Agenda item

This report summarises progress with the Local Committee’s programme of Highways works for the current Financial Year 2017-18.

Committee is asked to agree the strategy for allocation of Local Committee budgets for next Financial Year 2018-19.

That the Local Committee [Epsom & Ewell] agreed:

(i)    To agree formally the 2017-18 budget allocations that were agreed informally in May 2017 as set out in the report;

(ii)   To allocate the anticipated £42,273 revenue from the 2018-19 budget for day to day maintenance;
 

(iii)  To allocate the anticipated £36,364 capital from the 2018-19 budget to, option C, a divisional allocations of £7,273 per Division;
 

(iv)  To approve the implementation of the new cycle route, as shown in Annex C, as a shared pedestrian / cycle surface on the northern footway of Chessington Road, between Longmead Road and Riverholme Drive;

(v)   To allocate £2,000 of the £15,000 currently allocated to signing improvements in Ewell village (Table 3 of the report) to carry out a feasibility study and establish the likely costs of a zebra crossing in Waterloo Road, Epsom to the north of the railway bridge in the area of the shops as an option for the use of the s106 funding allocated to this area;

(vi)  Authorise the Area Highway Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant Divisional Member(s) to undertake all necessary procedures to deliver the agreed programmes.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: Nick Healey, Area Highways Team Manager

Petitions, Public Questions/Statements: None

Member Discussion – key points

Members discussed how the limited capital funding for 2018/19 should be divided and there was support for dividing it on a divisional basis in order to support resident requests.  Small jobs could be batched and allocated to the community gang to carry out in a similar way to the £5,000 community pride funding which was previously available.  Members were reminded that the community pride funding was revenue, whereas the funding under discussion is capital.

Cllr Dallen asked whether it would be possible to allocate £2,000 for a feasibility study to look at whether it would be possible to install a zebra crossing in Waterloo Road using the s106 money available from the station development.  The Chairman indicated that there was some funding remaining from the £15,000 currently allocated to signing improvements in Ewell village (Table 3 of the report) and proposed that £2,000 from this could be used.  Cllr Dallen seconded the proposal. 

A member asked whether it would be possible to use the surplus on the parking account to improve roads rather than on parking reviews.  The Area Highways Manager agreed that this would be possible, but that as the amounts were relatively small it would not be possible to achieve much with what’s available and he would advise its use on something with a long term gain.

Members asked whether the £42,000 underspend on the previous year’s revenue budget had been lost.  The Area Highways Manager indicated that some of the amount would have been lost, but that procedures are now in place to prevent this in future years.  The Committee expressed their concern at the loss of funding and hoped that this would not occur again.

[Mrs Jan Mason joined the meeting at 4pm]

The divisional member reported there was local concern at the proposal for a shared pedestrian / cycle surface on the northern footway of Chessington Road, between Longmead Road and Riverholme Drive as this is a very busy pavement and it was felt to be unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians to mix.  She asked whether the opposite side of the road could be used instead as this is less used by pedestrians.  The Area Highways Manager responded that the concerns expressed are common when such schemes are proposed, but there is no evidence of complaints once they are operational.  The proposed route joins up two existing routes and is aimed at less confident cyclists and children to help them cycle safely and to reduce car usage on short journeys.  The route is not wide enough for a segregated pathway for the whole length and the opposite side of the road is not wide enough for a shared use path.  A safety review after 12 months was requested if the scheme is agreed.  The Area Highways Manager responded that all schemes are subject to a safety audit once they are operational.

That the Local Committee [Epsom & Ewell] agreed:

(i)    To agree formally the 2017-18 budget allocations that were agreed informally in May 2017 as set out in the report;

(ii)   To allocate the anticipated £42,273 revenue from the 2018-19 budget for day to day maintenance;
 

(iii)  (on a vote 6 votes FOR, 2 AGAINST and 1 ABSTENTION) To allocate the anticipated £36,364 capital from the 2018-19 budget to, option C, a divisional allocations of £7,273 per Division;
 

(iv)  (on a vote 5 votes FOR, 3 AGAINST AND 1 ABSTENTION) To approve the implementation of the new cycle route, as shown in Annex C, as a shared pedestrian / cycle surface on the northern footway of Chessington Road, between Longmead Road and Riverholme Drive;

(v)   (On a vote 7 votes FOR and 1 ABSTENTION) To allocate £2,000 of the £15,000 currently allocated to signing improvements in Ewell village (Table 3 of the report) to carry out a feasibility study and establish the likely costs of a zebra crossing in Waterloo Road, Epsom to the north of the railway bridge in the area of the shops as an option for the use of the s106 funding allocated to this area;

(vi)  Authorise the Area Highway Manager in consultation with the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and relevant Divisional Member(s) to undertake all necessary procedures to deliver the agreed programmes.

Reasons: The recommendations are intended to facilitate delivery of the 2017-18 Highways programmes funded by the Local Committee and to facilitate development of Committee’s 2018-19 Highways programmes, while at the same time ensuring that the Chairman, Vice Chairman and relevant Divisional Members are fully and appropriately involved in any detailed considerations.