Agenda 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.

Councillor D’Agorne expressed an additional personal interest in Agenda Item 5, the Feasibility Report into the Councillor Call for Action, as a member of the Cycle Touring Club and as Cycle Champion.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 14 July 2009.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 14 July 2009 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is 5.00 pm on Tuesday 11 August 2009.

It had been reported that there had been one registration to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Mr James Begley, a resident of Westminster Road, spoke on Agenda Item 5, the Feasibility Report on the Councillor Call for Action in relation to traffic issues at the junction of Water Lane and Clifton Green, Westminster Road, The Avenue and Clifton Green.

He informed the Committee that as a member of an informal traffic group he was concerned about the disruptive influence that traffic had been causing on Westminster Road.  He suggested that the disruption had been caused by two situations.  Firstly, the new cycle facilities at Water End and its effect on traffic management.  Secondly, the removal of speed cushion humps from Westminster Road due to construction work at St Peter’s School.  He added that residents had been upset by the dust, noise and vibration of additional traffic that had been using the roads in question and that they had signed a petition for closed bollards to be constructed on Westminster Road to solve the traffic problems. This petition was presented at the Full Council meeting on 9 July 2009.

The purpose of this report is to provide Members with an update on information relating to a previously registered scrutiny topic on the implementation of planning conditions and the adoption of new estates.

Members received a briefing report on the adoption of highways on new estates from the Assistant Director for City Development and Transport.  This was requested at the last meeting for further information and clarification as a result of the issue being suggested as a scrutiny topic by Councillor Simpson-Laing.

Members asked the Officer a variety of questions relating to:

·        The adoption of sewers

·        The use of certain materials on residential roads

·        Section 38 Agreements between the Local Authority and Developers.

Further discussions on the proposed scrutiny topic ensued and it was agreed that the focus of any review undertaken should be on the adoption of new estates rather than planning conditions.  Several Members expressed interest in a training session on this subject, which had been mentioned in the original feasibility report dated 14 July 2009. It was also noted that a report on adoption issues of new estates would be submitted to the Executive Member Decision Session for City Strategy in September, which would further describe the issues and make recommendations about improvements to the service.

RESOLVED:             To defer the decision on whether to continue with a Scrutiny review on the topic of adoption of new estates until the next meeting.

REASON:                  To note the recommendations from the Executive Member Decision Session in order to not duplicate work already being undertaken.

This report asks Members to consider a Councillor Call for Action (CCfA) submitted by Councillors Scott, Douglas and King in relation to traffic issues at the junction of Water Lane and Clifton Green, Westminster Road, the Avenue and Clifton Green.

Members considered a Councillor Call for Action(CCfA) submitted by Councillors Scott, Douglas and King in relation to traffic issues at the junction of Water Lane and Clifton Green, Westminster Road, The Avenue and Clifton Green.

Members discussed whether all the usual avenues had been explored in relation to resolving the problems at Water Lane, Clifton Green, Westminster Road and The Avenue. Some Members suggested that the Executive Member Decision Session for City Strategy on 1 September 2009 was an opportunity that had not been used fully.  It was noted that a report on the residents’ petitions would go to the Decision Session. In light of this, discussion ensued around whether to concentrate on the problems after this meeting, when a decision would be made.

The Assistant Director for City Development and Transport summarised what he thought were the key components of the problematic traffic issues in the area:

• The reduction of the capacity at the junction
• A local water main bursting
• The speed cushions being removed from Westminster Road due to the work taking place at St Peter’s school
• Media coverage highlighting the area as a potential ‘rat run’.

He added that the traffic should settle down to a stable level approximately three months after the reintroduction of speed cushions on Westminster Road. 

Councillor Holvey moved and Councillor Hyman seconded an amendment to Option A, in that the decision to progress the topic to review should only be taken after the report of the Assistant Director of City Development and Transport had been presented to the Executive Member Decision Session on 1 September 2009.  On being put to the vote this motion was lost.

Councillor Scott moved and Councillor Watson seconded a motion to proceed with the next stage of the CCfA to review the topic as highlighted in Option A.  The original proposal was then voted on and was approved.

Councillor D’Agorne requested that his vote against this was recorded.

Members then agreed to form a task group to undertake the work.  Councillors D’Agorne, Holvey and Potter were nominated to be members of the group, with Councillor Potter taking the position of the Chair.  Councillor Scott expressed a wish to attend the task group meetings as one of the submitters of the CCfA.

Members suggested that the task group work should focus on two strands;

• Immediate solutions for the traffic problems faced by residents in Westminster Road and The Avenue. The task group would initially meet to feed comments to the Executive Member’s report ahead of the Decision Session for City Strategy on 1 September.

• If further improvements could be found in this area and whether any lessons could be learnt to assist in the implementation of further schemes in the city.

RESOLVED:             To progress this topic to review as per Option A.

(i)     That the task group reviewing the topic should be composed of Councillors D’Agorne, Holvey and Potter and that Councillor Potter be appointed as the Chair.

(ii)   That the task group shall meet twice before the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider the Committee’s work plan for 2009-2010.

Members considered the work plan for the Economic and City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee for 2009-10.

Members agreed that the following work areas be added to the work plan:

• To receive the first report from the CCfA task group (Minute 13 refers)

• To receive the report and minutes from the Executive Member Decision Session for City Strategy regarding highways adoption (Minute 12 refers)

RESOLVED:             That the reports detailed above be added to the work plan of this Committee.

REASON:                  To assist in the planning of work for this Committee.