To receive and consider the above report.

Gordon Oliver, Principal Transport Policy Officer introduced the report to Members and highlighted the following key points:

Ø  Cabinet was held at Charters School in September and this report was a direct result of issues raised around walking and cycling to school safely at that meeting.

Ø  Some of the issues raised included narrowness of foot paths, lack of cycle routes and excessive speeds on Charters Road.

Ø  Four options were recommended to address some of the issues which included:

o   Installing traffic signals at Dry Arch Road rail bridge with a pedestrian facility triggered via a push button unit similar to a Puffin Crossing.

o   Construction of a new footbridge on the western side of Devenish Road to the north of Elm Park.

o   Approach Heathermount School to discuss options for improving the narrow footway across their frontage.

o   Seek to secure a strip of land to the rear of the existing footway across the front of properties on Devenish Road that come forward for planning permission.

Ø  There were a number of options that were not recommended as they would mean removing well established trees or too narrow roads for widening footpaths

Cllr Beer stated he had a strong objection and disgust at three complicated items being notified to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel over the weekend and the day before the relevant meeting. It was in total conflict with Constitution Clause A4 relating to Overview and Scrutiny Panels which refers to Panels normally being notified three weeks before Cabinet. He added it was not good practice or democratic to expect thorough and in formed consideration and recommendations in such short timescales as was now becoming normal practice. Cllr Beer stated it was in total conflict with the intention of the LGA Act 2000 in relation to Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny panels. Cllr Beer went on to say that it was exacerbated by the absence of full supporting data with reports to support the recommendations which did not enable to Overview and Scrutiny Panels to make a properly considered judgement. The provision of late details to Cabinet exacerbated the situation as that by passed the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and particularly, if in verbal statements the Cabinet is also denied the opportunity to properly consider any knock on effects. Cllr Beer stated that the whole process was being gone through so quickly that Panel Members were not able to give full consideration to recommendations. The Chairman stated it was because this report was such a serious matter; he had spoken with the Panel Administrator about why the report was so late and it was because it had been awaiting final sign off. The Chairman commented that the reports were also emailed electronically and the Charters Walking and Cycling report had been emailed three days previously; Members had the technology at home to read the reports. Cllr Grey stated that cllr Beer made some good points and the Council needed to endeavour to get things done on time. Cllr Bicknell stated that he understood Cllr Beer’s points, however, the Charters paper was in response to children how held Cabinet to account at the previous Cabinet meeting. It was so important to get back to them and the council could not do everything it wanted to do as it did not own the land. It was equally true that because there are only three Members within Cllr Beer’s group, it was difficult for them to get through all of the reading of the papers. He added that officers did an excellent precise at the front of the paper so it was not difficult to understand to get around. The council were only spending £130k on this project over two years which was great. Cllr Bicknell stated it would be helpful if Cllr Beer and his colleagues realised that the council was doing the best it could to make walking to school safer. Cllr Sharpe stated he realised there was not as much time as usual to read the report but, it was a simple proposition which was much needed by residents and pupils so, it was just a case of saying yes and getting on with it for the security of the children in the area. Cllr Beer commented he had received a skeleton agenda by post midday on the Saturday and then the report followed after that; he was not criticising officers but, reports needed to be scheduled properly. Simon Fletcher, Strategic Director of Operations stated he appreciated Members needed time to read and digest information.

Gordon Oliver, Principal Transport Policy Officer confirmed that the new footbridge on the western side of Devenish Road was using current contractors to do preliminary costings and to get quotes; inflation had been built into those. The traffic scheme would be different as that scheme might need DfT input but, the costs were known and current suppliers and contractors were being used. Ben Smith, Head of Highways and Transport confirmed that the costs that would be incurred had moved towards fixed cost pricing for projects to the costs did not change. Some of the recommended options would need to have a different contractor appointed to carry out the works so they would be monitored to ensure quality standards were maintained. Any contractor that was carrying out the works would need to apply for a permit just like any other company that wanted to carry out works on a highway.

The Chairman said he was supportive of the plans as 26% of children in parts of the Borough were obese so, if the Borough could help and encourage children to walk and cycle to school, that would help tackle that. He added he received complaints from people that lived near schools about parents parking too close to the school gates and the associated congestion and pollution; if the council could implement similar schemes to this one, it would reduce the congestion, pollution and complaints.

Cllr Beer commented that it would have been helpful if numbers of children who used specific routes had been quoted so the council could get a grasp of the importance of doing something. Item two in the table related to a footpath adjacent to the A30 and was near to Surrey Heath. Cllr Beer wanted to know if the new footpath would be used by pupils from across the Borough boundary. The Chairman responded that it was still needed as the pupils attended an RBWM school. Cllr Beer stated the money could be spent on other things which would help the children of the Royal Borough elsewhere. The Principal Transport Policy Officer confirmed that a postcode plot of pupil addresses gave a rough idea of who used which routes but, that had to be removed from the report due to data protection rules. He added that the new route would benefit children from other local authorities that attended Charters School. The Head of Highways and Transport confirmed that paragraph 3.1 gave numbers of children which used the routes and costs were listed in paragraph 4.2.

Cllr Bicknell stated the schemes in the paper were doable and that the council was limited in what it could provide as it did not own all of the land. Therefore, the Borough should get on and do what it could as quickly as possible. The Planning Department would negotiate with developers for land that could be used to widen footpaths. Nearly 2,000 pupils attended Charters and those children were someone’s son or daughter regardless of where they had come from and there was a duty to keep them safe. The Chairman stated it was a very good scheme and he thanked officers for the hard work they had put into producing the report and the schemes. Cllr Sharpe stated he had looked at the recommended options and they would help improve health and safety so they should be agreed.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED: That the Highways, Transport and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel endorsed the recommendations to Cabinet:

That Cabinet:

i.              Approves through the Local Transport Plan capital programme:

·         Installation of traffic signals at Dry Arch Road rail bridge incorporating a pedestrian phase.

·         Construction of a new footbridge on the western side of Devenish Road to the north of Elm Park

·         Discussion with Heathermount School to explore options for improving the narrow footway across their frontage.

·         Seek to secure a strip of land to the rear of the existing footway across the font of properties on Devenish Road that come forward for planning permission.

ii.            Approves allocation of £50,000 from the 2017/18 Safer Routes to Schools budget and £70,000 from the 2018/19 budget for the four pieces of work.