13 November 2015

Present:-

Devon County Council:-

Councillors Brazil, Croad, Gilbert, Hawkins, Hosking, Rowe and Vint

South Hams District Council:-

Councillors Horsburgh and Pennington

Apologies:-

Councillors Hart (Devon County Council) and Dredge (Devon Association of Local Councils)

*41 Election of Chairman

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

*42 Election of Vice-Chairman

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

*43 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 April 2015 be signed as a correct record.

*44 Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 2011-2026: South Hams Programme for 2015/16 and 2016/17

(Councillor Vint declared a personal interest in this item by virtue of being a member of organisations advocating extensions of 20mph zones)

The Committee considered the Joint Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation Environment and the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (PTE/15/62 - text only | pdf PTE/15/62) summarising the proposed Local Transport Plan Programme for 2015/16 and 2016/17 in the South Hams area included in the Transport Capital Programme approved by the Cabinet in September 2015.

The 2015/16 and 2016/17 Programme took into account committed schemes, funding sources, the 2011 - 2026 Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan and the Cycling and Multi-use Trail Network Strategy. With significantly reduced Integrated Block funding from Government over the last few years, the Programme focused on using the County Council s limited resources to maximise match funding from external sources as the most efficient way of using the available funds. Although the Programme was heavily constrained in 2015/16 by commitments from the previous year, it was able to accommodate limited new scheme starts in 2016/17.

The Report also outlined a new approach to dealing with requests for waiting restrictions involving the development of an annual programme for each HATOC area in Devon for the funding and delivery of schemes which would be based on suggestions and requests from local county councillors and communities. It was intended that a single annual Traffic Regulation Order would be produced for each HATOC area, thus reducing overall costs.

The Head of Service responded to points raised by Members on the local transport schemes programmes (identified in Appendix 1 to the Report) and their implementation and the proposed new approach to dealing with proposed waiting restrictions.

In relation to proposals involving waiting restrictions, the Head of Service commented that:

while the officers would not - at least in the first year of operation - canvass Town and Parish Councils for waiting restriction proposals (given the anticipated backlog of schemes), Members would of course be free to approach local councils and communities for suggestions;

waiting restrictions funded by developers (through Section 106 Agreements etc) would be separate to the annual programme;

there would be contingency provision for handling priority requests where, usually for safety reasons, it would not be appropriate to wait until the next annual review;

top-up funding could be provided by local county councillors (through their Locality Budgets etc) or Town and Parish Councils where necessary;

work on advertising and implementing the annual programmes from the eight HATOCs countywide would be staggered throughout the year, and would not necessarily be progressed immediately following the Spring HATOCs, with a view to achieving equality of treatment for individual HATOC areas.

Members welcomed the new approach to dealing with requests for waiting restrictions.

The Chairman urged Members to draw the attention of Town and Parish Councils within their electoral divisions to the new arrangements and ask them to identify appropriate proposals on a priority basis which could be considered for inclusion in the annual programme.

Arising on the local transport schemes programmes, the Head of Service undertook to check:

the position regarding schemes for the A385 Corridor and possible contributions from Torbay Council towards infrastructure improvements;

whether there was a prioritised list of schemes which could be undertaken in the event of slippage in the South Hams programme.

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

RESOLVED

(a) that the funding provisions for schemes for the South Hams in the Countywide Foundation Programme and the Market and Coastal Town and Rural Devon Targeted Capital Investment Programme and the Market and Coastal Town and Rural Devon Foundation Programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the Report be supported;

(b) that, subject to the comments above, the proposed approach to local priority waiting restrictions set out in Section 4 of the Report be supported.

*45 Leechwell Lane, Totnes Pedestrian Crossing Facilities

(The Chairman, having exercised his discretion and in the spirit of the County Council s Public Participation rules and with the consent of the Committee, invited Mr Smith, a Parent Governor at The Grove Primary School, Totnes, to speak on this matter; Mr Smith spoke in support of the proposal in the Report)

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation Environment (PTE/15/63 - text only | pdf PTE/15/63) on a proposal to relocate and upgrade the pedestrian drop kerb crossing on Leechwell Lane, Totnes to a zebra crossing.

The scheme would be undertaken by a developer at their own expense under the terms of a planning consent for residential development.

The Head of Service indicated that the original proposed location for the crossing was approximately 30 metres to the north. However, it had been concluded that this crossing point was too close to a corner and that the desire line for pedestrians crossing Leechwell Lane towards The Grove Primary School, Totnes was further to the south. The scheme had been designed, safety audited and amended by the developer in response to consultation with The Grove Primary School.

The Committee noted that, while objections had been raised by local residents relating to light spill from the required beacons and lights associated with the crossing in the revised location, louvres and hoods would be installed to prevent this happening.

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

RESOLVED that the Zebra Crossing detailed in plan no. 14493-001 be constructed by the developer under the provisions of Section 278 of the Highways Act, 1980.

*46 Stopping up of Charleton Unclassified County Road No. 305 (Home Farm, East Charleton)

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/15/75 - text only | pdf HCW/15/75) seeking approval for an application to the Magistrates Court for the stopping up of the whole of Unclassified County Road No. 305, Charleton.

The Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste reported that the landowner had requested the stopping up of the highway in 2014 and that the County Council had subsequently consulted all parties likely to be affected by the proposal. The landowner had applied to the County Council in June 2015 for permission to apply to the Magistrates Court to stop up the road with no rights reserved. Although the Charleton Parish Council, local County Councillor and British Horse Society had initially objected to the proposal, these objections had been withdrawn following the landowner s offer to provide some land for a footpath link across his property.

The Head of Service confirmed that the road was a cul-de-sac which did not lead to a public place or a place of interest but ended in a disused quarry; he added that there was no alternative route nor was one needed.

The Head of Service updated the Committee on the County Solicitor s advice on legal considerations which would be incorporated as an addendum to the Report.

It was MOVED by Councillor Brazil, SECONDED by Councillor Pennington and

RESOLVED

(a) that it be acknowledged that the Unclassified County Road No. 305, Charleton at Home Farm, East Charleton is unneccessary;

(b) that an application be made to the Magistrates Court for an Order under Section 116 of the Highways Act, 1980 that the said highway be stopped up.

*47 Blackawton Speed Limit (Minute *38/17 April 2015)

(Councillor Vint declared a personal interest in this item by virtue of being a member or organisations advocating extensions of 20mph zones)

In line with the Committee s earlier decision, in April 2015, to defer consideration of a request for a 20mph speed limit to be introduced in Blackawton, the Head of Service reported that a Highways Officer had visited Blackawton to further investigate the matter of speed limits in the village and that discussions had taken place with Blackawton Parish Council. It was apparent that the Parish Council did not support the application of either a 20mph limit or zone with the attendant signs, lines and markings on the basis that this would involve an urbanisation of the village and a disproportionate response as vehicle speeds were already low but the Parish Council had supported improving the Village Gateway signs. The Parish Council had also acknowledged that the current 30mph limit broadly complied with current County Council policy and that any watering down of the limit through its extension at the present time could have a detrimental effect on traffic speeds through the village.

He also drew attention to a proposed meeting arranged with Blackawton Parish Council to develop the Village Gateway initiative which would include a further review of the 30mph limit that would take into account future development within the village.

The Head of Service reminded the Committee that investigations into speed and collision histories had shown that there were no overriding factors to support a reduction in the existing 30mph speed limit in Blackawton as a departure from current policy. However, the County Council s policy on local speed limits would be reviewed following the publication of the interim Department for Transport report on the effectiveness of 20mph speed limits and zones which was due to be published in early 2016 and information on how the outcomes of the national study would influence changes to current guidance and application. In these circumstances any further work in connection with a possible 20mph speed limit in Blackawton would be premature pending the publication of the Department for Transport report. He advised that a further report would be made to the next meeting on any developments.

*48 Proposed 20mph Speed Limits - Marldon and Longcombe, Berry Pomeroy

(Councillor Vint declared a personal interest in this item by virtue of being a member or organisations advocating extensions of 20mph zones)

The Committee noted that, in accordance with Standing Order 23, Councillor Pennington had asked that it consider the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in both Marldon Village and Longcombe, near Berry Pomeroy and the Committee considered the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/15/76 - text only | pdf HCW/15/76) on these requests.

The request relating to Marldon Village involved an extension to an existing established 20mph zone to cover the whole village and was supported by a petition signed by over 500 local residents presented to Marldon Parish Council which had been forwarded to the County Council in August 2015. A letter had been received from the Headteacher of Marldon CofE Primary School in October 2015 expressing support for a blanket limit. The 20mph zone requested in Longcombe related to a section of the C87 adjacent to a property known as The Granary .

The Head of Service reported that investigations into speed and collision histories had shown that there were no overriding factors to support a reduction in the existing 30mph speed limit as a departure from current policy in either Marldon Village or Longcombe, but that the County Council s policy on local speed limits would be reviewed following the publication of the interim Department for Transport report on the effectiveness of 20mph speed limits and zones.

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

RESOLVED

(a) that the assessment made of the current conditions that exist in both Marldon Village and Longcombe in accordance with the County Council s current 20mph speed limit policy be noted and that no further action be taken relating to the request for a 20mph limit in Longcombe;

(b) that any further work in connection with a possible 20mph speed limit in Marldon Village be deferred pending the findings of the interim Department for Transport report on the effectiveness of 20mph speed limits and zones which was due to be published in early 2016 and information on how the outcomes of the national study would influence changes to current guidance and application.

*49 Petitions/Parking Policy Reviews

There was no petition from a member of the public or the Council relating to the South Hams.

*50 Action Taken Under Delegated Powers

The Committee received and noted the Report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste (HCW/15/77 - text only | pdf HCW/15/77) 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 11.15am.

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