Agenda item

This report analyses the responses to a public consultation on the existing pedestrian zone in Egham High Street and recommends retaining the zone as well as identifying funding to introduce a more effective method of enforcing it. The report also considers cycling, parking bays and taxi ranks.

The Local Committee agreed that:

i) the existing pedestrian zone is retained with the same hours of operation (11am to 4pm) and exemptions, but is extended to also apply on Sundays;

ii) authorisation is also given to advertise a notice, the effect of which will be to extend the pedestrian zone to also operate between 11am and 4pm on Sundays:

iii) Authorisation is given to the Area Team Manager in consultation with the chairman of the Local Committee and local member, to resolve any objections received in connection with the proposal;

iv) Subject to no objections being maintained, the order be made and the proposed change to the pedestrian zone implemented;

v) Subject to the provision of funding, a more effective method of controlling access to the pedestrian zone (such as an electronic gate or bollard) is designed and introduced;

vi) the views expressed about the proposals relating to cycling, taxi ranks and parking are noted and the Committee commented that: there should be no cycling during the pedestrian period and no contra flow cycle lane at any time; that the Parking Manager should be delegated to take a decision on the 30 minute parking and loading bays in the High Street in consultation with the chairman and vice chairman; and that Runnymede Borough Council be advised that the Committee did not support the introduction of any taxi ranks within the pedestrian area of the High Street.

The chairman invited a member of the public to put their (informal) question to the meeting:

Mr Chris Fisher of Egham said that he was delighted by the consultation results but would like to know the costs of such a survey, and how many potholes might have been repaired for a similar amount?

Mr Gosden answered that there was no external payment for this work and the costs were in staff time and photocopying, he declined to estimate these. The Cabinet member for Highways answered that there was an expectation that any major changes required public consultation, and that even if the internal costs amounted to £2,000 it was not possible to fill many potholes for this sum.

Mr Jason Gosden presented the report, noting the consultation responses on contraflow cycling, a proposal to introduce taxi ranks, and parking restrictions. He advised that the majority (55%) had rejected permitting any cycling during the pedestrian period, and that the Chamber of Commerce had suggested that this could be extended to Sundays, given modern shopping patterns.

Members discussed the enforcement of parking and loading bays (which required first the advertisement of a Traffic Regulation Order which had been postponed) and the need to expedite this to enable enforcement of waiting restrictions.

There was general agreement that the Committee would not support a taxi bay within the pedestrian zone, but some divergence on whether a taxi bay near the entrance to the High Street and Strode’s College would be supported. Members also discussed whether the disabled parking bays which had been marked up opposite Strode’s was needed.

The Committee asked Surrey Highways to investigate the mechanisms and costs of better enforcement during the pedestrian zone times, and to bring a report to the next meeting.

The Local Committee agreed that:

i) the existing pedestrian zone is retained with the same hours of operation (11am to 4pm) and exemptions, but is extended to also apply on Sundays;

ii) authorisation is also given to advertise a notice, the effect of which will be to extend the pedestrian zone to also operate between 11am and 4pm on Sundays:

iii) Authorisation is given to the Area Team Manager in consultation with the chairman of the Local Committee and local member, to resolve any objections received in connection with the proposal;

iv) Subject to no objections being maintained, the order be made and the proposed change to the pedestrian zone implemented;

v) Subject to the provision of funding, a more effective method of controlling access to the pedestrian zone (such as an electronic gate or bollard) is designed and introduced;

vi) the views expressed about the proposals relating to cycling, taxi ranks and parking are noted and the Committee commented that: there should be no cycling during the pedestrian period and no contra flow cycle lane at any time; that the Parking Manager should be delegated to take a decision on the 30 minute parking and loading bays in the High Street in consultation with the chairman and vice chairman; and that Runnymede Borough Council be advised that the Committee did not support the introduction of any taxi ranks within the pedestrian area of the High Street.