Resolved – That the Director of Neighbourhood Services approves the implementation of the various Traffic Regulation Orders required to support the delivery of the Birkenhead Town Centre Movement Schemes (Conway Street/Europa Boulevard and the Grange Road/Charing Cross/Grange Road West projects) as described in paragraph 3.3 and 3.6 of this report.

The implementation of the Traffic Regulation Orders is essential to enable the delivery of the Conway Street/Europa Boulevard project and the Grange Road/ Charing Cross/Grange Road West project.  Both projects are critical projects in the Birkenhead 2040 regeneration programme and designed in accordance with the latest active travel design guidance to create an environment that is safe for both walking and cycling and to help embed walking and cycling as part of new long-term commuting habits.  The projects are majority funded via the Future High Streets Fund and Active Travel Tranche 3 Funding.  The funding cannot be used for any other purpose.

A two-stage consultation has been undertaken regarding the projects, with the outcome of Phase 1 on the outline design of the scheme, as reported to Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee on 24 July 2023, being considered to be generally favourable.  Phase 2 statutory consultation on the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders was undertaken between 28 June 2023 and 19 July 2023.  Consideration of feedback from both consultations as set out in Section 3 of this report has supported this decision making. 

Do not implement the traffic regulation orders.  This is not considered appropriate as this would mean that the legal orders required to implement the traffic management measures required to deliver the infrastructure improvements could not be implemented.  The schemes are a critical pump priming element to the ongoing regeneration plans for Birkenhead and will contribute significantly to creating a platform for further investment and therefore not to implement these orders which are essential to enable deliver of the schemes is not considered a viable option.