Present:-

Devon County Council:-

Councillors Black, Brazil, Croad, Hart, Hawkins, Mumford and Pennington

South Hams District Council:-

Councillors Coulson and Hannaford

Also in Attendance:-

PC Baggott, Devon Cornwall Constabulary

Apology:-

Councillor Sir Simon Day (DCC)

*64 Election of Chairman

RESOLVED that Councillor Croad be elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

*65 Election of Vice-Chairman

RESOLVED that Councillor Hawkins be elected Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

*66 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2012 be signed as a correct record.

*67 Urgent Business: A381, West Alvington Hill, Kingsbridge

(An item taken under Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972)

The Chairman had decided that the Committee should consider this item as a matter of urgency because of the need for Members to be made aware of recent developments.

Councillor Brazil raised an issue about road safety on the A381 on West Alvington Hill outside Kingsbridge Community College where there had recently been a collision involving a pedestrian on a zebra crossing. The Head of Highways Traffic Management undertook to investigate the matter and report back to the next meeting.

*68 Totnes Experimental Traffic Order (Minute *61(a)/20 April 2012)

(Councillor Hannaford declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a volunteer driver and past co-ordinator of the Totnes Community Bus service)

(PC Baggott attended and spoke to this item at the request of the Committee)

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Highways Traffic Management (HTM/12/71 - text only | pdf | supplementary information HTM/12/71) summarising the results of traffic surveys, casualty collision investigations and recent public consultations regarding the extent of unlawful use by traffic of Fore Street and High Street, Totnes and recommending a course of action to address the situation.

Salient points in the report included the following:

traffic surveys had shown that over a third of traffic used Upper Fore Street and High Street - from which motor vehicles were prohibited except for access, deliveries and parking - as a through route

despite improvement schemes to enhance the pedestrian environment, there had been 7 injury collisions involving pedestrians between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011 with one of these having been classed as serious

in March 2012 a proposal to introduce an experimental right turn ban from High Street into Plymouth Road had been postponed to allow Totnes Town Council to make their views clear on ways to reduce through traffic

public consultations had recently been undertaken by the County Council on the following options: engineered or signed only experimental right turn ban from High Street (The Narrows) into Plymouth Road or experimental reversal of traffic flow on Station Road and Lower Fore Street

there was strong support for Option 2, although it was understood that Totnes Town Council had not accepted the results of the County Council s consultation.

The Head of Highways Traffic Management added that retaining the status quo was not acceptable. The Devon Cornwall Constabulary representative also expressed support for Option 2.

It was MOVED by Councillor Hannaford and SECONDED by Councillor Pennington that the proposed Experimental Traffic Order be not implemented but that consideration be given to ways in which Totnes town centre could be made more pedestrian friendly . The motion was put to the vote and declared LOST.

It was then MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Croad and

RESOLVED

(a) that the results of the recent County Council consultation be noted and that Option 2 - Reversal of Flow on Station Road and Lower Fore Street, Totnes be implemented for an experimental period as soon as is practicable and, where possible, in conjunction with the Wales and West Utilities works planned for January to March 2013;

(b) that a report reviewing the experiment be submitted to the meeting of the HATOC on 12 July 2013;

(c) that consideration be given to ways in which Totnes town centre could be made more pedestrian friendly eg. through the use of shared surfaces.

*69 Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers

The Committee received and noted the Report of the Head of Highways Traffic Management (HTM/12/72 - text only | pdf HTM/12/72) setting out actions taken under delegated powers, in consultation with the Chairman and local members, on advertised Traffic Regulation Orders since the last meeting.

*70 Changes to the Pavements on the Old Bridge leading to Bridgetown, Totnes

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2), Councillor Hannaford had asked that the Committee consider the above but recognising that these works were not now going ahead did not pursue the matter.

*71 Future Meetings

The Committee noted the dates of future meetings and asked to be updated at its next meeting on enforcement relating to illegal parking on pavements and the Totnes on the Move community project.

*DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

The meeting started at 9.30am and finished at 10.40am.

The Minutes of the South Hams Highways Traffic Orders Committee are published on the County Council s Website at:-