Agenda item

To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 14.1.  Notice must be given in writing or by email to the Community Partnership and Committee Officer at least 14 days before the meeting.  Alternatively, the petition can be submitted on-line through Surrey County Council’s or Spelthorne Borough Council’s e-petitions website as long as the minimum number of signatures has been reached 14 days before the meeting.

Petition details and responses will be published as part of a supplementary agenda ahead of the meeting.

Petition 1 – Road Safety outside Chennestone School, Sunbury on Thames.

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed:

(i)            that the Road Safety Outside Schools assessment will be undertaken and the results reported to a future meeting of the Joint Committee.

Reason:

1.    The Joint Committee felt that the petitioner had made a good case for improvements to be made and want to investigate options for road safety measures.

Petition 2 – Church Street and Vicarage Road, Staines – pavement widening.

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed:

(i)            to add this site to Committee’s prioritisation list for possible future Integrated Transport Schemes (ITS schemes).

Reasons:

1.    The Joint Committee felt that this should be investigated in order to improve safety and access for all users.

Petition 1: Road Safety Improvements outside Chennestone School in Sunbury.

This petition was presented by 9 year old Rosie Gurney and was brought about as a result of her experiences of walking to school. She wanted to be able to gain some independence by walking by herself but her parents felt that the main road was too dangerous and so Rosie instigated the petition to request a parking attendant or a crossing to be installed.

She and her parents had also sent in a short video of Rosie and her brother walking to school to demonstrate the problems that they encountered and this was shown to those present.

The Area Highways Manager acknowledged the problem and outlined some of the things that have been done in the area to promote road safety, such as instigating 20 mph zones and road humps in some of the roads where cars had been speeding. However, it is not possible to do everything at once and sometimes they need to review areas again to see if further measures are required.

Officers recommended to the Committee that a Road Safety assessment be carried out and findings reported to a later meeting of the Joint Committee.

The Committee agreed noting not only the safety benefits for pupils but the benefits to the environment of increasing motivation for people to walk rather than use their car.

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed:

(i)            that the Road Safety Outside Schools assessment will be undertaken and the results reported to a future meeting of the Joint Committee.

Reason:

1.    The Joint Committee felt that the petitioner had made a good case for improvements to be made and want to investigate options for road safety measures.

Petition 2: Pavement Widening outside  Church Street and Vicarage Road, Staines

This petition was presented by Mr Bower on behalf of the Staines Village Residents & Traders Association. They have requested that the pavement is widened outside of The Bell Public House. It is proposed that this will serve the community in two ways. Firstly, the widened pavement will improve safety of pedestrians, especially those using wheelchairs and mobility aids and secondly, the narrow road that will result from this adjustment would deter vehicles (a number of which are large commercial vehicles) from speeding though this junction.

The Divisional Member supported this petition saying that she had spoken to several concerned residents about this matter and could attest to the public support for this proposal. She also remarked that as well as the safety aspect to this proposal, preserving the character of this historical area was also important to the community.

The Area Highways Manager acknowledged the concerns and outlined the issues. In order to widen the pavement as suggested, it would mean that the remaining carriageway would not be wide enough for two lanes and so this road needs either to install a priority pass, or become part of a one-way system. It was suggested that Highways officers in collaboration with the Divisional Member could assess the area and discuss the various options for consideration. The Committee agreed on this course of action.

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed:

(i)            to add this site to Committee’s prioritisation list for possible future Integrated Transport Schemes (ITS schemes).

Reasons:

1.    The Joint Committee felt that this should be investigated in order to improve safety and access for all users.