Agenda item - Items referred from Council

To consider any items referred from Full Council:

Petitions:

1)          Whitehawk Speed Bumps

2)          Portland Road Crossing

3)          20mph Speed Limit Portland Road

4)          Whitehawk Speed Bumps

5)          Free school travel for children in Whitehawk, Bristol Estate and Manor Farm

6)          Bexhill Road Play area crossing

(A)          PETITIONS

(1)           Whitehawk Speed Bumps

32.1      The Committee considered a petition referred from Full Council and signed by 60 people requesting the council install traffic calming measures on Whitehawk Road.

32.2      The Chair provided the following response:

“We receive a large number of requests for traffic calming across the City. As things stand, priority for such schemes is given to locations that already have a high casualty risk level. Based on the current casualty history for this section of Whitehawk Road it would not be possible to prioritise a speed limit reduction scheme of this type above and beyond the current agreed programme of works.

The Council does however operate a mobile vehicle activated sign programme which places flashing warning signs around the City to help to improve driver behaviour and to raise awareness of speed limits at locations where residents have raised concerns. We will ask for Whitehawk Road to be included for consideration as part of this programme.

In the meantime, the Council is part of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and works with other bodies and Authorities to help improve road safety in the Sussex region. The Police are important partners and work with the Council and the community to help address concerns about speeding via its SpeedWatch initiative.

You can find out more about Community Speed Watch via this link to the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership: https://www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk/info/safer-speed/safer-speed/community-involvement/community-speed-watch

I appreciate that this may not be the immediate solution you were hoping for but please rest assured that we take safety on our roads very seriously and all concerns are given fair consideration within the resources available”.

32.3      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

(2)           Portland Road Crossing

32.4      The Committee considered a petition referred from Full Council and signed by 323 people requesting a pedestrian crossing on Portland Road close to Westbourne Street.

32.5      The Chair provided the following response:

“Thank you for your petition and highlighting the importance of reviewing this crossing. 

As this year’s 2021/22 Pedestrian Crossing Programme is currently being implemented, we will include this request as a priority for assessment in next year’s 2022/23 Programme that will be investigating the safety criteria including the information supplied as part of this petition that will be considered seriously as part of this process”.

32.6      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

(3)           20mph Speed Limit on Portland Road

32.7      The Committee considered a petition referred from Full Council and signed by 687 people requesting the introduction of a 20mph speed limit on Portland Road.

32.8      The Chair provided the following response:

“We receive a large number of requests for speed limit reductions across the City. The Police would need to support any proposed reduction in speed limit, and they are unlikely to do this without physical measures being put in place to reduce and manage speeds along the entire corridor. This would require a detailed design, full consultation and an appropriate budget and resource to be identified in order to take it forward. As things stand, priority for such schemes is given to locations that already have a high casualty risk level that specifically relate to speed related collisions. Based on the current casualty history for Portland Road it would not be possible to prioritise a speed limit reduction scheme of this type above and beyond the current agreed programme of works. However, officers are in the process of reviewing the current Road Safety Strategy and a report on this, which will include an updated approach to the management of speeding concerns, will be brought to a future committee.

We are also in the process of developing a series of road safety improvements for the Portland Road corridor as part of our S106 programme.  This will include the following key elements:

The key aims of the scheme are as follows:

•   Improved visibility at six junctions via build-outs and/or raised tables

•   Improved pedestrian safety through reduced crossing distances and better visibility

•   Speed reductions through the introduction of central hatch markings to visually narrow the carriageway and through tighter junctions to slow turning vehicles

•   Improved cycle safety through the introduction of parking buffer zones and cycle symbols to encourage cyclists to take a primary position adjacent hazards such as junctions and parked vehicles

•   Improved cycle infrastructure with the addition of cycle parking along the corridor.

These works are in the final stages of development and works are planned to commence from November this year. If the petitioners would like to view details of the proposed improvements then please pass on your details and one of our officers would be happy to provide further information.

Portland Road is visited several times per day by enforcement officers and they will be increasing patrols of the area. Dangerous parking can be reported directly to enforcement officers on the number provided on the parking web pages. The administration is supportive of more 20mph roads in the city, so I am proposing not only to receive the road safety strategy report, but also one more specifically to assess feasibility for 20mph on Portland Road and similar roads”.

32.9      RESOLVED- That the Committee receive a report to a future meeting responding to the petition request.

(4)           Free school travel for children in Whitehawk, Bristol Estate and Manor Farm

32.10     The Committee considered a petition referred from Full Council and signed by 545 people requesting the council provide free return transport to secondary school for all children and young people living in the East Brighton communities of Whitehawk, Manor Farm and Bristol Estate.

32.11     The Chair provided the following response:

“Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has organised and signed the petition. I and the Chair of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee, are very keen to ensure that young people are not disadvantaged in their education because of where they live in the city or the transport options available to them. Therefore, we have already asked officers to look into what improvements can be made.

The city does benefit from a number of commercially operated school bus services and the council funds several services on top of this.

It is unfortunately very challenging to provide additional school bus services without significant further funding being identified. However, free school transport to a young person’s nearest suitable school is provided in line with statutory requirements set by the government. This means young people who live more than three miles from their catchment area secondary school are already eligible for free transport. In addition, the council will fund free public transport for children from low-income households who live more than two miles from school, subject to them meeting certain criteria.

I would encourage anyone from a low-income household, who is not already claiming help, to check if they are eligible for free school transport via the Home to School Travel Pages on the council’s website. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/apply-help-home-school-transport

In terms of improving bus services, I am pleased to say we have introduced an extra late afternoon service from Longhill to Whitehawk which began at the start of this term. The council is funding this as a trial for this term and if demand is high, we will consider extending it. I hope this will allow more of Longhill’s students to benefit from the after-school activities the school offers.

In the longer-term, the draft Bus Service Improvement Plan on the agenda for this meeting includes a commitment to a future review of bus services supported by the council, including school bus services. This will happen once we are clearer on what long-term changes there may be to demand across the bus network generally because of the pandemic.

As part of this, I also want to make sure that the limited resources available are directed where they are most needed and that school buses are provided in a fair and equitable way across the city.

On a personal note, I completely believe that all public transport should be free. But unfortunately, the costs of making it free for a certain area of the city are extremely prohibitive for councils. But I sincerely hope that with our new enhanced partnership with the bus companies in the city we can work to bring costs down as much as possible.

Thank you again for bringing this petition”.

32.12     RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

(5)           Bexhill Road play area crossing

32.13     The Committee considered a petition referred from Full Council and signed by 317 people requesting a pedestrian crossing near Bexhill Road play area to improve safety of those accessing the play area.

32.14     The Chair provided the following response:

“Thank you for your petition and the updated information about Bexhill Road traffic provided.  As you have identified in your petition the Council has an agreed process for assessing the suitability of pedestrian crossing locations, this includes a range of important social factors which effect pedestrian movement such as public perception of danger, the impact of crossings on community cohesion, access to key services and green space and improvements for mobility impaired people.

Assessments have been carried out annually since 2011/12 and funding allocated to make necessary improvements at priority locations.  I have been made aware of the previous request back in 2014 where traffic flows alongside the other criteria didn’t get this location into the priority for a crossing at Bexhill Road.  However, as the petition rightly calls out changing conditions, your request has been added to the pedestrian crossing list for re-assessment in next year’s 2022/23 financial year to determine whether a full investigation is now required”. 

32.15     RESOLVED- That the Committee receive a report to a future meeting responding to the petition request.