Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 9 July 2013, and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 9 July 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman subject to an amendment that item H1 (A1306 New Road) on the Highways Schemes Application was Agreed by 8 votes to 1 vote against and not Rejected by 8 votes to 1 vote against.

Report attached

The Committee considered the report and without debate, RESOLVED:

1.         To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment that the measures detailed in the report be approved for implementation as shown on drawing: QM040 Should be QL040/14/01

2.         That it be noted the cost of carrying out the works was £2,000. This would be met from the Council’s 2013/14 revenue budget for Borough Roads Minor Safety Improvements.

Report attached

The Committee considered the report and without debate, RESOLVED:

1.        To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment that the safety improvements detailed on the relevant drawings be implemented as follows:

Clockhouse Lane

(a)     20mph speed limit, ‘Gateway’ measures, speed tables and 20/30mph roundels along Clockhouse Lane between Hampden Road and Lynwood Drive as shown on Drawing No.QM003/CL/1.

(b)     20mph speed limit, humped zebra crossing, ‘Gateway’ measures with 20/30 roundels and coloured surfacing along Clockhouse Lane between Lynwood Drive and Burland Road as shown on Drawing No.QM003/CL/2.

(c)      Street lighting improvements, centreline hatch and right turn arrow road markings along Clockhouse Lane between Kingshill Avenue and Larchwood Avenue as shown on Drawing No.QM003/CL/3.

Collier Row Lane

(d)     Raised pelican crossing, tactile pavings alteration, upgrading existing street lighting, relocation of bus shelter and bus stop, centre hatch and right turn arrow road markings along Collier Row Lane by Hulse Avenue as shown on Drawing No.QM003/CO/1.

(e)     White studs at the bend and street lighting improvements along Collier Row Lane by Hainault Road as shown on Drawing No. QM003/CO/2.

(f)      Yellow box markings, white road studs and coloured surfacing along Collier Row Lane by Havering Road as shown on Drawing No. QM003/CO/3).

2.      To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment that the additional speed table at the northside of 20mph speed limit boundary along Clockhouse Lane by Burland Road be implemented if no objection is received for further consultation on the speed table proposal.

3.      That, it be noted that the estimated costs of £80,000, would be met from the Transport for London’s (TfL) 2013/14 financial year allocation to Havering for the Accident Reduction Programme.

Report attached

The report before the committee detailed the outcome of a consultation on the provision of pedestrian improvements in Harwood Hall Lane, outside the Oakfields Montessori School, Upminster.

The school has a narrow gate in its perimeter wall opposite the exit to the Corbets Tey School. This position was ideally placed for use as a pedestrian access. It would require widening and creation of a footpath within the school grounds. If the highway proposals were not approved, the school would lose its funding for the pedestrian route within its grounds.

The report explained that the highway verge outside the school gate was less than 1 metre wide and totally inadequate for a footway. In order to create an area large enough to accommodate pedestrians waiting to cross the road, it was proposed to build out the footway into the carriageway, opposite the exit from Corbets Tey School.

This would double as a continuation of the traffic calming pinch point to the west, but with reversed priorities, requiring west bound traffic leaving Upminster to give way to opposing traffic.

This pedestrian facility could be used by both schools when they had a critical incident evacuation, a drill for which they took place once a year when one school evacuated to the other.

Appendix B of the report detailed a summary of responses received at the close of the consultation. Apart from ward councillors and the schools, all other respondents were parents of Oakfields Montessori School who were all in favour of the proposal. Many commented that they currently take the risk and walk to school and would benefit from the proposals. Other comments indicated that it would also enable children in year six to walk to school independently, preparing them for secondary school.

The Head Teacher of Corbets Tey School accepted the benefits the scheme would bring to the schools, pedestrians and as regards traffic calming. She commented however that the large Havering coaches that drop off and collect children at the school would have difficulty exiting their site. Subsequently, adjustment was made to accommodate left-turning coaches from Corbets Tey School. This would result in the coach drivers being better able to see westbound traffic that might be on the ‘wrong’ side of the road passing the new build out.

Any further alteration to any of the proposal would be borne out during the detailed design stage.

The ward Councillors, although in favour of pedestrian safety improvements, objected to the proposal on the grounds that it might be confusing to drivers to have a mix of driver priorities. They were also concerned that the crossing may not be well used by the school parents but this was not reflected in the parent responses received.

Officers considered that the location of the proposed build out had good visibility on both approaches, west bound traffic would have just left the pinch point where it would have to slow down or stop and east bound traffic had excellent forward visibility.

With its agreement Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Report attached

Following a discussion between the Chairman and the Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment it had been agreed to resubmit to the Committee for consideration a report in response to the formal consultation on the proposal for the Romleigh Park Estate.

The report detailed that further to numerous requests, reports and petitions received from residents and Ward Councillors representing Romleigh Park Estate, a review and consultation of an appropriate parking scheme was submitted to the Committee on 16 October 2012.

The report proposed a Traffic and Parking Control scheme between 10.30am till 11.30am Monday to Friday. This would include waiting restrictions to deter long term and local commuter parking, predominantly from people parking and then walking to Harold Wood Station and to prevent students from the college situated on the former Harold Wood Hospital site from long term parking. It was proposed to design a scheme that worked with the existing Controlled Parking Zone within the Harold Wood Ward. 

The report informed the Committee that there may be parking problems within this area once the development within the old Harold Wood Hospital site had been completed.

A public consultation was carried out on 10 May 2013 and 366 resident addresses in the area perceived to be affected by the proposed scheme were advised detailing the proposals. Eighteen statutory bodies were also consulted and site notices were placed within the Romleigh Park Estate.

At the close, 62 responses had been received, a 17% response rate. A table outlining all the responses was appended to the report.

About 10% of the responses were in favour of the 10.30am to 11.30am Monday to Friday waiting restrictions and the ‘At any time’ waiting restrictions at the junctions.  Seven per cent of the responses received were against the proposals for the 10.30am to 11.30am Monday to Friday waiting restrictions, although 3% of those were in favour of the ‘At any time’ waiting restrictions at junctions.

The report outlined that there were an estimated 197 private parking spaces located in designated areas within the Estate, not including garages nor the off-street parking provision fronting the properties. The majority of the home owners had within their deeds one or more car parking spaces and could therefore use these facilities during the one hour restriction. It was for this reason that staff proposed that the Romleigh Park Estate, which was currently unrestricted, be included within the Harold Wood Controlled Parking Zone.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by local residents speaking for and against the scheme. The Committee heard about the benefit of the scheme to local residents who were frequently obstructed by parked cars from getting in and out of their driveways. Two other residents spoke about the disadvantage of the scheme to those who work night shift and had more than two cars; another resident felt that the issues of concern did not affect residents of Copperfields Way and as such did not want to be included in the scheme.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

The Committee is requested to consider the report relating to work in progress and applications - Report attached

The report presented Members with all new highway schemes requests in order for a decision to be made on whether the scheme should progress or not before resources were expended on detailed design and consultation.

The Committee considered and agreed in principle the schedule that detailed the applications received by the service en bloc.

The Committee’s decisions were noted as follows against each request:

The Committee is requested to consider the report relating to minor traffic and parking schemes - Report attached

The report before the Committee detailed all Minor Traffic and Parking Scheme application requests in order for a decision to be made on whether the scheme should progress or not before resources were expended on detailed design and consultation.

The Committee considered and agreed in principle the schedule that detailed the applications received by the service.

The Committee’s decisions were noted as follows against each scheme: