Issue - meetings

This report summarises progress with the Local Committee’s programme of Highways works for the current Financial Year 2017-18.

Members are encouraged to start considering the strategy and priorities for next Financial Year, 2018-19.

That the Local Committee Epsom & Ewell agreed:

(i)         To introduce double yellow lines in Temple Road between the parking bays between numbers 46 and 70 Temple Road, to discourage vehicles overhanging the bays and give residents increased forward visibility whilst leaving their driveways as set out in the report;

(ii)        To extend the double yellow lines on the western side of Temple Road from Pound Lane, southwards to encompass the entire length of the hatching and prevent any obstructive parking on the approach to the pedestrian refuge;

(iii)       To implement double yellow lines in Temple Road in the chicane area outside St Barnabas’ Church, to prevent obstruction of this area by parked vehicles;

(iv)      To include a single yellow line restriction in Gibraltar Crescent operational between 10.00-11.00am and 15.00-16.00, the detailed plan to be agreed by the Parking Team Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and divisional member;

(v)       That the proposals in (i) to (iv) above be advertised as part of the Phase 10 parking review and follow the procedures as agreed at the March 2017 meeting to complete that review;

(vi)      To defer consideration of the construction of a new cycle route in Waterloo Road, connecting Epsom railway station to the extensive network of cycle routes to the north of the Borough, to the next meeting, pending a reply from the developer indicating whether an alternative use for the funding would be acceptable to them within the terms of the 106 agreement;

(vii)     To introduce new bus stop clearways in five locations in Hook Road, Epsom as detailed in Annexes F, G, and H of the report;

(viii)    To transfer £12,000 currently allocated to the construction of a cycle way from Stoneleigh Park Road to Bradford Drive to fund maintenance work on Highfield Drive where the road surface has sunk;
 

(ix)      Authorise the Area Highway Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant Divisional Member(s) to undertake all necessary procedures to deliver the agreed programmes outlined in the report as amended above.

(x)       That the Chairman be asked to write to the Cabinet member for Environment & Transport expressing the Committee’s opposition to the 78% cut in local highways funding in 2017/2018 on the grounds that the decision was made six weeks after the agreement of the County Council budget, without consultation with members, when the Committees draft programme for the year had already been agreed and that different choices could have been made to enable this area of work to continue to be funded adequately.

Reasons: Programmes of work have been agreed in consultation with the Committee.  Committee is asked to provide the necessary authorisation to deliver those programmes of work in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman and relevant Divisional Member without the need to revert to the Committee as a whole.

A number of new lengths of double yellow lines are recommended for Temple Road to ensure the continued safe travel of drivers using Temple Road and to resolve, as  ...  view the full decision text for item 23

Declarations of Interest: Mrs Bernie Muir declared a personal interest in Temple Road

Officers attending: Nick Healey, Area Highways Team Manager; Steve Howard, Transport Policy Project Manager

Petitions, Public Questions/Statements: None

Member Discussion – key points

Members requested that they should be informed of the outcome of the analysis of the underspend of the Committees revenue funding in 2016/17, as soon as this has been completed, rather than waiting for a report to a future meeting.

Mr Eber Kington expressed concern at the 78% reduction in the highways budget for the Local Committee in 2017/18.  The decision was taken in March, by the Cabinet, six weeks after the County Council Budget Meeting and without consultation with Members or post-decision scrutiny.  This has resulted in the Committee having to abandon the plans which it had made based on the anticipated budget and has seriously curtailed the Committee’s ability to respond to residents requests which are not deemed to be safety related.  Whilst he agreed with the Local Committee chairmen’s decision not to borrow to fund this budget, he did not accept that savings could not have been made within other Surrey services to release funding to meet this important area of work for residents.  He proposed that the Chairman be asked to write to the Cabinet member expressing these views on behalf of the Committee.  The proposal was seconded by Cllr Neil Dallen.

Mr Eber Kington proposed that the £12,000 in Table 3 of the report allocated to the Stoneleigh Park Road to Bradford Drive cycle link should be reallocated to fund maintenance work in Highfield Drive, as he did not feel that the construction of a cycle way was the highest priority for residents in his area.  The Area Highway Manager indicated that there was a risk that £12,000 would not be sufficient to cover the works required in Highfield Drive once an investigation had been completed and it may then be too late for the cycle link scheme to be delivered this financial year.  Mr Kington accepted that there was a risk and that the money may have to be spent in a different division.  Mrs Mason seconded the proposal which was unanimously agreed.

Cllr Dallen queried the proves of bid submission to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).  The Project Manager reported that the resilience scheme bid has already been submitted and assessed, formal submission of bids should take place in July for a decision later in the year.  The County Council have asked for the bid to be accelerated.  Cllr Dallen asked for clarification of the process as this did not accord with his experience of LEP processes.  The Project Manager undertook to check when the Horizon schemes in paragraph 2.16 will go ahead.

Members asked for clarification of the nature of the structure is at Tolworth Court on Page 32 of the report.

Members discussed the potential cycle route funded as part of a S106 agreement with the Epsom Station developers on page 15 of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23