Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 14^th January, 2016 were agreed as a true record, subject to the insertion of the following sentence in the fifth paragraph of Minute 61 headed ‘Petition – To Retain the Bollard Protecting the Pathway between Fosseway Road and Anchorway Road, Finham’: ‘This decision was appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and the appeal was upheld as there were no concerns regarding safety’ and the insertion of the following sentence in the sixth paragraph: ‘Coventry City Council was not the land owner’.

The minutes of the joint meeting of the Cabinet Members for Business, Enterprise and Employment and Public Services held on 2^nd February, 2016 were agreed as a true record.

There were no matters arising. 

Report of the Executive Director of Place

To consider the above petition, bearing 26 signatures, which has been submitted by Councillor Mal Mutton, a Radford Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organiser.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place concerning a petition, bearing 29 signatures, requesting the removal of 50 per cent of the trees along Loudon Avenue. The petition was submitted by Councillor Mal Mutton, a Radford Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting and spoke in support of the petitioners. The petition organiser was also invited but was unable to attend.

The report indicated that in April, 2015 the Trees and Woodlands team received a complaint from a resident of Loudon Avenue concerning tree route activity from the street trees and the risk to properties of subsidence damage. Following several assessments it was concluded that 4 trees needed to be replaced by houses 21-29 and that there should be a reduction in the number of trees in the southern section of the Avenue. It was proposed that this work be phased over two to three years to allow the works to be funded from the tree maintenance budget.

Consultation letters were sent out on 27^th October, 2015 notifying residents of works to remove the current trees during November. As a result the petition was submitted requesting the removal of every other tree along Loudon Avenue. The report informed of the numbers of trees in the three sections of the road, highlighting that the southern section was overstocked in relation to the other two sections. It was recommended that 9 trees be removed and that they be replaced by 18 young trees in nearby Moseley Park at a cost of £6,678. This responded to the issues raised by the petitioners, maintained the street tree amenity and satisfied the Highway Tree Policy which required all highway trees to be replaced on a two for one basis. Councillor Mutton outlined her support to this approach.

RESOLVED that:

(1) Approval be given to the reduction in the number of trees in the southern section of Loudon Avenue, between Steeplefield Road and Barker Butts Lane, from 21 to 12 by removing trees in a pattern that will leave a balanced level of amenity greening.

(2) Approval be given for replacement trees being planted in the nearby Moseley Park on the 2 for 1 basis and retaining the overall tree canopy cover for this area but also further enhancing Moseley Park.   

Report of the Executive Director of Place

To consider the above e-petition bearing 9 signatures. The petition organiser has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place concerning an e-petition bearing 9 e-signatures which requested the removal of the bus gate on Stoney Road allowing access to all traffic. Mr Prajapati, the petition organiser, attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners. Matthew Davies and Jeremy Thomas, both local residents attended and spoke on behalf of residents. Councillor Bailey, a Cheylesmore Ward Councillor also attended for the consideration of this item.

The report indicated that the bus gate was installed in April 2012 as part of the works associated with traffic mitigation measures relating to the Friargate development. The bus gate reduced the volume of traffic able to travel on Stoney Road in a southwest bound direction towards Leamington Road. It was enforced by the City Council using a CCTV camera. Reference was made to two previous petitions considered by the Cabinet Member in December 2012. It was agreed that the bus gate would remain and monitoring would be undertaken. In July, 2013, following analysis of the monitoring, it was subsequently endorsed that the bus gate would remain.

The Cabinet Member was informed that monitoring had continued and details of previous traffic flows along with latest traffic flows undertaken in November, 2015 were set out at an appendix to the report. Attention was drawn to the changes still taking place in the area which resulted in temporary road closures which had an effect on traffic flows as drivers used alternative routes. Results showed that traffic had increased on Quinton Road, consequently mitigation measures had been installed at the junction of Quinton Road/ Daventry Road to assist the flow of traffic.

Mr Prajapati spoke as a daily user of the train station drawing attention to the difficulties caused by congestion in the vicinity of the station at peak times. Councillor Lancaster reiterated that the traffic issues were continually being monitored and that the situation would improve once the access to the ring road from Manor Road was re-opened. Matthew Davies and Jeremy Thomas both spoke in support of the retention of the bus gate on Stoney Road which had been welcomed as a mitigation measure by local residents. Councillor Bailey also detailed his support for the bus gate which was vital to help control traffic in the area.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The concerns of the petitioners be noted.

(2) It be endorsed that no further action is undertaken at the current time but the location continues to be monitored.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place which sought approval of the Civic Parking Enforcement Annual Report for 2014/2015, a copy of which was set out at an appendix to the report.

The report indicated that in 2008 the Department of Transport made it a requirement for parking enforcement authorities to issue an annual report detailing certain financial, statistical and other information relating to parking enforcement performance. The information was required to be placed in the public domain to ensure transparency and accountability. Regular and consistent reporting of civil parking enforcement matters helped to keep the public abreast of performance and to understand what improvements were planned or were happening. It also provided a framework through which performance could be benchmarked with other authorities. This report was an opportunity for the Council to outline its plans and the initiatives to be used to help deliver improvements.

Once approved it was proposed to submit the report to the Secretary of State for Transport and other key stakeholders and to make it available via the Council’s website. In future it was proposed to make the report available on an annual basis every October.

Discussion centred on the problems of illegal parking outside schools and what had been done to educate parents regarding this issue including working with police community support officers and using the ANPR camera. Councillor Lancaster, Cabinet Member requested that in future reports further information be included in the Annual Parking Account figures, in particular a detailed breakdown of running costs.

RESOLVED that the Civil Parking Enforcement Annual Report 2014/ 2015, as set out at the appendix, be approved.          

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member noted a report of the Executive Director of Resources that contained a list of outstanding issues and summarised the current position in respect of each item. She agreed that further report on the 12 month trial concerning ‘The Introduction of an ANPR Camera Car to Enforce Dangerous and Illegal Parking’ be deferred to the first meeting in the new municipal year to allow for the conclusion of the trial period.

Any other items of public business which the Cabinet Member decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

There were no additional items of public business.