Agenda item - Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by Members:

 

(a)          Petitions: To receive any petitions;

 

(i)            New road layout around Blatchington Windmill- Councillor Janio

 

(ii)          Traffic around Hangelton Primary School- Councillor Janio

 

(iii)         Traffic around Goldstone School- Councillor Janio

 

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

 

(i)            Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches- Councillor Taylor

 

(c)          Letters: To consider any letters;

 

(d)          Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Full Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

 

(i)            Cityclean

 

(ii)          Charter for Cleaner Air

(ii)      Notice of Motion- Charter for Cleaner Air

This Committee resolves to:

1)            Sign Oxford City Council’s Charter for Cleaner Air calling on Government to adopt ten crucial actions to put the health of communities first

 

2)            Request the Chief Executive write to the city’s three MP’s to inform them that the Council has signed the Charter and seek their endorsement

 

3)            Request the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to inform them that the Council has signed the Charter and requesting a response

 

4)            Explore related actions that are within the remit of the local authority with a view to implementing local solutions, as far as budget allows

(A)         PETITIONS

 

(i)            New road layout around Blatchington Windmill- Councillors Janio, Barnett and Lewry

 

27.1      The Committee considered a petition signed by 132 people requesting a new traffic layout in the Blatchington Windmill area to alleviate traffic problems.

 

27.2      The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Thank you for your petition. As you probably know, additional road systems and markings were installed in the area about 3 years ago following a similar request.

The most recent 3 year road traffic injury accident record for Holmes Avenue is relatively good with 1 collision recorded in Windmill Close.

This in itself would not warrant diverting funding for engineering interventions from other locations where we know collision rates are higher. I will ask officers to contact you with a view to further discussions if you feel this will be helpful”.

 

27.3      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

 

(ii)          Traffic around Hangleton Primary School- Councillors Janio, Barnett and Lewry

 

27.4      The Committee considered a petition signed by 125 people requesting urgent action to reduce dangerous traffic situations at school pick-up and drop-off times at Hangleton Primary School.

 

27.5      The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Officers are currently consulting on a Safer Routes to School Scheme for the Hangleton area including the roads and streets serving Hangleton Primary School, intended to improve walking and cycling journeys to and from schools in Hangleton, reduce car journeys and also consider perceived and actual road safety issues.

The outcome of the consultation exercise is intended to be reported to this Committee at its meeting in November 2018 and will provide the opportunity to make changes to the roads and streets in the area where necessary

The potential use of CCTV and PSPO’s will be covered in a report coming to January 2019 ETS Committee”.

 

27.6      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

 

(iii)         Traffic around Goldstone School- Councillors Janio, Barnett and Lewry

 

27.7      The Committee considered a petition signed by 186 people requesting urgent action to reduce dangerous traffic situations at school pick-up and drop-off times at Goldstone School.

 

27.8      The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Road Safety Officers have investigated the concerns expressed in the petition and have further reviewed the recent Road Safety history of roads near to Goldstone School including Laburnum Avenue. 

Officers have found no accidents or incidents recorded in roads near the School and therefore the traffic situation could not be considered dangerous or warrant road safety engineering intervention. 

The Council encourages the adoption of school travel plans developed by the schools themselves to support safer and more sustainable travel to and from school and will continue to seek engagement from Goldstone School.

A further School Parking Enforcement report will be presented to this Committee in January 2019 that will further address items raised in this petition relating to the possibility of using Close Circuit Television (CCTV) and Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)”.

 

27.9      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

 

(B)         WRITTEN QUESTIONS

 

(i)            Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches- Councillor Taylor

 

27.10   Councillor Taylor was unable to attend the meeting therefore, Councillor Wares put the following question on his behalf:

 

“Residents wish to know when they may expect a plan to provide the much needed protection for Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches following the indications given at the meeting of the 28th November 2017.”

 

27.11   The Chair provided the following response:

 

“As outlined at a previous meeting in November 2017 a parking scheme consultation timetable was agreed where it was recognised there is a considerable demand for resident parking scheme consultations in the City.

It was outlined then that the Council would require stronger representation about concerns of further vehicle displacement from the wider area east of Dyke Road Avenue to enable consideration of Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches in any future plans.

If this representation comes forward then we can look to include this area in a further report on a parking scheme timetable update which will be presented to the ETS Committee next year”.

 

27.12   Councillor Wares stated that there was a unique issue in that Hazeldene Meads and The Beeches was an enclosed area and therefore asked if percentage figures of support for parking controls could be rather than the number of households.

 

27.13   The Chair stated suggested that Councillor Taylor speak directly to council officers to explore how the issue could be resolved.

 

(D)     NOTICES OF MOTION

 

(i)            Cityclean

 

27.14   The Committee considered a Notice of Motion referred from the Full Council meeting of 19 July 2018 requesting a report be brought to the Committee providing information on a number of issues relating to the Cityclean service.

 

27.15    The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Members will see from the agenda that we have a Notice of Motion passed at the most recent meeting of Full Council requesting this committee receive a report covering a number of issues.

That report is on today’s agenda and I suggest we discuss the matter further during our consideration of that item”.

 

27.16   RESOLVED- That the Committee note the Notice of Motion.

 

(ii)          Charter for Cleaner Air

 

27.17   The Committee considered a Notice of Motion that proposed signing Oxford City Council’s Charter for Cleaner Air, writing to the city’s three MP’s seeking their endorsement and writing to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to inform them the Council had signed the Charter and requesting a response.

 

27.18   Introducing the motion, Councillor Horan stated that air pollution was now recognised as the largest environmental danger to public health and the severity of the issue had not been acknowledged by central government. Councillor Horan noted that such delay meant that in cities such as Brighton & Hove, residents would have to wait until 2028 for pollution levels to reduce to legal levels. Councillor Horan stated that it was imperative that the council request the government to undertake the actions set out in the Charter. Councillor Horan highlighted that central government had changed its approach for air quality meter readings from local authority information to national assessment results meaning Brighton & Hove was categorised with Littlehampton and Worthing on air quality assessments was not an accurate reflection of its air quality. Councillor Horan supplemented that the council had continued to use meter readings from locations in North Street and Lewes Road and had offered to submit those readings to government but this request had been ignored. Councillor Horan surmised that the council had a duty to its residents to do all that it could to improve air quality in the city and signing the Charter would be a small step toward that.

 

27.19   The Chair formally seconded the motion stating that it was the earliest point at which a motion could be brought before a council meeting and relayed that Southampton City Council had signed the Charter the previous day.

 

27.20   On behalf of the Green Group, Councillor Littman moved a motion to add a recommendation as shown in bold italics below:

 

4)      Explore related actions that are within the remit of the local authority with a view to implementing local solutions, as far as budget allows

 

27.21   Introducing the motion, Councillor Littman agreed that central government had abdicated its responsibilities on air quality but in his view, there was a lot more local authorities could do. Councillor Littman noted that under the Green administration, air pollution levels had lowered and this administration had failed to consider wider measures such as extension of the low emission zone and the vehicles covered, a clean air day, car free dates and an air management policy board.

 

27.22   Councillor West formally seconded the motion and noted that it had been known for a long time that the city had illegal air pollution levels. Councillor West stated that the Green administration and introduced measures such as the low emission zone however, the current administration had not taken any further concrete action. Councillor West explained that he agreed the council should sign the Charter however, there needed to be acknowledgement that a lot more could be done at a local level.

 

27.23   Councillor Wares stated his support for the Motion and the amendment however; he believed that the issue of air quality couldn’t be passed off on to the government. Councillor Wares noted that actions could have been taken by the administration such as an extension of the low emission zone and a clean air day. Councillor Wares highlighted that fees and charges for low emission vehicles had recently been raised by the current administration by 50% and welcomed the recent award of £300,000 to the city by central government to install electric vehicle charging points.

 

27.24   The Chair stated that the purpose of Oxford City Council’s Charter was recognising that individual councils were at different levels of action on air quality and all council’s needed more regulatory and financial help from central government. Due to the location of the air quality monitoring points, this council was at an automatic disadvantage when applying for funding and signing the Charter would be another means by which to push the issue with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

 

27.25   Councillor Littman agreed with the Chair that the positioning of the air quality monitoring points was very poor and the city suffered as a result.

 

27.26   The Chair then put the amendment to the vote that passed.

 

27.27   The Chair then put the Notice of Motion, as amended to the vote that passed.

 

27.28   RESOLVED- This Committee resolves to:

 

1)            Sign Oxford City Council’s Charter for Cleaner Air calling on Government to adopt ten crucial actions to put the health of communities first

 

2)            Request the Chief Executive write to the city’s three MP’s to inform them that the Council has signed the Charter and seek their endorsement

 

3)            Request the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to inform them that the Council has signed the Charter and requesting a response

 

4)            Explore related actions that are within the remit of the local authority with a view to implementing local solutions, as far as budget allows