Bus Lanes in Boughton (FOI)

The request was successful.

Dear Cheshire West and Chester Council,

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to see the research, data, discussions and process in which the decision to implement the new bus lanes in Broughton has been reached.

Yours faithfully,

Ross Hutchinson

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

RE: Your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Case Reference: RFI 2926

Dear Ross Hutchinson

Thank you for your email dated 23 August 2020.

From 1 April the Council temporarily suspended the handling of requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), so our staff could prioritise their critical work to respond to COVID19, including support for our most vulnerable residents. All information request submissions were logged and acknowledged, and requestors were advised that they would be actioned as soon as resources became available. We are now beginning to progress these cases in date order which means that your request may be subject to delay whilst we clear the backlog.

Please bear with us during this unprecedented time. If you decide that you do not want to continue with your request under the current circumstances, please let us know at: [Cheshire West and Chester Council request email]

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Tel: 0300 123 8 123
Email: [email address]
Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE
Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

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Dear FOI West,

Can you give a steer as to when you will be able to respond. There are other government departments who are still complying with FOI requests. I have a great deal of empathy in regards to COVID-19, but you need to provide this information. I do not wish to escalate to the Information Commissioner or request an Internal Review.

Further to my original request, I would also like to see a breakdown of all associated costs in relation to the planning and implementation of the Bus Lanes.

Yours sincerely,

Ross Hutchinson

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear Ross Hutchinson

Thank you for your email dated 25 September 2020. I apologise for the delay you have encountered in receiving a response. I can confirm that we are working on collating the information and a response will be provided as soon as possible. The extra information requested has been added to your request.

I trust this is of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Tel: 0300 123 8 123
Email: [email address]
Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE
Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

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Dear FOI West,

I have just spotted a typo. It should read 'Boughton' NOT Broughton.

Please update my FOI request.

Yours sincerely,

Ross Hutchinson

Ross Hutchinson left an annotation ()

This should say BOUGHTON. It was a typo to say BRoughton.

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear Ross Hutchinson

Thank you for your email, your request has been updated.

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Tel: 0300 123 8 123
Email: [email address]
Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE
Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

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Dear FOI West,

The typo has been corrected to Boughton now. And the URL for this link has also been updated.

Yours sincerely,

Ross Hutchinson

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear Ross Hutchinson,

 

Thank you for your request for information of 23 August 2020 which has
been logged as RFI 2926 and has been dealt with under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. We confirm that Cheshire West and Chester Council
holds information relating to your request. We apologise for the delay in
responding.

 

For the purpose of clarity your request has been reproduced below:

 

I would like to see the research, data, discussions and process in which
the decision to implement the new bus lanes in Boughton has been reached.

I would also like to see a breakdown of all associated costs in relation
to the planning and implementation of the Bus Lanes.

 

Response

 

The projects have been informed by the Government's own vision for
increasing levels of walking and cycling as set out in the "Gear Change"
strategy document published at the end of July 2020. This sets out
ambitions to seek a step change in cycling and walking in the coming
years, which is considered essential to help address some of the most
challenging issues that we face as a society including; improving air
quality, combatting climate change, improving health and wellbeing,
addressing inequalities and tackling traffic congestion. There is a
particular emphasis placed on the need to increase health benefits from
more physical activity and the longer-term benefits of this to the NHS,
and there is also a clear message from the Government that the response to
the COVID-19 pandemic represents a once in a generation chance to
accelerate active travel.

 

The scheme locations were selected using evidence from a number of
sources. This included information collected to help prepare the Council’s
Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and the results of its
associated consultation exercise (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure
Plan is available via Cabinet Papers (Item 10):
[1]http://cmttpublic.cheshirewestandchester...).
This was assisted by feedback from Councillors, officers, members of the
Council’s Active travel Forum as well as the ‘Walk. Ride. Thrive’ online
mapping exercise which enabled members of the public to nominate their own
ideas and locations for potential “quick win” schemes
([2]https://participatenow.cheshirewestandch...
).

 

The Council has also made use of the Department for Transport’s “'Rapid
Cycleway Prioritisation Tool” ([3]https://www.cyipt.bike/rapid/ ). This
was issued to help authorities identify locations to focus their Emergency
Active Travel fund allocations on. The tool provides a list of roads that
have potential to increase cycling levels and that may have spare
capacity. The A51 Boughton, A5116 Liverpool Road, A483 Grosvenor Bridge
schemes were all identified by this tool and as such have been taken
forward to trial stage.

 

 

The Tranche 1 submission allocated the sums below to each of the schemes
listed below, final costs are yet to be determined

 

 

Grosvenor Bridge 15,000
A51 Boughton 13,000
A5116 Liverpool Road 27,000
Winsford  
A54 Whole Dual carriageway 37,000
Road One 22,000
Road Two 1,000
Dingle Lane / Weaver Street 2,500
   
   
Contingency 7,500
   
Revenue  
Monitoring & Training 11,400
  3,600
Design 20,000
160,000

 

Please also see link to attached FAQ’s to help with your request

 

[4]https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.u...
 

 

We trust this answers your queries.

 

The Council considers that your request has been answered in full by
either confirming that information is not held, providing you with the
information requested, or explaining why any information has been withheld
and the reasons for any redaction. Where applicable, the Council has also
told you the reasons for the delay in responding to your request.

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled you can request a review by writing to the Disclosures Team within
40 working days from the date of the Council’s response.

 

You are entitled to a review by the Council if:

•             You are dissatisfied with the Council’s explanation of why
the application was not dealt with within the 20 working day time limit.

•             All the information requested is not being disclosed and you
have not received an explanation why some information is not being
disclosed.

•             A reason for the disclosures under the request being refused
is not received.

•             You consider that exemptions have been wrongly applied,
and/or

•             You consider that a fee has been wrongly applied.

 

Please set out your grounds for seeking a review together with what
specific part of your request those grounds apply to and the outcome you
are seeking. The Council reserves the right to ask you for clarification
of the grounds for your review request if the grounds are not clear, and
to delay commencing the review if such grounds are not provided.

 

The Disclosures Team can be contacted by email via:
[5][Cheshire West and Chester Council request email] or at the following address:

 

Disclosures Team

Cheshire West and Chester Council

4 Civic Way

Ellesmere Port

CH64 0BE

 

The Disclosures Team will acknowledge a request for an internal review
within 5 working days and complete the review as soon as possible and no
later than 40 working days from receipt of the request.

 

More information about the Council’s internal review process can be found
via:

 

[6]https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.u...

 

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your review, you have
a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

 

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

 

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45

Website: [7]www.ico.org.uk

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Disclosures Team – Customer Relations and Information Cheshire West and
Chester Council

Tel: 0300 123 8 123

Email: [8][email address]

Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port
CH65 0BE

Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

 

 

FD

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References

Visible links
1. http://cmttpublic.cheshirewestandchester...
2. https://participatenow.cheshirewestandch...
3. https://www.cyipt.bike/rapid/
4. https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.u...
5. mailto:[Cheshire West and Chester Council request email]
6. https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.u...
7. http://www.ico.org.uk/
8. mailto:[email address]

Dear FOI West,

Thank you for the response.

In your feedback you have mentioned, "the scheme locations were selected using evidence from a number of
sources". Can you list all the evidence and sources used please and also provide documentation or links.

Yours sincerely,

Ross Hutchinson

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear Ross Hutchinson

Thank you for your email dated 26 October 2020. I have forwarded your email on to the service and will respond when I have an update.

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Tel: 0300 123 8 123
Email: [email address]
Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE
Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

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FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear Ross Hutchinson

Further to your email dated 26 October 2020, the primary sources are listed below:

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure. Plan is available via Cabinet Papers (Item 10): http://cmttpublic.cheshirewestandchester...)

‘Walk. Ride. Thrive’ online mapping exercise https://participatenow.cheshirewestandch...

Department for Transport’s “'Rapid Cycleway Prioritisation Tool” https://www.cyipt.bike/rapid/

I trust this is of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Tel: 0300 123 8 123
Email: [email address]
Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE
Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

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