Decision Session -

Executive Member for Transport

 

18 January 2021

Report of the Assistant Director of Transport, Highways and Environment

 

Intake Lane, Dunnington

 

Summary

 

1.        The report is for consideration of the objections received to a proposed amendment to the York Parking, Stopping and Waiting Traffic Regulation Order to include a No Waiting at any Time on a 210m stretch of grass verge on Intake Lane, Dunnington.

 

2.        The Executive Member is requested to consider the proposal and representations received in both support and objection and decide the way forward from options given in the report.

 
Recommendations

 

3.        The Executive Member is asked to:

4.         1)   Approve Option one in the report (paragraph 15)

               Over-rule the objections and implement the proposal as advertised

 

                Reason: This is the recommended option because the proposal provides a solution to prevent parking on the grass verge whilst allowing legitimate vehicle access across the verge.

 

     2)   Approve Option one for installation of regulatory signs on short black metal poles (paragraph 19)

 

               Reason:  This is recommended option. It is a standard installation process and most cost effective method whilst still minimising visual impact on the rural location.

 

 

 

Background

 

5.        Residents of Intake Lane and the Parish Council contacted City of York Council about long term and ongoing issues with obstruction caused by inconsiderate parking.  The Fire and Rescue Service had visited the area and confirmed their appliances would have difficulty with access when vehicles were parked indiscriminately.

 

6.        Intake Lane is a single track carriageway leading to public bridleway/footpaths in Hagg Wood.  It is part of the national Sustrans cycle route 66. The lane is adopted to the culvert just beyond the bend after which it becomes private. 

 

7.        Traffic Project Officers met with a resident of Intake Lane and representatives of Dunnington Parish Council on site to discuss the issues and measures which could be taken to resolve the problem and ensure access.

 

8.        Various measures were discussed. It was decided the best way forward for the verge opposite the residential properties (which included field access gate) was implementation of a No Waiting on the Verge Regulation Order.  The verge at this location is wider and easily used for parking by non-residents accessing Hagg Wood.  Authorisation to advertise the proposal was given under delegated authority by the Corporate Director of Economy and Place in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport.  The decision was made on August 6th and published on the website on 11th September 2020. A plan of the proposal is included as Annex A.

 

Consultation

 

9.        The proposal was advertised on the 16th October 2020.  Notices were placed on street and in The Press.  Residents adjacent to the proposal received details. Ward Councillors, Dunnington Parish Council were notified.  To meet Highway Regulations, details are sent to the Police, Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service and Haulier Associations.

 

10.    The closing date for representations to the proposal was 6th November. We have received two representations in objection to the proposal from residents of Dunnington Village.  We have received a representation in support from the Parish Council and another from a Ward Councillor.

 

Representations Received in Objection from Residents (2) of the Village

 

11.    I have now had the time to think about this and it seems like an overkill solution for a problem that doesn’t exist; is a waste of tax payers money that will only achieve the suburbanisation of a country lane with unnecessary bollards and traffic signs. I walk down this land every weekend and there are rarely cars parked on this verge and when they are they tend to be associated with the houses opposite (one does car repairs).  It seems that all this will achieve is an obstruction if 2 vehicles (particularly a tractor) are passing and an unnecessary visual intrusion into the countryside.

 

12.    The second objection reads identical to the first one with the addition of:

 

This lane has already got white lines along it which looks dreadful. Please do not put these posts up.

 

Representation received from Dunnington Parish Council

 

13.    The Parish Council confirms, that in the interests of the residents living at that location, it fully supports the Order stated.

 

Comments received from the Ward Councillor (Cllr Warters) in support with additional requests

 

14.    I understand that there have been two objections to the TRO on Intake     Lane, Dunnington formalising no parking at any time on the verges ….

Obviously I haven’t seen the objections but they cannot have any merit as damaging verges by driving onto them, parking on them and driving off them, frequently causing obstructions to landowners seeking to access their fields, causing obstructions to landowners with farm machinery trying to travel down Intake Lane and causing danger and obstruction to pedestrians and cyclists using the Lane is not something Dunnington or Kexby PCs would advocate and not something CYC would support.

 

You have been in discussions with Dunnington PC over many months to resolve these issues, ward money has been provided to carry out many of the measures agreed with yourselves to stop some of these problems and the TRO is needed to have a legal basis to stop verge parking and if necessary issue fines for transgressions.

 

On a practical matter once the TRO is formalised can I insist that the no parking signs to go on the verges are mounted on wooden 4” bollards/posts which would be more fitting for this rural Lane and kept to a bare minimum.

 

Options

 

15.    Option One:

Over-rule the objections and implement the proposal as advertised

 

This is the recommended option because the proposal provides a solution to prevent parking on the grass verge whilst allowing legitimate vehicle access across the verge.

 

16.    Option Two:

   Uphold the objections and take no further action on this matter

 

This is not the recommend option because it would not solve the obstruction issues reported to us.

  

Analysis

 

17.    Option one (recommended)

 

The verge at this location is wide enough for vehicles to park on it. Bollards were considered but were not practicable on this occasion for the following reasons:

 

a)   They would have to be set back 450mm from the verge edge and vehicles could park half on/half off the carriageway thereby still causing obstruction for agricultural vehicle access

 

b)   A gap would have to be left for vehicle access to the field, thereby vehicles would still be able to drive and park on the verge.

 

         There are legitimate reasons why vehicles would need to drive across and on the verge, yet not be allowed to park on it.  Consequently, it was considered a regulation order to prohibit verge parking would be the way forward.  The regulatory signs could be positioned strategically to the rear of the verge thereby not causing obstruction to legitimate use and provide sufficient width to act as a passing place for agricultural machinery where necessary.

 

18.        Option two (not recommended)

 

         Although we can sympathise with the views of the residents about maintaining the rural aspect of the area, the continuing indiscriminate and obstructive parking should not be allowed to continue.

 

          The Parish Council are taking measures to prevent parking on the narrow verges around the bend area by placing a small fence, which has been licensed by City of York Council. The fence will extend across the culvert area which currently is not protected from vehicles driving into it.

 

          This solution for the wider verge area was not possible for the wider verge because of the need for field access.  Occasionally larger vehicles accessing the residential properties may need to utilise the verge area for turning; for e.g. domestic oil deliveries.

 

Enforcement signage options

 

19.    Option one:

   It is planned to enforce the restriction with short black poles (to minimise visibility impact), approx. 1m high.  The first and last ones to be at the front of the verge and the rest at the rear at 30m intervals.  A short pole would cost approximately £28 to purchase + installation costs. We consider a short black pole would be sufficient to meet regulatory requirements as well as sufficiently minimising the visible impact.

 

20.    Option two:

        Cllr Warters has requested we place the regulation signs onto wooden posts. We sympathise and understand the reasoning behind this request.

 

        A standard wooden post used in CyC is a wooden heritage bollard.  This would cost approximately £175 - £200 each + installation costs.  Maintenance have advised we may be able to source a cheaper alternative but they not be as robust.

 

        The additional costs to meet Cllr Warters request would be around £1,000+ to mount signs on the standard heritage bollards. We do not consider this to be a justifiable cost in the current economic climate when considering the other demands on our limited budget allocations.

 

 

 

Council Plan

 

21.    Contributes to key council priorities within the Council Plan 2019-2023, ‘Making History and Building Communities’ including an open and effective Council.

 

       Officers worked with the local Parish Council to achieve a practicable solution to identified problems.

 

        A consultation exercise has been carried out as part of the legal process to give local residents an opportunity to engage with the process and have their say. Representations to the proposal have been fully recorded, and considered within the report.

        The Residents who made representation to the proposal and others who have expressed an interest have been informed of the date of the decision session and thereby given an opportunity to make further representation either in person or in writing.

Implications

22.    This report has the following implications:

 

        Financial – The cost of implementation of this proposal, if implemented, will funded from the budget allocation for “new signs and lines”.  Additional funding may have to be identified if the Executive Member resolves to implement Option two in paragraph 20.

 

       Human Resources – The enforcement of additional waiting restrictions will fall to the Civil Enforcement Team and increase their work load accordingly.  Any penalty charge notices issued will add to the workload of the Business Support team and parking services to process payment and appeals.

 

        Equalities – None identified within the consultation process.

 

       Legal – The proposals require amendments to the York Parking, Stopping and Waiting Traffic Regulation Order 2014: Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 & the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (procedure) (England & Wales) Regulations 1996;

 

       Crime and Disorder – None

 

        Information Technology – None

 

       Land – None

 

       Other – None

 

23.    Risk Management - There is an acceptable level of risk associated with the recommended option.

 

 

Contact Details

 

Author:

 

Chief Officer Responsible for the report:

 

Sue Gill

Traffic Project Officer

Transport

Tel No. 01904 551497

 

 

James Gilchrist

Assistant Director of Transport, Highways and Environment

 

Report Approved

√

Date

07.01.21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wards Affected:  Osbaldwick and Derwent

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further information please contact the author of the report

 

 

Background Papers:

 

None

 

     

 

Annexes

 

Annex A: Plan of the proposal for Intake Lane, Dunnington