Agenda item - Consideration of 5 Petitions received relating to the Wetherby Road, Hob Moor, Ridgeway, Grange Street and Askham Lane areas of the City

This report asks the Executive Member to consider 5 petitions which have recently been received by the Council.

Resolved:

(i) That the five petitions detailed in the report be noted.

(ii) That, with regard to the petition relating to reducing vehicle speeds on Wetherby Road, officers be requested to notify Ward/Parish Councillors that:

(a) The current speeds on Wetherby Road would meet the existing Council policy for the potential reinstatement of a Vehicle Activated Sign funded by the Ward/Parish Council.

(b) If speeding remains a concern a further request for investigation could be submitted to North Yorkshire Police after August 2020 in accordance with the current Speed Management Policy.

(c) Speed camera vans are managed solely by North Yorkshire Police and any request for the implementation of Safety Cameras on Wetherby Road would need to be communicated directly to the Police.

(iii) That, with regard to the petition relating to the Kingsway Area, officers be requested to notify Ward Councillors that:

(a) The impact of development on the adjacent highway network has been considered as part of the planning process for individual developments.

(b) Laybys are not considered to be necessary at this location for road safety or congestion reasons however could be considered for funding from Ward Council funds if considered to be a priority for the area.

(c) The provision of children’s play facilities will be reviewed before any existing provision is removed.

(iv) That in relation to the highway maintenance petitions relating to Ridgeway, Grange Street and Askham Lane, as detailed in the report, officers be requested to notify the lead petitioners and Ward Councillors that maintenance for all streets is prioritised using a citywide evidence based process and that the streets would be maintained when their condition warrants intervention when compared to other streets across the city.

(v) That in relation to 8 petitions from residents requesting new road surfaces at Minster Close, Corner Close, Helmsley Grove and Westfield Grove in Wigginton and Kennedy Drive, Little Lane, Lowfield Drive and Coppice Close in Haxby submitted by Cllr Cuthbertson, Ward Member for Haxby and Wigginton, officers be requested to notify the lead petitioners and Ward Councillors that maintenance for all streets is prioritised using a citywide evidence based process and that the streets would be maintained when their condition warrants intervention when compared to other streets across the city.

Reason:

To ensure petitioners are aware of current Council policies and potential actions relating to the items highlighted.

The Executive Member considered a report which asked him to consider five petitions which had recently been received by the Council.

The first petition asked the Council to consider reinstating and modernising both flashing speed warning signs on Wetherby Road and asking the police to site their speed camera van in the built up area on Wetherby Road on an occasional basis, in order to control vehicle speeds.

The second petition asked the Council to undertake the following improvements prior to any further building work starting in the Hob Moor area: Improving the access road along Kingsway West/Ascot Way, removing, where necessary, the grass verge; providing dropped kerbs or Layby parking where this didn’t already exist; and providing alternative, modern, children’s play facilities before any existing provision was removed.

The remaining three petitions were in relation to requests for highway maintenance to be undertaken on Ridgeway, Askham Lane and Grange Street.

The Executive Member acknowledged an additional eight petitions which had been presented to the Council on behalf of local residents by Councillor Cuthbertson, Ward Councillor for Haxby and Wigginton requesting new road surfaces at Minster Close, Corner Close, Helmsley Grove and Westfield Grove in Wigginton and Kennedy Drive, Little Lane, Lowfield Drive and Coppice Close in Haxby.

The Executive Member considered the comments made under public participation by: Councillor Waller, Ward Member for Westfield; Susan Hamilton, organiser of the Grange Street petition; and Councillor D’Agorne, Ward Member for Fishergate. He also took into account written representations received from: a resident of Grange Street setting out the problem of potholes on the street and a recommended method of repair; Councillor Cuthbertson, Ward Member for Haxby and Wigginton in relation to eight petitions regarding road surface renewal in Haxby and Wigginton; and two residents of Wetherby Road expressing their concerns regarding speeding on Wetherby Road.

Officers explained how potholes were assessed and how repairs were undertaken. They advised that a trial was being undertaken with the Department for Transport using alternative materials for repairs to see how they stood up over a period of time.

The Executive Member noted that some road surfaces needed considerable attention and that additional funding had been allocated for repairs but acknowledged that this could not all be done at once and it was necessary to prioritise the repairs based on urgency. He agreed that the 8 additional petitions in relation to Haxby and Wigginton, not detailed in the report, be considered in the same way as the other highway maintenance petitions.