Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last Decision Session held on 1 December 2009.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last Decision Session – Executive Member for City Strategy, held on 1 December 2009 be approved and signed by the Executive Member as a correct record.

It was reported that there had been 3 registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme. Details of these speakers are set out under the individual agenda items.

This report brings to the attention of the Executive Member the key results of the vehicle surveys and questionnaire carried out in relation to the through traffic in the Westminster Road area, following the introduction of the Water End cycle scheme.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees:

i) To implement a 20mph zone for the area.

ii) To note the outcome of the traffic surveys and questionnaire and take no further action at this time on introducing a point closure.

iii) That the results of the survey be also considered  scheme.

iv)That the Police be requested to monitor the junctions in this area with a view to addressing any examples they may find of inappropriate driver behaviour.

REASON:                  As the lower speeds due to the traffic calming justify the introduction of a lower speed limit.

As the options of closing the area to through traffic does not have support from a significant proportion of the local community that would be affected by a closure.

As the options of investigating the use of chicanes and road narrowings are not well supported by local residents.

The Executive Member considered a report which brought to his attention the key results of the vehicle surveys and questionnaire carried out in relation to the through traffic in the Westminster Road area. The survey and questionnaire had been carried out following the introduction of the Water End Cycle Scheme.

He reported that the following additional representations and information had been included in the republished agenda:

·        comments of the four Member Task Group of the Economic and City Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee supporting closure of the road to through traffic

·        comments of 3 residents of Westminster Road

·        details of comparative traffic volumes for similar roads in the area and referred to additional correspondence received from Cllr Scott also in support of point closure and the reintroduction of the filter lane at Water End.

Officers confirmed that the speed limit proposals were unlikely to influence traffic levels but that the results of the surveys would be considered as part of any future evaluation of the Water End cycle scheme.

Representations in support of point closure of Westminster Road were received from a local resident. He referred to the detrimental impact of through traffic on the residential road since the nearby cycle scheme had been implemented. He confirmed that these issues had been raised with local Councillors, the Ward Committee and Officers. He stated that the increase in traffic was affecting residents well being and quality of life as the road was being used as a ‘rat run’ and that the only effective solution would be point closure.

Representations were also received from another Westminster Road resident who confirmed that he had spoken to the Task Group and that residents were looking for a lasting solution to the traffic problems in the area. He stated that residents had seen a 97% increase in through traffic since the changes at Water End which had resulted in a deterioration in their environment. He requested the Executive Member to support Option A for the making of a Traffic Regulation Order to close both Westminster Road and Greencliffe Drive as residents felt that this problem would only get worse.

Councillor King, as one of the Ward Members, referred to the points raised by Cllr Scott. He stated that following two very well attended public meetings the majority of local residents had requested closure of Westminster Road. He did however question the inclusion of Greencliffe Drive residents in the survey. He went onto state that a traffic flow survey before and after the works at the Water End junction would have been useful. He stated that the Executive Member had a duty to resolve these problems and he requested a point closure of the road.

Councillor Pierce, spoke as an individual member of the Task Group. He confirmed that he neither supported nor opposed the introduction of a 20mph speed limit as this limit would be self-enforcing. He pointed out that any point closure would have a knock on effect at the Water End junction and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

This report outlines the work that has been undertaken by the Council in partnership with schools to increase the number of journeys being made to school by sustainable modes of transport. The report also reviews the associated ‘safe routes to school’ initiatives which have been identified as part of the travel planning process.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i) Note the content of the report.

ii) Note that officers will review the Census data, submitted in January 2010 to create a priority list of schools who will be specifically targeted in 2010/11. A further report will be brought to a future meeting to determine the priority list.

iii) Encourage staff & school governors to continue to engage with the school travel planning process to increase the percentage of journeys made to school by sustainable modes and specifically to make available publicly, for example via their internet web sites, individual school travel plans and performance monitoring information.

iv) With the agreement of the affected schools, information on individual travel plans also be provided on the Councils web site

REASON:                                          The travel planning process will only affect staff and student modal shift with the engagement of the whole school community.

Consideration was given to a report, which outlined the work that had been undertaken by the Council in partnership with schools to increase the number of journeys being made to school by sustainable modes of transport. The report also reviewed the associated ‘safe routes to school’ initiatives, which had been identified as part of the travel planning process.

The Executive Member confirmed that both Cllrs Merrett and Potter were broadly in support of the proposals and that Cllr Merretts additional comments would be dealt with by Officers outside the meeting.

Officers referred to Annex A of the report which showed an example map of school postcode plots and confirmed that the inner circle showed those properties within a 5 minute walk of a school and the outer circle those with within a 10 minute cycle ride.

The Executive Member expressed concern about the profile that schools gave to their school travel plans and information on their websites. He stated that he hoped schools would in future give travel plans a higher profile as walking and cycling were healthier options.

RESOLVED:                        That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i)  Note the content of the report.

ii) Note that officers will review the Census data, submitted in January 2010 to create a priority list of schools who will be specifically targeted in 2010/11. A further report will be brought to a future meeting to determine the priority list. ^1.

iii) Encourage staff and school governors to continue to engage with the school travel planning process to increase the percentage of journeys made to school by sustainable modes and specifically to make available publicly, for example via their internet web sites, individual school travel plans and performance monitoring information.

 iv) With the agreement of the affected schools, also provide information on individual travel plans on the Councils web site. ^2.

REASON:                                          The travel planning process will only affect staff and student modal shift with the engagement of the whole school community.

This report considers a petition presented to the Council earlier in the year asking them to make representations to First York to alter the route taken by the number 5 service to travel via Stonebow and not St Leonard’s Place.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i) note the content of the petition.

ii) take no further action on the routing of this bus service.

REASON:                  A number of bus services connect with route 5 from Acomb at both the railway station and on Blossom Street offering a good level of interchange. Officers will continue to work with bus operators to develop the level of service to this part of York.

Consideration was given to a report, which considered a petition presented to the Council earlier in the year, which called on the Council to make representations to alter the route taken by the number 5 bus service through central York and onto Monks Cross (rather than Strensall). The petition had requested that the service travelled via Stonebow and not St Leonard’s Place and reverted to the route used by the former number 16 which incorporated the Holly Bank Loop.

The Executive Member reported receipt of an additional representation from a local resident in support of the alteration of the route, details of which had been set out in the republished Annex. He stated that the Council had worked hard to ensure that a bus service link was sustained to the Holly Bank area and now that the service had settled down he felt that any change could result in further inconvenience to a significant number of users.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i)   Note the content of the petition.

ii) Take no further action on the routing of this bus service. ^1.

REASON:                  A number of bus services connect with route 5 from Acomb at both the railway station and on Blossom Street offering a good level of interchange. Officers will continue to work with bus operators to develop the level of service to this part of York.

This report considers a petition presented to Council in December regarding the proposed improvements at the northern end of Main Street, Fulford and seeks a decision as to if and how the scheme should be amended to address the issues raised.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i) Note the contents of this report.

ii) Implement Option 1 described in Annex A to retain the existing layout but provide dropped kerb tactile crossings on, or close to, the pedestriandesire lines for the entrance to Fulford Park

iii) Amend the areas of green surfacing as shown on the plan at Annex Aand notes that the double yellow lines are a key element of the scheme.

iv) Advise Fulford Parish Council that they should either accept one of the standard design shelters to replace the existing shelter at the Fulford Park bus stop or use their own / Ward Committee funding to refurbish the existing shelter.

REASON:                  To improve conditions along this section of the corridor whilst addressing the concerns of Councillor Keith Aspden and local residents.

The Executive Member considered a report, which related to receipt of a petition to Council, regarding proposed improvements at the northern end of Main Street, Fulford and which sought a decision as to if and how the scheme should be amended to address the issues raised.

The Executive Member reported receipt of additional comments from the Local Member who indicated support for the Officers recommendation with a dropped kerb and tactile crossing whilst still retaining the important appearance of the Fulford Road conservation area. Cllrs D’Agorne and Potter supported the narrowing of the entrance to the Fulford Park estate.

Officers displayed plans showing the widths of road access points in the vicinity onto Fulford Road.

A representative of Fulford Parish Council referred to the proposed works at the Fulford Park junction and to earlier agreement to negotiate on these proposals as no full agreement had been reached. She referred to problems encountered at this junction, close to the adjacent busy doctors surgery and to problems that would result from the narrowing of the entrance.

Officers confirmed that lengthy consultations had been undertaken on all these issues and that the excessive crossing distance at Fulford Park had been identified in the original Safety Audit. They stated that North Yorkshire Police also supported the narrowing of the road.

The Executive Member pointed out that these were relatively minor issues in the context of the overall scheme and that there could be an opportunity to narrow the width of this exit at a later date if problems were identified.

He then considered the following options for the entrance to Fulford Park:

·        Option 1 is to retain the existing layout but provide dropped kerb tactile crossings on or close to the pedestrian desire lines.

·        Option 2 is to amend the scheme as originally proposed to cater for the needs of pedestrians whilst still maintaining suitable vehicular access.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i)   Note the contents of this report.

ii)  Implement Option 1, described in Annex A, to retain the  existing layout but provide dropped kerb tactile crossings on, or close to, the pedestriandesire lines for the entrance to Fulford Park  ^1.

iii) The amended areas of green surfacing as shown on lines are a key element of the scheme.

iv) Advise Fulford Parish Council that they should either accept one of the standard design shelters to replace the existing shelter at the Fulford Park bus stop or use their own / Ward Committee funding to refurbish the existing shelter. ^2.

REASON:                  To improve conditions along this section of the corridor whilst addressing the concerns of Councillor Keith Aspden and local residents.

This report advises the Executive Member of the results of further investigations into the possible installation of traffic signals at the junction of Bootham/St Mary’s/Bootham Park to provide a priority crossing over Bootham for cyclists.

The Executive Member considered the following options:

·           Option One – progress the “parallel” crossing scheme proposal shown in Annex D through more detailed design and public consultation.

·           Option Two – develop one of the alternative scheme options in Annex C in preference to the parallel crossing.

·           Option Three – abandon plans to provide an improved cycle crossing facility at this location.

RESOLVED:      That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to-

i) Note  the officer advice that the main problems, associated with the previous full junction signalisation proposal detailed in paragraphs 5 and 6, are that the:

o        The necessary listed building and planning consents to alter the Bootham Park Hospital entrance gates are unlikely to be obtained;

o        The high estimated cost for this option brings into question whether the scheme provides good value for money and could be justified.

ii) In-principle approval for the alternative option shown in Annex D of the officer report. This involves the installation of a signal controlled ‘parallel crossing’ for both pedestrians and cyclists at a location between the existing pelican and the entrance to Bootham Park Hospital.

iii) Authorise Officers to undertake further detailed design, and public consultation, on the scheme shown in Annex D, with the outcome to be reported to a future Decision Session meeting for a decision on implementing the scheme.

REASON: Officers consider that these proposals will provide significant improvements for cyclists, as they address a difficult crossing point over a major road on a strategic cycle route. The proposed measures would also make a significant contribution towards the aims of the Council as a Cycling City.

Consideration was given to a report which advised the Executive Member of the results of further investigations into the possible installation of traffic signals at the junction of Bootham/St Mary’s/Bootham Park Hospital to provide a priority crossing over Bootham for cyclists. The report highlighted problems with the previous proposal to fully signalise all traffic movements at the junction and detailed the alternative solutions that had been explored.

The Executive Member confirmed that no additional comments or representations had been received on these proposals. He acknowledged that, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly because of costs, the original more extensive signalisation scheme had not found to be practical. He confirmed that the ‘parallel’ crossing scheme appeared to have more general support and provided an option for less confident cyclists.

The Executive Member considered the following options:

·        Option One – progress the “parallel” crossing scheme proposal shown in Annex D through more detailed design and public consultation.

·        Option Two – develop one of the alternative scheme options in Annex C in preference to the parallel crossing.

·        Option Three – abandon plans to provide an improved cycle crossing facility at this location.

RESOLVED:                       That the Executive Member for City Strategy agrees to:

i) Note the officer advice that the main problems, associated with the previous full junction signalisation proposal detailed in paragraphs 5 and 6, are that the:

o        Necessary listed building and planning consents to alter the Bootham Park Hospital entrance gates are unlikely to be obtained;

o        High estimated cost for this option brings into question whether the scheme provides good value for money and could be justified.

ii) In-principle approval for the alternative option shown in Annex Dof the officer report. This involves the installation of a signal controlled ‘parallel crossing’ for both pedestrians and cyclists at a location between the existing pelican and the entrance to Bootham Park Hospital.

iii) Authorise Officers to undertake further detailed design, and public consultation, on the scheme shown in Annex D, with the outcome to be reported to a future Decision Session meeting for a decision on implementing the scheme. ^1.

REASON: Officers consider that these proposals will provide significant improvements for cyclists, as they address a difficult crossing point over a major road on a strategic cycle route. The proposed measures would also make a significant contribution towards the aims of the Council as a Cycling City.