Decision details

Purpose of report:
(i) To approve making permanent the experimental Traffic Regulation Order at Low Poppleton Lane for the bus only restriction enforced by ANPR camera.
(ii) To also consider options to introduce an alternative experimental or permanent order.

Members will be asked to make the experimental traffic regulation order permanent and then to consider options to widen the road and extend the exemptions to include other classes of vehicles and/or open the link 19:00 – 07:00.

The Executive Member considered a report which sought his approval to make permanent the experimental Traffic Regulation Order at Low Poppleton Lane and asked him to consider options, as detailed in the report at paragraph 23, to introduce an alternative permanent order.

The Executive Member acknowledged Councillor Gillies’ comments under public participation and his request that the road be opened up to all traffic between the hours of 7pm and 7am. Officers advised him that it would also be necessary to exclude HGVs from using the road. They confirmed that if the road was opened up to 2 way traffic during the evenings, the road would need to be widened and it would no longer be possible to have a segregated cycle and foot path which would have to be changed to a narrower shared cycle/foot path.

The Executive Member stressed that, if an alternative permanent order was agreed, signage relating to the proposed new restriction must be clear and officers advised that while signage at the point of the restriction would not be a problem, it would be more difficult to give prior warning as it would no longer be possible to have a no through road sign as the restrictions would no longer be in force 24 hours a day.

The Executive Member agreed that the current traffic regulation order be made permanent and that officers be asked to develop a scheme to give access to all vehicles except HGVs between 7pm to 7am and this be reported back to a future decision session. He noted that this would then go through the permanent TRO process to consult on a new permanent Traffic Regulation Order.

Resolved: That the Executive Member notes the results of the experimental traffic regulation order at Low Poppleton Lane and:

(i)            approves the making permanent of the experimental traffic regulation order to retain the current bus only restriction enforced by the ANPR camera.

Reason: To maintain the reduction in traffic on Low Poppleton Lane with a continuation of enforcement with the current ANPR system. 

(ii)      requests that officers investigate options to develop a scheme to allow all traffic (with the exception of HGVs) to use Low Poppleton Lane between 19:00 and 07:00 hours 7 days a week, which would require the widening of the road, with a view to then implementing an alternative traffic restriction following the permanent TRO process.

Reason: To respond to views of Ward Members that all vehicles (with the exception of HGVs) should be allowed access through the restriction until such time as Low Poppleton Lane may be closed once alternative access through the British Sugar site development becomes available.