25 April 2014

Present:-

Devon County Council:-

Councillors Croad (Chairman), Brazil, Hart, Hawkins, Rowe and Vint

South Hams District Council:-

Councillors Coulson and Hannaford

Apologies:-

Councillor Gilbert (DCC)

*19 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2013 be signed as a correct record.

*20 Market and Coastal Towns Rural Foundation Programme

The Committee considered the joint Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation Environment and the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (PTE/14/39 - text only | pdf PTE/14/39) summarising the local schemes in the Market and Coastal Towns Rural Foundation element of the proposed Local Transport Plan programme for 2014/15 in the South Hams area.

The Report also commented on the Market and Coastal Towns and Rural Devon Foundation Programme Larger Schemes, the Targeted Capital Investment Programme and the Countywide Foundation Programme as they related to South Hams, and progress on Year 2 (2013/14) of the Local Schemes Programme.

It was MOVED by Councillor Croad, SECONDED by Councillor Hawkins and

RESOLVED that the funding provisions for local schemes in South Hams included in Report PTE/13/55 - text only | pdf PTE/13/55 (Transport Capital Programme 2013/14 to 2014/15: Proposed Allocation) considered by the Cabinet on 10 July 2013 be noted.

*21 Totnes Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) (Minute *13/24 September 2013)

(Professor C Balch (Professor of Planning, Plymouth University), Councillor J Hodgson (Totnes Town Council), Councillor P Boswell (Mayor, Totnes Town Council), Mr P Sutton (Harrison Sutton Partnership Chartered Architects), and Mr A Garner and Mr P Wesley (Totnes Chamber of Commerce) attended under the Council s Public Participation scheme and spoke in favour of discontinuing the ETO and introducing alternative traffic solutions. Mr J Bellchambers, Mr J Burn, Mr R Saunders, Mr A Whitty, Mr P Rees (Totnes Traffic Transport Forum), Ms P Black and Mr J Rhodes attended the meeting and spoke in support of the ETO)

(PC I Baggott, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, attended and spoke to this item at the invitation of the Committee).

The Committee considered the further Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/14/40 - text only | pdf | supplementary information HCW/14/40) on the Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) scheme involving reversal of flow on Station Road and Lower Fore Street, Totnes introduced to prevent the use of Fore Street and High Street as a short cut for through traffic and thereby reduce injuries to pedestrians in collision with motor vehicles.

The Report gave an update on:

casualty, car parking and traffic data; footfall and modal shift; traffic movements; and economic data from The Local Data Company and a study of the economic impact of the ETO by Professor C Balch of Plymouth University commissioned by the Totnes Traders Action Group which had concluded that the ETO was having a detrimental effect on town centre businesses, although a further study by the County Council s Economy Enterprise Team had questioned the validity of its findings in drawing firm conclusions on economic performance;

consultation responses and other representations received from stakeholders and the general public;

and covered financial and other considerations, options/alternatives and reasons for the recommendations/conclusion.

The Report also drew attention to two recent personal injury collisions in The Narrows section of the High Street outside of the area covered by the ETO and a proposal for a Shared Space enhancement scheme in The Narrows funded through the South Hams Market and Coastal Towns Rural Foundation Programme within the Local Transport Plan to further encourage driver perception that they were travelling through a pedestrian friendly zone. PC Baggott, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, spoke to provide further information on a personal injury collision reported to have occurred on the lower section of Fore Street on 2 April 2014.

The Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste updated the position regarding the number of representations received from the public which stood at 183 in favour of retaining the current experimental traffic system and 98 against.

Members noted that:

the ETO was continuing to achieve its objective of reducing collisions involving personal injury in the target area of Fore Street and the lower section of High Street, Totnes;

there had been a fall in the number and speed of vehicles entering the town centre;

since the ETO was introduced only one slight personal injury accident had been reported within the area covered by the ETO which, if confirmed, would bring the post scheme casualty rate to 1 in 1 year compared with 7 in 3 years prior to the ETO;

parking data had indicated that overall car generated visitor numbers to the town had remained static;

the economic data was not conclusive - whilst the Plymouth University study had drawn negative conclusions from a 40% sample of businesses polled, other sources had shown that more businesses were operating in the retail core now than before the start of the ETO and that vacancy rates were considerably lower than the regional average;

as it was usual to monitor the effects of collision reduction measures over a three year period and a decision on whether to make the experimental traffic scheme permanent or to remove it was required before 22 September 2014, the experiment should be made permanent and monitored in the usual way.

It was MOVED by Councillor Hannaford and SECONDED by Councillor Rowe that the Experimental Traffic Order continue until the expiry of the Order on 22 September 2014, and be reviewed again by the Committee.

The motion was put to the vote and declared LOST.

It was then MOVED by Councillor Croad and SECONDED by Councillor Hart and subsequently RESOLVED

(a) that the latest observations on the Totnes Experimental Traffic Order be noted;

(b) that the Experimental Traffic Order be made permanent subject to a further review in 2016 at which data from 3 years before and 3 years post introduction can be analysed;

(c) that a Shared Space enhancement scheme be developed and implemented in The Narrows, Totnes to a value of 30,000.

*22 Totnes Station Road and Coronation Road Pedestrian Crossing Facilities

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/14/39 - text only | pdf HCW/14/39) on the proposed construction of a zebra crossing on Station Road, Totnes and the proposed relocation of a pedestrian refuge in Coronation Road, Totnes.

The provision of a zebra crossing on Station Road would improve access to schools, leisure and public health facilities for vulnerable road users on a busy pedestrian route. The relocation of the pedestrian refuge in Coronation Road would enable more efficient use to be made of the additional road space on the approach to a roundabout, thus improving traffic flow.

It was MOVED by Councillor Vint, SECONDED by Councillor Croad and

RESOLVED

(a) that the raised table zebra crossing detailed in plan number B13013_10 be constructed, subject to statutory consultation, at a cost of 20,000;

(b) that the pedestrian refuge on Coronation Road, Totnes detailed in plan number B13013_2 be removed and replaced with a similar facility to the south east at a cost of 15,000.

*23 Dartmouth and Kingswear - Proposed Waiting Restrictions

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/14/41 - text only | pdf HCW/14/41) on representations received during consultations on the Dartmouth and Kingswear Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).

In May 2011, the County Council, in partnership with South Hams District Council and Dartmouth Town Council, had established the Dartmouth Traffic Management Group comprising local authority elected representatives, key stakeholders and members of the public to review existing parking restrictions in Dartmouth and recommend changes where they were felt necessary.

In May 2013, the Dartmouth Traffic Management Group and Dartmouth Town Council had agreed proposals to amend and introduce various parking restrictions should be consulted on and, following consultation with the local County Councillor, a proposed TRO was advertised between 30 August and 20 December 2013. Following the consultation period, during which over 1000 representations were received, and after consulting the local County Councillor, the TRO was modified to exclude changes to the seasonal limited waiting bays, remove the loading bay proposals, and remove or amend some of the no waiting at any time restrictions. A public exhibition was held on 25 November 2013 to highlight the modifications, followed by a further public consultation between 26 November and 10 December 2013 which led to 47 representations being submitted.

It was MOVED by Councillor Hawkins, SECONDED by Councillor Rowe and

RESOLVED

(a) that the responses to the advertised Traffic Regulation Order be noted;

(b) that the Traffic Regulation Order, amended as summarised above and detailed in Appendix A to the Report, be made and sealed and the scheme implemented.

*24 Devon Highways Update

The Committee received a presentation by the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste on highway maintenance under the Voluntary Joint Venture agreement with South West Highways. Mr G Robinson, Operations Director, South West Highways also attended and spoke at the invitation of the Committee. The presentation covered:

the impacts of winter weather throughout Devon - 1340 fallen trees; 176 bank slips; 4600 reported flooding incidents;

the introduction of a Members Information Pack on: the highways backlog; what s happening in your area?; highways network condition; safety defects and fixing potholes; Bellwin funding; winter damage and maintenance; self-help and community support and other service areas - the pack would also be available online;

building the case for more capital funding - Devon highways budget and road condition index;

pothole repair process - through planning and resource optimisation;

examples of efficiencies - recycling of materials e.g. reedbed treatment of gully waste and surface dressing.

The Committee:

supported the County Council s strategy for focusing investment on A and B roads and reactive and preventative works in order to preserve a safe and functional highway network and help maintain the economy of the county and region;

welcomed the involvement of local councils and communities in helping to repair and maintain minor roads, and their views on priorities;

acknowledged the progress being made on reducing the backlog of pothole repairs.

*25 Totnes on the Move

The Committee noted that, in accordance with Standing Order 23(2), Councillor Vint, as Chairman of Totnes on the Move, had asked that the Committee receive his report on the activities of this community-led transport project since its inception in 2011, drawing attention to community communications and consultations undertaken, reports commissioned and published and projects and schemes achieved through working with other organisations.

*26 Action Taken Under Delegated Powers

The Committee received the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/14/42 - text only | pdf HCW/14/42) setting out action taken under delegated powers on advertised Traffic Regulation Orders since the last meeting.

DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

The meeting started at 10.00am and finished at 1.05pm.

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