Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, the Cabinet Member was asked to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests that he might have had in the business on the agenda.

The Cabinet Member declared personal non prejudicial interests in the general remit of the meeting as an honorary member of the Cycle Touring Club and as a participant in the York Cycle Campaign.

He also declared a further personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 11 (Rufforth to Knapton Bridleway-Funding and Construction) in that he had involvement with the regional Sustrans representative and had also been a member of the regional board.

No other interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 27^th September 2012.

RESOLVED:       That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 27 September 2012 be approved and signed by the Cabinet Member as a correct record.

It was reported that there had been eight registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme. Details of the registrations are included under the relevant minute.

This report outlines 3 options and recommends the implementation of Option A in relation to Deighton residents request to lower the speed limit to 40mph on the A19 between Escrick and the lay-by to the south of Gravel Pit Farm.

RESOLVED:  (i) That Option C, as detailed in the Officers report  be agreed as the preferred option.

                      (ii)   That Officers undertake a feasibility study into delivering Option C, in particular to examine reasonable costs for improvements to the lighting.

REASON:           To address concerns raised by local residents.

The Cabinet Member received a report which outlined 3 options in relation to a request from Deighton residents to lower the speed limit to 40mph on the A19 between Escrick and the layby to the south of Gravel Pit Farm.

Representations were received from a local resident, Wilson Clark who was in favour of lowering the speed limit from 60mph to 40mph. He gave a number of reasons to support this including;

·        That traffic turning southbound out of the village could not see cars coming north at 60mph due to the bend in the road.

·        That the access to the central island in the road for pedestrians was dangerous as it had been damaged by previous traffic collisions.

·        Farm traffic often protruded into the northbound lane.

·        That a proposed new development of an Anaerobic Digester plant at Deighton would cause an increase in traffic.

Further representations were received from David Dickman, another local resident. He also supported lowering the speed limit to 40 mph for a number of reasons including;

·        That a number of near misses had gone unrecorded at the junction showing how dangerous the current speed limit was, in particular how the driver of an ambulance was injured due to taking slightly too long to turn into the village.

·        Why 40 mph was the fastest speed that would allow safe access into the village, also compared with other villages in York that had 30 mph limits.

Additional representations were received from a local resident Tony Bramley. He spoke about how he was also in favour of reducing the speed limit from 60mph to 40mph for a number of reasons including;

·        That due to current traffic speeds that difficulties had been encountered by local residents in trying to cross the road safely.

·        That the illumination of the road was not very good, in particular the light on the pedestrian island was dim and the light at the bus stop in the village was broken.

Further representations were received from another local resident, Kevin Dixon. He spoke about how he felt that there was insufficient visibility at the junction to the village to allow for a 50mph speed limit. He felt that the Road Safety Audit that had been carried out had failed to consider road speed and visibility, and therefore the speed limit should not be raised to 50mph.

Councillor Barton, as the Ward Member, spoke about the lack of visibility at the road junction. He felt that it was not clear how the Police’s recommendation of 60mph would work with the existing traffic lights. He also felt that the number of visits made by Officers to monitor the traffic situation was incomparable to the views of residents, who had seen a number of collisions and had suffered problems with bus access. He urged the Cabinet Member to not agree to Option A in the Officer’s report, to introduce a 50mph speed limit as he felt it would be too expensive and would not solve existing residents  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

This report considers issues raised in the Stage 2 Road Safety Audits (RSA) for the proposed Park and Ride facilities at Askham Bar and Poppleton Bar.

RESOLVED:  (i) That it be noted that Stage 2 RSAs have been completed for both proposed Park and Ride facilities at both Askham Bar and Poppleton Bar.

Reason:              To acknowledge the completion of this milestone in the project

                     (ii)    That it be agreed that the Designer’s Responses where they consider that the RSA recommendation should not or cannot be achieved be supported.

Reason:              To enable the scheme to be constructed thus enabling the programme for Access York to be maintained and secure Departmental Funding.

                    (iii)    That it be agreed to support the proposed CYC recommendation to the Designers Response where clarification is requested by the designer.

Reason:              To enable the scheme to be constructed thus enabling the programme for Access York to be maintained and secure Departmental funding.                  

REASON:           To reduce the risk of incidents and improve road safety.

The Cabinet Member received a report which considered issues raised in Stage 2 Road Safety Audits (RSA) for the proposed Park and Ride facilities at Askham Bar and Poppleton Bar.

In their update to the Cabinet Member, Officers reported that they had received written representations from a garage owner and one from a resident in Cinder Lane, in relation to the A59/A1237 Roundabout improvements at Poppleton Bar.

Further representations were received from Paul Hepworth, he asked a couple of questions including; if a continuous signposted route existed from the Park & Ride car park into Northfield Lane and therefore could Officers assure him that there would be a reasonable cycle route into the site.

Questions from the Cabinet Member to the Officers related to a number of the exceptions (were the Designer did not accept or partially accepted the recommendations of the Council’s Road Safety Audit team) listed in the Officer’s report. The Cabinet Member made a series of questions that related to the RSA’s problem locations, which were included in tables in the Officer’s report. He asked if at the proposed junction at the A59 that there was enough space to allow for a 1.2 metre wide cycle lane at the mid junction link between Station Road & North Field Lane. He also questioned the use of part time signals on the A59/ A1237 junction approaches. He also asked for clarification on the pedestrian facilities in the car park and questioned the restrictions on the bus access route at Askham Bar.

Officers responded that the junction would allow for a 1.2 metre cycle lane. They also replied in relation to part time signals that they would not want to introduce these straightaway but would install infrastructure which would allow for the possibility of the signals to be installed in the future. The signals should not alter the entry or exit of vehicles to/from the roundabout as a give way line would be present.

In clarification about the pedestrian facilities in the Park and Ride car park, Officers explained that bus traffic would be kept separate from the car park, in that it would be gated off. This would mean that pedestrians would not be crossing over an existing bus route, which is why they felt zebra crossings did not need to be installed.

RESOLVED:  (i) That it be noted that Stage 2 RSAs have been completed for both proposed Park and Ride facilities at both Askham Bar and Poppleton Bar.

Reason:              To acknowledge the completion of this milestone in the project

                     (ii)    That it be agreed that the Designer’s Responses where they consider that the RSA recommendation should not or cannot be achieved be supported.

Reason:              To enable the scheme to be constructed thus enabling the programme for Access York to be maintained and secure Departmental Funding.

                    (iii)    That it be agreed to support the proposed CYC recommendation to the Designers Response where clarification is requested by the designer.

Reason:              To enable the scheme to be constructed thus enabling the programme  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

This report gives an update on the collaborative Speed Review Process set up in York in conjunction with North Yorkshire Police and the Fire Service. The report also advises of further locations where concerns about traffic speeds have been raised.

RESOLVED:       That Option 1, as detailed in the Officer’s report be agreed, and Officers be asked to work towards the introduction of an electronic reporting system for speed reports.

REASON:           So that all locations identified, from past reports as well as the current report, are considered for appropriate speed reduction measures on clear and equal guidelines.

The Cabinet Member received a report which updated him on the collaborative Speed Review Process, set up in York, in conjunction with the Police (North Yorkshire Police) and Fire Service (North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service).

Officers updated the Cabinet Member regarding comments they had received from Councillor D’Agorne. In relation to his request for a zero tolerance approach on speeding, Officers explained that unfortunately they did not have the funding or manpower to deliver this.

The Cabinet Member felt that further discussions with the police regarding reviewing speed limits would be welcomed.

RESOLVED:       That Option 1, as detailed in the Officer’s report be agreed, and Officers be asked to work towards the introduction of an electronic reporting system for speed reports.

REASON:           So that all locations identified, from past reports as well as the current report, are considered for appropriate speed reduction measures on clear and equal guidelines.

This report outlines a scheme that has been developed to address the types of accidents that are occurring in the vicinity of the Zebra Crossing near Owston Avenue.

RESOLVED:                That Option 1 to approve the scheme as shown in Annex A to the Officer’s report to address a pattern shown in the accident data be agreed.

REASON:                     To improve road safety, and reduce the number and severity of collisions.

The Cabinet Member received a report which outlined a scheme that had been developed to address the types of accidents that had been occurring in the vicinity of the Zebra Crossing near Owston Avenue.

RESOLVED:                That Option 1 to approve the scheme as shown in Annex A to the Officer’s report to address a pattern shown in the accident data be approved.

REASON:                     To improve road safety, and reduce the number and severity of collusion.

This report asks the Cabinet Member to approve the implementation of the signing and road marking improvements at the St Leonards Place, Bootham and Gillygate junction.

RESOLVED:                That Option 2, to approve the revised scheme as shown in Annex B to the Officer’s report, to address the types of accidents that are occurring at the junction be agreed.

REASON:                     To improve road safety, and reduce the number of severity of collisions.

The Cabinet Member received a report which asked him to approve the implementation of the signing and road marking improvements at the St Leonards Place, Bootham and Gillygate junction.

RESOLVED:                That Option 2, to approve the revised scheme as shown in Annex B to the Officer’s report, to address the types of accidents that are occurring at the junction be agreed.

REASON:                     To improve road safety, and reduce the number of severity of collisions.

This report provides an update on the consultation carried out to find a new location for the bench formerly positioned at the Stockton Lane/Hempland Lane junction.

RESOLVED:                That Option 1, to install the bench at the Hempland Lane junction as shown in Annex B to the Officer’s report and monitor the situation with regards to anti social behaviour be agreed.

REASON:                     To provide a facility to benefit older residents in the community and to safeguard the interests of local residents.

The Cabinet Member received a report which updated him on the consultation to find a new location for the bench formerly positioned at the Stockton Lane/Hempland Lane junction, which was removed to address concerns over road safety and anti-social behaviour.

Representations were received from the Ward Member, Councillor Ayre. He felt that he could not support the proposals detailed in the Officer’s report because he felt that there had not been a necessary amount of consultation with local residents.

RESOLVED:                That Option 1, to install the bench at the Hempland Lane junction as shown in Annex B to the Officer’s report and monitor the situation with regards to anti social behaviour be agreed.

REASON:                     To provide a facility to benefit older residents in the community and to safeguard the interests of local residents.

This report sets out the proposals for pedestrian crossing and footway improvements and summarises feedback from consultation with interested parties and makes recommendations on a final scheme layout for implementation.

RESOLVED:       That Option B, to approve a revised scheme layout as indicated in Annex D to the Officer’s report, be agreed.

REASON:           To improve the walking route between York Barbican and St George’s Field car/coach park, enhance pedestrian and cycle facilities near Fishergate Bar whilst also improving the appearance of this sensitive area and also generally improve road safety in this area.        

The Cabinet Member considered a report which set out proposals for pedestrian crossing and footway improvements and summarises feedback from consultation with interested parties and made recommendations on a final scheme layout for implementation.

Officers updated the Cabinet Member by saying that the estimated cost of the scheme was now £250,000 rather than the £200,000 mentioned in their report. The only significant saving they could see would be not to use natural stone material near Fishergate Bar, but they added that they would be reluctant to do this because of the sensitive historic nature of the site.

RESOLVED:       That Option B, to approve a revised scheme layout as indicated in Annex D to the Officer’s report, be agreed.

REASON:           To improve the walking route between York Barbican and St George’s Field car/coach park, enhance pedestrian and cycle facilities near Fishergate Bar whilst also improving the appearance of this sensitive area and also generally improve road safety in this area.        

This report presents the current proposals for a bridleway running between the villages of Rufforth and Knapton, the sources of funding available and who will be responsible for construction of the various sections.

RESOLVED:  (i) That the response to the recent consultation with residents and relevant user groups be noted.

                       (ii) That Option A, to agreed to fund the central section of the route from the Council’s Transport Capital Programme be agreed.

REASON:           To acknowledge the wide support for the scheme and also enable the scheme in its entirety to be constructed thus enabling as much external funding as possible to be made available.         

The Cabinet Member considered a report which presented the current proposals for a bridleway running between the villages of Rufforth and Knapton, the sources of funding available, and who will be responsible for construction of the various sections.

A member of Rufforth and Knapton Parish Council, Tim Haward, attended the meeting and summarised the work that had taken place between the Ward Members and the Parish Council in relation to the development of the bridleway.

RESOLVED:  (i) That the response to the recent consultation with residents and relevant user groups be noted.

                       (ii) That Option A, to agreed to fund the central section of the route from the Council’s Transport Capital Programme be approved.

REASON:           To acknowledge the wide support for the scheme and also enable the scheme in its entirety to be constructed thus enabling as much external funding as possible to be made available.         

This report asks the Cabinet Member to approve the installation of a vehicle activated sign in Strensall Road, Earswick.

RESOLVED:       That the installation of a vehicle activated sign in Strensall Road Earswick as detailed in Annex B to the Officer’s report be agreed.

REASON:           To improve road safety by reducing the speed of traffic entering Earswick.

The Cabinet Member received a report which asked him to approve the installation of a vehicle activated sign in Strensall Road Earswick.

RESOLVED:       That the installation of a vehicle activated sign in Strensall Road Earswick as detailed in Annex B to the Officer’s report be approved.

REASON:           To improve road safety by reducing the speed of traffic entering Earswick.

The purpose of this report is to consider the options for:

·        Standardising and extending the hours of operation, and

·        Controlling vehicle use of the Davygate, St Sampson’s Square and Church Street route during footstreet hours,

·        Further limiting the access in to the central area via the Nessgate / Spurriergate junction.

It is important to note that these three issues can be considered in isolation and do not prejudge the other matters currently under investigation.

RESOLVED: (i)  That Option 3, to extend and standardise the hours of operation to 10.30 am-5pm Monday-Sunday be agreed.

                     (ii)    That Option 6b, to partially close off the route to all vehicles but allow access to St Sampson’s Square via Church Street by green permit holders be agreed.

                    (iii)    That Option 11 to carry out further detailed investigation into reducing the ability to use the city centre as a through route via the Spurriergate/Nessgate Junction be agreed.

REASON:           To contribute to the Corporate Strategies of Thriving City, Inclusive City and City of Culture.                        

The Cabinet Member received a report which asked him to consider the options for:

·        Standardising and extending the hours of operation, and

·        Controlling vehicle use of the Davygate, St Sampson’s Square and Church Street route during footstreet hours.

·        Further limiting the access in to the central area via the Nessgate/Spurriergate junction.

Representations were received from Paul Hepworth from the Cycle Touring Club, who shared his concerns about the extension of footstreet hours, in relation to commuting cyclists. He did note that once an Experimental Traffic Order was in force, that objections could be raised to making it permanent and modifications could be made. He suggested that if the recommended options were approved that  the Cabinet Member might also be minded to suggest extensive monitoring of cycle movements at the end of the working day.

Further representations were received from Councillor Ayre. He felt that the proposals for Davygate were particularly controversial given that there would be a significant reduction in disabled car parking spaces. He requested information regarding whether and what consultation had taken place with disability groups, and if feedback had been received. He also asked whether groups such as the York Independent Living Network and York Access group had been consulted, along with the Equality Advisory Group. He felt that he could not support the proposals as long as his questions remained unanswered.

Officers informed the Cabinet Member that those residents with green permits to access the central area in the evening would still be allowed to do this. It was noted that there was a request for Blake Street and Lendal to have more blue badge spaces set aside, but that loading times for the businesses along there also needed to be examined in relation to this.

The Cabinet Member recognised that instances of illegal intrusion in the central area existed, and that the current times of operation of footstreets did not send a good message, as there was often a rush of traffic towards the end of these hours.

RESOLVED: (i)  That Option 3, to extend and standardise the hours of operation to 10.30 am-5pm Monday-Sunday be approved.

                     (ii)    That Option 6b, to partially close off the route to all vehicles but allow access to St Sampson’s Square via Church Street by green permit holders be approved.

                    (iii)    That Option 11 to carry out further detailed investigation into reducing the ability to use the city centre as a through route via the Spurriergate/Nessgate Junction be approved.

REASON:           To contribute to the Corporate Strategies of Thriving City, Inclusive City and City of Culture.