Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2014 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Report attached

The report before Members detailed the outcome to a public consultation in Gidea Park (south of A118 Main Road) relating to the future of road closures in The Ridgeway and Repton Avenue.

The report informed the Committee that the Council had been receiving enquiries from a resident who felt that the closures should be removed to release pressure of traffic from other roads in the area. 

The road closure in Repton Avenue and The Ridgeway probably relied on a long lapsed of the Experimental Traffic Management Order (the legal process for closing a road) which operated on temporary basis for 18 months.  As a result, the closures in The Ridgeway and Repton Avenue were not supported by permanent Traffic Management Orders of any description.

          In light of the situation, the Council needed to decide whether or not the closures should remain and while this process proceeds, a Temporary Traffic Management Order had been imposed which allowed the roads to remain closed on temporary basis while the matter was permanently dealt with.

The Council’s Highways Advisory Committee had agreed in principle that the local residents should be consulted on the basis whether or not the closures should be retained permanently (with permanent traffic management orders) or removed permanently and the streets opened up to all traffic. As a result, the local residents of Gidea Park were consulted on the following two options.

Option 1 - the two roads should remain closed to vehicular traffic on a permanent basis

Option 2 - the closures should be removed and the streets are opened up to all traffic.

          The report informed the Committee that residents provided some useful background information about the former public meetings and decisions that were made in the past. Three petitions were received, one from Gidea Park Primary School containing 55 signatures mainly by the school parents. The other two petitions were organised by local residents containing 27 and 38 signatures. All the petitioners are in the favour of making the existing closures permanent.

          From the 249 responses which represents a response rate of 15.2%. Further analysis indicated 64% of residents responded in supported for the gates to remain permanently whereas 36% of residents supported the gates to be removed permanently.

          All comments were summarised in details and appended to the report.

The Metropolitan Police were also in the favour of the gated closures to remain stating that if the gates were removed it would increase traffic using the residential roads in an attempt to avoid using Main Road which would result in increase of traffic accidents.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by a local resident who spoke in favour of retaining the closures. The Committee was informed on the history of the scheme whereby people avoided the Main Road/ Balgores Lane traffic signals and used the estate as a rat run. He stated that during the trial of the road closures, the traffic through the whole area reduced.

The resident made reference to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

Report attached

The Committee considered a report that set out the responses to a consultation for the provision of fully accessible bus stops along Coronation Drive.

The report detailed that improvements to the bus stop environment such as raising kerbs, relaying footway surfaces, providing short footway links to stops and (in exceptional circumstances) providing pedestrian crossing facilities could help with making bus stops fully accessible to all people. In some situations, it may be appropriate to build the footway out into the road to provide an accessible bus stop, although this would only be appropriate where carriageways were very wide.

The introduction of bus stop clearways improved the accessibility of bus stops by providing sufficient space for buses to pull in close to the kerb. It was important with the provision of buses in London that were fully wheelchair accessible, because the benefits of low-floor/ kneeling buses were considerably reduced (if not removed) if the bus could not be positioned next to the kerb.

The proposals for accessibility improvements for various bus stops along Coronation Drive were set out in the following table:

By the close of consultation, six responses were received as set out in  Appendix I of the report.

London Buses were content with the proposals, but requested the hard standing be extended with the bin relocated for the southbound stop shown on Drawing QN008-OF-A127&128A.

A resident raised concerns about a displacement of parking created by the bus stop clearways, but went on to raise wider issues of parking in the area being obstructive to traffic flow with suggestions of paid for parking being provided for commuters using Elm Park Station.

Three residents objected to the proposals for the southbound stop shown on Drawing QN008-OF-A127&128A stating that there was already a “dropped curve” and yellow line next to the bus stop and the clearway does not need to be as long at the request stop.

In officers view, the report informed the Committee that although 37 metres of clearway was desirable, a reduction of 2 metres would be possible thus making it easier for the resident concerned to reverse onto their premises.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by a local resident. The resident was of the view that if the scheme went forward, then all of the clearways should be 37m. She was concerned about the impact the scheme would have on visitor parking and her ability to reverse off the road  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

Report attached

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED:

·         To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Environment that the bus stop accessibility improvements on Rosewood Avenue set out in the  report and shown on the drawings QN008-OF-A121&122A and QN008-OF-A123&124A be implemented

·           That it be noted that the estimated cost of £8,000 for implementation (all     sites) will be met by Transport for London through the 2014/15 Local     Implementation Plan allocation for Bus Stop Accessibility.

Report attached

The Committee considered a report that set out the responses to a consultation for the provision of fully accessible bus stops along Elm Park Avenue.

The report detailed that improvements to the bus stop environment such as raising kerbs, relaying footway surfaces, providing short footway links to stops and (in exceptional circumstances) providing pedestrian crossing facilities could help with making bus stops fully accessible to all people. In some situations, it may be appropriate to build the footway out into the road to provide an accessible bus stop, although this would only be appropriate where carriageways were very wide.

The introduction of bus stop clearways improved the accessibility of bus stops by providing sufficient space for buses to pull in close to the kerb. It was important with the provision of buses in London that were fully wheelchair accessible, because the benefits of low-floor/ kneeling buses were considerably reduced (if not removed) if the bus could not be positioned next to the kerb.

The proposals for accessibility improvements for various bus stops along Elm Park Avenue were set out in the following table

By the close of consultation, 25 responses were received as set out in Appendix I of the report.

The police had no issues and no preference between the two options presented as shown on Drawing QN008-OF-A114/1A; 2A.

With London Buses indicated preference for relocating the stop from outside 349 Elm Park Avenue to 379 Elm Park Avenue (Drawing QN008-OF-A114/1A).

Five residents supported the relocation of the stop from outside 349 Elm Park Avenue to 379 Elm Park Avenue (Drawing QN008-OF-A114/1A).

One resident commented on the proposals for the stop outside  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

Report attched

Councillor Dilip Patel joined the meeting at this item.

The Committee considered a report that set out the responses to a consultation for the provision of fully accessible bus stops along Hacton Lane.

The report detailed that improvements to the bus stop environment such as raising kerbs, relaying footway surfaces, providing short footway links to stops and (in exceptional circumstances) providing pedestrian crossing facilities could help with making bus stops fully accessible to all people. In some situations, it may be appropriate to build the footway out into the road to provide an accessible bus stop, although this would only be appropriate where carriageways were very wide.

The introduction of bus stop clearways improved the accessibility of bus stops by providing sufficient space for buses to pull in close to the kerb. It was important with the provision of buses in London that were fully wheelchair accessible, because the benefits of low-floor/ kneeling buses were considerably reduced (if not removed) if the bus could not be positioned next to the kerb.

The proposals for accessibility improvements for various bus stops along Hacton Lane were set out in the following table

By the close of consultation, five responses were received as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

Four residents objected to the proposals raising concern that the road widening for the proposed pedestrian refuge was not sufficient for larger vehicles to pass and that laybys would encourage vehicles to squeeze past.

In officers view, Hacton Lane had no pedestrian crossing facilities between the junction with Upminster Road and the railway. The Council had received representations from residents of William Tansley House for pedestrian crossing facilities on this section of Hacton Lane.

The layout of the current proposals would place the bus stops on the exit side of the mini-roundabout and on the exit side of the proposed refuge. This arrangement would keep bus movements away from the junction and passengers alighting from buses wishing to cross at the refuges would walk facing oncoming traffic.

Officer also informed the Committee that in their view the road widening at the refuge was designed to allow passing by all classes of traffic and was an entirely standard arrangement.

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by a local resident who raised concern that the road widening would make traffic move faster in the area. The resident also concerned about the loss of highway green verge. The resident was also concerned that ltrucks would park in the laybys and this would be noisy with engines running.  The resident  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

Report attached

The Committee considered a report that set out the responses to a consultation for the provision of fully accessible bus stops along Brentwood Road.

The report detailed that improvements to the bus stop environment such as raising kerbs, relaying footway surfaces, providing short footway links to stops and (in exceptional circumstances) providing pedestrian crossing facilities could help with making bus stops fully accessible to all people. In some situations, it may be appropriate to build the footway out into the road to provide an accessible bus stop, although this would only be appropriate where carriageways were very wide.

The introduction of bus stop clearways improved the accessibility of bus stops by providing sufficient space for buses to pull in close to the kerb. It was important with the provision of buses in London that were fully wheelchair accessible, because the benefits of low-floor/ kneeling buses were considerably reduced (if not removed) if the bus could not be positioned next to the kerb.

The proposals for accessibility improvements for various bus stops along Brentwood Road were set out in the following table

Report attached

The Committee considered the report and without debate RESOLVED:

·              To recommend to the Cabinet Member for Environment that the speed table at Simpson Road, junction with Rainham Road, set out in the report and shown on drawing  number QN0211-OF-102-A be implemented

·              That it be noted that the estimated cost of £10,000 for implementation would be met by the Greater London Authority through the 2014/15 Big Green Fund allocation.

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

The Committee had considered a report with all the new highway scheme 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 had considered and agreed in principle the schedule that detailed the applications received by the service.

The Committee’s decisions were noted as against each request and appended to the minutes.

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

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

The Committee’s decisions were noted as against each request and appended to the minutes.