Meeting documents

            Meeting: Highways Committee (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 12/09/2007 10:00:00 AM)

                  Item: A1 Minutes

         

---

At a Meeting of the Highways Committee held at the County Hall, Durham on Wednesday 12 September 2007 at 10.00 a.m.

Present:

Members:
Councillors Bell, C Carr, E Foster, Gray, Knox, Manton, Morgan, O’Donnell, Pendlebury, Pye, Stelling, Southwell, and Walker.

Other Members:
Councillors Barker, Chapman, Magee and Myers.


Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Cordon, Holroyd, Meir, Porter, Tennant, and Young.


A1 Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 8 August 2007 were agreed as correct and signed by the Chairman.


A2 Review of Traffic Regulation Orders for Crook

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director, Environment regarding the implementation of revised traffic regulation orders within Crook (for copy see file of Minutes).

Councillor Pendlebury, the Local Member, pointed out that much of what is proposed in the Order is already in place. He advised that there had been much concern from the public about the proposals, following an article about the Order in the local press, which he believed had misled the public. He sought clarification on whether the District Council supported the scheme, as the press article had suggested that a member of the District Council did not support it.

In response the Corporate Director, Environment advised that the District Council had been formally consulted on the proposals following which the Council’s support for the scheme was received. He pointed out that there had been numerous meetings with the public about the proposals.

In response to a question from Councillor Southwell about the type of parking restrictions in the scheme, the Corporate Director, Environment clarified that the restrictions were as shown on the plan.


Resolved:
The Committee endorsed the proposal to set aside the objection and proceed with the scheme.


A3 Consideration of Traffic Calming Scheme- Manor Road, Willington

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director, Environment regarding the proposal to implement six road humps to act as a traffic calming measure along Manor Road, Willington (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Corporate Director, Environment advised that Mr Fletcher, a local resident, had asked that his objection be made known to the Committee. He had tried to communicate this through email however the document he had sent could not be viewed. At the initial formal consultation stage he had sent in a card which set out his objections and the points raised by him included the damage to cars, health problems for passengers, and the difficulties in wintry conditions. The Corporate Director, Environment pointed out that the objections raised by Mr Fletcher were similar to those that had been dealt with in the report.

Councillor Myers, the Local Member, advised that the perception is that the traffic travels faster on the road than is reported as the average speed.

In response to Councillor Stelling questioning whether another form of traffic calming would be more appropriate when road humps would prevent Manor Road being considered as a bus route, the Corporate Director, Environment advised that in the immediate future there are no plans for this to be a bus route. In the unlikely event of further development which would allow a bus route through this estate, it would be appropriate to seek a contribution at that time. He pointed out that the installation of cushions as opposed to humps is a compromise, they do not slow down the traffic as much, and that cushions are installed in cases where there is an existing bus route or there is likely to be one.

Councillor Myers, the Local Member, advised that it was very unlikely that this length of road would ever be a bus route.

In response to a query from Councillor Walker regarding where responsibility lay for the cost of installing the road humps, the Corporate Director, Environment confirmed that the developer is paying for the full cost of the road hump scheme.


Resolved:
The Committee endorsed the proposal to set aside the objections and proceed with the scheme as proposed.


Attachments

 Minutes.pdf