Present:-

Devon County Council

Councillors Brook (Chairman), Barker, Clarance, Clatworthy, Connett, Dempster, Dewhirst, Gribble, Hook and Younger Ross.

Teignbridge District Council

Councillors Cox, Haines and Prowse

DALC

Mr Windsor

Apologies

Councillor Barisic (Devon County Council)

*68 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2015 be signed as a correct record.

*69 Items requiring Urgent Attention: Speeding on South Devon Highway

(In line with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972).

The Chairman had received a request from Councillors Hook and Dewhirst requesting the Committee should consider this item as a matter of urgency, in order that Members could raise their concerns, following many complaints from residents, regarding speeding traffic and the resultant increased noise from that speeding traffic and the perceived lack of enforcement of the 50mph speed limit.

The Chairman declined to take the issue as a matter of urgency but agreed to hear Members concerns at the end of the meeting.

*70 Petitions/Parking Policy Reviews

There was no petition received from a Member of the public or the Council.

*71 Devon Highways Update

The Committee received a presentation from Peter Brunt (Neighbourhood Highway Manager) and Tony Matthews (Neighbourhood Highway Group Manager) updating Members on relevant Devon Highways issues. The presentation covered:

(a) The Incentive Fund: this was a Government Top Up funding to the needs based highway maintenance capital allocation designed to encourage highway authorities to adopt good practice with an emphasis on collaboration with suppliers and other authorities. There were three bands of funding over 6 years from 2015/16 (with maximum funding in Band 3). The County Council was currently on course for Band 2 in 2016/17 and striving for Band 3 in the future with its planned changes working with other local authorities and other efficiency savings and service improvements. A move into Band 3 would result in a greater funding allocation for the Council in later years.

(b) Drainage Maintenance Strategy: this related to the measures taken to mitigate drainage issues in respect of the highway and the role and responsibilities of adjacent landowners, the programmed works for rural and urban gullies for example and budgetary constraints and challenges and the work of the County Council with its contractor to develop valid data sources and information to better target limited resources.

(c) Footway Maintenance Programme: the programme was about maintaining a condition which was safe and commensurate with usage. This was also in line with the analysis of footway survey conditions and budget allocations. The presentation highlighted how schemes were developed and progressed and the various types of repair materials used. Officers also highlighted upcoming issues with flagged / paved footways that would soon need to be considered for repair or replacement.

(d) Community Road Warden Update: related to the number of approved Road Warden Agreements, those pending, numbers trained to Chapter 8 level and booked for or awaiting training. A county-wide Project Officer had been engaged (on secondment) to promote the Scheme and develop a roll out plan. A trial pothole repair pilot using new materials for repairs was also being carried out under the Warden Scheme involving 4 Parishes, the results of which would inform future developments and plans.

(e) Community Payback Scheme: the extent of the work in communities across Devon and the positive feedback received from Towns and Parishes and the benefits for the Service Users under the Scheme under the supervision of probation staff working with neighbourhood officers. Future plans included additional training for the probation service supervisors to facilitate Chapter 8 work on the highway. Examples of the variety of work carried out across the County was also presented. Members commended the success of the scheme and the benefits for the local communities and Service Users.

The Committee discussed and asked questions on;

the current process for planning applications and materials used on footways and roads should form a key consideration, for example, the Council were adopting roads that contained materials expensive to maintain in the future;

the need for a careful consideration of materials used in town centres, for example, to replace attractive paving with a black bitmac might be detrimental to the economy of that town centre, so careful thought should be given;

that members would welcome more information on the types, styles and colours of bitmac surfacing available;

the potential for a fast track system to address urgent gully clearing issues;

the work load of parish lengthsman and whether they were able to manage the workload in some localities;

the use of slurry surfacing on pavements was working well, but pavement parking was causing the new surface to crack almost immediately after installation;

the potential to put more information on the web (gully cleaning programme etc) to help inform local members, districts, parish and town councils;

the importance of a holistic view and consequential costings of not undertaking maintenance, for example the cost of flooding; and

the role of South West Water in alleviating flooding and keeping the highways clear.

It was MOVED by Councillor Brook, SECONDED by Councillor Hook and

RESOLVED that the presentation be welcomed and that further discussions take place on the role of South West Water in working with the Council and also on the types of surfacing available when considering repair and replacement of current pavements.

*72 Proposals for the Delivery of an Annual Local Waiting Restrictions Programme

The Committee received a report from the Head of Highways, Capital Development and Waste (HCW/16/11 - text only | pdf HCW/16/11) on a revised proposed process for dealing with new requests for waiting restrictions.

The report outlined that the Council received regular requests for waiting restrictions to be introduced or amended and these could be difficult to deliver due to resource and funding pressures. The proposal was to develop an annual local programme for each HATOC area for the funding and delivery of waiting restriction schemes.

The process was outlined in the report which had included the collation of existing Member and Community lists, with those being reviewed to assess cost, legal compliance, compatibility with current parking strategy, wider impacts and any significant ongoing revenue implications. As part of this, a prioritisation tool had been developed to assist scoring (both positive and negative scoring), looking at issues such as, inter-alia, community benefit, positive effect on congestion and safety, maintenance category, assists with delivery of on-street parking enforcement, parking displacement, potential for objections, costs and deliverability.

The Committee was given a proposed schemes list, circulated at the meeting, in priority order, which were in line with Policy and identified as deliverable, each proposal having a notional value assigned so the HATOC could consider what might be delivered (dependant on the funding formula agreed by Cabinet).

Members noted that additional top-up funding could be provided from Locality Budget or Parish Councils for eligible schemes (with the caveat that staffing resource must be available to carry out design work).

Once funding was agreed, a finalised list would be circulated to Members, the proposals be designed and the associated Traffic Order drafted and advertised following consultation on the detailed design with the locally affected Members and Committee Chair.

The report outlined the relevant sustainability, carbon, equality, risk management and legal considerations for Members consideration.

It was MOVED by Councillor Brook, SECONDED by Councillor Connett and

RESOLVED

(a) that the work carried out to date on the annual waiting restrictions programme and the prioritisation process be noted;

(b) that waiting restriction schemes be progressed through advertising and sealing of subsequent Orders in priority order as presented in Appendix I, as circulated at the meeting, subject to funding being agreed by Cabinet;

(c) that two additional schemes be added to the priority list, namely parking at Kenn Primary School (Exminster and Kenton) and Reynall Road in Ogwell (Ashburton and Buckfastleigh); and

(d) that the specific details of individual schemes be developed with the locally effected County Member prior to advertising.

*73 Traffic Conditions and Safety on the A3192 Leaving Teignmouth

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2), Councillors Gribble and Younger-Ross had asked that the Committee consider the traffic conditions and safety on the A3192 leaving Teignmouth, in particular the number of accidents (many unreported), the danger to cyclists and the speed of the traffic.

The officers reported that a number of improvements and initiatives had already been implemented, including the re-designation of signage, removal of a tree, resurfacing of some sections and an independent safety audit undertaken in 2015.

Whilst there appeared to be a number of unreported accidents or non-injury accidents on the B3192, officers were only able to work with officially verified collision data received from the Police for evidence purposes in the determination of the appropriate measures to be taken to improve the safety of the highway.

A further discussion would take place outside of the meeting.

*74 Cattlegrids at Langaford

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2), Councillor Gribble had asked that the Committee consider the current position with the cattlegrids at Langaford.

The Chairman, having exercised his discretion and in the spirit of the Council s Public Participation rules and with the consent of the Committee, invited Mr Shears and Mrs Wilcocks to speak on this matter.

Whilst agreement to the grids had previously been made, there had been some confusion over the accreditation of the contractor which had halted progress. This appeared to have been resolved and the documentation would be checked, in accordance with that which had been requested by DCC in earlier correspondence in connection with this scheme, after the meeting to progress the works as soon as practicable.

*75 Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers

The Committee received the report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development and Waste (HCW/16/12 - text only | pdf HCW/16/12) on actions taken in respect of Traffic Regulation Orders under delegated powers, following consultation with the Chairman and local County Councillors.

*76 Dates of Future Meetings

Thurs 14 July 2016, at 10.00am

Thurs 3 November 2016 at 10.00am

Thurs 30 March 2017 at 10.00am

All meetings to be held at Teignbridge District Council, Forde House, Newton Abbot.

Please use link below for County Council Calendar of Meetings:

https://new.devon.gov.uk/democracy/calendar/

*77 Speeding on the South Devon Link Road (see minute *69)

The Chairman had decided to not take this issue as a matter of urgency earlier in the meeting, but agreed to hear Members concerns.

There had been a number of recent complaints from residents, regarding speeding traffic on the new South Devon Highway, the resultant increased noise from that speeding traffic and the perceived lack of enforcement of the 50mph speed limit.

Officers highlighted that arrangements could be made to undertake speed measurements over the next few months and also noise measurements would be undertaken later this year as part of the Part 1 compensation claims process.

RESOLVED that a report highlighting the results of the speed checks be brought to the next meeting, to enable debate of the broader impacts of this, including, noise, pollution, safety, speed, lack of planting and potential solutions.

*DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

The meeting started at 10.00am and finished at 11.55am.