Issue - meetings

To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 68.

One petition has been received:

Improve the pedestrian and wheelchair crossing at the College Road/Longdown Lane traffic lights in Epsom

Lead petitioner:  David Gulland          Signatures: 250

That the Local Committee [Epsom & Ewell] agreed:

To include a scheme to improve the pedestrian and wheelchair crossing at the

College Road/Longdown Lane traffic lights in Epsom, on the prioritisation list for consideration in a future highway programme.

Reason: To consider whether the issues raised in the petition can be addressed.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: Nick Healey, Area Highways Manager;

Petitions, Public Questions/Statements:

The petitioner, David Gulland was accompanied by Gretta Maxwell and her daughter Lauren who uses a wheelchair.  The petitioner indicated that he had gained 450 signatures for the petition and not the 250 mentioned in the response which demonstrated the depth of local concern.

Improving the accessibility of the junction would mean that it is usable by all residents, he was surprised that accessibility did not have a higher weighting when schemes are being assessed.  They drew attention to the Equalities Act, which sets out that reasonable adjustments should be made, where necessary, including to the built environment.  Using a wheelchair in the area is currently dangerous and make users feel excluded.  The provision of dropped kerbs is the minimum which should be provided.

Member discussion –key points

The Area Highways Manager Indicated that there are a number of factors which need to be taken into account when assessing whether a scheme should be taken forward and the matrix is just a guide to help the Committee in their decision making.  He acknowledged that the junction is a barrier to the less able and to family groups, but the design of the junction would make it unsuitable for the addition of dropped kerbs as the sight lines are not good enough.  Reconfiguration of the junction would require careful planning and could cost up to £250k.  It would also probably decrease the traffic capacity at the junction leading to a possible increase in congestion.  He suggested that the Committee could consider agreeing to add a feasibility study to a future work programme in order to look at possible options.  There is money available to provide dropped kerbs and he would be happy to consider suggestions for suitable locations where road reconfiguration is not required.

Members were sympathetic to the issues which are not limited to this junction and disappointed that a solution may take some time to achieve.  The divisional member agreed that a feasibility study to look at costs and options would be beneficial and he’d be happy to liaise with the petitioners to get their views and to perhaps seek external funding.

Resolved:

To include a scheme to improve the pedestrian and wheelchair crossing at the

College Road/Longdown Lane traffic lights in Epsom, on the prioritisation list for consideration in a future highway programme.

Reason: To consider whether the issues raised in the petition can be addressed.