Present

County Councillors

Councillors Yabsley (Chairman), Biederman, Edmunds, Chugg, Davis, Edgell, Greenslade and Mathews

North Devon District Council

Councillors Cann, Manuel and Spear

Member attending in accordance with Standing Order 25:-

Councillor Brailey (North Devon District Council)

*60 Minutes

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2014 be signed as a correct record.

*61 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 and Mr G Robinson, Operations Director, South West Highways also attended and spoke at the invitation of the Committee. The presentation and discussions covered:

the County Council s success in bidding for 16,000,000 of Government funding in 2014/15 from both the Pothole Fund to address damage caused by extreme weather conditions and the Maintenance Challenge Fund with 9,600,000 of this being spent on resurfacing works and 2,900,000 being spent on patching - 13,400,000 of the additional funding had to be spent by the end of the current financial year and the County Council was on target to do so;

the challenge of continuing to provide the necessary level of highway maintenance in coming years while facing reduced revenue support grants and capital funding from Government, and the increasing importance of successful bids for challenge/incentive funding;

the submission to the Department for Transport to consider Devon as a special case and provide funding for maintenance of the rural road network alongside bids for additional capital and revenue funds for 2015/16 made available by the Government for major road networks;

the Tough Choices strategy for the 2015/16 revenue budget which included stopping grass cutting (except in visibility areas) and weed treatment and remodelling of the parish lengthsman service;

efficiency achievements totalling 2,000,000 over the last three years;

pothole and other safety defect repairs - improved response time/lower cost/new repair techniques including the use of jetpatching (the V works ICT system had made a significant contribution to increased productivity/efficiency);

progress made on mobilising community support and examples of Community Self-Help initiatives;

the role of the Road Warden and basic safety awareness training being essential for volunteers;

budgetary provision for training until at least July 2015;

progress made on managing demand - work with communities on reviewing and prioritising the local highway network;

economies involving Neighbourhood Highway Groups and standby arrangements;

policies on salting/gritting and control of noxious and invasive weed species;

options for future delivery models for highway services from April 2017 which would be considered by the County Council s Cabinet in May 2015.

Members discussion points with the Head of Service and the South West Highways representative included:

the view by some members of the need for greater flexibility of the use of Town and Parish Funding (TAP) for highway maintenance,

progress with negotiations with the operators of the picnic sites on the A361- the Head of Service undertook to circulate further information when negotiations were concluded and it was clear which sites were to be closed;

details of drainage works by parish lenghthsmen which would now be limited to 2 visits per year; the Head of Service undertook to circulate the programme of visits;

the decline of the rural network and priority for remedial safety work only in view of limited resources; and

priority maintenance of the A and B class road network in accordance with Asset Management principles and Government national funding requirements and criteria;

development of community self-help initiatives such as the Barnstaple Town Council s work in carrying out additional grass cutting and exploration of options for disposal of cuttings and the need for close working with all tiers of local government and other partners;

progress of the proposed improvements on the A361;

the strategic Transport Infrastructure Plan considered by the Cabinet on 8 April 2015 (report PTE/15/22 - text only | pdf | supplementary information PTE/15/22 refers - text only | PTE/15/22 - text only | pdf | supplementary information PTE/15/22.CMRrn=15/WD131dg=Public">pdf | PTE/15/22 - text only | pdf | supplementary information PTE/15/22.CMRrn=15/WD132dg=Public">supplementary information PTE/15/22 - text only | pdf | supplementary information PTE/15/22).

It was MOVED by Councillor Edgell, SECONDED by Councillor Greenslade and

RESOLVED that in addition to the actions identified above the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment be requested to report on the progress of the proposed improvements schemes on the A361 to the next meeting.

*62 Road Signage in the North Devon District (Minute *37)

The Head of Highways, Capital Development and Waste reported that the request to identify problems with damaged and missing finger posts in the District had been twice published in District Councils s Parish circular and no responses had been received.

*63 Civil Parking Enforcement On-Street Parking: Issues in Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and South Molton

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2) Councillors Edmunds and Yabsley had asked that the Committee consider concerns expressed by local residents about the enforcement of parking restrictions by the Civil Enforcement Officers managed by the County Council in Ilfracombe, South Molton, and Barnstaple.

The Head of Highways Capital Development Waste reported that

all parking enforcement staff were appropriately trained and managed and the enforcement team would always endeavour to engage with motorists if present at the time, but often the vehicle was not attended;

parking enforcement was not a covert service and any claims of poor behaviour would always be investigated;

there were a number of locations where the public have raised concerns, however in the majority of cases this reflected that public did not see the relevance of the existing restrictions;

restrictions were placed after consultation with Members and communities through a democratic process, and If restrictions required review Members should discuss this with Officers;

to allow for consistent and transparent enforcement the parking team must enforce as currently presented;

the service was keen to work with communities and the offer to Members to meet the team in their community was reissued.

*64 Yellow Lines in Woodville, Barnstaple

(Councillor Cann declared a disclosable interest in this matter by virtue of being a local resident and withdrew from the meeting during its consideration and Councillor Spear declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a Board Member of North Devon Homes)

(Councillor Brailey (North Devon District Council) attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2) Councillor Mathews had requested that the Committee consider the parking arrangements in this area in view of concerns about on-street parking by residents and lorries and including the scope for alternative parking by construction of lay bys on grass verges and impact of the current residential development works by North Devon Homes. The Neighbourhood Highways Manager confirmed that the lorries concerned were not HGVs and were therefore entitled to park at the locations and that residents parking did help alleviate any speeding issues.

It was MOVED by Councillor Mathews, SECONDED by Councillor Yabsley and

RESOLVED that the Head of Highways, Capital Development and Waste Head submit a report to this Committee on recommended parking arrangements for the area following completion of the development works.

*65 Traffic Congestion Braunton: Air Quality

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2) Councillor Chugg had requested that the Committee consider issues relating to traffic congestion and associated air quality concerns in the Braunton.

The Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment reported that following extensive survey work an Air Quality Action Plan (including 14 draft Action points) prepared by North Devon District Council in conjunction with the County Council had been submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for approval. No additional resources had been identified at this stage but the scope for funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) process was being considered.

It was MOVED by Councillor Yabsley, SECONDED by Councillor Chugg and

RESOLVED that North Devon District Council and the County Council s Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment be invited to submit a report to the next meeting on the Air Quality Action Plan and recommendations on the way forward.

*66 Referrals to Cabinet (Minutes *49 and *53)

(a) North Devon HATOC South Molton - Proposed Speed Limits (Station Road) (Minute 268(e)/10 December 2014)

The Committee noted that the Cabinet at its meeting on 14 January 2015 had resolved:

(i) that the HATOC be advised that the Cabinet is of the view that there is no justification for a departure from current policy to extend the 30mph speed limit to the A361 at Borners Bridge; that the advice of the Head of Highways, Capital Development Waste that approval be given to the making of the Traffic Regulation Order as proposed in Report HCW/14/88 - text only | pdf HCW/14/88 be therefore endorsed subject to the Traffic Regulation Order being re-advertised to extend the proposed 30mph restricted zone to include the access road to the new development at Gunsdown Villas;

(ii) that Officers be also requested to consider the provision of warning signs advising drivers of the entrance to the recycling centre .

(b) North Devon HATOC Atherington 20mph Speed Limit (Minute 268(f)/10 December 2014)

PC Goulding (Devon and Cornwall constabulary) attended and spoke at the invitation of the Committee.

The Committee noted that the Cabinet at its meeting on 14 January 2015 had resolved that

(i) that the County Council should not depart from its policy on local speed limits but the HATOC be advised that the request for a 20mph speed limit on roads in the village of Atherington should be re-evaluated against policy, by the Head of Service in consultation with the Cabinet Member, following up-to-date vehicle speed and volume surveys; and

(ii) that the establishment of a Community Speed Watch Group in association with the Devon Cornwall Constabulary be supported.

The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary representative advised that in regard to (ii) there was no scope for the proposed establishment of a Community Speed Watch Group as it was not warranted by the available data and police resources available.

*67 Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers

The Committee noted the report of the Head of Highways, Capital Development and Waste (HCW/15/30 - text only | pdf HCW/15/30) on actions taken under Delegated Powers since the last meeting and, where appropriate, in consultation with the Chairman and Local Members.

*68 Dates of Future Meetings

RESOLVED that future meetings be held on 21 July and 27 October 2015 and 12 April 2016

*DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

Minutes of this Committee are published on the County Council s Website at:

The meeting started at 10.00am and finished at 12.10 p.m.