Agenda item - Public Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:

(a)               Petitions: To receive any petitions presented by members of the public to the full Council or at the meeting itself.

(i)                 Park Crescent/Park Terrace CPZ- Sarah Smith

(ii)               Vehicle access into Oxford Street from London Road- Ann Townsend

(iii)             Preston Park Station north area parking consultation- James Thompson

(b)               Written Questions: To receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 19 November 2013.

(c)               Deputations: To receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 19 November 2013.

(i)                 Pedestrian crossings in South Portslade- Rae Powers

(a)               Petitions

(i)                 Park Crescent/Park Terrace CPZ- Sarah Smith

45.1          The Committee considered a petition signed by 156 people requesting that Park Crescent and Park Crescent Terrace be included in CPZ Zone Y as a matter of urgency.

45.2         The Chair provided the following response:

“Thank you for your Petition and for bringing this to our attention.  I understand that you have met with officers and Councillor Davey, Lead Councillor for Transport, to discuss this matter and I confirm that your views will be taken into consideration.

There will be a consultation in Spring next year with residents in your area on the detailed design of new parking scheme proposals.  You and other residents along with your Ward Councillors will then have the opportunity to outline support or concerns with the proposals”.

45.3         RESOLVED- That the petition be noted.

(ii)               Vehicle access to Oxford Street from London Road- Ann Townsend

45.4         The petitioner was not present at the meeting therefore a formal response was provided in writing as follows:

“Thank you for your petition. For clarity, the existing, albeit trial arrangement does already restrict the left turn for motorists and delivery vehicles from London Road into Oxford Street.

This trial arrangement is long established and dates back to decisions of previous administrations. It was recently discovered that the trial arrangements had never been formalised by a traffic regulation order.

The proposed traffic order was advertised to enable the Council to obtain the views of interested parties and determine whether to formalise the existing “trial” arrangements or introduce amendments to it. 

I am very glad that we have had a clear response which has demonstrated that there is support for not formalising the left turn from London Road into Oxford Street, and so the officer’s recommendation to committee is now not to formalize the prohibition of left turns from London Road into Oxford Street.

The matter will be fully considered today by Members under item 51 of the agenda”.  

45.5         RESOLVED- That the petition be noted.

(c)       Deputations

(i)                 Pedestrian crossings in South Portslade- Rae Powers/Road Safety St Peter’s School- Councillor Alan Robins

45.6         The Chair stated that due to their similar subject matter, he intended to receive both of the above items consecutively and provide one response addressing both.

45.7         The Committee considered a Deputation that requested urgent pedestrian infrastructure improvements to the South Portslade area to improve safety issues in the area.

45.8         The Committee considered a letter from Councillor Robins that requested urgent improvements to the crossing facilities for St Peter’s School.

45.9         The Chair provided the following response:

“I hope I can say I speak for all members of the committee when I acknowledge the concerns of parents and teachers over road safety on routes serving St Peter’s School in Portslade. This concern I know is very much shared by officers of the Council too.

At the last meeting of the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee in October, as Chair I received and acknowledged the 800+ strong petition from parents, teachers and governors, requesting crossing facilities or a school crossing patrol for Church Road near its junctions with North Street and St Peter’s Road.

Following a verbal address to that meeting by Ms Powers, the petition spokesperson, I responded that I had met with officers from the road safety team and ward members to look at the situation.  I also pointed out that the council assesses over 100 sites each year, many of them in response to residents concerns about road safety, and they are each considered carefully.  I also said that Ms Powers request would be assessed too.

Surveys of crossing movements had been undertaken in June 2013, following which detailed analysis had been carried out in accordance with the Council’s formal assessment criteria, previously approved by the Council, in line with nationally recognised guidelines published by the Department for Transport. This is not a tick box exercise, but ensures we use resources effectively and fairly where they are most needed.

That analysis had indicated that there was insufficient crossing activity to support either a formal crossing facility or a School Crossing Patrol. However, despite this, and in appreciation of what had been said about rising numbers of pupils, I agreed that officers would revisit the site and carry out further surveys and analysis to assess the levels of road safety risk and to determine whether conditions had altered sufficiently for these criteria to be met.

It is important to note that the opportunity to introduce infrastructure measures in support of safer walking routes to St Peter’s arose as a result of contributions made possible by planning gain following the expansion of St Peter’s School to accommodate more pupils. 

These funds were in the sum of £20,316 and during the summer the Council’s road safety team installed 8 x sets of dropped kerbs on roads in the vicinity of the school; provided a section of pedestrian guardrail outside the entrance to the school on Brambledean Road; installed a calendar controlled electronic school warning sign located on Church Road (on its northbound side near the junction with the A259) and constructed an additional pedestrian refuge on Station Road near its junction with Seaford Road.

The funds were not sufficient to cover the design and construction costs of all these measures and the shortfall of £5465 was met from the Council’s Safer Routes to School project for 2013-14 bringing the total sum spent on safer routes to schools measures in the St Peter’s school catchment area to £25,781.

I consider that these measures in conjunction with an updated School Travel Plan from the school go some way towards improving the walking environment.  The results of further surveys, analysis will be reported at the January meeting of this Committee.

45.10    RESOLVED- That the items be noted.

45.11    The Chair stated that due to their similar subject matter, he intended to receive all three Deputations on parking in Preston Park North area consecutively and provide one response addressing all three.

(ii)               Residents Parking Scheme in Preston Park Station North area- James May

45.12      The Committee considered a Deputation presented by James May that conveyed support for the proposed residents parking scheme in the Preston Park Station north area.

(iii)             Inclusion of Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches in the Resident Parking Scheme in Preston Park Station

45.13      The Committee considered a Deputation presented by Pat Drake that requested the Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches be included in the proposed Resident Parking Scheme due to their concerns that they would be adversely affected should the scheme be implemented.

(iv)             Preston Park Station north area parking consultation- James Thompson

45.14    The Committee considered a Deputation that requested deferral of any decision on the proposed Residents Parking Scheme in favour of a new consultation as there was no mandate to do so from the consultation results and the report recommended minor amendments that had not been consulted on.

45.15    The Chair provided the following response:

“Thank you all for your Deputations. These matters have been heard by the Committee and officers and will inform the discussion when report on this matter is discussed later in the meeting”.

45.16    RESOLVED- That the Deputations be noted.