Agenda item

This report presents an interim report from the Traffic Congestion Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee detailing their ongoing review and requests a carry forward of the monies from the 2008/09 scrutiny budget previously allocated for the carrying out of a city-wide consultation survey.

Members received an interim report from the Traffic Congestion Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee detailing their ongoing review and requesting a carry forward of the monies from the 2008/09 scrutiny budget previously allocated for the carrying out of a city-wide consultation survey.

The Chair of the Traffic Congestion Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee explained the reasons for the delay in the review, including difficulties that had arisen in obtaining appropriate evaluations of long-term scenarios.  Having gathered the information to support the review, the Committee was now in a position to start production of their planned survey.  This would have a minimum cost of around £17,000.

Having considered the findings to date contained within the draft report, Members considered the options available to them:

• To agree to request a carry forward of the remaining 2008/09 scrutiny budget in order to finance the consultation survey;
• To decide not to support the financing of the consultation survey and instruct the Traffic Congestion Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee to conclude their review based on the information gathered to date.

Members paid tribute to the work that had been carried out by the committee and agreed on the importance of ensuring that residents were given every opportunity to express their views on these issues.

RESOLVED:            (i)            That the findings to date, as detailed in the draft final

                                    report, be noted.

(ii)               That SMC requested that the remaining 2008/09 scrutiny budget to be carried forward in order to finance the planned consultation survey.

(iii)             That, in the event of approval of the carry forward not

                                    being granted,  the matter be referred back to SMC.

REASON:      To agree a method for completing the Traffic Congestion Scrutiny Review.