Issue - meetings

This report advises the Advisory Panel of the receipt of a petition signed by 101 residents living in the Dringhouses area, requesting that a snicket leading from St Helen’s Road into Mayfield Grove be closed at night because of problems with criminal activity and anti-social behaviour.

The report recommends that the Advisory Panel advises the Executive Member to approve Option Cand leave the snicket open to public use at the present time, pending a review of the Alleygating Policy document. 

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to:

(i)                 Note the petitioners request for closure;

(ii)               Approve that the snicket be left open for public use at the present time pending adoption of a new Alleygating policy (Option C);

(iii)             Request that the report be referred back to Officers with a view to a practical option for closing the snicket after nightfall being developed.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:             That the Advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  (i) That, although it meets the criteria of the legislation, as set out in paragraphs 11 to 15 of the report, which allows the conditional closure of alleys found to be facilitating the commission of criminal and/or anti-social behaviour; the management of opening and closing gates in accordance with the conditions of the order, are not possible at the present time as a review of council policy on all alley closures is pending;

                                    (ii) To further address the issues raised in the petition.

Members considered a report which advised them of the receipt of a petition signed by 101 residents living in the Dringhouses area, requesting that a snicket leading from St Helen’s Road into Mayfield Grove be closed at night because of problems with criminal activity and anti-social behaviour.

The report presented three options:

A:        Use of S118 of the Highways Act 1980 to close the snicket;

B.                 Conditional closure of the snicket by means of a Gating Order;

C.                Do nothing at the present time and leave the snicket open to public use.    

Officers updated that the Alleygating Policy document referred to in paragraph 2 of the report would be brought to Members for consideration at the next meeting of this committee on 26 March 2007. They updated that the snicket referred to was a safe route to school route and was well used, but does need a criteria for closure due to the crime in the area.

Members discussed the issues surrounding alleygating and the reduction in crime, the current cycle usage of the snicket, and the importance of the locking and unlocking times of the gates being sensible to residents needs as well as resolving the problem of the snicket being accessible.  

 Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to:

(i)                 Note the petitioners request for closure;

(ii)               Approve that the snicket be left open for public use at the present time pending adoption of a new Alleygating policy (Option C);

(iii)             Request that the report be referred back to Officers with a view to a practical option for closing the snicket after nightfall being developed.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:             That the Advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  (i) That, although it meets the criteria of the legislation, as set out in paragraphs 11 to 15 of the report, which allows the conditional closure of alleys found to be facilitating the commission of criminal and/or anti-social behaviour; the management of opening and closing gates in accordance with the conditions of the order, are not possible at the present time as a review of council policy on all alley closures is pending;

                                    (ii) To further address the issues raised in the petition.