Agenda and minutes

Venue: Follaton House, Plymouth Road

Contact: Fred Whitehouse, 01392 381362  Email: fred.whitehouse@devon.gov.ukk

Items
Note No. Item

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38.

Election of Chair

(NB: In accordance with the County Council’s Constitution, The Chair and Vice Chair must be County Councillors. County and District Councillors may vote).

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Gilbert and SECONDED by Councillor Hawkins and

 

RESOLVED: that Councillor Croad be elected Chair for the ensuing year.

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39.

Election of Vice Chair

(NB: In accordance with the County Council’s Constitution, The Chair and Vice Chair must be County Councillors. County and District Councillors may vote).

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Gilbert and SECONDED by Councillor Hodgson and

 

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

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40.

Declarations of Interest

Members of the Committee will declare any interests they may have in any item to be considered at this meeting, prior to any discussion taking place on that item.

 

The registrable interests of Councillors of Devon County Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes. 

 

For details of District and or Town and Parish Twin Hatters – please see here:

County councillors who are also district, borough, city, parish or town councillors

Minutes:

No declarations were received, over and above the other registrable interests of Councillors of Devon County Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities.

?pdf icon A list of county councillors who are also district, borough, city, parish or town councillors

 

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41.

Minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2023 pdf icon PDF 95 KB

Minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2023, attached.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2023 be signed as a correct record.

42.

A385-The Bourtons, Berry Pomeroy - Request for Speed Limit Change pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/46)

 

Minutes:

Members considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/46), following the local County Councillor’s request that the speed limit between the A385 and The Bourtons, on the outskirts of Totnes, be reduced. Officers stated that the request would not meet DCC policy or national guidance. The Report recommended that the speed limit remained as it was currently, i.e. derestricted (60mph). If a reduction in the speed limit was supported by the Committee, it would have to be referred to Cabinet as a departure from policy. Officers advised there were very few domestic frontages on the road and no historic collisions related to speed.  Whilst there may be some other examples of inappropriate historic speed limits outside of policy these were often difficult to enforce, with some drivers not adhering to speeds where they expected it to normally be a higher speed restriction.

 

The local County Councillor advised there was no pedestrian access from the housing estate to Totnes, which was its recognised town and local community.  When the estate was originally built some years ago, a permissive path had been included within the planning permission but this had not been delivered by the developer. The local County Councillor suggested an extension of the traffic speed limit to just north of the Bourtons was needed, due to the number of residents that walked/cycled into Totnes, including a number of school children needing to safely cycle to KEVICS.  He hoped there could be a flexible approach to support and encourage safer routes to school/safer alternative journeys for local residents.

 

Members’ discussion included:-

 

-whilst the Committee was sympathetic to support and encourage safer routes to school/safer alternative journeys for local residents, as in this case, some Members felt there should be a fair and consistent approach taken by the County Council in following recent decisions, whereby if a local community wished to progress a local scheme that did not meet DCC policy or national guidance, it may be supported subject to local community/ parish funding;       

 

-however some Members felt that each request should be considered on its individual merits to include the consideration of responsibility for funding, as some schemes of this type may not be able to proceed due to lack of local available funding.

 

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

 

 RESOLVED:

 

that whilst noting the report advised against a change in speed limit between the A385 and The Bourtons, this Committee supports the request for a reduction of the speed limit to 40mph and refers it to Cabinet for determination.

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43.

Westward Close, Totnes - Residents Parking

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2) Councillor Hodgson has requested that the Committee consider this matter.

 

A verbal update will be given.

Minutes:

The Committee noted that, in accordance with Standing Order 23, Councillor Hodgson had asked that the Committee consider the issue of parking in Westward Close, Totnes due to residents of the Close receiving Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) following enforcement of the residents parking zone since January 2024.

 

The local County Councillor further advised that this had been exacerbated more recently with changes to the lining within the general area.  Residents of the Close living there both in the short term and long term had not had any restrictions notified at either house purchase stage or subsequent stages.   

 

Members of this Committee commented that this type of local matter would normally be dealt with at local level and was not a matter for this Committee to determine, e.g. via the process established with Town/Parish Councils.  However, the local County Councillor advised she had not managed to reach a local solution to date. 

 

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

 

RESOLVED that an Officer meeting with residents, the Local County Councillor and District Councillor to explore a solution, be supported.

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44.

Junction of Plymouth Road and the Western By-pass, Totnes

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2) Councillor Hodgson has requested that the Committee consider this matter.

 

 

 

A verbal update will be given.

Minutes:

The Committee noted that, in accordance with Standing Order 23, Councillor Hodgson had asked that the Committee consider her continued concern and request for improved crossing facilities to support safer journeys to school, active travel and air quality management. 

 

Officers gave the timeline of this Committee’s previous consideration between November 2018 and October 2021, when it was determined that from site visit observations user behaviour was sensible and recommending the cutback of vegetation to improve visibility but not supporting further changes to the junction.   Recently the pedestrian crossing lights had been upgraded so any further change would increase costs to greater than those in 2021. The upgrade had been deferred whilst awaiting the decision of this Committee in 2021, but could not be deferred any longer for safety reasons.

 

The local County Councillor did not consider this Committee’s site visit on 12 July 2021 was fully representative of how busy this junction was at normal school times, due to pupils exceptionally going into school later that morning. She also advised that the cut back of vegetation was not a satisfactory solution to visibility issues, with subsequent ongoing overgrowth at the location.

 

Whilst Members commented that they recognised this was a busy junction and that the site visit may have been carried out on a date of a quieter school journey, some Members could not see how this was likely to materially change factors, however they were content to review the decision in light of the circumstances.  

 

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

 

RESOLVED: that a further Committee site visit be arranged, during a more representative school day, to review the decision taken on 15 October 2021, in light of the above.  

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45.

Bus Users and Stakeholders (BUS) Forum

Verbal update from the Committee’s BUS Forum representative.

 

Minutes:

The Committee received a verbal update overview of the positive progress (including funding secured) of the Forum’s past four meetings, from this Committee’s BUS Forum representative. 

 

The meetings’ notes would be circulated for information.

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46.

Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/47)

Minutes:

The Committee received the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/24/47) setting out action taken under delegated powers on advertised Traffic Regulation Orders since the last meeting, across various locations within the South Hams.

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47.

Dates for Future HATOC Meetings

Please use link below for County Council Calendar of Meetings to check meeting arrangements

http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1

 

Thursday 7 November 2024

Wednesday 5 March 2025.

 

 

 

Minutes:

Please use link below for County Council Calendar of Meetings to check meeting arrangements

http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1

 

Thursday 7 November 2024 at 10.30am

Wednesday 5 March 2025 at 10.30am.