Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/22/2), attached

(Councillor M Asvachin declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of her residence in the local area)

(Olwen Foggin attended under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme and spoke to this item in objection to the proposals and requesting no further action).

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/22/2) on proposed changes either to make Dryden Road no entry except for cycles between Well Oak Park and Kipling Drive(option A) or proceed with an experimental order for one way eastbound traffic (and two-way cycling) between Well Oak Park and Kipling Drive (option B).  The option A  proposals had been introduced in June 2020 as part of the County Council’s Emergency Active Travel Fund measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dryden Road was one of four temporary changes made to provide the cross city E9 strategic cycle route that connected the Newcourt/Pynes Hill area to the RD&E Hospital and the City Centre. Dryden Road remained the only part of the route where the long-term proposals were yet to be decided.

The Report detailed the proposals and options, data arising from monitoring and traffic surveys, the outcome of extensive consultations and a summary of the risks/benefits of the two preferred options.  

Members  debated the advantages and disadvantages of options A and B detailed in the report, including: 

·         the need to promote active travel in line with the Exeter Transport Strategy and the finely balanced views between both options arising from the consultations;

·         benefits from the Scheme having been trialled for over 18 months and as such the impacts from Option A were known;

·         the changes had helped provide a safer active travel route for Hospital staff, but that the RD&E had expressed a preference for Option B due to the comparatively reduced levels of traffic on Bovemoors Lane;  

·         option A, in particular, would result in increased journey times for transfer of patients between NHS Devon Partnership Trust (DPT) sites;

·         possible mitigations which the NHS DPT could consider within the hospital estate to mitigate any transport issues for transfer of their patients noting that these issues had been considered by Officers;

·         impacts of any changes on resilience of the highway network and how the obligations under S122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 had been considered; 

·         a significant portion of Exeter residents without access to a car; and

·         the need to provide facilities to encourage people to travel more sustainably for the County is to meet adopted active travel and carbon reduction targets. 

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

RESOLVED

(a) that a Traffic Regulation Order to prohibit all vehicles except cycles on Dryden Road, over a length between Well Oak Park and Kipling Drive, as shown in Appendix 1 be made and sealed;

(b) that a  Traffic Regulation Order to prohibit parking on sections of Bovemoors Lane and Church Lane, as shown in Appendix 2, be made and sealed;

(c) that the proposals for Dryden Road, including two new raised tables,

widened westbound cycle lane and upgrade to traffic signals shown

indicatively in Appendix 1 be approved for construction at a total

estimated cost of £200,000; and

(d) that the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment be given

delegated powers, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee and the local County Councillor, to make minor amendments to the scheme details.

(N.B. In accordance with Standing Order 32 (2) Members requested a roll call in regard to the vote taken: For the Motion: Councillors Adams, Asvachin, Atkinson; Aves, Barnes, Whitton, Harvey and Pearce; Against the Motion: Councillors Hannaford, Leadbetter, Holland and Wardle; and Abstention: Councillor Prowse)