Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the County Council’s Constitution, the Chair and Vice Chair must be County Councillors.

RESOLVED that Councillor D Barnes be elected Chair and Councillor Y Atkinson be elected Vice Chair for the ensuing (municipal) year.

Minutes of the meetings held on  29 April and 6 June 2022 (special meeting)  (previously circulated).

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meetings held on 29 April and 6 June (special meeting) be signed as correct records.

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

No item was raised as a matter of urgency.

Stagecoach to answer Members’ questions

Stagecoach had sent their apologies for the meeting.

The Committee requested that the following questions be relayed to the Company and the responses be reported to members:

(a) Is it correct that up to 50 drivers would be lost for the duration of the commonwealth Games in Birmingham which would also coincide with service cuts in the City? Can Stagecoach clarify how many drivers and buses are to be sent to cover the Commonwealth Games, how this is being funded and what cover arrangements are planned for their operations in Devon in the meantime?

(b) Could the company arrange for the stops for the R and S services (circular routes) to being opposite each other in the High Street to assist passengers who use one or the other service?

(c) Could the Company outline what consultation took place with the County Council (Members and Officers) prior to the late night bus and other service cuts as reported in the Express and Echo the previous day?

(d) With the driver shortage Exeter is already experiencing it is concerning that Stagecoach may enter into contracts to provide services for events etc elsewhere. Can the Company please confirm if any contracts to supply buses and drivers elsewhere are being negotiated or are confirmed and what mitigations will be put in place to ensure passengers in Exeter and the surrounding areas will not be affected? Or is this an example of Stagecoach South West priorities, putting private contracts above its local services?

(e) With the £2 single ticket cap being introduced in October, how will this affect the price of the different ticket types such as Day Rider tickets? Also, could the Company confirm that Councils will not end up footing the bill for this scheme or will it be fully Government funded and can you assure that it also won’t be coming out of the Bus Improvement Grant?  What measures will be undertaken to reverse cuts in bus services so that passengers can make the most of the price cut and the opportunity to increase passenger numbers is not missed?

(f) Can the Company comment on the percentage reliability of the remaining bus services as a result of the changes made since March, especially the reliability of the post 6pm services?  And has the Company seen an increase in compensation being paid to passengers who have experienced missed journeys or late buses?

(g) At the special meeting of the Committee,  it was stated by the Company that the last night bus was prioritised to ensure the safety of passengers, especially women. If this was the case why has the Company decided to stop the late night bus service in so many areas of Exeter?

Members also expressed their disappointment that Stagecoach had been unable to send a representative to the last two meetings to answer members’ questions and promote dialogue and asked that a letter be sent to the Managing Director (Exeter Stagecoach). 

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/30), attached

(Councillor M Pearce declared a personal interest in so far as this item related to Third Avenue, Exeter by virtue of being a local resident)

(Councillor C Bennett  (Exeter City Council) attended in accordance with Standing Order 25 and spoke to this item in so far as it related to Baker Street, Exeter and asked questions relating to alternative traffic management arrangements).

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/30) on submissions in response to the statutory consultation on the restrictions proposed in the Exeter area, as part of the local waiting restriction programme.

In October 2021, a list of requests for new or amended waiting restrictions for the area had been collated and the relevant local County Councillors and Chair/Vice Chair had been consulted before advertisement from 9 June until 30 June 2022.

A summary of the proposals advertised were outlined in Appendix 1 (with  associated plans) and a summary of submissions and officer comments and recommendations were detailed in Appendix 2 of the Report.

Members commented on the proposals in their respective divisions.  

It was MOVED by Councillor D Barnes, and SECONDED by Councillor M Asvachin, and

RESOLVED

(a) that work on the local waiting restriction programme be noted; and

(b) that the recommendations contained in Appendix 2 to the Report be approved subject to the following changes:

(i) Mill Lane, Exeter: authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor;

(ii) Oak Ridge, Exeter: authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor;

(iii) Union Street, Exeter: authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor;

(iv) Follett Road and Pound Lane, Topsham: site visits be undertaken with the local County Councillor and authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor;

(v) Pound Lane, Topsham: site visit be undertaken with the local County Councillor and authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor; and

(vi) Ronchetti Way, Exeter: authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor;

(c) that a decision relating to the proposals in Wrefords Lane, Exeter Appendix 1 of the Report (where no objections had been received) be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Chair and local County Councillor.  

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Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/31), attached  

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/31) on a proposed application to the Magistrates' Court under Section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 for the stopping-up of part of the public highway adjacent to Hillsborough Lodge, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter as shown on the drawing attached as Appendix 1 of the Report. It was the Officers’ view that this area of highway was no longer needed for public use.

It was MOVED by Councillor P Prowse, and SECONDED by Councillor M Pearce and  

RESOLVED

(a) that the extent of highway land adjacent to Hillsborough Lodge, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter as detailed in Appendix 1, be agreed is not needed for public use; and

(b) that subject to the consultations referred to in section 3 of the report, Devon County Council makes an application to the magistrates’ court for an order under Section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 that the said highway land be stopped up.

Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport to report.

The Committee received a presentation from WSP consultants (attached) on initiatives and aspirational ideas to promote active travel and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).

Members’ questions and comments related to design provision for people with visual impairment and consultation arrangements with regard to local schemes and the need to balance differing demands, particularly within congested areas; and the role of Equality Assessment Impact statements in regard to the consideration of the needs of people with protected characteristics.

The Chair thanked WSP for their informative presentation.   

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Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/32), attached  

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/32) on a proposed scheme to reduce vehicular entry speeds on the Sweetbrier Lane arms of the roundabout, thus addressing the underlying causes of collisions.  It was intended that this would  improve road safety in a residential area and support cyclists using the E3 strategic cycle route. 

In recent years there had been several collisions at the roundabout involving cyclists, hence a traffic-calming scheme was developed to improve safety for pedestrians and cycles.

Following installation there would be a further road safety audit and further measures could be considered.    

It was MOVED by Councillor D Barnes and SECONDED by Councillor B Denning and

RESOLVED

(a) that the construction of the proposals for Sweetbrier Lane/Whipton Lane roundabout, as shown in Appendix 1, at an estimated scheme cost of £60,000 be approved; and

(b) that authority be delegated to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport, in consultation with the Chair of this Committee and local County Councillor, to make minor variations to the scheme as required.

Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport to report

The Committee received a  presentation from the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (attached) on the Heavitree and Whipton

Low Traffic Neighbourhood project.

Proposals to create a Low Traffic Neighbourhood for the Heavitree and Whipton area would undergo a further review following the meeting. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods aimed to reduce the impact of traffic on residential streets as an approach to help build community by creating safer and more pleasant environments where people could more easily choose to chat, meet friends, play, walk, wheel and cycle.

This was achieved by minimising the amount of through traffic that used residential streets while retaining vehicular access to homes and businesses. Through traffic was reduced using modal filters that could be introduced through bollards, planters but also bus gates, and one way systems.

Four options for "low traffic neighbourhoods" were consulted on last year.

The results of the consultation had found that there had been no majority support for any of the options, however the proposals would be looked at again in more detail and comments raised during the consultation would be taken on board to revise plans. Further engagement would be held with a number of stakeholders including emergency services, carers, disability groups as part of the review.

Consideration would be given to how the Heavitree and Whipton proposals were aligned with other ambitious plans set out by the County Council and Exeter City Council in the Exeter Transport Strategy, the Liveable Exeter Vision, the Bus Service Improvement Plan and the emerging Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for the city.

In areas of London where Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have been introduced, vehicular traffic has been reduced by 45% and active travel increased by 50%. While this demonstrated that these schemes could work, the County Council wanted to make sure it worked for people in Heavitree and Whipton.

Members’ discussion and questions related to consideration of displaced traffic (which would be monitored), the need for local support and consideration of the needs of carers and the ongoing work with Public Health and other bodies; and the length of any trail.

A decision on whether to proceed with a trial of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood will be made by the Committee at a future meeting.  

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/33), attached

The Committee noted the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/33) on Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) which set out the strategic approach for identifying long-term improvements to enable more cycling and walking as well as making the case for funding bids and ensuring infrastructure was  delivered through development.

In 2020 the Department for Transport (DfT) published ‘Gear Change’.  This had set out a bold new vision for cycling and walking, raising the standard of the quality of provision expected from local authorities and others delivering cycling and walking infrastructure.  This was complemented by a new guidance document – LTN 1/20 Cycle Infrastructure Design which was to be followed by new guidance on improving design for walking.

The DfT LCWIP guidance set out a six-stage process as set out in the Report  and the Exeter LCWIP was now working across the stages. The Report also outlined the network plans for cycling and walking and also referred to the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods or Liveable Neighbourhoods, the wider connections and consultation arrangements and the overall strategic plan.

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

In accordance with Standing Order 23(2) Councillor D Barnes had requested that the Committee consider this matter.

The Director for Climate Change, Environment and Transport reported that enforcement of the moving restrictions implemented to support the Wonford Road Modal filter was currently the sole responsibility of the Police.

The County Council was however currently considering the adoption of moving enforcement powers with a Scrutiny Spotlight Review which had been held on Monday 4th July, the recommendations of which would be submitted  to the Corporate, Infrastructure and Regulatory Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 22 September 2022.

If powers were adopted, there would be a significant capital investment to install permanent cameras and each site would need to be considered to prioritise investment.

Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport to report.

The Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport reported on an   issue with large commercial waste bins in the highway, in the city centre and that the County Council with Exeter City Council were pursuing a resolution.

A leaflet had been prepared in partnership with Exeter City Council and would be issued to those businesses who were recognised as causing a problem, with a view to gaining buy-in to the wider principles of the Charter (Exeter clear streets charter leaflet and guidance, attached).

Inspections had identified isolated incidents of street clutter on the High Street and Magdalen Road and businesses had been visited by the local Highways Officer accordingly.

Schemes and works continued to be designed and delivered with the principles of the Clear Street Charter at the forefront.

There was ongoing communication with the City Council in regard to licences for street cafés.

Arising on a Member question about EV Charging points, each proposal would be subject to statutory consultation and considered on its individual merits.

14 October 2022 and 16 January and 21 April 2023

Confirmation and up to date information on dates available here:

Browse meetings - Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee - Democracy in Devon

14 October 2022, 16 January 2023; and 21 April 2023 (all to start at 10.30 am).

Up-to-date information on dates available on-line at:

Browse meetings - Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee - Democracy in Devon