Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on taxi access at Leeds Bradford International Airport previously considered by Executive Board on 12^th October2011.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report on taxi access at Leeds Bradford International Airport previously considered by Executive Board on 12^th October 2011.

Appended to the report was a copy of the Executive Board report entitled ‘Leeds Bradford International Airport – Taxi Access’ previously considered at the meeting held on 12^th October 2011 for the information/comment of the meeting.

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Board Members’ queries and comments:-

-  Martin Farrington, Director of City Development

-  Gary Bartlett, Chief Officer, Highways and Transportation, City Development

-  Andrew Hall, Acting Head of Transport Policy, City Development

The Board noted that the Executive Board at their meeting held on 12^th October 2011 had resolved not to proceed with a new taxi rank on Whitehouse Lane as a consequence of the revised costs to undertake this work.

At the request of the Chair, the Director of City Development presented the report and outlined the progress that had been made following consideration of this issue at the Executive Board meetings held on 18^th May 2011 and 12^th October 2011.

He made specific reference to the original desk top figure of £80,000 which, unfortunately, had been in-correctly costed. Following this a detailed option for the provision of a taxi rank at the airport had concluded that the estimate total cost of a scheme was potentially in excess of £900,000 to provide a facility which was of suitable design and appropriately engineered for the site.

In summary, Board Members made specific reference to the following issues:-

• the need for the Scrutiny Board to receive a detailed report at the next meeting covering the following specific issues:-

(i) copies of all the costs associated with the provision of a taxi rank on 

  Whitehouse Lane to include a breakdown of the minimum cost of 

  £515,000, plus the potential additional costs of £325,000 for disposal

  of contaminated material and the £65,000 for landscaping

  (ii) copies of all correspondence with the Leeds and Bradford

  International Airport on this matter

  (The Chief Officer, Highways and Transportation responded and

  offered to brief  two Board Members at the highways headquarters

  at Middleton on the above issues. However it was the view of the

  Board that this was inappropriate as it would exclude the majority of

  the Board from receiving this information)

•  the need for the Board to be provided with a copy of the Director of City Development’s original report which showed the estimated cost of this scheme as £80,000 which was considered by Scrutiny Board (City Development) at its meeting on 5^th April 2011 

(The Board’s Principal Scrutiny Adviser responded and agreed to circulate a copy the relevant report to Board Members for their information/retention)

• clarification of the annual charge in relation to the ‘voyager’ area for taxis and other customers

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That the Director of City Development submit adetailed a report  to the Scrutiny Board’s next meeting on 29^th November 2011 on:-

•  all the costs associated with the provision of a taxi rank on 

  Whitehouse Lane to include a breakdown of the minimum cost of

  £515,000, plus the potential additional costs of £325,000 for disposal

  of contaminated material and the £65,000 for landscaping

• copies of all correspondence with the Leeds and Bradford International 

  Airport on this matter