Delivery Programme ________________________________________________________________ 98 6.7 Risk Management__________________________________________________________________ 99 6.7.1 St. Helens MBC Risk Management Strategy _____________________________________________ 99 6.7.2 Risk Assessment __________________________________________________________________ 99 6.8 Communication and Stakeholder Management ___________________________________________ 99 6.8.1 Consultation to Date ________________________________________________________________ 99 6.8.2 Stakeholder Management Strategy ___________________________________________________ 100 6.9 Monitoring & Evaluation ____________________________________________________________ 102 6.9.1 Benefits Realisation Plan ___________________________________________________________ 102 6.9.2 Monitoring & Evaluation ____________________________________________________________ 104 6.10 Conclusion ______________________________________________________________________ 106
7 Summary and Conclusions 107
7.1 Summary _______________________________________________________________________ 107 7.2 Conclusions _____________________________________________________________________ 107
Appendices 108
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Appendix A. Options Appraisal Report
Appendix B. Scheme Drawing
Appendix C. Economic Appraisal Report
Appendix D. Analysis of Available Data (Covered in Appendix C)
Appendix E. Transport Economic Efficiency
Appendix F. Safety Benefits (Covered in Appendix P and Q)
Appendix G. Environmental Appraisal
Appendix H. Appraisal Summary Table
Appendix I. Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB)
Appendix J. Public Accounts Table
Appendix K. Scheme Cost Estimates
Appendix L. Letter from Section 151 Officer
Appendix M. Scheme Delivery Programme
Appendix N. Risk Assessment and Management Strategy
Appendix O. Economic Impact Assessment
Appendix P. Social Impact Appraisal
Appendix Q. Distributional Impact Screening
Appendix R. St. Helens Council Consultation Code
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1.1 Headline Description
The Windle Island improvements scheme seeks to address current severe congestion, safety and network
resilience issues at the Windle Island junction. Located central to the M57, M58, M6 and M62, the junction
is a significant link in the Liverpool City Region (LCR), providing:
Critical north-south and east-west movements;
A key arterial to SuperPort, supporting the LCR freight and logistics hub;
An important link to key employment and investment sites; and
A vital connection to future housing developments.
Figure 1.1 shows the strategic location of Windle Island and its importance in terms of access to key
economic sites across the City Region.
1.1.1 The Scheme
The scheme will deliver benefits to St. Helens and the wider LCR through:
The installation of controlled pedestrian crossings on all arms of the junction;
Toucan crossings across the A570 South and A580 East arms;
Widening of existing pedestrian crossing refuges at the Windle Island and A570/Bleak Hill Road
junctions;
Widening of the A570 North arm to allow the provision of an additional left turn flare on the A570
southbound carriageway;
Lengthening to the existing right turn flare on the A580 West arm;
Widening of the central reserve along the A580 through the junction to allow the provision of a vehicle
restraint barrier;
Segregation of the existing right turn from the A570 South arm to the A580 East arm; and
Upgrades to the existing intelligent transport facilities to include increased CCTV coverage and variable
message signs.
1 Scheme Summary
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Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case
Figure 1.1: Strategic Location
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1.2 Headline Benefits
At an operational level, the scheme will deliver a number of key benefits, including:
A reduction in current congestion levels;
Improved journey time reliability;
Potential accident reductions; and
Infrastructure ready to deal with future demand.
At a strategic level, the scheme will support an increase in new economic and employment opportunities,
aid key growth sites in reaching their potential and facilitate further development in the LCR.
1.3 Background to the Scheme
Windle Island has been identified as a key pinch point on the LCR road network for a number of years. In
seeking to address the current issues, St. Helens Council has applied to draw down on funding from the
Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to enable future improvements to take place.
In 2008, a fatal accident occurred at the junction which raised questions about safety. Further investigation
concluded that the accident was not due to the design of the junction and highlighted the high levels of
congestion experienced daily that can increase the risk of dangerous pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle
movements.
The high level of congestion at the junction, which acts as a barrier for economic growth and development,
has been a catalyst to invest in junction improvements. Due to the number of large developments planned
for the LCR during coming years (e.g. SuperPort and Mersey Gateway which are expected to deliver
30,000 jobs and 4,640 jobs respectively) the scheme has become even more relevant and a high priority in
the LCR Growth Strategy. If the Windle Island improvements scheme is not delivered, these high profile
developments will struggle to meet their full potential and growth in the LCR will be restricted.
The LCR Growth Strategy states that ‘Transport projects will be brought forward that maximise the impact
on the local economy to reduce congestion, improve travel times/experience, attract new businesses and
allow businesses to operate more efficiently.’ Windle Island has the potential to support growth in the local
economy by delivering an efficient and well-functioning junction that serves the needs of the LCR.
Recently, resurfacing of the carriageway has been carried out in order to reduce the risk of accidents by
providing a better quality ride for vehicles. This is only the first step in improving the junction and much
more needs to be done to future proof the site to ensure that it can meet future demand.
1.4 Strategic Need
The junction acts as a barrier to vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist movements and is unable to sustain any
level of future traffic growth. The A580 East Ahead Left, A580 East Right, A570 South Right and A570
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North Left Ahead arms of the Windle Island junction are operating over capacity at present (over 90%
degree of saturation1); whilst the other arms are operating close to capacity.
The key issues are understood to be:
Economic:
– Major congestion pinch point.
– Barrier to the growth of Knowsley Industrial Park (KIP) SuperPort, Mersey Waters, Mersey
Multimodal Gateway (3MG) and other key growth sites.
Social:
– Barrier to new housing developments.
– Barrier to new employment developments.
– Hinders the ability of local people to access opportunities.
Transport:
– Poor road safety record.
– Limits north-south and east-west connections in St. Helens.
– Barrier to cyclist movements.
These issues act as a barrier to development, growth and investment in St. Helens and the wider City
Region.
The LCR’s key aspiration is for growth, both in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment.
Growth is being driven across four key sectors: Low Carbon Economy; Knowledge Economy; Visitor
Economy; and SuperPort. Windle Island is part of the key arterial route to SuperPort; therefore issues at
the junction need to be addressed to ensure that the full potential of SuperPort can be realised.
1.5 Economic Benefits
The monetised economic benefits (based on transport modelling outcomes) show that the scheme
produces an overall BCR of 6.24 from a Present Value of Benefits of £24.3m and a cost to Public
Accounts of £3.9m (discounted to 2010). According to DfT guidance and criteria, the scheme BCR of 6.24
represents Very High Value for Money (VfM). The initial BCR calculated based on TUBA outputs alone
also yields Very High VfM.
In addition, an Economic Impact Assessment (EcIA) undertaken in October 2014 during the development
of this scheme identified a number of potential commercial and housing development sites which will
experience an economic benefit from improvements to Windle Island. The net additional benefits from the
proposed road enhancements equate to a total of 78 jobs and £4m of GVA per annum. That is to say that
78 jobs and £4m of GVA pa would not otherwise occur without the infrastructure works being completed
and bringing development forward at a faster rate than would otherwise occur.
1 The volume of traffic using the link in relation to its maximum capacity (TfL) ‘Roads Task Force - Technical Note 11’
https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/technical-note-11-to-what-extent-is-congestion-and-unreliability-on-the-road-network.pdf
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1.6 Scheme Costs
Table 1.1: Cost Profile
£m 2016/17 2017/18 Total
Major scheme funding required £3,080,868 770,217 3,851,086
Local contribution 342,319 85,580 427,898
Annual Totals 3,423,187 855,797 4,278,984
1.7 Delivery Timescales
Construction of the scheme will be completed by September 2017, as illustrated by the scheme delivery
programme at Appendix M.
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2.1 Key Messages
2.2 Strategic Case Compliance
Table 2.1 shows the structure of the Strategic Case.
Table 2.1: Compliance
Element Section
Key Messages 2.1
The Scheme 1.1
Background 2.3
The Need for Intervention 2.4
Issues and Opportunities 2.5
Problem Identification 2.6
Scheme Aim and Objectives 2.7
Scheme History 2.8
Options 2.9
Scheme Description 2.10
Scheme Benefits 2.11
Strategic Fit 2.12
Delivery & Success 2.13
2 The Strategic Case
The Windle Island improvements scheme will address congestion, road safety and air
quality issues to benefit residents in St. Helens and the wider LCR;
The scheme will provide opportunities for new housing and employment sites to meet
the needs of local residents;
The scheme will support growth at key growth sites in the City Region such as KIP,
3MG and SuperPort by facilitating improved access;
The scheme supports the three themes of the LCR Growth Plan: Business; People; and
Place;
The scheme has a BCR of 6.24 which represents Very High VfM.
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2.3 Background
The A580/A570 junction (Windle Island) improvement scheme was submitted by St. Helens Metropolitan
Borough Council to the LCR Local Transport Body (LTB) in April 2013 as the first step in the process for
accessing major transport scheme funding for the period 2015/16 – 2018/19.
Following a City Region prioritisation process the scheme, which seeks to address current severe
congestion, safety and network resilience issues at Windle Island, was ranked twelfth in the shortlist of
major schemes across the LCR. This Major Scheme Business Case (MSBC) has been prepared to
demonstrate the affordability and deliverability of the scheme and set out the anticipated benefits it will
bring, in order to access the £3.37m of funding that has been provisionally allocated through the Local
Growth Fund.
2.4 The Need for Intervention
2.4.1 Windle Island
The Windle Island junction is in a unique position at the centre of both the St. Helens and LCR strategic
road network. Its location enables it to serve a number of sites in the City Region including KIP, SuperPort,
3MG, Haydock Industrial Estate, Liverpool City Centre and Liverpool Waters which are identified in the
Local Growth Plan as key growth sites.
Windle Island is of strategic City Region importance as:
It is part of the Strategic Freight Network - almost 10% of vehicles using the A580 eastbound (from
Liverpool to St. Helens) are Heavy Goods Vehicles;
It is a key arterial route E-W and N-S;
It provides local access for industrial estates; and
It provides strategic access to SuperPort.
2.4.2 Current Situation in St. Helens
St. Helens borough has a population of around 176,000 people, in an area of 135 square kilometres, and is
a second tier centre in the LCR. The borough is now emerging from the low points of its past and the
economic difficulties of the 1980s and early 1990s with a stabilising population, decreasing unemployment
rates, decreasing deprivation rates and an increase in health and educational achievements (St. Helens
Local Plan Core Strategy, 2012).
2.4.2.1 A Stagnant Population
The population of St. Helens has been fairly static over the past thirteen years, in the context of steady
growth in the LCR. However, this rate of growth is in contrast to the level of population growth experienced
in the North West region and Great Britain as shown in Table 2.2.
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Table 2.2: Population 2000-2013, 000s
Total Population Growth 2000/2013
2000 2008 2013 Absolute Annual
St. Helens 177 175 176 -0.3% 0.0%*
Liverpool City Region
1,493 1,492 1,513 1.3% 0.1%
North West 6,774 6,959 7,103 4.9% 0.4%
Great Britain 57,203 60,045 62,276 8.9% 0.7%
Source: Mid-Year Population Estimates,
ONS*average annual change is -0.03%, which is shown as negligible when displaying results to one decimal place
2.4.2.2 Continuing Levels of Unemployment
Employment growth in St. Helens and the LCR subsided following the onset of the national recession in
2007/08 and fell by 2.1% between 2008 and 2010. However, this decline was more acute in St. Helens
than experienced in the sub-region, region or nationally. Recently, following the beginnings of a national
economic recovery, employment levels have picked up and returned to net growth for St. Helens and the
LCR.
Table 2.3: Total Employment Growth Rate
Total Growth, %
2000-08 2008-10 2010-2012
St. Helens 9.2 -2.1 0.9
Liverpool City Region 5.5 -1.4 0.8
North West 6.0 -0.8 0.1
Great Britain 5.8 -0.4 0.5
Source: NOMIS 2014 (Annual Business Inquiry employee survey and Business Register and Employment Survey)
The public sector (including education, health and public administration) accounts for the largest proportion
of employment in St. Helens (25%), although reliance on the public sector for jobs is lower in St. Helens
than the wider LCR (where the proportion of workers in the public sector is 35%). Therefore whilst there is
a high reliance on the public sector for jobs in this area, the borough has the opportunity to grow the
economy from a stronger base of private sector jobs. A key focus area in the LCR Growth Plan is
rebalancing the economy to place more emphasis on private sector employment growth.
Other key sectors in St. Helens include professional business services (including IT, finance and
insurance, property and professional services) at 22%, retail (11%) and manufacturing (11%). These
largely follow the regional and national trends with manufacturing accounting for a higher proportion of
employment (11% compared to 9% nationally).
In addition to manufacturing, wholesale (5%) and transport & storage (8%) are sectors with higher
proportions in St Helens than regional and national figures. By bringing forward development sites, growth
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can be facilitated in these three relatively strong sectors, encouraging private sector employment to further
reduce reliance on the public sector for jobs. Growth in these areas can only be achieved through the
provision of an efficient transport system that supports fast and efficient freight movements to 3MG,
SuperPort, KIP, Liverpool Waters and other key growth sites.
Table 2.4: Employment by Sector, %
% St. Helens
Liverpool City
Region North West Great Britain
Agriculture, forestry & fishing 0 0 0 1
Mining, quarrying & utilities 1 1 1 1
Manufacturing 11 8 10 9
Construction 5 4 5 4
Motor trades 2 1 2 2
Wholesale 5 3 4 4
Retail 11 11 10 10
Transport & storage (inc.
postal)
8 5 5 5
Accommodation & food
services
6 6 7 7
Professional business
services
22 22 23 25
Public sector 25 35 29 28
Arts, entertainment,
recreation & other services
4 4 4 4
Column Total 100 100 100 100
Source: BRES, ONS
When compared to the wider LCR, St. Helens’ economy is stronger in the manufacturing, transport and
wholesale sectors. These sectors are facilitated by the logistics and haulage industry, which will become
an increasingly important industry for the North West region following development and growth aspirations
for the Atlantic Gateway and related transport corridors (see Figure 2.5).
These three sectors are all served by logistics and haulage related industries, and these sectors will
become an increasingly important industry for the North West region as it progresses SuperPort as well as
initiatives such as the Atlantic Gateway – these initiatives are also served by the proposed Parkside
Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI). Note that in support of these initiatives there are numerous road
improvement and access schemes for the M62 and A580 corridors proposed or underway. Improvements
to Windle Island have the potential to support the development of these key sectors to support significant
economic growth in the City Region.
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Figure 2.1: Relative Employment Structure, St. Helens vs LCR (Employment Percentage Point Difference)
Source: BRES, 2012 data
2.4.2.3 Unequal Levels of Deprivation
Unemployment has been consistently higher for the LCR (averaging 4.4% between 2000 and 2014)
compared to the North West region and national trends (averaging 2.9% and 2.6% respectively). St.
Helens has an average of 3.7% for this time period which is still considerably higher than the regional and
national figures (see Figure 2.2).
-10.0 -8.0 -6.0 -4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0
Public sector
Accommodation & food services
Retail
Arts, entertainment, recreation & other services
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Mining, quarrying & utilities
Professional business services
Motor trades
Construction
Wholesale
Transport & storage (inc postal)
Manufacturing
pp diff, St Helens - LCR
More concentratedLess concentrated
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Figure 2.2: Unemployment Rate Using Claimant Count Data, 2000-2014
Source: ONS
In terms of deprivation, large areas of the LCR lie within the most deprived quintile (20%) of population as
per the 2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data; these areas of high deprivation are predominantly
within and around the sub-region’s core area, particularly North Liverpool, South Sefton, North Knowsley
and central St. Helens (Figure 2.3).
Whilst the North Western areas of St. Helens fall into the fourth and least deprived quintiles in England, a
large proportion of the borough is in the most deprived 20%. At Lower Super Output Area level (LSOA),
over a fifth of all LSOAs2 in St. Helens fall within the top 10% most deprived LSOAs in England (out of a
total of 32,482)3, demonstrating the varied nature of deprivation in the area.
Windle itself has economic activity rates marginally above the St. Helens average; however this is still well
below national average figures (74% - figures from 2001 Census of Population). The IMD map in Figure
2.4 shows that there is a cluster of SOAs falling within the most deprived 5% nationally in Town Centre,
Parr, Thatto Heath and Bold, with pockets of high deprivation in Windle as well as Newton.
2 24 out of 117 LSOAs in the St. Helens District
3 Department for Communities and Local Government (24 March 2011): English indices of deprivation 2010
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Un
em
plo
yme
nt
Rat
e
Year
St Helens LCR North West Great Britain
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Thus Windle Island sits within LSOAs from the most deprived to the least deprived quintile, reflecting the
diverse make-up of deprivation in the borough of St. Helens. This location presents an opportunity to
reduce deprivation in the surrounding area by increasing access to employment for local people, with the
potential to rebalance the levels of deprivation in the borough.
The closest industrial area to Windle Island, Rainford Estate, actually sits within the top 10% least deprived
areas; i.e. better than 90% of all areas in England. This estate provides a key opportunity to build on
existing economic links. Improvements to Windle Island may help to grow this estate, providing more
employment opportunities in the borough.
Figure 2.3: Index of Multiple Deprivation for Liverpool City Region, 2010
Source: Mott MacDonald
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Figure 2.4: Index of Multiple Deprivation for St. Helens, 2010
Source: Mott MacDonald
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2.4.2.4 The Future Economic Situation in St. Helens
The economic projections for the LCR LEP provide a long term outlook for St. Helens. Projections indicate
moderate growth in the local population can be anticipated through to 2025, but at a lower growth rate than
that expected within regional and national geographies.
Table 2.5: Baseline and Projected Population Growth for the LCR
2010-2015 (%pa) 2015-2020 (%pa) 2020-2025 (%pa)
St. Helens 0.2 0.1 0.2
Liverpool City Region 0.0 0.1 0.1
North West 0.3 0.3 0.3
UK 0.6 0.6 0.6
Source: The Mersey Partnership
Over the coming decade the financial and business services, construction and transport and
communications sectors are forecast to drive economic growth. In contrast the public sector, which
contributed significantly to employment growth over 2000/10, will expand very slowly – this reemphasises
the requirement to rebalance the LCR economy.
Transport and communications is a sector for which growth is forecast within the LCR. This growth forecast
reflects the increasing importance of logistics activities in the local economy. Proposed developments as
part of the Atlantic Gateway expansions, Parkside SRFI and KIP will increase pressure on Windle Island’s
strategic location on the key ‘East Lancs Road’ (A580) and its use as a Tactical Diversion Route when
problems occur on the M6. This pressure will be relieved through the proposed junction improvements
which will add capacity to the junction, improving journey time reliability.
Although employment in manufacturing is set to continue to decline, financial and business services is the
sector for which the highest growth rate is predicted, and this sector includes many services that are
closely related to production. There are many businesses in St. Helens which will be well placed to support
the increased demand for logistics and freight transportation in the wider LCR. By focusing on the direct
employment and GVA impacts of infrastructure improvements, this study provides only an indication of the
benefits a well-functioning East Lancs Road brings to the sustainability and growth potential of these
businesses.
Table 2.6: Employment Growth by Sector in Liverpool City Region, NW and UK (% pa)
LCR North West UK
2000 - 2010 2010 - 2025 2000 - 2010 2010 - 2025 2000 - 2010 2010 - 2025
Agriculture 10.2 -2.3 2.9 -2.1 1.0 -1.2
Mining & quarrying
-11.1 -1.4 -4.6 -0.9 -3.0 -1.1
Manufacturing -1.6 -1.0 -4.6 -0.7 -4.3 -0.9
Electricity, gas 5.1 -2.8 -1.6 -2.0 -0.1 -1.8
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LCR North West UK
2000 - 2010 2010 - 2025 2000 - 2010 2010 - 2025 2000 - 2010 2010 - 2025
& water
Construction -0.6 0.8 1.2 0.7 0.8 1.0
Distribution, hotels & catering
-0.5 0.2 -0.3 0.3 -0.1 0.6
Transport & comms
1.7 0.4 0.9 0.3 -0.2 0.4
Financial & business services
0.5 1.0 1.7 1.2 1.8 1.3
Government & other services
1.8 0.0 1.9 0.4 1.6 0.4
Total 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6
Source: The Mersey Partnership
2.5 Issues and Opportunities
2.5.1 Strategic Context
Windle Island is an important intersection in the LCR road network, located close to its border with Wigan.
Situated in the centre of St. Helens borough, the junction lies close to the borough’s boundary with
Knowsley, providing a critical link in both east-west and north-south movements across the City Region.
The A580 and A570 form a strategic crossroads at the junction. The A580 provides a strategic link
between Liverpool and Manchester while the A570 provides key north-south movements within St. Helens.
The junction is also located central to the M57, M58, M6 and M62, providing a critical link between the LCR
and the wider North West.
Figure 2.5 highlights the strategic context in which the junction is located. It provides access to a number of
key employment sites within St. Helens including Haydock Industrial Park and Rainford Industrial Estate as
well as employment sites across the City Region including KIP and Liverpool City Centre.
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Figure 2.5: Windle Island: Strategic Context
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Due to the strategic location of the junction, high traffic volumes lead to congestion at peak times. The
SWOT analysis below summaries the existing arrangements at Windle Island which could be better utilised
to maximise the potential of the junction.
2.6 Identified Problems & Issues
A number of issues have been identified at Windle Island that act as a barrier to development, growth and
investment. These issues can be split into four categories; economic, social, transport and environmental.
These are described in more detail below.
•Impedes the effectiveness of improvements to surrounding junctions
•Restricts potential of SuperPort
•Potential for new housing sites close to the junction
•Growth in local jobs
•Increase cycling levels
•One of the last unfunded bottlenecks on the corridor
•Congestion
•Accidents
•Barrier to north-south cyclist movements
•Close to key employment sites
•Main arterial route to SuperPort
•Part of an economic strategy for the corridor
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
THREATS OPPORTUNITIES
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2.6.1 Economic
2.6.1.1 Congestion
Windle Island is one of the most congested junctions in the LCR. Traffic volumes through the junction and
in its immediate vicinity are high and long queues are a daily occurrence at peak times.
Figure 2.6 and Figure 2.7 identify journey time reliability for key roads in the LCR. The maps show that in
both the AM and PM, journey time reliability is less than 75% at Windle Island. Journey time reliability is
particularly poor in the AM peak along the north and east arms of the junction. In the PM peak, journey
time reliability is at its worst on the western arm of the junction. This poor journey time reliability is not as
concentrated at other junctions along the A580 or A570, highlighting Windle Island as a key pinch point in
St. Helens.
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Figure 2.6: Journey Time Reliability AM
Source: Mott MacDonald
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Figure 2.7: Journey Time Reliability PM
Source: Mott MacDonald
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Congestion at the junction is partly stimulated by the A580 and A570 being part of the Strategic Freight
Network (SFN). Table 2.7 highlights the increased number of HGVs using Windle Island compared to other
A-roads in the City Region. Almost 10% of vehicles using the A580 eastbound (from Liverpool to St.
Helens) are Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), highlighting the importance of this road as part of the SFN.
Table 2.7: Annual Average Daily Flow on A-roads in the City Region (2013)
Location A Road HGV Proportion All Vehicles Proportion
St. Helens A580 (B5203 to A570) 2,072 21,324 9.7%
St. Helens A580 (A570 to Moss Bank Rd)
1,666 27,398 6.1%
St. Helens A570 (Dentons Green Lane to A580)
488 13,719 3.6%
St. Helens A570 (A580 to B5203) 478 12,348 3.9%
St. Helens A58 (A570 to A572) 779 22,759 3.4%
St. Helens A49 (A572 Billington Ave)
299 8,576 3.5%
Liverpool A57 (A5036 to A5042 155 6,437 2.4%
Liverpool A565 (A5056 to LA Boundary)
943 22,157 4.3%
Wirral A5207 (A553 to A5030)
138 7,056 2.0%
Wirral A41 (Queensway Mersey Tunnel to A41)
46 34,757 0.1%
Sefton A566 (A5090 to A5038)
200 12,698 1.6%
Sefton A567 (A566 to A5036) 137 8,402 1.6%
Knowsley A5300 (M62 to A562) 4,427 49,549 8.9%
Knowsley A57 (A58/M57 slips to A58)
189 11,085 1.7%
Halton A558 (A533 to Blackheath Lane
871 26,850 3.2%
Halton A56 (M56 to A558) 1600 21,537 7.4%
Source: Annual average daily flow at Windle Island (2013)
The A580 is a key access route between Liverpool City Centre/SuperPort and employment sites in the
northern LCR, while the A570 provides critical north-south movements between employment and
development sites within St. Helens. Significant economic investment is planned across the City Region, at
sites such as SuperPort and the proposed Parkside SRFI. This will place further pressure on the junction,
particularly the A580 route, causing increased congestion and even poorer journey time reliability.
Figure 2.8 shows the current layout of the junction and highlights current Passenger Car Unit (PCU)
movements during the morning peak.
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Figure 2.8: PCU movements at Windle Island During the Morning Peak (0700-1000)
At present, Windle Island is unable to sustain any level of traffic increase. Congestion will only worsen as
the freight network continues to grow. This increased pressure on the local road network will act as a direct
barrier to future growth and investment, constraining economic growth in St. Helens and in the wider LCR.
A570
A580 WINDLE
ISLAND
A580
A570
1,4
97
1
,186
1,804
2,617 581
700
59
6
40
7
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2.6.1.2 SuperPort
The A580 is one of the main arterial routes to SuperPort. It provides direct access between sites in
Liverpool and Manchester through a network of key junctions, including Windle Island.
To ensure this route supports rather than hinders the development of SuperPort, a pipeline of junction
improvements have been identified along the A580 to address the pinch points. This is part of a strategy to
improve the whole corridor (see Figure 2.9). Further details about each of these schemes are included in
Table 2.8.
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Figure 2.9: Strategic Freight Route from SuperPort
KEY Windle Island
Junctions Funded
SuperPort
Multi-Phase Investment Sites (Strategic Economic Plan)
Transport Investment for Growth
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Table 2.8: Improvements on the A580 Strategic Corridor
Scheme Description Benefits Funding Secured?
M6 J23 Upgrade of junction to allow greater volumes of through traffic, allowing right turns from A49 onto central through carriageway and improvements for cyclists
Increased junction
capacity
Improved journey times
Scheme completed
KIP A package of junction improvements including allowing right turns from the A580 to Moorgate Road South, Moorgate Road North and Ormskirk Road and a right turn from Moorgate Road North onto the A580
Improve access to the
Park
Reduce congestion
when accessing and
exiting the Park
Sustainable Transport Enhancement Package (STEP) Haydock Connectivity
New crossing facilities and cycleways for those on foot or cycle within the vicinity of Haydock Industrial Estate and its boundary with the A580.
Improved access to
Haydock Industrial
Estate
Improved sustainable
access
Windle Island is one of the few remaining junctions to be improved along the A580. Failure to invest at this
key location will impede the ability of the corridor to reach its full potential. Improvements to Windle Island
can therefore be seen as the missing piece of the jigsaw designed to maximise the opportunities of
SuperPort and other key economic sites for the City Region as a whole.
2.6.2 Social
2.6.2.1 Need for New Housing Sites
The St. Helens Plan 2014-2017 identifies a priority to deliver high quality housing and housing support that
meets local needs. Between 2003 and 2027, the Council needs to deliver 13,680 new dwellings; 3500 of
which need to be delivered in the next five years.
A number of sites in the vicinity of Windle Island are being assessed as potential sites for new
developments. They have been identified due to the large availability of development land in this area and
the strategic benefit of their locations – in close proximity to the local transport network and employment
sites.
However, planning permission for new housing proposals may not be granted without the necessary
improvements to Windle Island. Congestion is already a major issue and additional traffic associated with
future local housing developments will only add to this.
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Therefore if the proposed improvements to Windle Island are not taken forward, the ability of St. Helens
Council to meet its housing targets may be compromised.
2.6.2.2 Need for New Employment Sites
The LCR Growth Plan and Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) identifies a vision for the LCR to be ‘A globally
connected City Region delivering sustainable growth, opportunity and prosperity for people and
businesses.’ A key objective of the LEP is for growth – both in terms of GVA and jobs by creating a more
competitive business base. This includes the provision of new infrastructure and a better connected
transport network to support the growth of existing business located in the LCR and to promote the LCR as
an attractive place for new businesses to locate.
The St. Helens Plan identifies a priority to increase employment and reduce the number of people who are
economically inactive. There has been a growth in employment levels and wages in the borough in recent
years but more still needs to be done. The number of residents who are economically active was 76.3% as
of March 2014; 1.3% higher than the average for the North West but still 1% lower than the national
average (77.4%) (Nomis, 2014).
The LEP’s overall vision is to secure job growth of between 95,000-130,000 jobs over the next 5 – 15
years by supporting growth across economic sectors including SuperPort and the Mersey Gateway
Project.
SuperPort
SuperPort presents significant opportunities for growth across the whole City Region. Currently 90% of
deep sea cargo enters the UK via the South, yet 50% of the UK container market is actually closer to
Liverpool. Sites close to the port will benefit from opportunities to capitalise on the need for greater
shipping and handling capabilities while sites across the wider LCR can take advantage of increased
warehousing and distribution activity.
The £1.8bn investment in SuperPort has the potential to provide up to 30,000 new jobs and contribute
£18.3bn in GVA to the LCR economy by 2030 (see Figure 2.10). These jobs will be concentrated in areas
that can move people and freight at the lowest possible cost and the lowest possible carbon output.
Emphasis is therefore being placed on reducing pinch points on key arterial routes, while retailers and
manufacturers are seeking port-centric locations with strong strategic links to base their distribution.
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Figure 2.10: SuperPort Growth Figures
Source: SuperPort Action Plan Delivering Economic Growth 2011-2020
The jewel in the crown of SuperPort is its ability to enable logistics operators to service both Scotland and
the south of England with same day delivery and the availability of a largely skilled workforce in the City
Region to provide suitable labour.
St. Helens has the ability to capitalise on its unique location along the key arterial route from SuperPort out
of the LCR. Windle Island is at the centre of St. Helens – close to the M6, M62, M57 and M58 which all
play a key role in transporting goods and people. This sets the Windle Island scheme apart from other
major transport schemes in the City Region which do not provide strategic access to the LCR’s biggest
growth asset – SuperPort.
However at present, severe congestion at Windle Island is limiting the ability of the LCR to harness the
opportunities that will arise from SuperPort. The area ticks all the boxes in terms of its strategic location
and connectivity; however its high level of congestion will deter businesses who will rely on moving people
and freight quickly and efficiently to and from the port. This will limit the ability of the City Region to create
a freight and logistics hub; a key priority in the LCR Growth Strategy.
2.6.3 Transport
Figure 2.11 illustrates the strategic transport network in the LCR.
30,000Additional jobs by
2030
£18.3bn Increase in GVA by
2030
SUPERPORT
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Figure 2.11: LCR Strategic Transport Network
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2.6.3.1 Tactical Diversion Route
Aside from their role as part of the SFN, the A580 and A570 which meet at Windle Island have also been
identified by Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency) as part of a Tactical Diversion Route
(TDR). Windle Island is bound by four motorways; the M57 to the west, M58 to the north, M6 to the east
and M62 to the south. When problems occur on the M6 between junctions 23 and 26, the TDR is
signposted to divert traffic around accident sites/spillages/road works on the M6 (see Figure 2.12). In
addition, while not an official TDR route, the A580 including Windle Island is an alternative route between
the LCR and the M6 when there are issues on the M62 and M58.
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Figure 2.12: Sites of Congestion When the TDR Route is in Operation
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When an accident does occur and the TDR is in place, long queues are observed along the A580
westbound carriageway for right turning traffic onto the A570. The right turn lane is not sufficient when the
TDR is in place. Right turners queue back along the outside lane of the two lane westbound carriageway,
causing severe congestion and an increased risk of accidents. The demand for the reverse left turn
movement (A750 southbound to A580 eastbound) also increases when the TDR is in place which cannot
be supported by the existing left turn flare.
2.6.3.2 Road Safety
Road safety is also an important issue to consider when examining the overall performance of the junction.
Windle Island has been identified as a ‘High Risk Site’ within the Council’s Annual Road Safety Plan.
Between 2008 and 2013, 23 accidents were recorded at the junction resulting in 46 casualties. A fatal
accident occurred at the junction in October 2008 that involved a teenage pedestrian.
Analysis of the 2008-2013 accident data suggests that the majority of accidents occurred due to rear shunt
accidents and vehicles running red lights. Two accidents involving cyclists have also occurred. It was not
found that these accidents were due to the design of the junction; however it is considered that
improvements could be made to prevent the type of driving that result in such incidents.
Figure 2.13 and Figure 2.14 highlight the difficulties that pedestrians and cyclists face in crossing the
junction. There are no controlled crossings on any of the junction arms, creating a difficult environment for
many pedestrians and cyclists to cross. The high level of traffic moving through the main roads and slip
roads often creates confusion and results in an intimidating environment for non-road users. It has been
observed that some cyclists prefer to disembark from their bicycle and walk across the junction which they
perceive as safer than cycling across.
Figure 2.13: Cyclist Crossing the A580 at Windle Island (North to South)
Source: Mott MacDonald
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Figure 2.14: A Lack of Controlled Crossing Facilities at the Junction (this crossing is used to cross the A570 E-W and
the A580 S-N)
Source: Mott MacDonald
2.6.3.3 Barrier to Cyclist Movements
The junction acts as a barrier to pedestrian and cyclist movements due to a lack of dedicated facilities for
pedestrians and cyclists. A number of cycle lanes run through the junction (see Figure 2.15); however a
lack of controlled crossings reduces the potential of these routes in terms of encouraging sustainable
travel. The high number of HGVs at this junction creates an intimidating environment for pedestrians and
cyclists, reducing the potential for local residents to use these modes (see Figure 2.16).
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Figure 2.15: Un-Controlled Crossing for Cyclists across the A580 (north to south)
Source: Mott MacDonald
Figure 2.16: Un-Controlled Crossing for Pedestrians across the A580 (south to north)
Source: Mott MacDonald
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The St. Helens Local Plan Core Strategy sets out a policy to create a sustainable St. Helens through a
number of planning principles. A key requirement of this policy is to ensure a choice in mode of travel,
particularly maximising the potential for walking and cycling. A new cycleway has been built in the north of
the borough connecting Haydock Industrial Park to Windle Island using LSTF funding. However, poor
cycling crossing facilities at Windle Island discourage use of the cycleways along the A580 and the A570
and the wider cycle network.
Figure 2.17 highlights the cycle routes in St. Helens that serve a number of key employment sites including
Haydock Industrial Park, Pilkington Park and KIP. The map also shows the cycle routes serving key
education sites such as Rainford High Technology College and St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic
School. The lack of cyclist facilities at Windle Island prevent residents from the south cycling to
opportunities in the north and residents in the north from accessing opportunities in the south. This reduces
the potential of these cycleways to encourage people to travel sustainably to these sites.
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Figure 2.17: Cycle Routes in St. Helens
Source: Merseytravel (2014)
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2.6.3.4 North-South Connections
Windle Island provides critical movements in St. Helens, both north-south and east-west through the A570
and A580. Rail lines within the borough run primarily east-west, between Liverpool, Wigan and
Manchester. A lack of north-south rail connections places a greater reliance on the road network in St.
Helens for these north-south movements, particularly on Windle Island which is at the heart of the St.
Helens road network.
This reliance compounds congestion at Windle Island and will only increase as more development occurs
across the City Region.
2.6.3.5 Public Transport
A number of bus services travelling between north and south St. Helens pass through Windle Island (see
Table 2.9). In addition, a number of school bus services operate to/from Rainford High School and other
educational establishments in the area. Although some of these services are infrequent, the 152 and 38
operate hourly and twice per hour respectively during the peak compounding congestion at the junction.
These services will not offer an efficient service if high levels of congestion continue to worsen at Windle
Island which may encourage more people to drive.
Table 2.9: Bus Routes Passing Through Windle Island
Bus number Route Frequency
Mon-Fri Saturday Sunday
Peak Day Eve Day Eve
152 St. Helens – Bishop Road – Windle Island – Crank/Kings Moss – Rainford
60 60 - 60 - -
356 St. Helens – Dentons Green – Windle – Crank – Rainford – Rainford Station
- - 60 - 60 60
38 St. Helens – Dentons Green – Windle – Rainford – Rainford Station
30 30 - 30 - -
Source: Merseytravel
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2.6.4 Environment
2.6.4.1 Air Quality
Windle Island lies approximately 2.4km north of both Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) No.3 (Borough
Rd) and AQMA No.4 (Reflection Court). Table 2.10 shows the relevant standards against which local air
quality effects are assessed.
Table 2.10: Relevant Air Quality Objectives
Pollutant Averaging Period Air Quality Objective Attainment Date(h)
Concentration Allowance
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
1-hour 200 µg/m3 18 per calendar year(e) 31 December 2005(a)(b)
1 January 2010(c)
Annual 40 µg/m3 - 31 December 2005(a)(b)
1 January 2010(c)
Particulates (PM10)
24-hour 50 µg/m3 35 per calendar year(f) 31 December 2004(a)(b)
1 January 2005(c)
Annual 40 µg/m3 - 31 December 2004(a)(b)
1 January 2005(c)(d)
Particulates (PM2.5) Annual 25 µg/m3 - 2020(b)(g)
1st January 2010(c)
(a) Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 as amended.
(b) Air Quality Strategy 2007.
(c) EU Directive 2008/50/EEC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe and The Air Quality Standards Regulations
2010. Derogations (time extensions) have been agreed by the EU for meeting the NO2 limit values in some
zones/agglomerations.
(d)
In March 2011, the Commission agreed the UK's revised application for a time extension for meeting the daily PM10 limit
value, granting a "temporary and conditional exemption" for the Greater London urban area.
(e)
Can be expressed as the 99.79th percentile of 1 hour means.
(g)
Can be expressed as the 90.41st percentile of 24 hour means.
(g) Also a ‘Target’ of 15% reduction in annual mean concentrations at urban background between 2010 and 2020.
(h) The date by which the standard has to be met.
As the proposed scheme will result in changes to vehicle flows and speed, it has the potential to affect
local air quality and regional air pollution. It is therefore important that any improvements made contribute
towards AQMA targets.
2.6.4.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Each year, The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) publishes estimates of greenhouse
gas emissions by local authority areas. The latest year available in the dataset is 2012, which was
published in 2014. Emissions for St Helens are summarised in Table 2.11 below.
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Greenhouse gas emissions occurring on A-roads were reported as 113.1 kilo-tonnes of carbon dioxide
(ktCO2) in 2012. This is 35.8% of total road transport emissions, 33.7% of total transport emissions (all
modes), and 7.3% of grand total emissions in St. Helens. Grand total emissions in St. Helens in 2012 were
equivalent to 0.3% of UK national emissions.
Table 2.11: Greenhouse Gas Emissions in St. Helens, 2012 (ktCO2)
Emissions ktCO2
Grand Total 1559.1
Transport Total 335.5
Road transport (A roads) 113.1
Road transport (motorways) 134.1
Road transport (minor roads) 68.4
Diesel railways 18.9
Other transport 0.9
Source: DECC
St. Helens Council has a goal to reduce Scope 1 emissions (direct) and Scope 2 emissions (energy
indirect) by 3% each year based on 2009-10 levels. The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Report
2013/14 notes that by 2013/14, Scope 1 emissions had reduced by 10% and Scope 2 by 12%.
However, there is still a long way to go to meet national and international goals. It is therefore important
that any schemes undertaken to improve Windle Island recognise GHG emission goals and work towards
the emission reduction target.
2.7 Scheme Aim & Objectives
In response to the issues raised at Windle Island and based on the evidence above, a junction
improvement scheme was proposed to enhance Windle Island to ensure that it can meet current and future
demand.
2.7.1 Aim
The aim of the improvements to Windle Island is:
To address current severe congestion, safety and network resilience issues at Windle Island.
2.7.2 Objectives
Four objectives have been identified for the Windle Island improvements scheme:
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These scheme objectives were derived to address a number of key issues identified and to fit with local
and regional objectives, as discussed in Table 2.12.
Table 2.12: Strategic Fit with Issues and Policies
Objective Fit with Identified Issues Fit with Local and Regional Policies
To promote capacity improvements to ensure that the road network in St. Helens supports the economic success of the City Region, particularly meeting the needs of SuperPort – a key component of the LCR LEP Strategic Economic Plan and the Local Investment Framework
High levels of congestion
SuperPort development
Tactical Diversion Route
North-south connections
Ensure transport infrastructure
supports business growth (LCR
Growth Plan and Strategic
Economic Plan, 2014)
Support the City Region’s
ambition to create a freight and
logistics hub (Liverpool City
Region Growth Deal, 2014)
Transform the business base to
increase employment levels (City
Growth Strategy 2008-2018)
To facilitate additional housing and Need for new housing Provide affordable housing in
To promote capacity improvements to ensure that the road network in St. Helens supports the economic success of the LCR, particularly meeting the needs of SuperPort – a key component of the LCR LEP Strategic Economic Plan and the Local Investment Framework.
To facilitate additional housing and employment growth in St. Helens and the LCR in line with the Growth Plan and Core Strategy.
To improve sustainable access to housing, employment and education sites to ensure equal access to sites of opportunity.
To improve network resilience and safety to enable improved health and wellbeing and road safety for residents of St. Helens and the LCR.
1
2
3
4
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Objective Fit with Identified Issues Fit with Local and Regional Policies
employment growth in St. Helens and the LCR in line with the Growth Plan and Core Strategy
development
Need for new employment
opportunities
deprived areas to create
sustainable communities (St.
Helens Local Plan Core
Strategy, 2012)
Close the 90,000 deficit in jobs
(LCR Growth Plan and Strategic
Economic Plan)
To improve sustainable access to housing, employment and education sites to ensure equal access to sites of opportunity
Need for sustainable access to
sites of opportunity
North-south connections
Public transport
Ensuring a choice in mode of
travel (St. Helens Local Plan
Core Strategy, 2012)
Ensure that all communities have
access to jobs and education
(Liverpool City Region Deal with
Government, 2012)
To improve network resilience and safety to enable improved health and wellbeing and road safety for residents of St. Helens and the LCR
Poor network resilience
Road safety issues
Air quality
Greenhouse emissions
Ensure the transport system
promotes and enables improved
health and wellbeing and road
safety (Merseyside Local
Transport Plan: A New Mobility
Culture for Merseyside, 2011)
2.8 Scheme History
Windle Island has been identified as a key pinch point on the LCR road network for a number of years.
In 2008, a major incident occurred on the junction which raised questions about safety. Further
investigation concluded that the accident was not due to the design of the junction but highlighted that the
high levels of congestion experienced daily can increase the risk of dangerous pedestrian, cyclist and
vehicle movements.
The high level of congestion at the junction which acts as a barrier for economic growth and development
is a key catalyst for the scheme. Due to the number of large developments planned for the LCR during
coming years (e.g. SuperPort, Mersey Gateway), the scheme has become even more relevant and a high
priority for the City Region.
Recently, resurfacing of the carriageway has been carried out to reduce the risk of accidents by providing a
better quality ride for vehicles. This is only the first step in improving the junction and many further
improvements are required to bring the junction up to a standard that meets current and future needs.
2.9 Options
Based on the objectives agreed for the scheme, a number of scheme options were developed as set out
below.
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2.9.1 Long-List of Options
Initial optioneering was undertaken by Faber Maunsell (AECOM) in February 2009 to investigate options for
improving the existing situation at the junction. Each option was tested using LinSig Version 2 and
ARCADY modelling software as appropriate, using the baseline results for the junction as a comparison.
Ten options were identified for improvements to Windle Island, as outlined in Figure 2.18.
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Figure 2.18: Windle Island Improvement Options
•Provision of new barriers and fencing to protect and direct pedestrians around each corner of the junction Option 1
•Addition of formal controlled pedestrian crossing facilities to the junction by adding crossing lights to the existing signal heads Option 2
•Separate the right turning and straight-through links with a pedestrian refuge island Option 3
•Allow for the potential of revised staging by providing staggered pedestrian crossing facilities across each arm Option 4
•At Bleak Hill Road/Rainford Road junction add a three-arm mini-roundabout and pedestrian islands and buildouts on each arm of the roundabout Option 5
•Signalised junction at Bleak Hill Road with a two lane approach Option 6
•Signalised junction with single lane approach and pedestrian island on Bleak Hill Road Option 7
•Stopping up the existing access to Crank Road from Rainford Bypass and realigning the Crank Road to meet the bypass to the north at a new priority junction Option 8
•Double right turn from East Lancashire Road onto Rainford Bypass Option 9
•Extension of right turn lane on East Lancashire Road Option 10
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2.9.1.1 Initial Option Testing
Several of the above options were tested using LinSig Version 2 software. The options were packaged into
three scenarios:
Scenario 1: Option 3 – Adding direct controlled pedestrian crossings on each arm, and a pedestrian
island to separate out the right turn on the southern arm;
Scenario 2: Option 3 and Option 8 – As above but implementing the alternative Crank Road layout to
create a long left turn lane on the Windle Island junction’s northern arm; and
Scenario 3: Options 3, 8, and 9 – As above but realigning the A580 eastern arm carriageway
southwards to create space for an extra right turning lane.
Modelling concluded that each scenario provided an improvement on the baseline situation, with the
largest reduction in queuing observed in Scenario 3. However even in Scenario 3, many links were still
over capacity, especially during the AM peak period when the maximum degree of saturation was 104.5%
on the A580 eastern arm. It was concluded that these improvements were not sufficient to improve
available capacity of the junction and other options should be investigated.
2.9.1.2 Further Option Testing
To improve operational efficiency and road safety at Windle Island, a further package of measures was
considered to improve the junction to the immediate south between Bleak Hill Road and Rainford Road.
Two options were assessed as part of this package:
Option 5: Mini-Roundabout at Junction of Bleak Hill Road / Rainford Road; and
Option 6: Signalised Junction at Bleak Hill Road with Two-Lane Approach
Option 5 was modelled using ARCADY 6 while Option 6 was modelled using LinSig Version 2 software.
Modelling concluded that neither of the design options would operate sufficiently due to the downstream
location of Windle Island. Therefore neither design could be recommended, requiring further design and
modelling work to be undertaken.
2.9.2 Options considered in the Options Appraisal Report
Following on from the initial optioneering process, three design options for Windle Island were considered
as set out in the Options Appraisal Report in Appendix A:
Option 1 – Do Nothing: Leave the junction to operate in its current state, making no improvements;
Option 2 – Do Something 1: Provide controlled pedestrian crossing facilities, an additional right turn
lane from the A580 westbound to the A570, a vehicle restraint barrier along the central reserve and
localised carriageway widening; and
Option 3 – Do Something 2: As per Option 2 but with an additional left turn flare on the A570 North.
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2.9.2.1 Option 1 – Do Nothing
The Do Nothing scenario proposes no change to the existing layout of the junction. Table 2.13 identifies
the advantages and disadvantages of this option:
Table 2.13: Do Nothing: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
No land take required Failure to address current pedestrian safety concerns
No immediate impact upon the transport network Failure to alleviate current and future congestion issues
No financial commitment required Excessive queuing which will worsen as base traffic growth increases
Reduced access to employment & opportunity, deterring investment & future economic growth
This option does not meet the identified scheme objectives. Large queues would still be experienced on all
arms of the junction, whilst modelling shows that the degree of saturation would approach 100%
(saturation) in the 2014 and 2019 AM and PM peaks on several links. The PRC (Practical Reserve
Capacity) for the AM and PM peaks is negative indicating that the intersection would operate ‘over
capacity’ and that congestion would continue to be experienced.
2.9.2.2 Do Minimum
As reported in the Options Appraisal Report (Appendix A), a Do Minimum option was not tested as
previous optioneering work indicates that minor changes to the junction are not sufficient to provide a
reduction in congestion or the number of accidents at Windle Island.
2.9.2.3 Option 2 – Do Something 1
The Do Something 1 scenario proposes a number of improvements to the junction, as follows:
Widening of existing and construction of new pedestrian refuges to enable controlled crossing facilities;
Segregated right turn on the A570 South;
Extended right turn lanes on the A580 (both directions);
Additional right turn lane on the A580 East;
Carriageway widening to enable the above improvements;
Junction resurfacing;
Junction re-proofing and relocation of gullies where required; and
Provision of improved Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
This option is estimated to cost £3,260,716 (based on 2014 costs).
Table 2.14 highlights the advantages and disadvantages of this option.
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Table 2.14: Do Something 1: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
Pedestrian safety concerns addressed Failure to improve intersection conditions from all approaches, particularly when the TDR is in operation
Additional vehicular safety measures provided Fails to fully address congestion issues
Vehicular delay reduced Small loss of open space required for localised widening
Capacity increased
This option would provide improvement in terms of capacity and delay compared to the Do Nothing
scenario. Although the intersection would not operate within acceptable capacity parameters, the PRC
would increase and the degree of saturation on all links would decrease. However, large queues in excess
of 100 vehicles would be expected on the A580 westbound during the future year AM peak.
2.9.2.4 Option 3 – Do Something 2
Do Something 2 is as per Do Something 1 but with the addition of a left turn flare on the A570 North and
toucan crossings on the A570 south and A580 east arms. This option is estimated to cost
£4,028,667(based on 2014 costs). Table 2.15 identifies the advantages and disadvantages of this option:
Table 2.15: Do Something 2: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
Pedestrian safety concerns addressed Land take required for localised widening
Additional vehicular safety measures provided
Vehicular delay reduced
Capacity increased
Aids alleviation of congestion issues during operation of the TDR
This option provides the greatest benefits in terms of capacity and delay. Modelling for this option suggests
that there would be a 32% reduction in delay during the 2019 base AM peak and 37% reduction during the
2019 PM peak. The intersection will operate with a positive reserve capacity in the majority of future
scenarios. This option will further improve the operation of the intersection when the TDR is in place. Of all
the options considered, this option achieves best fit with the identified scheme objectives.
LinSig traffic signal software and PICADY priority junction capacity assessment software have been used
to assess each option. The full Options Appraisal Report is included in Appendix A.
2.9.3 Options Appraisal Report
The preferred option has been identified as Option 3 – Do Something 2. This option fully meets the
objectives of the scheme providing the greatest improvements in performance and delays. It will also
improve pedestrian and vehicular safety at Windle Island and will alleviate congestion during the AM and
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PM peaks. The improvements will also reduce the severe congestion experienced when the TDR is in
operation.
The layout of this option is included in Appendix B.
2.10 Scheme Description
2.10.1 Scope of the Project
Improvements to Windle Island will deliver:
Controlled pedestrian crossings on all junction arms;
Toucan crossings across the A570 South and A580 East arms;
Widening of existing pedestrian crossing refuges at the Windle Island and A570/Bleak Hill Road
junctions;
Widening of the A570 North arm to allow the provision of an additional left turn flare on the A570
southbound carriageway;
Lengthening to the existing right turn flare on the A580 West arm;
Widening of the central reserve along the A580 through the junction to allow the provision of a vehicle
restraint barrier;
Segregation of the existing right turn from the A570 South arm to the A580 East arm; and
Upgrades to the existing intelligent transport facilities to include increased CCTV coverage and variable
message signs.
2.11 Benefits
Improvements to Windle Island will provide a wide range of operational and strategic benefits, as identified
in Figure 2.19.
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Figure 2.19: Operational & Strategic Benefits
*NB the total net additional impact is 1,573 jobs and £81m in GVA. The additional growth attributable to infrastructure works is 78 jobs and £4m in GVA.
Operational Benefits
• Reduce current congestion
• Improve journey time reliability
• More efficient corridor
• Potential accident reduction
• Infrastructure ready to deal with future demand
• Enhanced operation of the Strategic Freight Network
Social Benefits
• Support an increase in new economic and employment opportunities
• Support pedestrian and cyclist movements
• Facilitate new housing developments
Economic Benefits
• Support the development of SuperPort
• Encourage investment in St. Helens from the freight industry
• Deliver 1,573 jobs and £81m of GVA*
Environmental Benefits
• Positive impact on air quality, green house gases and noise pollution as a result of reduced congestion and queuing traffic
• No negative impacts on noise, landscape and biodiversity
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2.11.1 Operational Benefits
The proposed scheme will significantly reduce congestion and increase capacity at the junction,
particularly when the TDR is in operation. LinSig modelling results undertaken during the options appraisal
indicate the level of impact that can be expected.
Table 2.16 highlights the impacts on queuing and delays expected from the proposed scheme, which
include:
Queuing is reduced during both the morning and evening peaks on all junction arms, with the exception
of the A580 West right turn movement which increases by a maximum of three vehicles in the 2019
scenarios;
Queuing is significantly reduced on the A580 and A570 southbound;
Queuing is reduced by 30 vehicles on both the A580 eastbound (left and ahead link) and the A570
southbound (left and ahead link);
A reduction in delays by approximately a third during the 2019 AM and PM peak;
The junction is predicted to operate with a positive reserve capacity in all scenarios, with the exception
of the 2019 AM peak, future proofing the junction for future development; and
Total delay (PCUHr) is reduced during the AM and PM peak.
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Table 2.16: LinSig Results
2014 AM 2014 PM 2019 AM 2019 PM
Degree of Saturation
(%)
Mean Maximum
Queue (PCU)
Degree of Saturation
(%)
Mean Maximum
Queue (PCU)
Degree of Saturation
(%)
Mean Maximum
Queue (PCU)
Degree of Saturation
(%)
Mean Maximum
Queue (PCU)
A580 East Ahead Left
Existing operation 96.5 90.6 85.7 64.1 101.3 110.4 90.2 69.9
Proposed scheme 88.8 62.1 76.7 60.2 92.4 88.4 80.7 64.8
A580 East Right Existing operation 97.1 25.7 95.5 32.3 101.9 30.9 100.6 38.7
Proposed scheme 66.4 14.8 75.6 14.8 71.5 20.7 79.6 28.7
A570 South Left Ahead
Existing operation 87.3 48.2 81.5 40.9 91.7 53.5 85.7 44.9
Proposed scheme 88.6 38.0 76.2 39.1 92.9 55.1 80.2 42.4
A570 South Right Existing operation 94.6 18.1 96.3 16.0 99.3 21.0 101.3 19.0
Proposed scheme 86.7 12.6 73.9 12.6 91.0 17.7 77.8 13.0
A580 West Left Ahead
Existing operation 73.3 54.6 96.7 78.3 77.0 58.3 101.8 96.7
Proposed scheme 57.5 36.1 73.5 36.1 60.1 50.9 77.4 67.0
A580 West Right Existing operation 79.0 17.1 58.3 15.3 82.9 18.3 61.4 16.3
Proposed scheme 88.9 14.9 76.7 17.9 93.3 21.1 80.7 18.5
A570 North Left Ahead
Existing operation 97.1 68.0 96.1 65.3 101.9 84.5 101.2 80.5
Proposed scheme 64.0 38.5 67.9 47.2 74.3 53.0 71.5 50.6
A570 North Right Existing operation 81.2 13.7 74.6 11.7 85.3 14.8 78.5 12.6
Proposed scheme 59.5 9.1 57.3 10.6 66.1 12.9 60.4 11.2
PRC (%) Existing operation -7.9 -7.4 -13.3 -13.1
Proposed scheme 13 17.3 -3.7 11.5
Total Delay (PCUHr)
Existing operation 142.96 139.28 186.61 181.59
Proposed scheme 91.74 105.54 127.58 114.30
Cycle time (s) Existing operation 240 240 240 240
Proposed scheme 180 240 240 240
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Analysis of delays through the junction suggests that there will be a 32% reduction in delays during the
morning peak and 37% reduction during the evening peak in the 2019 scenario (see Table 2.17).
Table 2.17: Delay Comparison for Preferred Option
Before (pcuHr) After Change % age Change
Base 2014 AM 142.96 91.74 51.22 36%
Base 2014 PM 139.28 105.54 33.74 24%
Base 2019 AM 186.61 127.58 59.03 32%
Base 2019 PM 181.59 114.30 67.29 37%
Reduction in queuing and delays at the junction will combat high levels of congestion at the junction, both
now and in the future. This will particularly benefit SuperPort and the wider freight and logistics sector in
the LCR through the provision of an efficient and reliable road network.
2.11.2 Strategic Benefits
Improvements to Windle Island will also deliver a number of economic, social and environmental benefits
as described below.
2.11.2.1 Economic Benefits
Transport & Wider Economic Benefits
The Windle Island scheme is forecast to deliver a present value of main transport economic benefits (PVB)
of £20.1m over the standard appraisal period of 60 years. When the PVB is taken together with the present
value of scheme costs (PVC) of £3.9m (in 2010 prices and discounted to 2010) the initial BCR is calculated
as 5.16 According to Department for Transport Guidance, the BCR of 5.16 represents very high Value for
Money (VfM).
However, the Windle Island scheme produces changes in travel costs that, in turn, produce wider
economic benefits, of which agglomeration and welfare benefits have been calculated. Journey time
reliability benefits have also been calculated and included in the calculation of the modified BCR, including:
Journey time reliability benefits – this accounts for an additional £0.7m which is equivalent to 3.6% of
the main TUBA-based economic benefits;
Wider economic benefits (which are predominantly agglomeration benefits) account for £2.4m which is
equivalent to 11.8% of the main TUBA-based economic benefits. This uses OWeL economic dataset in
the calculations; and
Accident benefits account for £1.091m which is equivalent to 5.4% of the main TUBA based benefits.
Therefore, the modified BCR is more indicative of the quantifiable economic benefits of the package of
schemes for Windle Island scheme. This is calculated as 6.24 and represents Very High VfM. Further
detail is provided in the Economic Case in Section 3.
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Indirect Economic Impact
An Economic Impact Assessment (EcIA), undertaken in October 2014 during the development of this
scheme, identified a number of potential commercial and housing development sites which will experience
an economic benefit from improvements to Windle Island. The net additional benefits from the proposed
road enhancements equate to a total of 78 jobs and £4m of GVA per annum. That is to say that 78 jobs
and £4m of GVA pa would not otherwise occur without the infrastructure works being completed and
bringing development forward at a faster rate than would otherwise occur.
The Economic Impact Assessment (EcIA) is included in Appendix O.
2.11.2.2 Social Benefits
The scheme will support an increase in economic activity, employment opportunities and new housing
developments in St. Helens. It will also support the development of a freight and logistics hub in the City
Region, bringing a range of new job opportunities for residents.
An increase in job opportunities will help to reduce unemployment levels and address the high levels of
inequality experienced in the borough. An increase in new job opportunities will also reduce reliance on
public sector employment and increase the number of jobs available in the transport and storage sectors.
Improvements to the junction will also enable local residents to travel further to reach employment
opportunities at new developments such as SuperPort, 3MG and Sci-Tech Daresbury, through
improvements to journey times and journey time reliability. The provision of controlled crossings will help to
reduce accidents at the junction and aid pedestrian and cyclist movements.
2.11.2.3 Environmental Benefits
The scheme is expected to have a positive impact on air quality, greenhouse gases and noise through the
reduction in congestion at the junction and by improving provision for active travel.
2.12 Strategic Fit
2.12.1 Contribution to National Government Objectives
National Government policy has had a crucial focus on transport and economic growth during recent years.
The government paper ‘Transport: An Engine for Growth’ sets out the strategic context for investments
made in transport during the 2013 spending round. The document highlights the importance of transport for
economic growth, a key government objective, and its crucial role in everything we do. Prerequisites for
this growth include high-performing networks which are essential for the UK to compete in the global
marketplace. It is therefore vital that we think of our transport network as a connected whole, serving the
UK, rather than a series of separate systems.
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The Windle Island improvements scheme fits with a number of these national policies.
2.12.1.1 Transport
The National Transport Strategy ‘Transport: An Engine for Growth’ (2013) states that transport investments
should support jobs, strengthen the supply chain and help position the UK as a global leader for transport
and innovation. The National Planning Policy Framework (2012) suggests that transport investments
should support strategies for the growth of ports, airports or other major generators of travel demand. The
proposed scheme supports these policies through facilitating a strategic access route to SuperPort, helping
to create a world class port that can efficiently transport people and goods.
The DfT paper ‘Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon: Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen’ (2011)
suggests that it is at the local level that most can be done to enable people to make more sustainable
transport choices and to offer a wider range of genuinely sustainable transport modes. The provision of
controlled pedestrian crossings at Windle Island will help to encourage more people to walk and cycle by
providing a safer environment in which to do so. Improved pedestrian and cyclist facilities will also increase
access to key employment sites, in line with national government objectives to increase employment
levels.
2.12.1.2 Economic Growth
Economic growth is a core part of National Government policy. The Plan for Growth (2011) identifies a key
objective to ‘achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the
country and between industries.’
The National Planning Policy Framework (2012) states that planning policies should contribute to building
a strong, responsive and competitive economy and recognise, and seek to address, potential barriers to
investment.
The paper ‘Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon: Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen’ (2011) notes
that economic growth is one of the UK’s biggest challenges. It recognises the important role that transport
plays in getting people to work and services, improving quality of life in addition to enhancing people’s
spending power.
The National Transport Strategy ‘Transport: An Engine for Growth’ (2013) suggests that DfT transport
investments will support a rebalanced economy to ensure sustainable prosperity for all.
Capacity improvements to Windle Island align with each of these policies through facilitating growth in the
LCR economy. By removing congestion as a potential barrier to investment in St. Helens, increased
accessibility can help to promote the LCR as an attractive place for businesses to invest.
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2.12.2 Contribution to LCR Objectives
At the LCR level, the proposed scheme supports three areas of policy – transport, economic growth and
employment (as outlined in Table 2.18).
Table 2.18: Growth plan themes
Symbol Theme Description
Place Be a competitive place…by investing in major employment sites to create growth but also in the regeneration of our communities such as through town centre regeneration and improvements to the City Region housing offer as well as through using transport as a stimulant to growth.
People With competitive people…through targeting our efforts on those who need re-engaging with the labour market, through up-skilling our workforce and through seeking flexibilities in delivery that support our local economy
Business Develop a more competitive business base… we will seek to see all of our economy capitalise on business growth opportunities as we aim to develop a more competitive business base by encouraging businesses of all types to grasp economic opportunities and create jobs.
B B
B
P
P
B
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Figure 2.20: Contribution to LCR Objectives
LCR Policy Areas
Transport
Create a freight and logistics hub to serve an
expanded Port of Liverpool
Encourage businesses to invest in the LCR to
capitliase on its unique connectivity
Transport assets to be developed sustainably and
to their full potential
Support the LCR freight and logistics hub in reaching its
potential
Economic Growth
Produce a step change in the scale of enterprise and
business activity
Providing reliable journey times to ensure the LCR is
competitive
Accelerate growth and close the productivity gap with the
rest of the UK.
Keep the freight network moving to encourage further
investment
Employment
Achieve an economically active population on par with that of the UK pre-
recession
Ensuring our people are competitive and employable
by helping them to move around more easily and by
a wider range of modes
B
P
P
B
B
P
P
B
B
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2.12.2.1 Transport
Transport is fundamental to the Liverpool City Region’s growth ambitions and is described in the LCR
Strategic Economic Plan (SEP, 2014) as essential for the quality of life and economy of the City Region.
Transport is at the heart of the LCR Growth Deal (March, 2014) that supports the City Region’s ambitions
to create a freight and logistics hub. Improvements to Windle Island will benefit both businesses and
people. In terms of businesses, an efficient local road network will create an attractive location for
businesses to invest, bringing new employment opportunities for residents. In terms of people,
improvements for road users, pedestrians and cyclists will increase access to these employment sites.
The Liverpool City Region Deal with Government (May 2012) identifies a vision for transport assets to be
developed sustainably and to their full potential in order to enable businesses to thrive due to their ability to
move people, goods and services quickly and efficiently both within the UK and overseas. Investment in
the LCR road network, at sites such as Windle Island, will provide reliable journey times for businesses to
ensure that the LCR remains competitive.
2.12.2.2 Economic Growth
Economic growth is the core aim of LCR policy. The LCR’s Strategic Economic Plan (March 2014) notes
that the overarching goal is to produce a step change in the scale of enterprise and business activity, to
expand the business base and accelerate economic growth. Similarly, the LCR Employment and Skills
Strategy and Commissioning Framework (2010) identifies a priority to accelerate growth and substantially
close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK.
Improvements to Windle Island will improve access to key growth sites in the City Region including 3MG,
KIP, SuperPort and Liverpool Waters, which together schemes have the potential to substantially increase
economic growth and prosperity.
2.12.2.3 Employment
The LCR SEP suggests that there are too few jobs in the City Region for the number of residents aged 16-
64, equating to a 90,000 jobs short-fall. The Economic Review (2012) identifies a challenge for the LCR to
achieve an economically active population on par with that of the UK pre-recession; an additional 41,000
economically active residents.
Improvements to Windle Island will help to support growth at key employment sites in the LCR and capture
further investment by creating an attractive location for businesses to invest. This will help the City Region
to meet its employment goals and provide more opportunities for residents.
2.12.3 Fit with Promoting Organisation Aims and Objectives
The Windle Island improvement scheme has a strong strategic fit with the vision for St. Helens, as
illustrated in Figure 2.21.
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Figure 2.21: Vision: St. Helens 2027
Source: St. Helens Local Plan Core Strategy, October 2012
The scheme objectives meet a number of local objectives, including:
Ensuring a choice in mode of travel (St. Helens Local Plan Core Strategy, 2012);
Transform the business base to increase employment levels (City Growth Strategy 2008-2018);
Strengthening the local economy, promoting business growth, retention and investment (The St.
Helens Plan 2014-2017);
Provide quality housing in St. Helens (St. Helens Local Plan Core Strategy, 2012);
Improving the standard and safety of our transport network and infrastructure (The St. Helens Plan
2014-2017); and
Create a high quality physical environment for residents, businesses and visitors through increased
connectivity (City Growth Strategy 2008-2018).
The Red Amber Green (RAG) assessment in Table 2.19 summarises the strategic fit of Windle Island with
key national, regional and local policy documents.
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Table 2.19: Strategic Fit of the Windle Island Improvements Scheme
Policy Key Extracts Strategic Fit
National Policy
The National Planning Policy
Framework
Plans should protect and exploit opportunities for the use
of sustainable transport
Plans should contribute to building a strong, responsive
and competitive economy
Planning policies should recognise and seek to address
potential barriers to investment Develop strategies for transport that support the growth of
ports, airports or other major generators of travel
G
Planning Policy Statement 4:
Planning for Sustainable
Economic Growth
Planning policies should support existing business sectors Plans should help to build prosperous communities by
improving the economic performance of cities, towns,
regions, sub-regions and local areas
Plans should help to reduce the gap in economic growth
rates between regions, promoting regeneration and
tacking deprivation
A
National transport Strategy:
‘Transport: An Engine for
Growth’
Support significant private sector investment in ports and
airports, including enabling good surface access by rail
and road
Work in tandem with private sector partners to secure
mutually supportive and integrated upgrades to the
transport network
Wherever possible, investments will support jobs,
strengthen the supply chain and help position the UK as a
global leader for transport and innovation
Investments will support a rebalanced economy to ensure
sustainable prosperity for all
G
Creating Growth, Cutting
Carbon,: Making Sustainable
Local Transport Happen
Vision is for a transport system that is an engine for
economic growth but one that is also greener and safer
and improves quality of life G
Sub National Policy
Liverpool City Region
Strategic Economic Plan
The overarching goal for the LCR is to produce a step
change in the scale of enterprise and business activity, to
expand the business base and accelerate economic
growth
LCR needs to close the 90,000 deficit in jobs
Development of City Region transport infrastructure
should reduce the transport costs of businesses and open
new business opportunities
Invest in transport and key site infrastructure to capitalise
on our unique ‘connectivity’ opportunity in the national
context
A
Liverpool City Region Growth
Deal
Support improved access by a range of transport modes
to and from the Port of Liverpool to ensure opportunities
for economic growth and job creation are maximised G
Economic Review The challenge over the next two years is to rapidly
accelerate the rate of private sector job creation A
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Policy Key Extracts Strategic Fit
The challenge for the City Region is to achieve an
economically active population on a par with that of the
UK pre-recession - it needs an additional 41,000 people to
be economically active
Liverpool City Region
Employment and Skills
Strategy and Commissioning
Framework
Goal: To accelerate growth and substantially close the
productivity gap with the rest of the UK
Goal: To reduce worklessness across Liverpool City
Region, providing routes for people to move into work and
progress in their jobs
A
Liverpool City Region Growth
Deal with Government
Priority: To increase employment by combining up to
£80m public and private employment and skills
investments and empowering businesses to create more
jobs, tackle skills gaps and raise productivity; supporting
17,400 people into work and creating 6,000
apprenticeships;
Priority: To put transport at the heart of economic
development through a revised approach to governance
and creation of a joint investment fund of £800m
supporting the creation of 15,000 jobs; and
Priority: To harness the City Region’s science and
knowledge assets, attracting ‘big science investment’,
increasing GVA and generating 2,000 high value jobs
A
Local Policy
The St. Helens Plan 2014-2017
Strengthen the local economy, promoting business
growth, retention and investment
Improve the standard and safety of our transport network
and infrastructure
G
St. Helens Local Plan Core Strategy
Create an accessible St. Helens
Provide quality housing
Ensure a strong and sustainable St. Helens economy
Safeguard and enhance quality of life in St. Helens
G
City Growth Strategy 2008-2018
Transform perceptions – raise the profile of the borough
as a modern, vibrant and exciting place
Make St. Helens a more attractive location for residents,
investors and visitors
A
Strategic Fit with Scheme X
G Strong strategic fit with policy
A Neutral / minimal strategic fit with policy
R Negative strategic fit with policy
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2.13 Delivery and Success
2.13.1 Delivery
The Windle Island improvements will be completed by September 2017, as shown in the Project Delivery
Plan included in Appendix M.
The key project milestones are outlined in Table 2.20.
Table 2.20: Key Project Milestones
Milestone Date
Confirmation of Funding November 2015
Tender Selection February/March 2016
Detailed Design June – August 2016
Start of Construction September 2016
Scheme Opening September 2017
2.13.2 Constraints
All land required to deliver the scheme falls within the existing highway boundary; therefore no planning
permission is required.
Only one environmental constraint was identified during the Environmental Appraisal (included in Appendix G); impact upon the Historic Environment as described below.
2.13.2.1 Historic Environment
The proposed highway improvements have the potential to impact on unknown buried archaeological
remains within the footprint of the proposed development area. It is possible that medieval remains
associated with the Windleshaw Abbey may extend north and into the development area. Impacts to buried
archaeological remains are likely to occur during re-grading or excavation of ground to provide new
highway or to extend the existing highway. Where archaeological remains may be lost as a result of the
scheme, an appropriate programme of archaeological investigation should be implemented prior to, or
during construction. The level of investigation will be proportionate to the significance of the remains likely
to be affected and the level of impact.
2.13.3 Key Risks
Table 2.23 outlines the top three risks as identified in the appended Risk Register (Appendix N).
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Table 2.21: Key Risks
Risk Event Consequence Mitigation Probability Impact Overall
Procurement of services may not be successful or may be delayed or challenged.
Delivery of scheme is
delayed and jeopardised.
Due diligence during
appointment process.
25 High 8
Poor contractor performance and / or contractor becomes insolvent within the contract period.
Additional revenue required
to support delivery of the scheme.
Due diligence during the
procurement process.
10 High 6
Increase in scheme costs e.g. cost of materials and infrastructure.
The level of funding made
available is insufficient to
meet the proposed scheme
delivery costs.
The Project Board will monitor cost
and delivery throughout the
project.
30 Medium 7
All three key risks have a low-medium probability following mitigation; however the impact would still be
high if they were to occur (Please refer to Management Case and Appendix N for further detail). Mitigation
measures will continue to be applied as appropriate throughout the scheme development process to
minimise the likelihood of a risk occurring.
A contingency budget has been put forward as part of the proposal, taking into account the Quantified Risk
Assessment (QRA) undertaken (refer to the Finance Case for further detail). Any additional costs will be
underwritten by St. Helens Council. The procurement and tendering process will seek to place increased
liability on the contractor, where possible.
2.13.4 Measures for Success and Benefits Realisation
Success of the Windle Island improvements scheme will be determined by a number of factors:
Delivery to time, budget and specification;
Reduction in queuing and delays at the junction;
Improved journey time reliability;
Increase in cycling levels, particularly north-south journeys across the A580;
Increase in use of junction by pedestrians;
Facilitation of new business and housing development in key areas surrounding Windle Island;
Improved resilience of the motorway network (M6, M58, M62) in case of incidents; and
Reduction in number of accidents.
Figure 2.22 summarises the methods proposed for monitoring and evaluating the success of the scheme in
achieving its expected outcomes and impacts.
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Assessing the success of the scheme will primarily use information that is readily available, such as
Trafficmaster journey time data and accident records. This will be supported by bespoke cycling and
pedestrian counts, (pre and post scheme implementation) to assess the number of cycling trips and an
evaluation of business developments and housing units before and after scheme completion.
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Figure 2.22: Measuring Success
OUTPUTS
•Controlled pedestrian crossings on all arms of the junction
•Toucan crossings on A570 South and A580 East arms
•Widening of existing pedestrian crossing refuges at the Windle Island and A570/Bleak Hill Road
•Widening of the A580 East arm to allow the provision of an additional right turn flare on the A580 westbound carriageway
•Widening of the A570 North arm to allow the provision of an additional left turn flare on the A570 southbound carriageway
•Lengthening of the existing right turn flare on the A580 West arm
•Widening of the central reserve along the A580 through the junction to allow the provision of a vehicle resistant barrier
•Segregating the existing right turn from the A570 South arm to the A580 East arm
•Upgrading the existing intelligent transport facilities to include increased CCTV coverage and variable message signs
OUTCOMES
•Reduction in queues on approach to junction
•Improved traffic flow
•Reduced congestion and increased journey time reliability for freight transport
•Reduced congestion and increased journey time reliability for other motorists
•Increase in north-south journeys across the A580 by cyclists
•Increase in use of junction by pedestrians
•Reduction in number of accidents
•Improved air quality
WIDER IMPACTS
•Enhanced confidence in LCR economy as a major freight and logistics hub
•Increased accessibility to key learning and employment opportunities in Rainford
•Facilitation of new housing development
•Facilitation of new business development
•Improved resilience of the motorway network (M6, M58, M62) in case of incidents
MEASURES
•DfT Trafficmaster journey time data
•Bespoke journey time surveys - pre and post implementation
•Cycling and pedestrian counts - pre and post implementation
•Accident data
•Number of new housing units in the surrounding area
•Sq ft of new business development in the surrounding area
•Air quality data
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2.13.5 Impact of No Change
The impact of not changing is that congestion and delays at Windle Island will continue to worsen,
impeding economic growth in St. Helens and the wider LCR. As investment sites in the City Region
continue to develop, pressure on the already overcapacity junction will increase. This is likely to lead to
longer queues, a greater risk of accidents and a reduction in the already low numbers of cyclists willing to
use the junction. In addition, without improvements to the junction, developments around the site are less
likely to go ahead compromising the ability of St. Helens Council to meet its housing and employment
goals.
Increased congestion at the junction would also have an economic impact on the wider LCR. The A580 is
a key arterial route to SuperPort; a development which is expected to rival leading international ports in
New York, Dubai and Singapore. Congestion at Windle Island could stifle the ability of the port to transport
people and goods quickly and efficiently, hindering the operations of this key LCR investment site.
2.13.6 Integrated Assurance Plan
An internal St. Helens Council Assurance Plan has been put in place to ensure the project is objectively
reviewed at key decision points. There are three key review points identified, as illustrated in Figure 2.23.
Further detail can be found in the Management Case presented in Section 6.
Figure 2.23: Assurance Review Timeline
2.14 Stakeholder Management
2.14.1 Stakeholders
Through the development of the Windle Island improvement scheme, St. Helens Council has engaged with
a number of key stakeholders, including:
Local highway authority;
Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency);
Local businesses;
The LCR LEP;
Council members; and
November 2015
August 2016
November 2017
Business Case Review Pre-Implementation Review Operational Benefits Review
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Freight transport associations.
Figure 2.24 identifies the level of influence exerted by each of the key stakeholders and their interest in the
scheme. Overall, there is there is strong support for this scheme to address congestion and support
economic growth in the LCR. Further details about stakeholder management can be found in the
Management Case.
Figure 2.24: Stakeholder impact/influence
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2.14.2 Internal or External Business Drivers
There are a number of influential internal and external business drivers that are helping this scheme to
progress, many of which have been covered in other sections of this Strategic Case. A summary is
provided in Table 2.22.
Table 2.22: Internal & External Drivers for Windle Island Investment
Internal Drivers (to SHMBC) External Drivers
High levels of congestion and queuing Significant investment across the LCR, including SuperPort, 3MG, Mersey Gateway and Liverpool2
Windle Island identified as the ‘missing piece of the jigsaw’ in creating a strategic route to SuperPort
Identification of Windle Island as a pinchpoint on the key arterial route to SuperPort
Need to support economic growth and new employment opportunities in the borough
LCR objective to create a freight and logistics hub that relies on moving goods and people efficiently
Need for new housing developments in the borough The need to ensure that the LCR captures as much growth potential as possible and does not lose out to other
areas
Need to remove the barrier to pedestrian and cyclist movement through the junction to encourage sustainable travel
2.14.3 Synergy
Improvements to Windle Island will complement a number of other major transport and regeneration
schemes underway or recently completed in the LCR, as detailed in Table 2.23.
Table 2.23: Synergy with other Major Schemes
Scheme Description Benefits Synergy
M6 J23 Upgrade of junction to allow greater volumes of through traffic, allowing right turns from the A49 onto the central carriageway and improvements for cyclists
Increased junction capacity
Improved journey times
Improvements to Windle Island will support this scheme in providing better traffic flow on the A580. Windle Island also acts as a TDR when a major incident occurs on the M58/M6/M62
KIP Regeneration Programme
Physical infrastructure improvements to enhance KIP, to increase the attractiveness of the area as desirable business location.
Increased accessibility to the Park
Enhanced environment and appearance
Improve quality of Park as business location
Creation of growth and employment opportunities for residents
Improvements to Windle Island will support the regeneration of KIP by strengthening the strategic corridor to SuperPort and improving the potential for investment along this route.
A570 Linkway Capacity improvements to Alleviates existing capacity Improvements to Windle
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Scheme Description Benefits Synergy
two roundabouts and lighting, signage and visibility improvements to the linkway to support future development and investment in St. Helens
issues
Improve resilience of the junction
Increases access for pedestrians and cyclists
Improves access to St. Helens town centre
Island will improve access to St. Helens town centre from the north of the borough while improvements to the A570 Linkway will improve access to the town centre from the south. Together they will radically improve access to this key location and encourage redevelopment.
M6 Smart Motorways The North West of England will benefit from 9 new road schemes worth around £800 million, including:
M6 junction 21a to junction 26 upgrading to smart motorway including hard shoulder running which will link to the smart motorway scheme on the M62 junctions 10 to 12 to the east.
Better manage the flow of traffic
Improve motorway safety
Improve journey times
The M6 Smart Motorway and Windle Island improvements will make journeys through St. Helens road network more reliable by improving capacity and reducing journey times.
2.15 Conclusions
In summary, the Strategic Case highlights the following:
The Windle Island improvements scheme will address congestion, road safety and air
quality issues to benefit residents in St. Helens and the wider LCR;
The scheme will provide opportunities for new housing and employment sites to meet the
needs of local residents;
The scheme will support growth at key growth sites in the City Region such as KIP, 3MG
and SuperPort through facilitating improved access and improved journey time reliability;
The scheme supports the three themes of the LCR Growth Plan; Business, People and
Place;
The scheme has a BCR of 6.24 which represents Very High VfM;
The net additional benefits equate to a total of 78 jobs and £4m of GVA per annum.
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3.1 Overview
Mott MacDonald has undertaken analysis of transport economic benefits for transport improvements at the
A570/A580 junction (otherwise called Windle Island) in St. Helens as part of St. Helen’s Windle Island
Major Scheme Business Case. The economic appraisal uses the Department for Transport’s (DfT) TUBA
(Transport Users Benefit Appraisal) software which carries out economic appraisal in accordance with
published DfT guidance. The appraisal is based on data from the Liverpool City Region Transport Model
(LCRTM) and travel cost changes implied by the proposed improvements to the A570/A580 junction.
3.2 Introduction
An economic appraisal has been carried out for transport improvements at Windle Island as part of the St.
Helen’s Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case. The Windle Island scheme improves the junction
intersection between the A580 and the A570.
The intersection impacts on both local and strategic movements being located central to the M57, M58, M6
and M62, providing a critical link throughout the City Region. The A580 and A570 provide access to key
employment areas and development sites such as St. Helens, the A570 corridor, Rainford Industrial
Estate, Parkside, Haydock Industrial Estate, Lea Green Industrial Estate, Ravenhead Retail Park and KIP.
The transport modelling and appraisal carried out for Windle Island captures both local and strategic
impacts of the scheme. The key transport objectives of the scheme are to:
Address current and future congestion;
Improve road safety at the junction and approaches;
Provide a TDR (for strategic trips) and
Improve the infrastructure condition of the junction.
The modelling and economic appraisal presented in this report captures the first three of these objectives
and quantifies them in monetary terms.
The economic appraisal focuses on the preferred option for Windle Island which includes the features
indicated in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1: Preferred Option Features
Improvement Description
Pedestrian crossing Provides controlled pedestrian crossings on all arms of the intersection
Refuges Widens existing pedestrian crossing refuges at the Windle Island and A570/Bleak Hill Road junctions
Right-turn flare Widens the A580 East arm to allow the provision of an additional right turn flare on the A580 westbound
carriageway
Left-turn flare Widens the A570 North arm to allow the provision of an additional left turn flare on the A570 southbound
3 The Economic Case
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Improvement Description
carriageway
Right-turn flare extension Lengthens the existing right turn flare on the A580 West arm
Central reserve widening Widens the central reserve along the A580 through the intersection to allow the provision of a vehicle restraint
barrier
Right turn segregation Segregates the existing right turn from the A570 South arm to the A580 East arm
Intelligent transport Upgrades the existing intelligent transport facilities to include increased CCTV coverage and variable message
signs.
The next sections discuss the following elements of the modelling and economic case development:
Methodology;
Assumptions;
Transport Economic Efficiency;
Safety Benefits;
Environmental and Social Impacts;
Wider Economic Benefits;
Appraisal Summary Table (AST); and
Value for Money (VfM) Statement.
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Figure 3.1: Preferred Option – Windle Island
3.3 Methodology
The economic appraisal has been carried out in line with DfT guidance with a number of relevant
simplifying assumptions adopted specifically to produce a robust VfM assessment for the Windle Island
scheme and that are consistent with local evidence. Much use is made of modelling evidence and outputs
from LCRTM which has been used for several DfT-funded projects within Merseyside.
The appraisal has also employed OWeL (Operating WITA Extended Locally) - a toolkit that is compatible
with LCRTM and that enables wider economic benefits and impacts of multi-modal transport interventions
to be quantified. It produces Merseyside wider economic benefits that are largely calculated by the DfT’s
WITA software (which is based on WebTAG A2.1).
The economic benefits calculated for the scheme include:
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Transport economic benefits (WebTAG A1). The transport economic appraisal has been undertaken
using TUBA which carries out economic appraisal in accordance with published DfT guidance. This is
based on trip and cost matrices from LCRTM and travel cost changes implied by the proposed
schemes.
Wider economic benefits (using OWeL). This follows WebTAG methodology (WebTAG unit A2.1)
and only captures impacts that are not already included in the conventional user benefit calculations
from TUBA. These include agglomeration; increased/decreased output in imperfectly competitive
markets; and labour market impacts. However, the wider economic benefits calculated here do not
include new jobs or changes in GVA which are part of separate analysis.
Journey reliability benefits (WebTAG A1). The estimate of journey time reliability benefits is made to
satisfy the ‘Reliable journeys’ sub-objectives within the ‘Economy’ section of scheme appraisal. The
calculations assume that the model area is dominated by urban regions and therefore uses the urban
journey time reliability calculations that are set out in the TAG unit.
Accident benefits. Estimation of accident benefits has been carried out using COBALT, the DfT’s tool
for accident appraisal.
Reliability benefits, accident benefits and wider economic benefits are included in the calculation of the
adjusted BCR as suggested by DfT guidance4. Other components of the benefits of the schemes are
described qualitatively in the Appraisal Summary Table.
The Economic Appraisal Report (EAR) is included as Appendix C.
3.4 Assumptions
In order to arrive at the economic benefits summarised in Table 3.4 a number of modelling and appraisal
assumptions have been adopted. The standard WebTAG appraisal forms the basis of the approach with
specific assumptions and simplifications made to allow best use of available local modelling data and
perceived nature of the schemes and longevity of their impacts.
3.4.1 Appraisal Period
The Windle Island scheme includes some road junction changes that have impacts on both local and
strategic traffic movements. On this basis, although the total scheme costs do not exceed £5m, the
WebTAG recommended appraisal period of 60 years has been adopted.
3.4.2 Modelled Years
The scheme is due for implementation during the period 2015-2017. In order to be proportionate in the
modelling effort for the appraisal, the economic assessment has been based on traffic modelling for 2020
4 Value for Money Assessment: Advice Note for Local Transport Decision Makers, Department for Transport. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/267296/vfm-advice-local-decision-makers.pdf
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and 2030 where data is readily available for LCRTM. These results are then interpolated and extrapolated
accordingly (in the modelling and appraisal tools) to obtain economic benefits for all other years, which are
then discounted to 2010 prices.
3.4.3 Model Inputs
LCRTM is a strategic transport model and as such does not contain detailed junction modelling.
Therefore, this scheme is represented through the transfer of time savings calculated in LinSig junction
models to the junction approach links in LCRTM. Table 3.2 presents the time savings input to LCRTM.
Table 3.2: Time Savings
AM PM
Do Minimum
Delay Do Something
Delay Factor Do Minimum
Delay Do Something
Delay Factor
A580 West 93 55 0.59 155 79 0.51
A580 East 166 114 0.69 125 72 0.57
A570 South 119 106 0.89 120 92 0.77
A570 North 156 85 0.54 146 54 0.37
3.4.4 Annualisation
Annualisation factors convert benefits calculated for each day into totals for the full year. To achieve this,
annualisation factors developed for LCRTM have been adopted. These factors have been used and
accepted by the DfT on funding application projects such as the Merseyside Local Sustainable Transport
Fund (LSTF), Local Pinch Point applications and the Better Bus Fund application. The annualisation
factors are robust and suitable for the current appraisals. Table 3.3 outlines the annualisation factors.
Table 3.3: Annualisation Factors
Time Period Factor
AM (0800-0900) 637
IP (average hour 1000-1600) 1518
PM (1700-1800) 675
3.4.5 Traffic Growth
Traffic growth in LCRTM from the 2012 base year to the 2020 and 2030 forecast years is estimated using
local housing and employment projections, but with an overall constraint on trip numbers to match those
forecasted in Version 6.2 of National Trip End Model Forecasts (NTEM). This method of producing forecast
trip matrices is in accordance with DfT guidance on forecasting and uncertainty, as set out in WebTAG Unit
M4.
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3.5 The Transport Economic Appraisal
The economic appraisal has been carried out in line with DfT guidance with a number of relevant
simplifying assumptions adopted in order to produce a robust VfM assessment and maximise use of
available modelling evidence. As indicated above, TUBA has been used to calculate the main economic
benefits. Wider economic benefits have been calculated using the DfT’s WITA software and Merseyside’s
OWeL dataset. Both analyses use transport modelling results from LCRTM that reflect delay and traffic
reassignment impacts of the Windle Island scheme.
The table below presents the initial BCR calculated from the main economic benefits of the Windle Island
scheme. In line with the appraisal guidance, a modified BCR has been calculated by including quantifiable
wider economic benefits and journey reliability benefits that arise from the transport interventions. Table
3.4 below summarises the BCR calculations.
Table 3.4: Appraisal Summary (in 2010 prices if not stated)
Initial BCR (£000s) Modified BCR (£000s)
Scheme Costs in 2014 prices £3,503 £3,503
Scheme Costs including optimism bias of 15% in 2014 prices
£4,029 £4,029
(All entries below are present values discounted to 2010, in 2010 prices)
Scheme Costs (including optimism bias of 15%)
£3,853 £3,853
Main Transport Economic Benefits £20,130 £20,130
Wider Economic Benefits (Agglomeration and Welfare Benefits)
£2,391
Reliability Benefits £728
Accident Benefits £1,091
Present Value of Costs (PVC) £3,902 £3,902
Present Value of Benefits (PVB) £20,130 £24,340
Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) 5.16 6.24
Table 3.4 shows that the Windle Island scheme is forecast to deliver a present value of main transport
economic benefits (PVB) of £20.1m over a standard appraisal period of 60 years. When the PVB is taken
together with the present value of scheme costs (PVC) of £3.9m the initial BCR is calculated as 5.16.
According to DfT guidance, the BCR of 5.16 represents Very High VfM.
The Windle Island scheme produces changes in travel costs that, in turn, produce wider economic
benefits, of which agglomeration and welfare benefits have been calculated. Journey time reliability
benefits have also been calculated and included in the calculation of the modified BCR:
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Journey time reliability benefits – this accounts for an additional £0.7m which is equivalent to 3.6% of
the main TUBA-based economic benefits.
Wider economic benefits (which are predominantly agglomeration benefits) account for £2.4m which is
equivalent to 11.8% of the main TUBA-based economic benefits. This uses OWeL economic dataset in
the calculations.
Accident benefits account for £1.091m which is equivalent to 5.4% of the main TUBA based benefits.
Therefore, the modified BCR is more indicative of the quantifiable economic benefits of the package of
schemes for Windle Island scheme. This is calculated as 6.24 and represents Very High VfM.
3.6 Transport Economic Efficiency
The completed Transport Economic Efficiency (TEE) table is included in Appendix E. Transport modelling
has shown that the junction improvements of the Windle Island scheme produce significant delay and
journey time reductions for traffic. The TEE table reflects this and shows that the transport interventions
result in significant benefits for all road users but mostly longer distance trips.
The overall Present Value of Transport Economic Efficiency Benefits is £20.9m (2010 prices, discounted to
2010). This is shown in Appendix E.
3.7 Public Accounts Impacts
The impact on Public Accounts for the full Windle Island scheme costs as set out in the Public Accounts
table is a cost to Public Accounts of £3.9m. As a result of reductions in travel costs for drivers as a result of
the scheme improvements, there is also a loss of £0.9m in Indirect Tax Cost for central government.
This is shown in Appendix J.
3.8 Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits
The Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB) table is provided in Appendix I. It shows an overall
scheme cost of £3.9m against an overall Present Value of Benefits (PVB) of £20.1m having allowed for
impacts of indirect taxation on the economy and greenhouse gases.
This gives an initial BCR of 5.16 before wider economic impacts implied by the journey time changes are
included.
3.9 Safety Benefits
The appraisal of accidents was carried out using the DfT's new COBALT accident appraisal tool, initially
released in 2013 to replace the accident appraisal function of COBA. COBALT produces an appraisal of
accidents in accordance with WebTAG Unit A4.1 on Social Impact Appraisal.
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COBALT was run with links and junctions combined using the default set of accident rates specified in the
standard COBALT parameters file which are taken from the WebTAG Databook.
It was found that the total level of benefits for the 60 year appraisal period (2016-2075) was £1.091m (2010
prices, discounted to 2010). The accident benefits are the result of the redistribution of traffic flows
following the implementation of the scheme and are outlined in Table 3.5.
Table 3.5 shows that over a 60 year period, the accident benefits will be over £1m which is 5% of the main
transport economic benefit.
Table 3.5: Accident Benefits (National values)
Accident Benefits Costs £000s Number of Accidents
With-Out Scheme Accidents 18,086,824 147,118
With Scheme Accidents 18,085,733 147,108
Accident Benefits (60 year period) 1,091 10.4
Source: COBALT
All entries are present values discounted to 2010, in 2010 prices
3.10 Environmental Impacts
3.10.1 TUBA Output
Greenhouse gas emissions have been calculated using TUBA (see output in Economic Appraisal Report in
Appendix C). This shows a small beneficial impact in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and
yields economic benefits of £0.1m over the 60 year appraisal period. The scheme is practically neutral on
greenhouse gas emissions.
3.10.2 Environment Impact Assessment
The environmental impacts of the proposed scheme have been assessed in an Environmental Appraisal
included in Appendix G. It is anticipated that the proposed works will have:
A positive impact on air quality (local) and greenhouse gases through reduced congestion and
improved traffic flow through Windle Island;
A neutral impact on noise, air quality (regional), landscape and biodiversity; and
A slightly adverse impact on the historic environment.
The scheme is expected to reduce the overall energy consumption (in the form of fuel and electricity) of
vehicles using the junction. Over the 60 year impact period, total untraded savings of 2,188 tonnes of
carbon dioxide (tCO2) are expected, with an additional 7 tCO2 traded. This is compared to the without-
scheme scenario. Likewise, the proposed scheme will result in changes to vehicle flows and speed thereby
improving local air quality due to less idling vehicles and less very low speed traffic.
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Noise, air quality (regional), landscape and biodiversity impacts are expected to be neutral:
It is not anticipated that there will be any significant impacts of the scheme on noise assuming
appropriate noise mitigation measures are put into place.
It is not anticipated that there will be a significant change to emissions of regional air pollutants as a
result of the scheme.
Assuming appropriate mitigation is put into place, it is anticipated that there will be a neutral effect on
landscape.
An assessment of biodiversity shows that as long as the works occur outside of March – August (more
than five metres away from the hedgerow) or by a suitably qualified ecologist undertaking nesting bird
checks between March and August there will be no negative impacts.
The proposed scheme may have some slightly adverse impacts on the historic environment. The proposed
highway improvements have the potential to impact on unknown buried archaeological remains within the
footprint of the proposed development area. It is possible that medieval remains associated with the
Windleshaw Abbey may extend north and into the development area. Impacts to buried archaeological
remains are likely to occur during re-grading or excavation of ground to provide new highway or to extend
the existing highway. Where archaeological remains may be lost as a result of the scheme, an appropriate
programme of archaeological investigation should be implemented prior to, or during construction. The
level of investigation will be proportionate to the significance of the remains likely to be affected and the
level of impact.
Townscape and water environment were scoped out of the environmental appraisal due to the site setting
and distance from these features.
3.11 Social and Distributional Impacts
3.11.1 Social Impact Appraisal Summary
As part of WebTAG social impacts of the scheme are covered by guidance within Unit 4.1. This outlines
the requirements for a social impact appraisal which covers the human experience of the transport system
and its impact on social factors and is additional to those considered within the economic and
environmental impact areas of WebTAG. Each social impact is assessed as part of the appraisal and an
assessment entered into the Appraisal Summary Table (AST). The eight social impacts are:
Accidents;
Physical Activity;
Security;
Severance;
Journey Quality;
Option and Non-Use Values;
Accessibility; and
Personal Affordability.
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The appraisal in Appendix P has utilised the methods prescribed in WebTAG Unit 4.1 to determine any
beneficial or adverse impacts of the preferred scheme option. The assessments are mainly based on the
analysis of qualitative data as only a small amount of quantifiable data is available.
The appraisal has assigned an assessment score on a seven point scale of beneficial, neutral and adverse
for each impact area, which can be seen in Table 3.6 below. It is assessed that the scheme will have the
greatest positive impact on accidents, severance and journey quality. As stated, the junction is classed as
a ‘high risk site’, and improving safety for motorists and pedestrians is a key consideration in the preferred
option. The improvements at the junction will help to remove a major severance point for pedestrians and
cyclists, as currently the junction has no controlled pedestrian or cyclist crossings. Finally, journey quality
for motorists should improve as a result of the decreased congestion and improved Intelligent Transport
Systems.
Table 3.6: Social Impact Appraisal Summary
Impact Area Score
Accidents Moderate beneficial
Physical activity 0 Neutral (scoped out)
Security 0 Neutral (scoped out)
Severance Moderate beneficial
Journey quality Slight beneficial
Option and non-use values 0 Neutral (scoped out)
Accessibility 0 Neutral (scoped out)
Personal affordability 0 Neutral (scoped out)
Table 3.6 shows that the proposed scheme will deliver a broadly positive benefit. At present, no adverse
impacts are expected to result from the scheme.
3.11.2 Distributional Impact Appraisal Summary
Distributional Impacts (DIs) consider the variance of the scheme’s impact across different social groups.
The Distributional Impact Appraisal for the scheme is underway and the work already undertaken can be
seen in Appendix Q. Both beneficial and / or adverse DIs of the various proposed interventions will be
considered, along with the identification of social groups likely to be affected. These indicators are: user
benefits, noise, air quality, accidents, security, severance, accessibility and personal affordability.
Step 1 of the process involved an initial screening stage to determine whether each indicator needed to be
appraised further. It was concluded that the full assessment of DIs should be considered further for all
indicators with the exception of security, accessibility and personal affordability.
Step 2A of the DI appraisal determined the affected areas for each indicator. For the purposes of this
study, two separate areas were determined for the mapping of the socio-demographic groups. The
principal affected area consisted of the LCR as the scheme forms part of a series of projects aiming to re-
generate the City Region and support growth. A second study area was created to more accurately portray
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the effects of Air Quality and Noise impacts in the vicinity of the junction. This was set to 1km around the
scheme boundary with an inner study area of 250m to align with the environmental appraisal.
Step 2B mapped the social groups identified in WebTAG for each indicator at the appropriate study area
level. The assessment indicated that Windle Island is located in an area of low income deprivation when
compared to the greater LCR. Approximately 37% of the impact area population is located in the lowest
income quintile, broadly in line with the St. Helens District average of 35%, but significantly higher than the
national average figure of 20% (which accounts for 20% of LSOAs and not the national population).
However, the proportion of households with no access to a car (14%) in the impact area is considerably
lower than both district and national figures (27% and 26% respectively). Step 2C identified which trip
attractors / amenities are located within the noise and air quality impact areas.
Step 3 appraised the results and provided an assessment of the impacts of the intervention. The summary
table provided an overview of the social group proportions in each impact area, and also displayed the
district and national averages. Table 3.7 shows the results of the appraisal. Moderate beneficial impacts
are expected for user benefits, air quality, accidents and severance, with neutral impacts on noise.
Table 3.7: Distributional Impact Appraisal Summary
Impact area Score
User benefits Moderate beneficial
Noise Neutral
Air quality Moderate beneficial
Accidents Moderate beneficial
Severance Moderate beneficial
3.12 Wider Economic Benefits
Wider economic benefits presented in this section have been calculated following WebTAG methodology
(WebTAG Unit A2.1) and capture impacts that are not already included in the conventional user benefit
calculations from TUBA. These include:
Agglomeration;
Increased/decreased output in imperfectly competitive markets; and
Labour market impacts.
However the wider economic benefits outlined in Table 3.8 do not include new jobs or changes in GVA
which form part of separate analysis.
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Table 3.8: Wider Economic Benefits
SUMMARY OF WIDER IMPACTS - £000s
All entries are in thousands of pounds discounted to 2010 in 2010 Prices
Impacts for Each Modelled Year
Appraisal Period: 2016 to 2076 Year 2020 Year 2030 Full Appraisal Period
Agglomeration
Agglomeration – manufacturing 3 1 58
Agglomeration – construction 3 1 57
Agglomeration - consumer services 13 3 241
Agglomeration - producer services 40 7 702
Agglomeration – Total 59 12 1,059
Labour supply impact 23 8 456
Increased output in imperfectly competitive market 876
The move to more/less productive jobs 0
Total 82 19 2,391
3.13 Reliability Benefits
Journey time reliability benefits arise from more predictable journey times that arise from decongestion
impacts of the scheme. Reliability benefits have been calculated as £0.7m.
Table 3.9: Reliability Benefits
Reliability Benefits £000s
Journey Time Variability Benefits 2020 4.6
Journey Time Variability Benefits 2030 15.7
Journey Time Variability Benefits (60 year period) 728
All entries are present values discounted to 2010, in 2010 prices
3.14 Appraisal Summary Table
The Appraisal Summary Table (AST) presents evidence from the analysis that is undertaken to inform the
Economic Case of the intervention. This is given in Appendix H and shows that the scheme provides the
following impacts:
Table 3.10: Estimated Impacts of the Scheme in the AST
Impacts Sub-Impacts Estimated Impact
Economy Business users & transport providers High
Reliability impact on Business users Low
Regeneration N/A
Wider Impacts Low
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Impacts Sub-Impacts Estimated Impact
Environmental Noise N/A
Air Quality N/A
Greenhouse gases Low
Landscape N/A
Townscape N/A
Heritage of Historic resources N/A
Biodiversity N/A
Water Environment N/A
Social Commuting and Other users High
Reliability impact on Commuting and Other users
Low
Physical activity N/A
Journey quality N/A
Accidents Low
Security N/A
Access to services N/A
Affordability N/A
Severance N/A
Option values N/A
Public Accounts Cost to Broad Transport Budget Low
Indirect Tax Revenues Low
A full description of the levels of benefit is given in the AST presented in Appendix H.
3.15 Value for Money Statement
The completed Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB) table is included in Appendix I. This,
together with the Appraisal Summary Table, forms the basis for the VfM statement. Economic benefits for
Windle Island Scheme have been calculated based on preferred options for the package of interventions.
The analysis provides an indication of likely economic benefits and BCRs for the package of schemes
using TUBA and other DfT methodologies.
The calculation of the initial and modified BCR values is given in Table 3.11. The monetised economic
benefits (based on transport modelling outcomes) show that the scheme produces an overall BCR of 6.24
from Present Value of Benefits of £24.3m and a cost to Public Accounts of £3.9m (discounted to 2010).
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Table 3.11: Summary of BCRs for VfM
Initial BCR (£000s) Modified BCR (£000s)
Scheme Costs in 2014 prices 3,503 3,503
Scheme Costs including optimism bias of 15% in 2014 prices
4,029 4,029
(All entries below are present values discounted to 2010, in 2010 prices)
Scheme Costs (including optimism bias of 15%)
3,853 3,853
Main Transport Economic Benefits 20,130 20,130
Wider Economic Benefits (Agglomeration and Welfare Benefits)
2,391
Reliability Benefits 728
Accident Benefits 1,091
Present Value of Costs (PVC) 3,902 3,902
Present Value of Benefits (PVB) 20,130 24,340
Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) 5.16 6.24
According to DfT guidance and criteria5, the modified BCR of 6.24 for the Windle Island scheme represents
Very High VfM. The initial BCR calculated based on TUBA outputs alone also yields Very High Value for
Money.
This assessment has been based mainly on
Journey time benefits;
Wider economic benefits;
Accident Benefits; and
Reliability Benefits.
It can be concluded, therefore, that the quantifiable elements of the benefits for Windle Island interventions
produce a strong VfM. Consideration of the qualitative benefits further strengthen the economic case. The
qualitative benefits are set out in the Appraisal Summary Table as well as the AMCB and TEE tables that
are provided in the Appendices.
5 Value for Money Assessment: Advice Note for Local Transport Decision Makers, Department for Transport
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/267296/vfm-advice-local-decision-makers.pdf
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3.16 Conclusion
In summary, the economic case highlights the following:
The scheme presents Very High VfM with a modified BCR of 6.24;
The scheme will deliver a Present Value of Benefits of £24.3m;
The scheme is unlikely to cause any negative Social or Distributional impacts.
The scheme is expected to have a positive impact on air quality and greenhouse gases.
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4.1 Introduction
The Financial Case concentrates on the affordability of the proposal, its funding arrangements and
technical accounting issues. The Financial Case is discussed under the following headings:
Methodology;
Assumptions;
Base Costs;
Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA);
Optimism Bias;
Scheme Costs Adjusted for Risk and Optimism Bias;
Preferred Funding Arrangements;
Alternative Funding Arrangements; and
Conclusion.
4.2 Methodology
The overall estimated base cost for the Windle Island scheme is £3.503m. Scheme costs have been
developed based upon the design as detailed in Appendix B (Scheme Drawing) and Appendix K (Cost
Estimate).
The scheme cost is considered proportionate and affordable to the scale of the problem identified in the
Strategic Case and the predicted benefits of the scheme assessed in the Economic Case. The Options
Appraisal Report (OAR) presented in Appendix A gives adequate consideration to lower cost options which
have been discounted.
4.3 Assumptions
Key assumptions made with regards to deriving scheme costs include:
Construction will begin in September 2016 and be completed in September 2017; and
An opening year of 2017.
4.4 Base Scheme Costs
Table 4.1: Base Scheme Costs
Cost Type Breakdown Estimated Costs
Measured Works 200: Site Clearance £17,798
400: Road Restraint System £78,938
500: Drainage and Service Ducts £49,572
600: Earthworks £97,700
700: Pavements £298,336
1100: Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas £142,168
1200: Traffic Signs and Road Markings £39,886
4 The Financial Case
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Cost Type Breakdown Estimated Costs
1300: Road Lighting Columns etc. £63,025
1400: Electrical Work for Road Lighting etc. £232,698
Sections Total £1,020,121
Spon's cost @ 2012 plus 5% to bring up to 2014 £51,006
Sub Total 1 £1,071,128
Allowances CCTV £50,000
Traffic Signals £250,000
Traffic Management £225,000
Sub Total 2 £525,000
Utilities BT (C3 Works Estimate) £183,666
BT (C4 Estimate Cost of provision) £3,479
NG Gas (Med Pressure C3 Works Estimate) £380,000
NG Gas (HP Protection Works allowance) £100,000
NG Gas (C4 Estimate provision allowance) £5,000
SP Energy (C3 Works Estimate) £128,639
SP Energy (C4 Estimate provision allowance) £4,000
Vodafone (C3 Works Estimate) £173,362
Vodafone (C4 Estimate cost of provision) £4,000
Virgin Media (C3 Works allowance) £100,000
Sub-Total 3 £1,082,145
Add-ons Preliminaries 15% £401,741
Design 8% £214,262
Client Costs 5% £133,914
Supervision allowance £75,000
Sub-Total 4 £824,916
Scheme Total TOTAL £3,503,189
All land in question is within St. Helens Council ownership.
4.4.1 Maintenance Costs
Table 4.2: Annual Maintenance Costs
Item Cost
Lighting barriers £3,000
Annual maintenance UTC £12,000
Grass cutting £1,500
Weed spray £1,500
Cleansing and winter maintenance £10,500
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Item Cost
Energy for street lighting £1,500
Total £30,000
4.5 Quantified Risk Assessment
A Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) is included in Appendix N. The QRA uses a Monte Carlo simulation,
which takes the probability based risk register as an input and samples in a random fashion to produce a
number of iterations, and the costs associated with them. The QRA suggests that in 50% of cases (P50)
the costs associated with risk will not exceed £544,166.
Table 4.3 summarises the top three risk components. All three risks have a low likelihood of occurring
following mitigation; however the impact if the risk were to occur would still be low or medium. Mitigation
measures will continue through further scheme development and implementation to manage the likelihood
of the risk occurring.
Table 4.3: Quantified Risk Assessment (Summary)
Key Risk Components Likelihood Impact on Cost Mitigation Measures
Procurement of services may not be successful or may be delayed or challenged.
Low £500,000 to £750,000
Due diligence during appointment process.
Poor contractor performance and/or contractor becomes insolvent within the contract period.
Very low £500,000 to £750,000
Due diligence during the procurement process.
Increase in scheme costs e.g. cost of materials and infrastructure.
Low £200,000 to £500,000
The Project Board will monitor cost and delivery throughout the project.
Likelihood / Impact on Cost
High
Medium
Low
4.6 Optimism Bias
Optimism bias is defined as the historic tendency to underestimate scheme costs. Further to this, TAG Unit
A1.2 provides differing rates of optimism bias according to which stage of development the project is at.
This decreases as the project progresses towards completion.
The Windle Island scheme has gained conditional approval and delivery of the scheme is expected to start
within the next two years. Therefore, the level optimism bias has been based on Optimism Bias Stage 2
which recommends a 15% uplift for road schemes.
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4.7 Scheme Costs Adjusted for Risk and Optimism Bias
Table 4.4: Scheme Costs Adjusted for Risk and Optimism Bias
Category Estimated Cost
Base cost £3,503,189
Risk allowance 40% of the 50%ile base cost * £217,667
Optimism bias 15% (of base + risk) £558,128
Scheme Total £4,278,984
*Please note the scheme involves the upgrading of an existing junction within the existing highway
boundary with no planning or land purchase necessary. Therefore based on experience and the nature of
the scheme a 50%ile QRA risk allowance of £544,167 is considered very high and a reduction has been
applied.
4.8 Preferred Funding Arrangements
Table 4.5 sets out the level of funding sought and the level of local contribution being made by St. Helens
Council. A signed letter from St. Helens Council’s Section 151 Officer is included at Appendix L.
Table 4.5: Cost Profile
£m 2016/17 2017/18 Total
Major scheme funding required £3,080,868 770,217 3,851,086
Local contribution 342,319 85,580 427,898
Annual Totals 3,423,187 855,797 4,278,984
4.9 Alternative Funding Arrangements
No alternative funding arrangements have been identified. Without Local Growth Funding the scheme will
not go ahead.
4.10 Conclusion
In summary, the financial case highlights the following:
Overall costs for the scheme are estimated at £4,278,984 including allowances for risk and
optimism bias;
This includes a local contribution of £427,898;
The scheme cost is considered proportionate and affordable; and
Any additional costs will be underwritten by St. Helens Council.
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5.1 Introduction
This Commercial Case provides evidence on the commercial viability of the scheme proposals and sets
out the procurement strategy that will be used to engage the market. It presents evidence on risk allocation
and transfer, contract timescales and implementation timescale as well as details of the capability and
skills of the team delivering the project.
The Commercial Case is discussed under the following headings:
Procurement Method;
Payment Mechanisms;
Pricing Framework and Charging Mechanisms;
Contract Length;
Contract Management;
Programme Implications and Risk; and
Conclusion.
5.2 Procurement Method
The scheme will be procured using Early Contractor Involvement. The key stage using this method will be
initial discussions with a select list of contractors. A target price contract will then be issued to potential
contractors. This method has been chosen due to successful previous experience. This method is low risk;
therefore it is used extensively on highways schemes. Payment and contract length arrangements will be
set in the tender document as per the JCT contract. The use of the JCT contract will be managed by the
Council Project Manager and Project Delivery Group.
5.2.1 Alternative Options
The alternative option that was considered and discounted is set out in Table 5.1.
Table 5.1: Alternative Procurement Options
Option Advantages Why Discounted
Use of a PQQ to produce a framework of contractors enabling works to be tendered by those contractors either individually or as a package.
Provides the opportunity to spread works across a number of contractors; for instance if specific contractors are best suited to particular elements of the works or if resource limitations would reduce deliverability of the works as one.
The extent of the package of works is deemed unlikely to stretch contractor resource limitations.
For the purposes of coordination of schemes and traffic management a single contractor is preferable.
Efficiency savings can be made.
5.3 Payment Mechanisms
The contract will take the form of a target price contract whereby the target is fixed at the outset to ensure
that costs do not escalate significantly. The target can be adjusted to take account of any employer
5 The Commercial Case
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changes and other price risks under the terms of the contract. This method gives St. Helens Council
certainty about the maximum amount that it will pay, but still shares the risks and benefits fairly.
5.4 Pricing Framework and Charging Mechanisms
The contract will include a gain share/pain share incentive mechanism, fixed at the outset, to ensure that
costs are kept to a minimum and benefits are shared equally. The actual costs will be compared with the
target cost and savings or over expenditure will be shared between the Council and the contractor as
initially agreed.
A target price contract encourages an honest working relationship between the two parties, and provides
benefits to both. The contract provides costs savings to the Council and encourages issues and risks to be
identified early and managed efficiently. The gain share for the contractor will be capped at 5%.
The schemes will be offered as a package to incentivise contractors.
5.5 Contract Length
It is anticipated that the contract will run for a period of 17 months from award; May 2016 through to September 2017.
The following contractual clauses should be noted:
A retention sum of the project will be kept for 12 months and paid to the contractor during September
2018; and
Construction will be programmed to avoid heavy traffic periods (e.g. Christmas) and thus construction
work and traffic management may be suspended during established demand periods.
5.6 Contract Management
It is anticipated that the contract will be managed by the Asset Management Section of St. Helens Council.
The financial management of the contract will be managed by external cost consultants.
Procurement of the contract will be management by Environmental Protection Engineering staff in liaison
with St. Helens Council Procurement and Audit Sections.
5.7 Programme Implication and Risk
5.7.1 Procurement Timeline
Discussion with select list of contractors – December 2015
Issue tender documents – February/March 2016
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Award of contract – May 2016
Approval of detailed design – August 2016
Commence works – September 2016
5.7.2 Contract Risk Management
A scheme delivery risk workshop was undertaken with St. Helens Council Officers in September 2014 to
identify risks and mitigations and assess the likely level of impact in terms of both time and cost. The
outputs of the workshop can be found in Appendix N. These formed the basis of the QRA undertaken and
were used to inform cost contingencies.
The use of an NEC3 contract provides for a robust Risk Management process which ensures that
construction risks are identified at the earliest opportunity and dealt with expeditiously, thus optimising key
project targets such as expenditure of project funds and impact of the project on the public.
NEC3 Option C Target Drive with Activity Schedules has been used by St. Helens Council to successfully
deliver nine lighting projects in the last 10 years.
5.8 Conclusion
In summary, the commercial case highlights the following:
Procurement for the scheme will take place from December 2015 to May 2016 using Early
Contractor Involvement;
Construction will take place between September 2016 and September 2017;
The benefit of procurement through Early Contractor Involvement is that it is lower risk
compared to alternative procurement routes.
The benefit of a target price contract is that it gives St. Helens Council certainty about the
maximum cost that it will pay, but shares the risks and benefits fairly.
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6.1 Introduction
This Management Case provides evidence of the deliverability of the scheme proposals, setting out the
governance structure, identifying key risks and how they will be managed, detailing the communications
and stakeholder management processes that will be put in place, setting out the Project Plan and providing
information on benefits realisation and assurance.
6.2 Evidence of Similar Projects
Table 6.1 provides evidence of similar schemes delivered successfully by St. Helens Council.
Table 6.1: Evidence of Similar Projects
Project Cost Delivered to Time? Delivered to Budget?
Blackbrook Bypass £7.8m Yes Yes
Highway improvements, new junction and bridge
£4m Yes Yes
Local Sustainable Transport Fund Schemes (LSTF)
£5m Yes Yes
A570 New Roundabout to serve a Regeneration Site
£2m Yes Yes
Blackbrook Bypass
The 1.3km Blackbrook by-pass was built to replace the West End Road section of the A58 through
Blackbrook.
The by-pass commences at the Ship Inn at Blackbrook and runs to the north west of West End Road
ending at the junction of the A58/A580 at Pewfall. At the Ship Inn, West End Road joins the new road at a
give-way junction. There is a spur road connecting Vicarage Road with the by-pass at a roundabout
junction, providing access to the bypass from Clipsley Lane.
The bypass reduces traffic on West End Road, substantially improving the environment and safety in
Blackbrook, improves access to St Helens for commercial traffic assisting the economic regeneration of the
town, and provides for a wide range of environmental improvements in the Stanley Bank area.
The scheme won many national awards including:
CEEQUAL Outstanding Achievement Award 2011;
CEEQUAL Whole Project Award 2008 (Excellent);
Builder Award 2007 – Public Project of the Year;
ICE North West Merit Award; and
Considerate Constructer’s Gold Award.
6 The Management Case
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Highway Improvements, New Junction and Bridge
The scheme included:
Improvements to the A570 St. Helens Linkway;
A new junction providing access to St. Helens Stadium and brownfield development site; and
A new bridge over St. Helens Linkway providing direct access from the Town Centre to the Saints
Stadium.
The scheme successfully brought regeneration to derelict areas close to the town centre.
The scheme won national awards including the Structural Steel Design Award 2013 (Commendation).
The scheme is in close proximity to the junctions which are proposed for improvement as part of the
Growth Fund Projects.
Local Sustainable Transport Fund Schemes (LSTF)
St. Helens Council successfully delivered over £5m of LSTF funded projects, including:
The construction of two footway/cycleways along the route of former railway lines between St. Helens
and Ormskirk and between St. Helens and Widnes.
The construction of a footway/cycleway alongside the Sankey Canal which will form part of a
continuous route between St. Helens and Warrington.
Cycleways/footways alongside the A580 (East Lancashire Road) which now provide an almost
continuous footway/cycleway from Wigan (at the eastern approach to the Borough) to the Knowsley
boundary on the approaches to Liverpool.
Outputs from the LSTF projects have been both varied and highly effective. Over 10.6km of new
sustainable travel routes have been constructed across the Borough, directly connecting people to key
employment sites and providing residents with sustainable access to employment and training
opportunities.
Amongst other positive outcomes, this has led to a 14% increase in cycling. In a separate scheme
delivered in partnership with other local authorities, more than 400 young unemployed people have
received travel support and advice. This has led to over 100 completing a course of training, many for the
first time, and a further 63 securing employment for over 13 weeks. Over 100 companies in the borough
are now covered by a travel plan including both small and medium enterprises. 1300 participants have
engaged with a supported cycle project; which is currently operating at capacity and is oversubscribed.
A570 New Roundabout to serve a Regeneration Site
This scheme involved a new roundabout being constructed on the A570 Linkway on the southern fringes of
St. Helens Town Centre immediately adjacent to the junction improvement cited in the Growth point
projects. The scheme included a new Toucan crossing and associated pedestrian links.
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The project provided access to a new brownfield development site consisting of a stadium and
supermarket and successfully brought regeneration to derelict areas.
6.3 Programme/Project Dependencies
At this time, it is understood that the project can be delivered independently and is not dependent on or
expected to impact upon any external projects.
6.4 Governance
6.4.1 Liverpool City Region Governance
Figure 6.1 and Table 6.2 present an overview of strategic transport governance in the LCR, including
membership, roles and responsibilities.
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Figure 6.1: LCR Strategic Transport Governance
LCR Combined Authority LCR Local Authority Leaders
Elected Mayor of Liverpool
Chair of LCR LEP
Merseytravel Committee Elected Councillors from each of the
LCR LAs
Delivery Agents LAs
Merseytravel
Other agencies
LCR Transport Delivery Groups
Officers from each of the LCR LAs
Partner representatives as appropriate
LCR LEP
LCR District
Cabinets
Wider Stakeholder Group Public transport operators
Highways England
Network Rail
Other Government Agencies
Businesses
Local interest groups
Public
Transport Advisory Group (TAG)
Senior Officers from each of the LCR LAs
LEP representative
DfT representative
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Table 6.2: LCR Strategic Transport Governance – Roles & Responsibilities
Title Role Responsibilities
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCR CA)
Combined Authority for Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St. Helens, Sefton and Wirral.
Strategic decision making for economic development, transport, strategic housing and employment and skills functions for the LCR.
Merseytravel Committee CA Committee leading on transport for the LCR. Six meetings held per year. Membership formed of elected Councillors.
Provides democratic leadership on strategic transport issues and advise the CA.
Transport Advisory Group (TAG)
Transport Advisory Group meets monthly, supporting the transport agenda at a senior office level. Members include the LEP.
Provides technical advice and recommendations to the Merseytravel Committee.
Wider Stakeholder Group The wider stakeholder group is a virtual group of key LCR transport stakeholders that LCR Officers and Councillors engage as appropriate.
Provides feedback to Merseytravel Committee, TAG and LCR Delivery Groups on transport policy and projects as appropriate.
LCR Delivery Groups Various delivery groups are formed of representatives from Merseytravel and each LCR LA as well as partner organisations as appropriate.
Oversee the delivery of transport schemes and provide advice to delivery agents.
Delivery agents LCR LAs and other Delivery Partners delivering transport schemes across the LCR.
Responsible for the delivery of any agreed transport schemes.
6.4.2 St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council Governance
In order to deliver the project it is proposed a Project Board will operate to oversee and scrutinise delivery.
The Project Board will be accountable to St. Helens Cabinet Members. A Project Management Team will
be set up for delivery of the project, which will report to the Project Board and be responsible for delivery.
Figure 6.2 presents the proposed management structure, with Project Board members shown in green and
relationships with the LCR strategic transport governance shown in blue. Table 6.3 provides details on the
responsibilities of the individual Project Board members.
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Figure 6.2: Windle Island Scheme: Proposed Governance Structure (Project Board members are shown in green)
St. Helens Council
Chief Executive
Cabinet Member Environmental Protection
Cabinet Member Regeneration, Housing and Culture
Director Regeneration, Housing and Culture
Senior User Assistant Director
Regeneration Mark Dickens
Project Manager Head of Asset Management John Sheward
LCR Combined Authority
Transport Advisory Group (TAG)
Project Management Team
Senior Responsible Owner / Senior Supplier Assistant Director
Engineering Rory Lingham
Director Environmental Protection
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Table 6.3: Project Board – Roles & Responsibilities
Role Who Responsibilities Accountabilities
Senior Responsible Owner
Assistant Director (Engineering)
Project direction Monitor and control Project Plan Monitor financial expenditure Monitor and Review Project
Controls Report to Chief Executive Officer Organise / chair Project Board
Delivery of formal reports to seek appropriate Council approvals
Direct and control delivery of scheme within approved delegation
Senior Supplier Assistant Director (Engineering)
Agree objectives for supplier activities
Ensure resources available Contribute supplier opinions Brief non-technical management
on supplier aspects Manage the procurement of the
scheme
Manage resources to deliver project
Financial accountability
Senior User Head of Regeneration
Report back ERDF Represent end users Represent those interested in the
project
Ensure end users views fully represented
Report to ERDF
Project Manager Head of Asset Management
Manage delivery of the project Prepare and monitor Project Plans Give direction for work packages Manage project delivery through
project delivery team and co-ordination of meeting
Manage allocated funding Prepare and report to project
board
Report to Project Board Planning and development of
work programme Completion of work
packages to meet project timescales
Directing and co-ordination of Project Team resources
Financial accountability
The Project Board is chaired by the Senior User.
As shown in Figure 6.2, a Project Management Team will support the Project Board. This team of officers
will be responsible for the day to day delivery and management of the project and will report regularly to
the Project Board. All officers on the Project Management Team have experience in delivering transport
projects, regeneration and financial management. The composition of the Project Management Team is
shown in Table 6.4.
The Project Management Team is chaired by the Project Manager.
Table 6.4: Project Management Team – Roles & Responsibilities
Role Responsibilities
Principal Transport Officer (Development) Highway planning issues
Business Support Manager Management of Councils capital programme
Regeneration Projects Manager Claims management
Funding & Economic Intelligence Manger Application for funding, funding agreements & monitoring
Head of Traffic Traffic Management & Road Safety
Assistant Engineer Support to Project Manager
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Role Responsibilities
Principal Transport Officer (Policy) Application for funding and transport policy
Transport Planning Assistant Liaise with local businesses
Press & PR Manager Press release & PR for scheme
The Project Management Team consists of officers from the Council’s Transport Planning Policy,
Environmental Protection and Highways and Economic Development teams. The experience of these
teams in developing and implementing transport projects is outlined below.
6.4.2.1 Transport Planning Policy
The team has extensive knowledge regarding the development of transport projects within the borough,
including the development of three separate LSTF projects, which include major capital transport schemes
totalling £5m. Experience covers a variety of transport projects including public transport, walking and
cycling and minor road schemes including developing pedestrian and cycling improvements in local retail
centres. They are responsible for project managing the individual projects under STEP.
6.4.2.2 Environmental Protection - Highway Engineers
The team implements and manages development of the highway network including scheduling of
maintenance, highway improvement and safety schemes. Overseeing a range of contracts, they have
strong recent experience of operating ECI contracts on major capital schemes such as the Blackbrook
Diversion, an £8.45m road scheme completed in 2007. The team has also implemented numerous
schemes that have been funded through Merseyside EU Objective 1 funding within the borough. The team
will be responsible for the development of the ECI contract, survey work, site inspections and relevant
highway orders and approvals required for the scheme.
6.4.2.3 Economic Development Team
The role of this team would be to provide compliance and monitoring support to the project, including
providing the main liaison point with the funders. This team has long experience and skills in managing and
monitoring ERDF and other funded projects. It is currently coordinating an Interreg/ERDF project (Pure
Hubs), STEP projects, including some major capital transport schemes, and a number of employment and
skills projects.
Throughout construction the Project Board will meet every two weeks. The Project Management Team will
meet every two weeks during the construction phase. The Project Manager for the scheme will sit on both
the Project Management Team and the Project Board.
6.5 Assurance
An internal St. Helens Council assurance plan has been put in place to ensure the project is objectively
reviewed at key decision points. The aim of this process is to review the current phases of work to provide
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assurance that the project is on track and can progress successfully to the next stage. There are three key
review points identified, as illustrated in Figure 6.3. Reviews will be undertaken by a Review Team
comprising St. Helens Council Officers independent of the development and delivery of the project.
Figure 6.3: Assurance Review Timeline
The Business Case review will be held in November 2015. It will:
Confirm the Business Case now the project is fully defined;
Review detailed design;
Confirm the objectives, outputs and desired outcomes of scheme;
Ensure the proposed plan for delivery and management is robust; and
Ensure continuing support for the project within St. Helens Council.
The Pre-Implementation review will take place in August 2016. The review will:
Review the procurement process and contract in place;
Reaffirm justification for the investment;
Review project risks and contingencies;
Assess the continuity of key personnel involved; and
Ensure change control is in place.
The Operational Benefits review will take place post implementation in November 2017. Its purpose will be
to:
Confirm that the benefits set out in benefits realisation plan have been achieved;
Assess the effectiveness of the contract and contract management procedures; and
Identify any key lessons learnt.
6.6 Delivery Programme
A detailed scheme delivery programme is included in Appendix M showing key milestones, dependencies
and the critical path of the programme.
November 2015
August 2016
November 2017
Business Case Review Pre-Implementation Review Operational Benefits Review
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6.7 Risk Management
6.7.1 St. Helens MBC Risk Management Strategy
The production of a Risk Register is an integral component of the standard project management
procedures that are conducted by St. Helens Council. During the works development stage, a thorough
and detailed examination of risks will be incorporated into a contract Risk Register. This will transfer the
ownership of each risk to either the Employer or Contractor on the basis of which party is best placed to
deal with the risk should it arise.
The Project Manager will have day to day responsibility for managing risks and will escalate any issues to
the Senior Responsible Owner as indicated in Figure 6.2. The Risk Register will be reviewed regularly
throughout the detailed design, procurement, construction and indeed post-construction phases as a
standing item in progress meetings. During the procurement phase the holder (St. Helens Council or
Contractor) of any identified construction related risks will be clearly defined in the contract documentation.
This established process has led to the successful delivery by St. Helens Council of significant projects,
which include Blackbrook Diversion, a £6.9m highways scheme which was delivered through ECI to time
and budget.
SHMBC, through Section 151, will be responsible for any project overspend. Management of this risk is
greatly assisted by the NEC3 contract which will reduce the risk of overspend through early contractor
involvement and using target price with capped ‘pain and gain’.
The scheme has the support of the St. Helens Section 151 Officer (as evidenced in Appendix L), The
Council scheme of delegation, together with its finance and contract procedure rules provide relevant
officers with the authority to action and allocate resources to mitigate any risks arising.
6.7.2 Risk Assessment
A scheme delivery risk workshop was undertaken with St. Helens Council Officers in September 2014 to
identify risks and mitigations and assess the likely level of impact, both time and cost. These formed the
basis of the QRA undertaken and have been used to inform cost contingencies.
The Risk Assessment and Management Strategy and related QRA Outputs are included in Appendix N.
6.8 Communication and Stakeholder Management
6.8.1 Consultation to Date
The scheme has been developed internally and approved via the elected LCR Combined Authority.
Delegated decision powers have been used to progress the scheme to Business Case stage where
following confirmation of funding, consultation will be taken with the stakeholders outlined in Table 6.5.
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The Windle Island scheme is contained in the St. Helens Plan 2015-17, which outlines the consultation
approach of St. Helens Council, and has been developed with the Local Strategic Partnership.
The design of the scheme has been influenced by highway standards, land ownership/availability, cost and
deliverability. There is limited flexibility to provide a variation of design options during future consultation to
enable the selection of a preferred scheme.
6.8.2 Stakeholder Management Strategy
Table 6.5 presents the stakeholder management strategy for the scheme going forwards. The majority of
stakeholders with national focus will be consulted through existing relationships with local organisations
(e.g. Chamber of Commerce). Consultation for the schemes will be progressed using the St. Helens
Consultation Toolkit (included in Appendix R).
Table 6.5: Stakeholder Management Strategy
Stakeholder Influence Interest Strategy Responsibility for Communication
Regional Stakeholders
LEP High Importance of scheme to improving access to key development sites in the Liverpool City Region, particularly along the A580 corridor
Keep informed Project Manager
Highways England High Strategic Diversion Route, links to M6, M57, M58 and M62
Meeting to discuss plans and keep informed of progress
Project Manager
Freight transport associations
High Importance of junction to the Strategic Freight Network, particularly the east-west connection to the Port of Liverpool
Meeting to discuss plans and keep informed of progress
Project Manager
Merseytravel Medium Impacts on public transport Keep informed Project Manager
Public transport operators
Medium Impacts of new layout on bus services
Potential disruptions whilst scheme is undertaken
Meeting to discuss layout plans and keep informed
Project Manager
Utilities companies High Gas, electric and communications infrastructure underneath the junction
Letter, meeting to discuss design of junction, and ad hoc meetings in case of any issues
Project Manager
Emergency services Medium Understanding of new layout Communicate project plans and schedule
Project Manager
Local Stakeholders
Council Members High Politically important scheme for the economy of St. Helens and the wider
Keep informed of progress and escalate major decisions as per
Senior Responsible Owner
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Stakeholder Influence Interest Strategy Responsibility for Communication
Liverpool City Region the governance structure set out in figure 6.2.
Local highway authority High Responsible for local highway network
Represented on Project Board
Senior Responsible Owner
Chamber of Commerce Medium Potential of increased junction capacity to support economic growth
Letters and regular meetings with business representative
Project Manager
Local residents Medium Access to employment and amenities, potential impact of disruptions
Public meetings to consult on plans, press releases and website
Press & Communications Officer
Neighbourhood Action Groups
Medium General interest in what is going on at the junction and how it may impact them
Public meetings to consult on plans, press releases and website
Press and PR officer
Local Strategic Partnership
Medium General interest in what is going on at the junction and how it may impact them
Meetings to consult on plans, press releases and website
Press and PR officer
Sub Local Stakeholders
Tesco High Located adjacent to the junction
Meeting and keep informed
Project Manager
Starbucks High Located adjacent to the junction
Meeting and keep informed
Project Manager
Rainford Parish Council High Improved access to key development sites in Rainford
Keep informed Project Manager
Rainford Hub (business association)
High Improved access to training and employment in Rainford for young people and other residents living south of the A580
Meeting and keep informed
Project Manager
Rainford High School Medium Improved sustainable access to Rainford High School for students living south of the A580
Keep informed Project Manager
Wider Stakeholders
General public Medium General interest in what is going on at the junction and how it may impact them
Keep informed/public meetings
Press and PR officer
Media Medium Promoting the impact during construction and Benefits of scheme
Keep informed through Council communication team
Press and PR officer
DfT Medium General interest in what is going on at the junction and how it may impact them
Keep informed via LCR Combined Authority/LEP/ Merseytravel
Principal Transport Officer (Policy)
Major Employers along route (e.g. Knowsley Industrial Park &
Medium General interest in what is going on at the junction and how it may impact them
Keep informed via Chamber link or directly
Project Manager
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Stakeholder Influence Interest Strategy Responsibility for Communication
Haydock Industrial Park)
6.9 Monitoring & Evaluation
6.9.1 Benefits Realisation Plan
The Benefits Realisation Plan set out in Table 6.6 identifies key beneficiaries of the scheme, outcomes,
baseline measures, responsibility and timeframes for each of the key strategic outcomes. This plan will sit
with the MSBC Operational Board, who will be responsible for ensuring benefits realisation, including
monitoring and evaluation of scheme benefits, is on track.
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Table 6.6: Benefits Realisation Plan
Benefit Who will benefit? Enablers required to realise benefit
Outcomes displayed if benefits realised
Baseline measure Who is responsible?
When will it occur?
Reduction in queuing & delays at junction
All users of junction; particularly east-west freight transport along the A580
Completion of proposed works
Increase in journey time reliability
Increased accessibility to the Port of Liverpool
Enhanced confidence in LCR economy as a major freight and logistics hub
Facilitation of new business development
Facilitation of new housing development
Pre-implementation bespoke journey time surveys (to be completed by March 2016)
Number of new housing units in the surrounding area
Sq ft of new business development on defined business sites in the surrounding area
St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council (SHMBC)
On scheme completion
Increase in capacity
All users of junction; particularly east-west freight transport along the A580 and local residents travelling to and from St. Helens and Rainford
Completion of proposed works
Junction can meet future demand
Supports growth of economy and uplift in economic activity across LCR, but particularly the Port and Freight community
Pre-implementation bespoke journey time surveys (to be completed by March 2016)
SHMBC On scheme completion
Improved cycling facilities
Cyclists Completion of proposed works
Increase in use of junction by cyclists
Sustainable accessibility to learning and employment opportunities in Rainford
Pre-implementation cycling counts (to be completed March, 2016)
SHMBC On scheme completion
Improved pedestrian facilities
Pedestrians Completion of proposed works
Increase in use of junction by pedestrians
Pre-implementation counts (to be completed March 2016)
SHMBC On scheme completion
Increase in road safety
All users of junction Completion of proposed works
Reduction in number of accidents
Accident data SHMBC On scheme completion
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6.9.2 Monitoring & Evaluation
Success of the Windle Island scheme will be determined by a number of factors, including:
Delivery to time, budget and specification;
Reduction in queuing and delays at the junction;
Improved journey time reliability;
Increase in cycling levels, particularly north-south journeys across the A580;
Increase in use of junction by pedestrians;
Facilitation of new business and housing development in key areas surrounding Windle Island;
Improved resilience of the motorway network (M6, M58, M62) in case of incidents; and
Reduction in the number of accidents.
Assessing the success of the scheme will be based primarily upon information readily available, such as
DfT TrafficMaster journey time data for the A570 and A580, accident data, and data on housing and
business development in St. Helens. This will be supplemented by bespoke journey time surveys and
counts that can be used to assess journey time savings, increased reliability and increased sustainable
access.
Figure 6.4 provides a logic map of the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts of the scheme as a whole
and details the measures the Council intends to use to assess the success of the scheme against its
strategic outcomes and impacts. The proposed measures will provide both quantitative and qualitative data
which can be analysed and evaluated as set out in the table below, to assess success of the scheme in
meeting its objectives.
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Figure 6.4: Outputs, Outcomes and Measures
OUTPUTS
•Controlled pedestrian crossings on all arms of the junction
•Widening of the existing pedestrian crossing refuges at the Windle Island and A570/Bleak Hill Road
•Widening of the A580 East arm to allow the provision of an additional right turn flare on the A580 westbound carriageway
•Widening of the A570 North arm to allow the provision of an additional left turn flare on the A570 southbound carriageway
•Lengthening of the existing right turn flare on the A580 West arm
•Widening of the central reserve along the A580 through the junction to allow the provision of a vehicle resistant barrier
•Segregating the existing right turn from the A570 South arm to the A580 East arm
•Upgrading the existing intelligent transport facilities to include increased CCTV coverage and variable message signs
OUTCOMES
•Reduction in queues on approach to junction
•Improved traffic flow
•Reduced congestion and increased journey time reliability for freight transport
•Reduced congestion and increased journey time reliability for other motorists
•Increase in north-south journeys across the A580 by cyclists
•Increase in use of junction by pedestrians
•Reduction in number of accidents
•Improved air quality
WIDER IMPACTS
•Enhanced confidence in LCR economy as a major freight and logistics hub
•Increased accessibility to key learning and employment opportunities in Rainford
•Facilitation of new housing development
•Facilitation of new business development
•Improved resilience of the motorway network (M6, M58, M62) in case of incidents
MEASURES
•DfT Trafficmaster journey time data
•Bespoke journey time surveys - pre and post implementation
•Cycling and pedestrian counts - pre and post implementation
•Accident data
•Number of new housing units in the surrounding area
•Sq ft of new business development in the surrounding area
•Air quality data
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The proposed measures will provide quantitative and qualitative data which can be analysed and
evaluated, as set out in Table 6.7, to assess success of the scheme in meeting its objectives.
Table 6.7: Monitoring and Evaluation
Methods to be used to monitor & evaluate outcomes and wider impacts
Evaluation to be undertaken
DfT TrafficMaster journey time data
Review of trends / changes in journey time
Bespoke journey time surveys - pre and post implementation Review of trends / changes in journey time
Calculation of CO2 savings
Cycling and pedestrian counts – pre and post implementation Review of trends / changes in walking and cycling use
Accident data Review of trends / changes in accident patterns
Number of new housing units in the surrounding area Review of trends / changes in housing development
Sq ft of new business development in the surrounding area Review of trends / changes in business development
Air quality data Review of trends / changes in air quality
Monitoring and evaluation will be based primarily upon processes already in place and information readily
available, minimising costs. Where added monitoring and evaluation is required to accurately assess
success costs will be covered by the Council.
6.10 Conclusion
In summary, the management case highlights the following:
The scheme will be constructed over an 12 month period from September 2016 to September
2017;
Robust governance, assurance and risk management processes are in place to deliver the
scheme;
Risks have been fully considered and mitigation measures have been put in place;
Stakeholder views have been taken into account in scheme development;
A communications and stakeholder management strategy is in place to ensure effective
engagement through scheme delivery;
Monitoring and evaluation plans will provide data to assess the success of the scheme in meeting
its objectives.
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7.1 Summary
The proposed Windle Island improvements scheme performs well against each of the five cases set out
above, as summarised in Table 7.1.
Table 7.1: Business Case Summary
Case Windle Island Improvements Scheme
Strategic Case The scheme demonstrates a convincing case for change, highlighting a number of issues that need to be addressed
in order for St. Helens to support growth in the LCR
Economic Case The scheme demonstrates Very High VfM from both its direct deliverables and wider economic benefits
Finance Case The scheme cost is accepted as appropriate in relation to the size and scale of the problem identified and appropriate contingencies have been included
Commercial Case The scheme is commercially viable and St. Helens Council is able to procure it effectively
Management Case The scheme is readily deliverable and St. Helens Council has the necessary measures in place to ensure the
benefits are realised
7.2 Conclusions
7 Summary and Conclusions
The Outline Business Case for the Windle Island improvements scheme sets out a clear
rationale for investment, providing evidence that investing in the junction will:
Address key issues in St. Helens to support economic growth in the wider City Region;
Provide Very High VfM;
Provide a cost effective solution to issues of congestion and journey time reliability at
Windle Island;
Be delivered effectively and efficiently.
Windle Island Major Scheme Business Case
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Appendix A. Options Appraisal Report
Appendix B. Scheme Drawing
Appendix C. Economic Appraisal Report
Appendix D. Analysis of Available Data (Covered in Appendix C)
Appendix E. Transport Economic Efficiency
Appendix F. Safety Benefits (Covered in Appendix P and Q)
Appendix G. Environmental Appraisal
Appendix H. Appraisal Summary Table
Appendix I. Analysis of Monetised Costs and Benefits (AMCB)
Appendix J. Public Accounts Table
Appendix K. Scheme Cost Estimates
Appendix L. Letter from Section 151 Officer
Appendix M. Scheme Delivery Programme
Appendix N. Risk Assessment and Management Strategy
Appendix O. Economic Impact Assessment
Appendix P. Social Impact Appraisal
Appendix Q. Distributional Impact Screening
Appendix R. St. Helens Council Consultation Code
Appendices