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.

(i)           Coach parking Roedean- Victor Mower

(b)               Written Questions: To receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 6 January 2014.

(c)               Deputations: To receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 6 January 2014.

(a)               Petitions

(i)                  Coach parking Roedean- Victor Mower

64.1          The Committee considered a petition signed by 159 people requesting the council to implement a Traffic Regulation Order banning HGV’s and coaches except for access on The Cliff, Cliff Road, Cliff Approach, Roedean Crescent, Roedean Way, Roedean Vale and Roedean Heights due to noise and air pollution, obstructions, safety concerns and overall negative impact of the above on the area.

64.2          The Chair provided the following response:

“Officers dealing with Coach parking facilities and local issues are aware of the concerns of residents and are looking at the options available.  When the matter was raised by councillors last year I visited with officers to look at the situation.  I know that Officers have also met with representatives of the local resident association and I am sympathetic to the concerns of residents.

We will be considering the wider issue of Coach Parking across the City as part of the next Local Transport Plan. That plan is being developed this calendar year and public views on a range of transport questions facing the city will be very helpful to developing the approaches the plan will set out. The plan will be open to public consultation before being agreed by members of the committee”.

64.3          Councillor Cox stated that he did not believe the response provided was adequate. Councillor Cox added he did not accept that displacement would necessarily arise and that residents had made a simple, reasonable request of the Committee to examine problems associated with coach parking in a distinct area. Councillor Cox moved a motion to call for an officer report on the matter.

64.4          Councillor Wealls formally seconded the motion.

64.5          Councillor Mitchell stated that she supported the motion which would help clarify matters and perhaps provide a potential way forward on a long-running issue.

64.6          The Chair stated that whilst he was sympathetic to the request, the Committee had to be conscious of the workload of officers in requesting a report.

64.7          Councillor Davey stated that the authority did not have the power to prohibit coach parking in the area and therefore would need input on the issue from Sussex Police.

64.8          The Chair stated his preference for a report that would inform the wider Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) as the issue of coach parking provision needed to be addressed through that process.

64.9          The Deputy Head of Law clarified that the Committee could call for a report on the matter however, unless there was a clear, urgent need to do so, that report was not formally required to be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee, particularly the if full information could be gathered in that timeframe.

64.10      Councillor Mitchell stated that she agreed the issue of potential coach parking sites should be examined as part of the LTP4 process however; the request identified in the petition was to consider a ban on specific streets which was a different matter and a report should be brought back to the Committee.

64.11      Councillor Janio requested that the motion for a report to be brought back to the Committee be put to the vote.

64.12      The Chair called an adjournment to the meeting at 16.28.

64.13      The Chair resumed the meeting at 16.33.

64.14      The Chair stated that he had been provided procedural clarification on the matter and requested agreement from the Committee that an officer report on the specific request in the petition be submitted to the Committee once that information was available.

64.15      RESOLVED- That the Committee call for an officer report on the matter.