Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 461 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Pippbrook, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SJ
Contact: Sarah J Smith, Partnership Committee Officer Pippbrook, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SJ
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
To receive any apologies for absence and notices of substitutions from District members under Standing Order 39. Minutes: Apologies had been received from Cllr Michael and Cllr Stanyard and notification that Clare Curran would be arriving late. |
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
To approve the Minutes of the meeting on 22 June 2017 as a correct record. Minutes: It was agreed that the minutes of the last meeting on 22 June were a true record. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter (i) Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or (ii) Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting NOTES: • Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest • As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner) • Members with a significant personal interest may participate in the discussion and vote on that matter unless that interest could be reasonably regarded as prejudicial Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
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To receive any questions from Surrey County Council electors within the area in accordance with Standing Order 66. Minutes: No declarations of interest received.
Officers present: Zena Curry, Area Highways Manager Anne-Marie Hannam, Senior Traffic Engineer
1. Questions from members of the public and responses are included in the Supplementary Agenda (tabled papers) 2. Buckland Parish Council (represented at the meeting by Julian Steede) asked a supplementary (as part of the meeting’s Open Forum, but minuted here).
Supplementary question: If we assume the statutory notice is made during October and the 28 day consultation period ends before the end of November, could SCC please advise how soon the gates and bollards (to enforce the width restriction) are likely to be installed.”
Response: The Area Highways Manager explained that consultations on BOATS often produce significant comments or objections from interested parties, therefore it is not possible at this time to give exact dates but they will share these with the parish council when they are known. She also agreed to provide a chart for information that sets out the Traffic Regulation Order process.
The divisional member (Dorking Rural) had been contacted by the local landowner over concerns that since the temporary order had expired and the new one was not in place, vehicles had been using it again and he has had to rescue some who had got stuck. As a result she asked whether a second temporary order could be introduced. The Area Highways Manager explained that another temporary TRO cannot be introduced until at least a year after the first has expired without gaining permission from the Secretary of State. She agreed to look with the Traffic Order team how best to communicate this message to the public, as well as to provide example timelines of the best and worst case scenarios. 3. Paul Kennedy submitted the following supplementary questions: Will the authorities commit to taking a more robust approach to enforcement of highways related conditions at the end of and if necessary during development work, both in this and in other cases, by for example: a) ensuring there is a comprehensive post-completion highway survey; b) putting the burden on developers to demonstrate that every piece of damage identified (not just isolated examples) for which they are seeking to avoid liability was either pre-existing or has been caused by a third party, especially where there has been a failure by the developers to undertake a pre-commencement survey; c) requiring developers to reinstate all such damage including making a proportionate contribution to the cost of repairing damage which may have been partly pre-existing or caused by a third party but has been accelerated or exacerbated by the development work; d) taking account of evidence provided by residents and giving residents an opportunity to validate other evidence submitted including the comprehensive post-completion highway survey?
Response: The Area Highways Manager understood the concerns being raised and agreed to forward these on to the Development Control Team for a response outside of the meeting. She will also look into a possible further inspection by local highways officers and try and ... view the full minutes text for item 28/17a |
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To receive any written questions from Members under Standing Order 47. Minutes: No declarations of interest received.
Officers present: Zena Curry, Area Highways Manager Anne-Marie Hannam, Senior Traffic Engineer
1. Written questions from members of the Local Committee and the responses are included in the Supplementary Agenda to this meeting. 2. Cllr Haque expressed his disappointment in the responses he received. a. The Glade – The Chairman reassured him that Network Rail carries out regular checks. The Area Highways Manager will try and arrange a meeting with a representative of the company to discuss the site. b. Sainsbury’s Cobham Road – The Area Highways Manager explained that the that site is zoned for development, so it would not be prudent to add new restrictions that might be affected by future developments and as the problems are due to driver behaviour. c. Monks Green – The Area Highways Manager stressed again that there is a very limited budget for Horizon works and roads are prioritised according to the SCC Asset Management Strategy. Limited work can be carried out on Monks Green due to it having a concrete underlay. The road surface will continue to be inspected but although it looks bad, it does not meet the criteria for a safety defect. d. Reading room Cobham Road –The Area Highways Manager suggested that those with mobility issues might perceive the traffic to be moving faster than it actually is. Concerns have been noted but as there are already informal crossing points north and south of the reading room and no accident data at the site, a crossing in this location would not be progressed. 3. Hazel Watson had received written responses to two questions: a. A24 safety signage – She expressed her disappointment at the further delays. The Area Highways Manager provided a verbal update:- They had hoped to use the traffic management for grass cutting, but it was more work than previously realised. Some work can be carried out either from the central reservation or cycle path but to complete the scheme they will need a separate lane closure and that might take several months, and could be further delayed if there is bad weather. b. Performing Arts Library consultation – Members were pleased that the deadline had been extended as many had received considerable correspondence on the subject of the library’s possible closure or splitting up of its operation. The Chairman has approached the Cabinet Member for Communities to ask for a councillors’ briefing on the matter. |
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PETITIONS
To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 65 or letters of representation in accordance with the Local Protocol. An officer response will be provided to each petition / letter of representation. Minutes: No petitions were received for this meeting. |
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CABINET MEMBER (HIGHWAYS) UPDATE [AGENDA ITEM ONLY]
An update from the Cabinet Member for Highways, Mr Colin Kemp Additional documents: Minutes: 1. Chairman welcomed Colin Kemp, Cabinet Member for Highways. He set out his intention to improve the quality and transparency of the information that is provided to members and residents. 2. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that although the local committee’s highways budget had been drastically cut, there was still a role for local/joint committees going forward. 3. This year £90 million will be spent across the Surrey road network. A map (attached) was displayed that showed the location of projects in Mole Valley either delivered or scheduled for delivery this financial year. A briefing note (attached) summarises the spend across the district; the Cabinet Member recognises that this is not enough, which is why there is a need to prioritise where and how the money is spent on the network. 4. Going forward the Cabinet Member would like proposals to be presented to the Local Committee earlier so that members are able to contribute to the process. He acknowledged that it was important for them to know what was going on so that they can inform their residents. 5. The Local Committee also needs to look at other sources of funding that it has access to, (eg. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), developer funding (s106) and the parking surplus – although this is not currently available in Mole Valley.) 6. On-street parking charges in commercial areas is one option that is being explored but the Cabinet Member stressed that residential areas were not part of the scope. The main aim is to create churn of vehicles and allow residents who wish to visit these businesses to park and this in turn will help businesses to survive. 7. County officers would work with colleagues at the district council to ensure a local approach and any decisions would come back to the Local Committee for agreement. 8. There will be some financial benefits and figures indicate potentially an income of around £2.5 million per annum across Surrey. The revenue would be shared 20% to MVDC, 20% to Surrey Highways and 60% to the Local Committee which can be used by the Committee to respond to residents’ issues locally. 9. The option to centralise the back office work relating to enforcement is also being explored with the District Council. 10. Members welcomed the Cabinet Member’s intentions to promote a more open and transparent way of working. Many however expressed doubts that the on-street parking charges in commercial areas would benefit the businesses in Mole Valley and that a similar scheme about five years ago was withdrawn due to objections. Town centres need to be developed and introducing charges would have a detrimental effect. There are problems with enforcing the current measures and these changes would require the District Council to take on more enforcement officers. 11. The Cabinet Member acknowledged the points raised but his conversations with small businesses indicated that creating ‘churn’ would benefit their operation and there were various options as to how this could be achieved, and it was ... view the full minutes text for item 30/17 |
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HIGHWAYS UPDATE [EXECUTIVE FUNCTION FOR INFORMATION]
This report summarises the progress of the Local Committee’s programme of Highways works for the current financial year 2017/18. It also provides a summary of the progress on the Dorking STP, the Wider Network Benefits Scheme and A24 Resilience Scheme. Additional documents: Minutes: Divisional member for Bookham and Fetcham West (Clare Curran) joined the meeting.
No declarations of interest received.
Officers present: Zena Curry, Area Higways Manger Anne-Marie Hannam, Senior Traffic Engineer
1. Area Highways Manager (AHM) introduced the report. It has a slightly changed format and included information on broader schemes. She noted that in Annex 1 the scheme referred to as ‘Leatherhead Town Centre’ will in future be entitled ‘Transform Leatherhead’. 2. Some members had queries on individual schemes: a. Hazel Watson – When will pavement in Ashcombe Road be upgraded? AHM to check with Horizon team and get back with response. b. As part of Dorking Sustainable Transport Scheme trees have been cut down near to Deepdene Station. She would like to request a sound barrier at platform level to protect residents. AHM explained the trees had been cut down by Network Rail. A request could be submitted but NR were under no obligation to install measures. c. Pixham Lane – when would the additional hatching near the island be completed? Officers confirmed this work had now been done. d. Stephen Cooksey – whether the Dorking Transport Study had been awarded. AHM advised that the tenders were in and the preferred supplier had been identified but not yet confirmed. Price is around £50,000 to be financed jointly with MVDC. It is hoped that surveys will be carried out before November. e. Extension of lighting in Deepdene Avenue – when will this be completed? Nesting season finishes at the end of September and SKANSKA will programme work for after that time. f. Funding for Blackbrook Road – officers confirmed that they had still not been able to identify any developers’ funds for this scheme. g. Chris Townsend – queried why the scheme to install a crossing on the A24 in Ashtead was not on the list. Officers confirmed this had been omitted in error and they were currently looking at feasible locations.
The Local Committee (Mole Valley) agreed to note the contents of the report.
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The “Gatso” speed camera on the northbound A24 Dorking Road at Mickleham has been successful, since its installation in 2005, in encouraging greater compliance with the speed limit and reducing road death and injury in the vicinity of the camera. However the “wet film” technology it uses is becoming obsolete and needs to be replaced with digital technology. It is proposed that the existing camera be replaced with an average speed camera system that will enforce in both directions along a greater length of the A24 between “Givon’s Grove Roundabout” and “Burford Bridge Roundabout” junction with Old London Road.
Decision: The Local Committee (Mole Valley) resolved to agree that:
(i) An average speed camera system be installed to replace the aging “Gatso” spot speed camera on the northbound A24 Dorking Road. The new system will provide enforcement between Givon’s Grove Roundabout and Burford Bridge Roundabout in both directions. (ii) The new average speed camera system will be paid for from the Wider Networks Benefit Project that has received funding from the C2C Local Enterprise Partnership, at no cost to the county council or police. The ongoing maintenance and running costs will be fully met from part of the fee that offending drivers pay to attend driver rehabilitation courses (such as speed awareness courses).
Minutes: No declarations of interest received.
Officers present: Duncan Knox, Road Safety and Active Travel Team Manager
1. All members expressed support for the proposed scheme. 2. The divisional member (Dorking Hills) would also like to see the scheme extended further south to the roundabout at Denbies. 3. At present the budget only provides for one entrance and exit camera but it is hoped that there will be an extended effect with people slowing down in anticipation of the enforcement zone. 4. There will be some vehicles entering and exiting the stretch via some of the minor roads that will not be picked up, but these are most likely to be moving at the speed limit. 5. Some members expressed concern that the stretch between Denbies and Burford Bridge might be more dangerous and in the past there had been a petition calling for measures following a pedestrian fatality. 6. Speed surveys have shown that vehicles are travelling at the fastest speeds along the Mickleham Bends stretch and members agreed that there was currently a general abuse of the 50 mph limit. 7. It might be possible to mount the new cameras on existing columns. If not grey or green columns will be used in view of the rural nature of the area, although the cameras themselves will have to be yellow.
The Local Committee (Mole Valley) resolved to agree that:
(i) An average speed camera system be installed to replace the aging “Gatso” spot speed camera on the northbound A24 Dorking Road. The new system will provide enforcement between Givon’s Grove Roundabout and Burford Bridge Roundabout in both directions. (ii) The new average speed camera system will be paid for from the Wider Networks Benefit Project that has received funding from the C2C Local Enterprise Partnership, at no cost to the county council or police. The ongoing maintenance and running costs will be fully met from part of the fee that offending drivers pay to attend driver rehabilitation courses (such as speed awareness courses).
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The A217 route between Reigate and Horley has been identified by the Road Safety Foundation as being within the top 50 worst A-road routes for the number of fatal and serious injuries per vehicle kilometre travelled. The Department for Transport has created a £175 million “Safer Roads Fund” for local authorities to bid for to improve the quality of infrastructure specifically on these top 50 worst A-road routes. This report describes proposals for a range of highway improvements on the A217 between Reigate and Horley that could be included within the bid submission to the Department for Transport.
Additional documents: Decision:
Minutes:
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RECOMMENDATIONS TRACKER
The tracker monitors the progress of the decisions and recommendations that the Local Committee (Mole Valley) has agreed.
Minutes: The Local Committee (Mole Valley) agreed to note the Recommendations Tracker. |