Issue - meetings

To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 14.1.  Notice should be given in writing or by email to the Community Partnership and Committee Officer at least 14 days before the meeting.  Alternatively, the petition can be submitted on-line through Surrey County Council or Woking Borough Council’s e-petitions website as long as the minimum number of signatures (30) has been reached 14 days before the meeting.

2 Petitions have been received:

a)    'review the traffic arrangements in Goldsworth Road at the junction with Poole Road, Woking, to prevent the access to McDonald’s drive-through restaurant causing access problems to homes and businesses. and gridlock to the traffic in that area at busy times.'

b)    'trial the reduction in speed limit to 20 mph in White Rose Lane, Mount Hermon Road, York Road and roads ancillary to those roads.'

The petition details and responses are included.

Item 4a – petition to 'review the traffic arrangements in Goldsworth Road at the junction with Poole Road, Woking, to prevent the access to McDonald’s drive-through restaurant causing access problems to homes and businesses. and gridlock to the traffic in that area at busy times.’

SCC Officers agreed to continue to review the situation and to work with the Borough and McDonalds to try to find alternative solutions.

The Joint Committee noted that:

(i)            Meetings were held prior to the reopening of the McDonald’s Drive-thru to discuss possible measures to minimise the impact of queuing traffic.

(ii)          No options could be identified for segregating McDonald’s traffic from traffic that was either passing along Goldworth Road or trying to access Morrison’s.

(iii)        Another meeting will be held to review the situation and identify any possible alternative routes to McDonald’s. 

(iv)        The cost of any traffic management measures should not be borne by Surrey County Council

Item 4b – petition to 'trial the reduction in speed limit to 20 mph in White Rose Lane, Mount Hermon Road, York Road and roads ancillary to those roads.'

Members discussed at length the issues of the area and how to gather residents views, noting that the introduction of speed limits or mitigation measures could impact negatively on surrounding roads, and the fact that there were similar issues in other parts of the Town.

Members also discussed that, subject to agreement by the Mount Hermon Borough and County Councillors, the Joint Committee could explore the possibility of using Neighbourhood Community InfrastructureLevy funds to design, consult upon and implement, if approved by consultation, speed restrictions (including a 20 mph zone) for Park Road and White Rose Lane.   

The Joint Committee were aware that this was contrary to the SCC speed limit policy, but did discuss whether an exception could be made, on the understanding that this did not set a precedent.

The Joint Committee noted that:

(i)            It would be impractical to trial a 20mph speed limit in a road, as opposed to permanently reducing the speed limit, because the amount of work required for assessment, advertising and implementation, as well as the associated cost, is similar in both instances.

(ii)          White Rose Lane, Mount Hermon Road and York Road are all included in the Woking speed management plan.  Speed surveys previously undertaken in both roads indicate a relatively good level of compliance with the speed limit but with speeds too high to permit a 20mph speed limit in accordance with Surrey County Council’s Speed Limit Policy.

(iii)        Residents’ concerns will be discussed with officers of the Speed Management Plan review group and new speed surveys will be requested to include Park Road.

(iv)         Vehicle speeds and road safety will continue to be monitored in White Rose Lane, Mount Hermon Road and York Road, as they are for all sites on the Woking speed management plan.

(v)          Petitions have previously been received for a 20mph speed limit along White Rose Lane in 2014 and 2017  ...  view the full decision text for item 26

ITEM 4A

Petition to 'review the traffic arrangements in Goldsworth Road at the junction with Poole Road, Woking, to prevent the access to McDonald’s drive-through restaurant causing access problems to homes and businesses and gridlock to the traffic in that area at busy times.’

Declarations of Interest:      None

Officers attending:   Andrew Milne, Area Highways Manager, SCC

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: One petition as detailed.

The petitioner, Lance Spencer attended the meeting to present the petition, raising the inconvenience to residents, Morrisons shoppers and the blocking of emergency access by queueing traffic.

The Area Highways Manager assured the petitioner that this had been very carefully considered in detail with WBC Officers, Surrey Police, Fire service and Road Safety.   Since the petition was raised, the traffic had alleviated.  Traffic modelling would not be warranted for a temporary issue that only occurs infrequently.

Councillors noted that McDonalds had taken steps to assist by allowing drive through customers to park up and await their food.  Lockdown was due to lift at the beginning of April which would also improve the situation.  Councillors would continue to review the situation and to work with McDonalds to try to find alternative solutions as the situation evolved.  Woking Borough Council had a travel plan attached to the planning application, but this covered staff travel and not customer traffic.  The County Council had raised issues at the planning stage, but these were not reasons to reject the planning application. 

The Joint Committee noted that:

(i)            Meetings were held prior to the reopening of the McDonald’s Drive-thru to discuss possible measures to minimise the impact of queuing traffic.

(ii)          No options could be identified for segregating McDonald’s traffic from traffic that was either passing along Goldworth Road or trying to access Morrison’s.

(iii)        Another meeting will be held to review the situation and identify any possible alternative routes to McDonald’s. 

(iv)        The cost of any traffic management measures should not be borne by Surrey County Council

ITEM 4B

Petition to 'trial the reduction in speed limit to 20 mph in White Rose Lane, Mount Hermon Road, York Road and roads ancillary to those roads.'

Declarations of Interest:   None

Officers attending:            Andrew Milne, Area Highways Manager, SCC

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements:       One petition as detailed

Woking Borough Councillor Liam Lyons presented the petition which repeated a request from residents of White Rose Lane for speed reduction in that area.  He outlined that other areas and London boroughs had different speed policies that allowed 20mph zones to be introduced.  The road had no pavement and was used by school children.

Mr Carl Thomson, resident of the area and former Borough Councillor also spoke in support of the petition. 

Members discussed at length the issues of the area and how to further gather residents views, noting that the introduction of speed limits or mitigation measures could impact negatively on surrounding roads, and the fact that there were similar issues in other parts of the Town.  It was noted that the focus should  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26