Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

To consider the above petition bearing 404 signatures (147 paper and 257 e-signatures) which has been submitted by Councillor Bailey, a Cheylesmore Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organiser

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) concerning a petition bearing 404 signatures, 147 paper and 257 e-signatures, which was submitted by Councillor R Bailey, a Cheylesmore Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners along with the petition organiser’s representative, Ms Kerry Doughty, who was also in attendance. The report had been requested by the petition organiser following receipt of a determination letter. The petition requested the implementation of a number of road safety measures around Manor Park School, Ulverscroft Road, to safeguard the children, elderly, vulnerable people and community life. 

The determination letter advised of the importance of targeting road safety measures in the city. Coventry was continuing to work towards becoming a safer speed city and, to ensure the funding it had was utilised carefully, used personal injury collisions reported to the Police.  A review of the area highlighted showed that three injury collisions had been recorded in the last three years, none of which involved children or pedestrians. Safety schemes were prioritised in locations where there had been six or more recorded injury collisions in the previous three years.

The determination letter also advised that the request for a zebra crossing outside the school had been reviewed previously, but these investigations had revealed that a crossing could not be located in this area. Contact details were provided should residents wish to get involved in the Community Speed Watch initiative and the letter also advised that Ulverscroft Road would be added to the mobile vehicle activated sign (VAS) deployment programme. The requests for additional parking enforcement had been forwarded to Parking Services and the request to be considered in any future trials to try to address the issue of school gate parking had been recorded.

Ms Doughty spoke on behalf of the petition organiser, who was unable to attend the meeting, and the petitioners, indicating that she was a childminder and walked children to and from Manor Park School each day. She confirmed that although the measures that had already been put in place had been positive, she was concerned at the number of vehicles parking on the double yellow lines near the school and circulated photographs of these occurrences. She requested that the double yellow lines be enforced. The School was one of the largest primary schools in the city and was located along a very long straight road that encouraged speeding. Delivery Lorries arriving and departing at school entry and exit times were also an issue. It was difficult to walk along the pavements to the school due to the number of parked vehicles and the journey for pedestrians felt very unsafe. Ms Doughty was aware that the Automatic Number Plate Recognition vehicle had been deployed in the area and requested that it patrol at the relevant school entry and exit times to maximise its effectiveness.

Councillor Bailey referred to the multi-entrances/exits at the school, which made controlling vehicle movement difficult. Councillor Bailey and Councillor Brown had met with the School Head who confirmed that the school could not accommodate all staff vehicles and that it was around 100 spaces short of requirements. These vehicles therefore parked in the street outside the school. Councillor Bailey suggested that Cheylesmore Social Club on Quinton Road be approached to see if they could assist with alternative parking for staff and parents in their car park. He requested that consideration be given to the installation of a zebra crossing near the school, the installation of any further fencing to protect pedestrians and the installation of flashing school warning signs at school times to slow traffic speed.

The Cabinet Member thanked the petition organiser and the Ward Councillors for their representations and confirmed the measures that had already been taken in the area and the proposals for average speed cameras on the London Road, which it was anticipated would contribute to the reduction of traffic speeds in the area. She indicated that schools across the City were assessed annually and the measures that had been installed such as double yellow lines, SLOW on the carriageway and school warning signs around schools, had been successful. She asked officers to continue to undertake monitoring of the newly introduced safety measures, investigate extending the double yellow lines on Abbey Road towards the Whitley Academy, install an advisory 20 mph speed limit to be operational at school entry and exit times, and write to the Heads of the Schools encouraging buy-in to the School Crossing Patrol Scheme.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Notes the petitioners concerns

2)  Endorses that the actions confirmed by determination letter to the petition spokesperson, as detailed in paragraphs 1.5 and 1.6 of the report, are undertaken.

3)  Requests that officers make contact with Manor Park School relating to their participation in a pilot scheme on road safety around schools, install the mobile vehicle activated warning sign on the approach to the school, and pursue with Parking Services, the increase in parking enforcement and automatic number plate recognition vehicle presence, at the most relevant times of the day to maximise their effectiveness.