Agenda item - Member Involvement

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Agenda item

Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by Members:

 

(a)               Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself; Report of the Head of Law (copy attached) - Petition to be presented by Councillor Sykes;

 

(b)               Written Questions: to consider any written questions;

 

(c)               Letters: to consider any letters;

 

(d)               Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion.

 

Minutes:

28a     Petitions

 

28.1    Councillor Sykes presented a petition in the following terms signed by 14 local residents:

 

                 Brunswick Place Taxi Rank – Winter 2013-14

 

         We the undersigned petition Members of the Environment and Sustainability Committee of Brighton and Hove Council to acknowledge ongoing disturbance associated with the taxi rank on Brunswick Place, Hove, near the junction with Western Road. These issues include noise disturbance, pollution from idling diesel engines and road safety as a result of over ranking. We request that all efforts be made by this Committee to address the matter, including consideration of taxi relocation to the central reservation of Brunswick Place, and/or locating the taxi rank somewhere other than one of the most populous residential streets in Europe. We request also that a written response be given to this petition.”

 

28.2    The Chair responded in the following terms:

 

           Please may I thank the Brunswick Place residents for their petition concerning road safety, noise and pollution and over ranking at their local taxi rank.

 

I would like to reassure residents that the issue of rank appointment and location in relation to:

·                    the air quality management area,

·                    the distances to residences, and

·                    the predicted nitrogen dioxide levels,

 

This being considered by officers as part of taxi licensing policy informing traffic order requests. There is a report at item 30 on today’s agenda concerning appointing ranks amongst other air quality considerations. Unfortunately, this may not change existing rank locations.

 

The location of Brunswick Place rank was discussed at a recent Taxi Forum. Forum members can recall that the rank had, prior to 1997, when Hove Borough Council was the licensing authority, been located in the central area of the road. Taxi ranks are appointed by traffic regulation order, under authority delegated to Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee. There may be issues regarding wheelchair passengers embarking where no curb is available for ramps.

 

I propose asking Licensing Officers to deal with the over-ranking allegations by investigation and correspondence with the petitioners. Officers investigated complaints regarding this rank in July 2013 and reported to the Ward Councillor. Officers explained the lack of legal powers to deal with traffic noise. Officers did advise licensed taxi drivers regularly using the rank to be good neighbours, at that time.”

 

28.3    At the invitation of the Chair the Head of Regulatory Services confirmed that officers would make follow up visits to the Brunswick Terrace Taxi Rank in order to monitor compliance, behaviour and over ranking etc., would take action as appropriate and would keep the Local Ward Councillors informed.

 

28.4    RESOLVED – That the contents of the petition be noted and received.

 

28b     Written Questions

 

28.5    There were none.

 

28c     Letters

 

28.6    There were none.

 

28d     Notices of Motion

 

28.7    There were none.

Supporting documents:

 


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