Agenda item

To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 68.

At the 29 February meeting the Committee received a petition from 143 individuals requesting the implementation of road safety measures in Cuddington Avenue, Worcester Park in order to reduce the speed of vehicles which would make crossing the road safer for parents and children.  The suggested measures would be a 20mph speed limit, speed humps and a pedestrian crossing. 

This report outlines investigations into the nature and extent of the concerns, and possible highway and road safety education improvements to reduce them. These have been developed in accordance with the county council’s Road Safety Outside Schools policy.

That the Local Committee [Epsom & Ewell] agreed

(i)       That the Mead Infant School and Auriol Junior Schools will be requested to undertake a range of road safety education and training activities.  The schools will be supported by the county council’s Sustainable School Travel Team to maintain these and to update their School Travel Plan which relates to the encouragement of sustainable travel to and from school.

(ii)     That the Sustainable School Travel Team be asked to provide information on school and community speed watch schemes to the school and petitioner.

(iii)   That the Mead Infant School and Auriol Junior School be asked to review whether the school crossing patrol is sited in the most appropriate location.

(iv)   That officers be asked to check the existing signage in the area to determine whether any improvements can be made.

Reasons:  A successful increase in walking and cycling modes of travel to school would contribute to fewer car journeys and less motor vehicle congestion. The recommended school travel plan and road safety education improvements would also help to improve road safety and reduce reliance on the car for the school journey.

One petition was received.

Declarations of interest:  None

Officers attending:  Nick Healey, Area Highways Team Manager; Alan Flaherty, Engineer

Petitions, Public Questions/Statements:

The petitioner, set out the reasons for her petition.  Cuddington Avenue in Stoneleigh is used by parents taking children to both the Mead Infant School and Auriol Junior School.  Many vehicles travel in excess of the current 30mph speed limit and safety is a great concern to the local community as there is nothing to slow down vehicles on the long straight road.  Parents have witnessed a number of incidents where children have narrowly escaped injury and a child has recently been injured.  She was supportive of the proposal to ask the schools to undertake more road safety education, but felt that this was not sufficient.  Many parents are forced to use cars to take their children to school and in the morning additional commuter vehicles use this road in an attempt to avoid congestion elsewhere.  The existing yellow lines, operational at peak times make it easier for vehicles to speed and many parents still park on the yellow lines obscuring sight lines.

Other residents asked whether the presence of officers during the assessment visit would deter speeding and why a decision had been made by the schools to place the school crossing patrol in Vale Road which has traffic calming measures instead of on Cuddington Avenue.  There was also concern for elderly residents crossing the road and a suggestion that school warning signs could be improved.

The area highway manager responded that the multi agency team of officers who assessed the site have many years of experience in evaluating road safety issues and are familiar with the area.  The police did not feel that there was a speed issue in the area.  It was noted that the police did not attend the site visit in uniform and road users would not have been aware of their presence.

It was suggested that the residents may want to consider setting up a community speed watch to gather evidence on whether there is a speeding issue and it was agreed that details of this would be supplied.  There is also a School Speed Watch scheme.

Member Discussion – key points

Members, whilst sympathetic, highlighted that similar issues exist at many schools in the Borough and across the County and limited budgets mean that funding has to be directed to those high priority sites where there is a history of accidents.

To slow vehicles it would be necessary to install either road humps or chicanes which are expensive and not always popular with residents.

Resolved:

(i)       That the Mead Infant School and Auriol Junior Schools will be requested to undertake a range of road safety education and training activities.  The schools will be supported by the county council’s Sustainable School Travel Team to maintain these and to update their School Travel Plan which relates to the encouragement of sustainable travel to and from school.

(ii)      That the Sustainable School Travel Team be asked to provide information on school and community speed watch schemes to the school and petitioner.

(iii)    That the Mead Infant School and Auriol Junior School be asked to review whether the school crossing patrol is sited in the most appropriate location.

(iv)    That officers be asked to check the existing signage in the area to determine whether any improvements can be made.

Reasons:  A successful increase in walking and cycling modes of travel to school would contribute to fewer car journeys and less motor vehicle congestion. The recommended school travel plan and road safety education improvements would also help to improve road safety and reduce reliance on the car for the school journey.