Agenda item

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/80), attached.

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/22/80) on the proposed creation of a ‘green lane’, that removed through traffic on Langaton Lane, by use of a modal filter, in order to encourage walking and cycling for people who lived and worked in the Exeter and East Devon growth area.

In June 2021, Langaton Lane had been closed to motor vehicles via a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) to enable delivery of a low carbon district heat network to serve new developments.  On the back of this temporary closure, requests had been made by members of the public for a permanent closure of the Lane.

When the TTRO had expired on 11 March 2022, an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) introduced a prohibition of motor vehicles that was implemented with a physical modal filter to restrict motorised traffic whilst permitting walking, cycling and horse riding.  The restrictions had been  implemented on 17 March 2022, to be in place for a maximum of 18 months.

The restriction had been introduced on an experimental basis to allow the impact to be monitored and consulted on for at least 6 months, with the option of making minor changes if considered necessary.  As the first 6-month window had now passed, a number of responses have been received during the statutory consultation period and these were considered in Appendix 3 of the Report.

After considering the comments, the proposal was to make the experimental changes permanent.  The permanent modal filter on Langaton Lane was  proposed at the same location as was put in place for the ETRO, situated south of the railway line. (see scheme plan Appendix 1).

Councillor H Gent reported (remotely) the support of local residents and a neighbouring Member Councillor T Adams to the proposals.

Members’ discussion points with the Senior Transportation Planning Officer included:

·         the need for improved links N/S in the area of which currently there were no future plans to do this as there were vehicular alternatives nearby, namely Tithebarn link road and the recently upgraded junction 29 and the new green lane which was ideal for people living nearby who could now walk and cycle shorter distances to for example employment areas such as the skypark, science park; and  ?

·         the lighting proposals for the green lane including motion activated lighting on a trial basis, which if successful could be rolled-out to other schemes.

It was MOVED by Councillor S Randall Johnson, SECONDED by Councillor S Hughes and

RESOLVED

(a) that the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, to prohibit vehicles along Langaton Lane, as shown in Appendix 1, be made permanent;

(b) that the proposed improvements shown on the overview plan included in Appendix 1 be approved for construction at an estimated cost of £70,000;

(c) that approval be given to advertise a traffic regulation order to introduce No Waiting At Any Time as detailed in Appendix 1 of this Report and the 20 mph zone be extended to the closure point; and to make and seal the order if no objections are received;

(d) that the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport be given delegated powers, in consultation with the Chair of HATOC and the local members, to make minor amendments to the scheme details; and

(e) that Officers as part of the longer-term strategic planning process consider and North/South link in this area.