Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Committee Suite - Daw - County Hall, Exeter

Contact: Gerry Rufolo, 01392 382299  Email: gerry.rufolo@devon.gov.uk

Items
Note No. Item

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101.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

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

Decision:

RESOLVED that Councillor D Barnes be elected Chair and Councillor C Whitton be elected Vice Chair for the ensuing year.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor D Barnes be elected Chair and Councillor C Whitton be elected Vice Chair for the ensuing year.

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102.

Items Requiring Urgent Attention

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

Minutes:

No item was raised as a matter of urgency.

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103.

Active Streets Heavitree and Whipton Trial Scheme pdf icon PDF 5 MB

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/38), attached (Pages 1 – 26).

 

Impact Assessment of the Heavitree and Whipton Active Streets Trial, attached (Pages 27 – 56). 

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the implementation of a trial modal filter package for the Heavitree and Whipton area, as illustrated in Appendix 1 of the Report, at an estimated cost of up to £190,000 be approved;

 

(b) that the implementation of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders required to implement the trial be approved; and

 

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport, in consultation with the Chair and local County Council Members, to approve minor changes to the scheme design.

Minutes:

(Councillor M Pearce declared a personal interest as a resident within the proposed Trial area; and Councillor D Barnes declared a personal interest as a member of the Whipton and Pinhoe Labour Club located within the area).  

 

In accordance with the Council's Public Participation Scheme, the Committee received and acknowledged representations from: Galvin Short (against the published proposals), Anita Wood (in support of the published proposals), Ben Greenwood (in support), Ellen Bullied (in support), Lucy Haigh (against), Carol Finning (against), Harriet Sharp (in support), Neil Martin (against), Sarah Beare (in support), Marilyn Spur (in support), Gary Ford (against); and Jacqui Dart (broadly supportive, with reservations).

 

(Councillors P Holland and C Bennett (both Exeter City Council) attended in accordance with Standing Order 25 and spoke respectively against and in support of the published proposals).

 

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/38) on the proposed Active Streets Heavitree and Whipton Trial Scheme. The Report detailed the proposed scheme design, expected impacts, past communication, engagement and consultation arrangements with residents and representations and proposed statutory consultation arrangements during the first six months of the proposed Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders, options and alternatives, technical data, alignment with the national priorities and local strategic plans, and financial, legal, environmental, equality, and risk management considerations. 

 

The Committee also received and considered the published Impact Assessment on the Active Streets Trial.

 

The Committee also received a presentation from the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (attached).   

 

Members’ discussion points with the Officers included:

 

·         the importance of effective communication with local residents over the wide trial area; 

·         the budget allocations for engagement and communications which would include on-line and direct, with flyers, posters and letter box drops for example; and which would also include key stakeholders (including Taxi representatives and directly with the local Schools); and generally the budget was in place for the Trial; and subject to approval, funding was available for any permanent scheme (via the Local Transport Plan or other grant funds);  

·         assurance that there was no predetermination from advanced work notices and appropriate actions and modifications would be proposed/taken in relation to Trial trends/outcomes including abandonment of the scheme; and any substantial change would require further Orders and would be subject to statutory consultation;

·         some concerns about the extent and coverage of past informal consultations was acknowledged and lessons learnt for the consultation phase during any trial;

·         the traffic monitoring arrangements within the Trial area and on peripheral roads;

·         improving Stagecoach performance and plans for bus lane improvements as part of the Bus Support Improvement Plan; and need for improved access arrangements at Polsloe Rail Station in relation to the need for improved public transport;

·         confirmation that the bus gates would be enforceable by Devon and Cornwall Police, however the public could submit video evidence of violations of these and other traffic regulations via Operation Snap; and that the County Council was also exploring other options for enforcing bus gate restrictions and other restrictions in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 103.