Agenda item

St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road – The outcome of public consultation

The report before the Committee detailed the findings of the feasibility study and public consultation and set out recommendations for safety improvements.

In October 2010, Transport for London (TFL) approved funding for a number of Accident Reduction Programmes as part of the 2011/12 Havering Borough Spending Plan settlement. The St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road Area – Accident Reduction Programme was one of the schemes approved by TfL. A feasibility study had been carried out to identify accident remedial measures in the area.

 

The Government and Transport for London had set draft targets for 2020 to reduce Killed or Serious injury accidents (KSI) by 33%; Child KSIs by 50% and pedestrian and cyclist KSIs by 50% from the baseline of the average number of casualties for 2004-08. The St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road Area Accident Reduction Programme would help to meet these targets.

Traffic surveys showed that two-way traffic flows were up to 1600vehicles per hour during peak periods along St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road.

 

A speed survey was carried out and the results set out as follows.

 

Location	85th percentile Speed  (mph)		Highest Speed (mph)
	Northbound/Eastbound	Southbound/Westbound	Northbound/Eastbound	Southbound/Westbound
St Mary’s Lane by Sacred Heart of Mary RC School	33	35	38	40
St Mary’s Lane by Coopers Coborn School	33	38	39	43
St Mary’s Lane by Jobbers Rest public House	32	32	37	40
CorbetsTey Road by The Approach	33	32	37	36
CorbetsTey Road by Longwood Close	34	34	41	41

 

         

The 85^th percentile speed was the speed not exceeded by 85% of vehicles and was the measure of speed recommended by the Government for the design of traffic management schemes. The speed limits along part of St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road were 30mph. The speed survey showed that the vehicle speeds were higher than the speed limit along these roads.

                             

The report detailed that in the four-year period to December 2010, fifty and twenty three personal injury accidents (PIAs) were recorded along St Mary’s Lane and Corbets Tey Road respectively. From the 50 PIAs in St Mary’s Lane, six were speed related; twelve occurred during the hours of darkness and six involved pedestrians. The record outlined that of the 23 PIAs in Corbets Tey Road, two were speed related, seven occurred during the hours of darkness and four involved pedestrians.  

 

The following safety improvements were proposed and shown on Drawing Nos QK002/U/1 to QK002/U/5 of the report.

           

            St Mary’s Lane

·           St Mary’s Lane by Norfolk Road. (Drawing No:QK002/U/1)

-       Pedestrian refuge

-       Street lighting improvements

·           St Mary’s Lane by Sacred Heart of Mary RC School. (Drawing No:QK002/U/2)

-       Vehicle Activated sign

-       Buff coloured surfacing

-       Slow road marking

·           St Mary’s Lane between Aylett Road and Argyle Road  (Drawing No:QK002/U/3)

-       Street lighting improvements

-       Slow road marking

·           St Mary’s Lane by Lichfield Terrace (Drawing No:QK002/U/4)

-              ‘Giveway’ road sign and markings as shown

 

            Corbets Tey Road

·           Corbets Tey Road/Park Drive/Gaynes Park Road mini roundabout

               (Drawing No:QK002/U/5)

-       Larger dome construction

-       Pedestrian refuge as shown

-       Speed cushions as shown

-       Street lighting improvements

 

The report informed the Committee that these proposals would reduce vehicle speeds and minimise accidents in the area. 

 

In accordance with the public participation arrangements the Committee was addressed by Councillor Dodin. He raised concern over the refuge on Upminster Road near Norfolk Road. He was of the opinion that it would be better outside 164 as it would better serve pedestrians crossing and a potential new Tesco store. In reply the Committee was informed that the design location was to provide some right turning separation and to coincide with a pedestrian injury. If the Committee took a different view, the proposal could be looked at again but consultation on a new location would have to be undertaken.

 

The Principal Engineer provided the Committee with the following breakdown of the scheme costs:

 

·      Drawing QK002/U/1 - £15k (£9k refuge and £6k street lighting)

·     Drawing QK002/U/2 - £8k (£4k VA sign and £4k surfacing/ markings)

·      Drawing QK002/U/3 - £20k (mainly street lighting)

·      Drawing QK002/U/4 - £500 for road marking

·     Drawing QK002/U/5 - £33k (£2k for roundabout dome, £9k for refuge, £2k for speed cushions and £20k for street lighting)

 

In addition the following provisions were made: 

·     £5k toward sign maintenance within the rural part of St Mary’s Lane,

·     £4k for public consultation,

·     £9k for staff costs (design and implementation)

 

The Committee was informed that around 50% of the physical works were street-lighting related and this included:

·      Lanterns upgrade

·      Replacing concrete columns

·      Power connections

·      Tree pruning

·      Replacing damaged columns

 

During deliberations the Committee raised the following issues:

 

Members of the Committee were supportive of relocating the refuge as raised by Councillor Dodin.

 

A Member felt that the total scheme was not value for money. He felt that only the lighting elements and refuge near Norfolk Road should be implemented.

 

Another Member was of the view that as the funding was coming from TfL the council should proceed with the scheme.

 

The Principal Engineer responded that the scheme was prepared as a result of officers’ investigation into casualties along the routes and represented their views and advice as a result.

 

Some Members raised concerns at the low level of responses received during consultation.

 

A Member proposed that the Committee proceed with the lighting works, reconsult on the refuge and that staff consider new proposals which reduce casualties in a more cost effective way.

 

A Member stated that officers had been working on the Council’s policy to reduce casualties on the road network, hence these proposals.

 

Councillor Thorpe proposed a motion that the refuge on Upminster Road be reconsulted to be in region of no.164, Councillor Eagling seconded this motion which was unanimously agreed.

 

Councillor Kelly proposed a motion that the Committee recommend the lighting works for implementation and refuge move for consultation; this proposal was seconded by Councillor Brice-Thompson. The Committee voted in favour by 7 votes to 2 against.

 

The substantive motion being a combination of the two above was agreed by 7 votes to 2 against.

 

The Committee considered the report and RESOLVED:

 

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

 

St Mary’s Lane

(a)   Pedestrian refuge and street lighting improvements along St Mary’s Lane by Norfolk Road (Drawing No.QK002/U/1)

(b)   Street lighting improvements and along St Mary’s Lane between Aylett Road and Argyle Road (Drawing No.QK002/U/3)

(c) Reconsultation on the position of the pedestrian refuge in the vicinity of 164 Upminster Road to be reported back to a further meeting of Highways Advisory Committee.

 

Corbets Tey Road

(a)   Street lighting improvements at the Corbets Tey Road / Gaynes Park Road / Park Drive mini roundabout (Drawing No.QK002/U/5)

 

 

2.      That following the public consultation results, additional safety improvements including parking restrictions at the St Mary’s Lane / Lichfield Terrace junction will be considered as a separate study. The public consultation results of these proposals would be reported to a future Highways Advisory Committee meeting.

 

3.    That it be noted that the estimated cost of £100,000 can be met from the Transport for London’s (TfL) 2011/12 financial year allocation to Havering for the Accident Reduction Programme.