Members considered the consultation on possible changes at the junctions of Imperial Road / St Leonards Road and Winkfield Road / Clewer Hill Road. The Lead Member thanked Ward Councillors for their involvement in the report. Two very robust public consultations had been held in Dedworth; the decision to consult on possible changes had been made as a response to demands of local residents to ease congestion during peak periods and improve air quality.

The report recommended that authority be delegated to the Head of Highways & Transport in consultation with Lead Member for Highways & Transport to implement changes to the operation of the traffic signals to enhance efficiency, trial a no right turn restriction from St Leonards Road into Imperial Road during the summer holidays and trial changes to the position of westbound bus stops by 30 June 2016.

It also recommended that a scheme be developed and modelled to replace the traffic signals at the Imperial Road / St Leonards Road junction with a roundabout, in combination with pedestrian crossings on at least two of the three arms of the junction. In addition, minor changes to traffic island configuration at Clewer Hill Road and changes to the bus stop arrangements would also be introduced. Subject to modelling not demonstrating reduced traffic flow, consultation with Ward Councillors, budget availability and road safety audit, the scheme would be delivered between December 2016 and February 2017. The recommendations were considered to provide a positive response to the consultation and seek to improve road conditions by reducing congestion and journey times and enhance air quality and the public realm.

If adopted, the key financial implication for the council was capital expenditure of approximately £150,000 in 2016/17. The recommended actions would support the Department for Transport policy paper ‘Signing the Way’ by reducing clutter on the highway network and developing solutions based on local knowledge, the council’s policy to reduce street clutter and the Manifesto commitment to ‘reduce and remove unnecessary traffic lights’.

The Lead Member thanked Councillor Ed Wilson who had pioneered the consultation. The Chairman asked when the model scheme and baseline measurements would be available for people to view. The Lead Member explained that consultation would take place with ward councillors first, then the proposal would be put through traffic modelling. As soon as officers had had an opportunity to look at the baseline figures they could be made available on the website.

The Lead Member proposed that the recommendation by the Highways, Transport and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel to include Ward Members in the delegation be adopted, and the recommendations amended accordingly.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That:

i.          Authority be delegated to the Head of Highways & Transport in consultation with Lead Member for Highways & Transport and Ward Councillors to implement changes to the operation of the traffic signals at both junctions to enhance efficiency and trial changes to the positions of bus stops by 30 June 2016 and implement a banned right turn into Imperial Road during the school summer holidays of 2016;

ii.            Authority be delegated to the Head of Highways & Transport in consultation with the Lead Member for Highways & Transport and Ward Councillors to develop and model a scheme to replace the traffic signals at the Imperial Road / St Leonards Road junction with a roundabout in combination with pedestrian crossings on at least two of the three arms of the junction.  Additionally minor changes to traffic island configuration at Clewer Hill Road and changes to the bus stop arrangements would be introduced.

These changes seek to reduce congestion and improve air quality and would be delivered between December 2016 and February 2017.