Issue - items at meetings - Ship Street

Report of the Director of Environment (copy attached).

(1)       That the Cabinet Member for Environment approves the Brighton & Hove (Ship Street) (One- Way traffic) Order 200*, the Brighton & Hove (Waiting & Loading/Unloading restrictions and parking places) Consolidation Order 2008 Amendment Order No.* 200*, the Brighton & Hove Various Controlled Parking Zones Consolidation Order 2008 Amendment Order No.* 200*.

(2)       That the Cabinet Member for Environment approves the preferred scheme for Ship Street as detailed in the Appendix A and authorises the Director of Environment to start   implementation of the preferred scheme during 2008/09 and to complete it during 2009/10, within the budgets available.

116.1         The Cabinet Member for Finance considered a report from the Director of Environment concerning proposals for the Ship Street part of the North Street Mixed Priority Route (MPR) scheme (for copy see minute book).

116.2         Councillor Davey had declared a personal but non-prejudicial interest in this report.

116.3         The Cabinet Member for Finance stated that for continuity, she was maintaining her role in considering matters on Cabinet Member decisions relating to Ship Street as Councillor Theobald had a declared interest in the item.

116.4         She explained that after a lot of careful consideration of the issues that the proposed improvements had raised, especially regarding road safety, the report addressed objections received to the Traffic Order that had been required to implement them. The proposals for Ship Street were part of the second phase of the Mixed Priority Route Scheme in North Street and included the introduction of a one-way (southbound) route for traffic, together with improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

116.5         The Opposition Spokesperson, Councillor Mitchell, wished to point out that the scheme in question had not formed part of the original consultation process and that one of the original proposals would have served to reduce the number of casualties further.

116.6         The Assistant Director for Sustainable Transport commented that the scheme had been developed as part of the ongoing process of consultation and that it would reduce the number of casualties. He added that casualty reduction was an important factor for the whole of the North Street corridor.

116.7         Councillor Ian Davey echoed Councillor Mitchell’s remarks, but was delighted at the inclusion of contra-flow cycling and the cyclist controlled traffic light; he sought assurance that the cycle lane would not be blocked by parked cars.

116.8         The Assistant Director for Sustainable Transport explained that the cycle would not be segregated, but it would be enforced.

116.9         RESOLVED - That having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member for Finance accepted the following recommendations:

(1)       That the Brighton & Hove (Ship Street) (One- Way traffic) Order 200*, the Brighton & Hove (Waiting & Loading/Unloading restrictions and parking places) Consolidation Order 2008 Amendment Order No.* 200*, the Brighton & Hove Various Controlled Parking Zones Consolidation Order 2008 Amendment Order No.* 200* be approved.

(2)       That the preferred scheme for Ship Street as detailed in the Appendix A be approved and the Director of Environment be authorised to start   implementation of the preferred scheme during 2008/09 and to complete it during 2009/10, within the budgets available.