Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 2 MBVenue: Epsom Town Hall
Contact: Nicola Morris, Community Partnership & Committee Officer Surrey County Council, Community Partnership Team, Epsom Town Hall (2nd floor), Epsom, KT18 5BY
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
To receive any apologies for absence and notices of substitutions from Borough members under Standing Order 39. Minutes: No apologies for absence were received. |
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CHAIRMAN'S BUSINESS
The Chairman will update the Committee on any current issues. Minutes: The Chairman asked County members to ensure that they have spent their member allocation as soon as possible. Currently most members have a large proportion of the allocation remaining and there is concern that failure to spend could result in the allocation being cut in future years. Also, significant spending requests late in the financial year put pressure on the team who process the requests. Those who did not have projects available to fund were encouraged to offer any surplus to other local members or look for highway projects that would not otherwise be funded.
The Chairman outlined the requirements of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which is the way in which the Borough Council will now be collecting funding for infrastructure from developers. He asked the Borough members to ensure that the governance arrangements currently being developed are finalised at an early stage and SCC and the Local Committee informed of the mechanism by which they can bid for the funds to ensure that opportunities for potential projects are not lost.
The Chairman reported on recent discussions at the Local Committee Chairmen’s Group in relation to problems with communication with Surrey Highways. The service is currently undergoing a reorganisation and the communication process will be brought back in house into distinct teams who will have responsibility for appropriate communication during key stages of planned work.
The Committee were reminded of the recent bulletins sent to them to inform them of the work of the Family, Friends and Community Support Programme and asking them to feed in relevant information based on their local knowledge. Further discussion on the programme would take place at the January informal meeting.
The Committee were told of the work of the National Citizen Service (NCS) and how some members had been involved in supporting the project. The NCS would be invited to attend the January informal meeting and in the meantime the Committee would be sent a link to further information.
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WRITTEN PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS
To answer any questions or receive a statement from any member of the public who lives, works or studies in the Surrey County Council area in accordance with Standing Order 69. Notice should be given in writing or by e-mail to the Community Partnership & Committee Officer at least by noon four working days before the meeting. Minutes: Two public questions were received, the questions and answers are set out in Annex A.
In relation to question 2 it was noted that the County Council cannot put up a sign to indicate that this is a private road. This would be the responsibility of the landowner if they wished to do so. If the area has had unimpeded public access for a prescribed time without any indication that the area is private an application could be made to make it a public right of way if appropriate evidence is available. |
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ADJOURNMENT
For the Committee to consider adjourning for up to half an hour to receive questions from members of the public. Minutes: One informal question was asked and the answer was provided at the meeting. |
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PETITIONS
To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 68. Minutes: There were no petitions. |
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
To approve the Minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record. Minutes: Noted on Page 5, final paragraph of (i), Beaconsfield Gardens should read Beaconsfield Place. Subject to this amendment the minutes were confirmed as a correct record. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
Notes: · In line with the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, declarations may relate to the interest of the member, or the member’s spouse or civil partner, or a person with whom the member is living as husband or wife, or a person with whom the member is living as if they were civil partners and the member is aware they have the interest.
· Members need only disclose interests not currently listed on the Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.
· Members must notify the Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting so they may be added to the Register.
· Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.
Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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MEMBER QUESTION TIME
To receive any written questions from Members under Standing Order 47. Notice should be given in writing to the Community Partnership & Committee officer by 12.00 noon four working days before the meeting. Minutes: Eight questions were received and the questions and answers are set out in Annex B.
Question 1: Cllr Dallen queried when the work to the lampposts in Waterloo Road would be carried out. Officers replied that this is not part of the routine maintenance but that they would be following up the request for their relocation. Members reported that they had reported a number of failures in street lamps where it appeared that the work hadn’t been carried out in accordance with the prescribed deadlines. Members were invited to send evidence of any such incidences with dates and report numbers to the Area Highways Manager so that they could be forwarded to the contract compliance team.
Question 3: It was noted that the County Council hold a bond from the developer which could possibly be used to carry out the necessary work if it has not been completed when officers visit on 16 December. The Chairman agreed to write to the Transportation Development Planning to make this request. Members were invited to send details of incomplete work to the Community Partnership and Committee Officer. Mrs Mountain reported that she felt that sweeping of the pavements close to the buildings could be improved as litter seemed to be building up in this area. She also offered to pay for an appropriate sign from her member allocation in advance of the signage planned as part of the Plan E scheme.
Question 4: The Committee supported the request from Cllr Taylor and he undertook to feed this into the current consultation and inform the relevant authorities.
Question 5: Members were invited to send in photos and locations of puddles in the town centre to the Area Highways Manager so that an assessment of the issues can be undertaken.
Question 8: Mrs Lallement asked how a private road could be identified as a suitable location to park where there is no right to public parking and queried the progress with the construction of a path across the allotments which had been agreed as part of the planning application. Officers present were unable to answer these questions and she was advised to contact the relevant officers outside of the meeting.
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This report summarises progress with the Local Committee’s programme of Highways works for the current Financial Year 2014-15. Recommendations are made for next Financial Year’s Integrated Transport Schemes (ITS) programme. Members are asked to work with the Area Team Manager to identify their Divisional Programmes for 2015-16.
Additional documents: Decision: That the Local Committee (Epsom & Ewell) agreed:
(i)
the 2015-16 programme of Integrated
Transport Schemes as set out in Table 7 of the report;
(ii)
to authorise the Area Team Manager
in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman, to decide
Divisional Programmes for next Financial Year, in the event that
individual Divisional Members have not indicated their priorities
by 31st December 2014;
(iii)
to authorise the Area Team Manager
in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant
Divisional Member(s) to undertake all necessary procedures to
deliver the agreed programmes. Reasons: to enable the 2015-16 highways programmes, funded by the Local Committee, to be decided in good time, to facilitate timely delivery of those programmes.
Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Officers attending: Nick Healey, Area Highways Team Manager, Alan Flaherty, Engineer.
Petitions, Public Questions/Statements: None
Member discussion – key points
Noted, that a revised Project 400 and updated Project Horizon schedule had been issued recently and would be circulated to members.
It was suggested that a lay-by could be constructed on East Street in the Windmill Lane alleviate the congestion caused by cars parking for the shops and delaying through traffic. Officers reported that there are a number of utility services under this part of the footway which would be very expensive to divert to allow construction. In addition the rear of the footway is private land so there may not be sufficient highway land to build a lay-by and footway. The Engineer agreed to meet local members on site to review options.
Officers agreed to check when the developer funding for the lights under the bridge in Waterloo Road expires.
Noted that the feasibility schemes identified in Table 7, may not result in a scheme if a viable solution cannot be found.
Resolved: That the Local Committee agreed:
(i)
the 2015-16 programme of Integrated
Transport Schemes as set out in Table 7 of the report;
(ii)
to authorise the Area Team Manager
in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman, to decide
Divisional Programmes for next Financial Year, in the event that
individual Divisional Members have not indicated their priorities
by 31st December 2014;
(iii)
to authorise the Area Team Manager
in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant
Divisional Member(s) to undertake all necessary procedures to
deliver the agreed programmes. Reasons: to enable the 2015-16 highways programmes, funded by the Local Committee, to be decided in good time, to facilitate timely delivery of those programmes.
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Epsom Plan E highway improvements, major scheme
This paper is to update members on the current status of the Epsom Plan E highway improvements scheme in Epsom town centre and obtain member approval to carry out a public and business consultation Jan - Feb 2015.
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The business case has been progressed to a stage ready for
submission to the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership
(C2C LEP); at the time of writing, the business case is due to be
submitted on 1/12/14.
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The scheme is now at a stage where it is necessary to carry out
public engagement to raise awareness of the proposals and allow the
public to give us their views. The engagement will build on the
consultation on the scheme which was carried out in 2008/09 as part
of the development of the Borough’s Plan E Area Action Plan
(AAP). The Plan E highway improvements scheme has been progressed from the results of the consultation carried out in 2008/09, and has focused on the preferred option resulting from the consultation to convert South Street to two-way working. Therefore, it is not intended to consult on the South Street two-way of the scheme, but rather inform the public about how this has been developed. Additional documents: Decision: That the Local Committee (Epsom & Ewell) agreed:
(i) to note the progress made
so far with the major schemes submission and the draft proposals
for Epsom Plan E highway improvements scheme; (ii) that officers undertake public engagement for a minimum period of 6 weeks from mid January (exact dates to be confirmed) and report the feedback to the Major Schemes Member Task Group in April 2015;
On a motion proposed by Cllr Neil Dallen and seconded by Mr John Beckett it was further agreed that the Committee:
(iii) (By 7 votes FOR to 2
AGAINST with 1 ABSTENTION) welcomes the progress made by Epsom
& Ewell Borough Council and SCC in securing £2.7 million
for the funding of highway and public realm improvements in Epsom
town centre; (iv) supports the Plan E scheme as approved in the original public consultation and which will now be the subject of an additional public consultation following further highway improvements to the Plan;
(v) (Mrs Tina Mountain voted AGAINST) notes the traffic modelling data which provides evidence that the proposed highways changes will improve traffic flow and reduce journey times;
(vi) welcomes the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s proposals for improvements to the market place and other areas within the town, including new street furniture, signage and improved pedestrian access.
Reasons: To ensure that the Local Committee is kept informed of the progress made so far with the major scheme project and the draft proposals for the scheme in the town centre. To enable the public to be fully informed about the scheme, to assist with the development of the project and to gauge support for the project and highlight any potential issues which could be addressed during detailed design. Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Officers attending: Steve Howard,Project Manager, David Stempfer, Major Schemes Manager, Caroline Tuttle, Transport Planner, Nick Healey, Area Highways Team Manager,
Petitions, Public Questions/Statements: None
Member discussion – key points
Officers reported that the deadline for the submission of the final bid has been extended to 15 December. The results are expected in January.
Noted in paragraph 1.9 (3) that Ashley Avenue has never been two-way so this should read “introduce”.
Some members were concerned that businesses in South Street may be affected by the removal of parking which will be necessary to accommodate the scheme and asked if they had been consulted. Officers responded that the final details of the scheme, including possible changes to parking restrictions, have not yet been considered. The aim of sharing the proposals with the public at this stage is to identify any potential concerns so they can be addressed in the detailed design stage as far as possible.
Traffic modelling indicates that there will be improvements in journey times on the majority of routes into and around the town centre, with only two journeys on a Saturday showing increased journey times.
Officers reported, that Plan E, which outlines the basis of this scheme, has already been agreed following an extensive consultation, as the Plan E highway improvements scheme is rooted in the Epsom and Ewell Local Plan and has passed through an Examination in Public. It will be necessary for a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to be published to convert the existing South Street one-way to two-way before work can proceed, if funding is agreed. The TRO process allows for formal responses from the local community to be made to this aspect of the scheme.
Resolved: That the Local Committee agreed:
(i) to note the progress made so far with the major
schemes submission and the draft proposals for Epsom Plan E highway
improvements scheme; (ii) that officers undertake public engagement for a minimum period of 6 weeks from mid January (exact dates to be confirmed) and report the feedback to the Major Schemes Member Task Group in April 2015;
On a motion proposed by Cllr Neil Dallen and seconded by Mr John Beckett it was further agreed that the Committee:
(iii) (By 7 votes FOR
to 2 AGAINST with 1 ABSTENTION) welcomes the progress made by Epsom
& Ewell Borough Council and SCC in securing £2.7 million
for the funding of highway and public realm improvements in Epsom
town centre; (iv) supports the Plan E scheme as approved in the original public consultation and which will now be the subject of an additional public consultation following further highway improvements to the Plan;
(v) (Mrs Tina Mountain voted AGAINST) notes the traffic modelling data which provides evidence that the proposed highways changes will improve traffic flow and reduce journey times;
(vi) welcomes the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s proposals for improvements to the market place and other areas within the town, including new street furniture, signage and ... view the full minutes text for item 38/14 |
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Monday 9 March at 7.00pm, Bourne Hall, Ewell Minutes: Monday 9 March at 7.00pm, Bourne Hall, Ewell |