Agenda item

This report advises the Executive Member of the outcome of the Village Accessibility Review, which examined the safety and ease of access issues at eight junctions with radial routes into York. The Executive Member is asked to determine which schemes should be taken forward for implementation in this financial year.

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

                        i)          Note the content of the report, particularly Table 1 which outlines the issues, potential solutions and  their cost estimates;

ii)     Authorise the commissioning of more detailed designs for the following:

·        A166 Stamford Bridge Road / Church Balk traffic islands;

·        B1363 / Mill Lane traffic signals and 40mph speed restriction limit and

·        Strensall Road / Towthorpe Road / Towthorpe Moor Lane (extend 40mph speed restriction limit to south of the junctions)

schemes prioritised for implementation in the 2009/10 financial year, and including further evaluation of the refinements suggested by local Ward Members, and that detailed proposals be reported to a subsequent Decisions Session - Executive Member for City Strategy.

iii)   Request officers to reply to the lead petitioner for the A19 / Main Street, Deighton scheme, and

iv)    Requests officers to investigate whether any low cost options are available for the early resolution of problems at the North Lane junction.

Consideration was given to a report which advised the Executive Member of the outcome of the Village Accessibility Review which examined the safety and ease of access issues at eight junctions with radial routes into York.

The following were the locations of the junctions shown on maps at Annex A to the report:

·        B1363 / Mill Lane (Wigginton)

·        Strensall Road / Towthorpe Road / Towthorpe Moor Lane (Strensall)

·        A64 / Towthorpe Moor Lane / Hazelbush Lane (Stockton on the Forest)

·        A64 / Barr Lane (Stockton on the Forest)

·        A64 / North Lane (Huntington)

·        A166 Stamford Bridge Road / Church Balk (Dunnington)

·        A1079 / Common Road / Common Lane (Dunnington)

·        A19 / Main Street (Deighton)

The Executive Member referred to further written representation he had received from:

·        Councillor Firth, in support of the Mill Lane scheme and suggesting that the 40mph zone should be extended further along the B1363 to further enhance road safety, particularly as there was a local bus stop at the junction.

·        Councillor R Watson, in support of the Mill Lane scheme and suggesting that the 40mph speed limit was the way forward and that traffic lights were essential.

Councillor Firth expressed concern regarding the safety at the road junction and drew attention to the collisions and near misses that had occurred.  There had been an increase in the bus service and a car boot sale was held near to the junction.  Traffic lights needed to be installed and a reduction in the speed limit imposed.  The proposal was welcomed as it would improve road safety.

The Executive Member summarised that the Executive had reprioritised the transport capital programme for the current year to include a programme aimed at making access to rural areas safer and easier.  Eight options for the use of funding, which extended over and beyond the next two years, had been considered, with officers making recommendations on prioritisation.  In the main the objective of the prioritisation was to reduce the number of accidents on the roads.  The accidents record at the three recommended priorities for 2009/10 were:

Mill Lane, Wigginton – 4 accidents, 7 casualties, 3 serious

Strensall Road, Strensall – 6 accidents, 10 casualties, all slight

Church Balk, Dunnington – 6 accidents, 8 casualties, 1 fatal

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

                        i)          Note the content of the report, particularly Table 1 which outlines the issues, potential solutions and their cost estimates;

ii)     Authorise the commissioning of more detailed designs for the following:

·        A166 Stamford Bridge Road / Church Balk traffic islands;

·        B1363 / Mill Lane traffic signals and 40mph speed restriction limit and

·        Strensall Road / Towthorpe Road / Towthorpe Moor Lane (extend 40mph speed restriction limit to south of the junctions)

schemes prioritised for implementation in the 2009/10 financial year, and including further evaluation of the refinements suggested by local Ward Members, and that detailed proposals be reported to a subsequent Decisions Session - Executive Member for City Strategy¹.

iii)   Requests officers to reply to the lead petitioner for the A19 / Main Street, Deighton scheme²

iv)    Requests officers to investigate whether any low cost options are available for the early resolution of problems at the North Lane junction³.

REASON:      The proposed investment would underpin the Council’s aim of reducing the number of killed and seriously injured victims on York’s roads.