Agenda and minutes

Venue: Diamond Room 2 - Council House. View directions

Contact: Liz Knight / Michelle Salmon, Governance Services Officers,  Tel: 024 7697 2644 /2643, Email:  liz.knight@coventry.gov.uk /  michelle.salmon@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

13.

Declarations of Interests

Minutes:

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

14.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 17th June 2019. There were no matters arising.

15.

Petition - Create a Safe Environment for Children Attending Edgwick Primary School pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

 

To consider the above petition, bearing 8 e-signatures. The petition organiser has been invited to the meeting for consideration of this item.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) in response to a petition, received from a Foleshill Ward resident, that requested the creation of a safer environment for children attending Edgewick Primary School, by the introduction of a pelican crossing. The Petition Organiser had been invited to attend the meeting for consideration of the matter but was unable to attend.

 

The petition, bearing 8 e-signatures, read:

‘We would like children to attend school and be able to cross the road with the implementation of a pelican crossing. There are two schools and a nursery where parents and children attempt to cross a busy main road. There have been occasions where there have been near misses due to increased traffic at that time, parked cars and lack of visibility’

 

In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with petitions, those relating to road safety were heard by the Cabinet Member for City Services. The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and in response to the request made, requested that the petition was dealt with by letter (determination letter), rather than a formal report being submitted to a meeting, to be able to deal with the matter more efficiently.

 

The determination letter advised that it was not currently proposed to install a pedestrian phase at the traffic lights at the junction of Foleshilll Road, Cross Road and Ransom Road, but that the request would be considered by the Urban Traffic Management Control Team (the team that looked after traffic signals) for inclusion in a future year’s Programme. On receipt of the determination letter, that provided an option to request a Cabinet Member report to be considered at a Cabinet Member meeting if so wished, the Petitioner Organiser advised they did not wish the petition to be progressed by letter and wanted the issue to be considered through a report to Cabinet Member for City Services. An Appendix to the report provided a site plan of the location and a further Appendix to the report provided a copy of the determination letter.

 

The report indicated that in addition to the petition, the School Business Manager and the Head Teacher had raised concerns about school gate parking issues on both Foleshill Road and Cross Road, officers therefore met the School Business Manager on site, to observe and discuss the issues. 

 

There were existing restrictions prohibiting parking, however to try to assist to alleviate concerns and improve pedestrian safety, it was proposed to install flower planters as a physical measure to prevent parking and driving on the footway. It was intended that the children would take over the ongoing maintenance of the planters by choosing the plants and planting them.

 

The Council were also undertaking enforcement of School Keep Clears, where there were no stopping restrictions in operation, using a car with ANPR technology. This would assist to encourage drivers not to park on the markings.

 

Having considered the report and the comments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.

Petition - Traffic Calming Measures on Broad Lane Between Banner Lane and Coventry Road pdf icon PDF 749 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

 

To consider the above petition, bearing 77 e-signatures. Councillor P Male, a Woodlands Ward Councillor and the petition organiser has been invited to the meeting for consideration of this item

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) that responded to a petition, submitted by Woodlands Ward Councillor Male, that requested traffic calming measures, including vehicle activated signs (VAS), on Broad Lane between Banner Lane and Coventry Road. As the Petition Organiser, Councillor Male, had been invited to attend the meeting for consideration of this matter but was unable to do so. Councillor Lepoidevin attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners.

 

The petition, bearing 77 e-signatures, read:

‘We the undersigned call upon Coventry City Council to consider traffic calming measures on Broad Lane, between Banner Lane and Coventry Road, including Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS). Following the recent installation of temporary VAS on Alderminster Rd, Mount Nod, I am calling upon Coventry City Council to consider their use on Broad Lane, particularly, between Banner Lane and Coventry Road. As a result of recent Speed Watch initiatives, supported by our local residents, ward Councillors and our Community Police Team, it is clear that speeding is a significant problem on this particular stretch of road’.

 

In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with petitions, those relating to road safety were heard by the Cabinet Member for City Services.  The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and in response to the request made, requested that the petition was dealt with by letter (determination letter), rather than a formal report being submitted to a meeting, to be able to deal with the matter more efficiently.

 

The determination letter advised of the investigations undertaken and the approved action in response to the issues raised. On receipt of the determination letter, that provided an option to request a Cabinet Member report to be considered at a Cabinet Member meeting if so wished, Councillor Male advised that he did not wish the petition to be progressed by letter and wanted the issue to be considered through a report at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting. An Appendix to the report provided a site plan of the location and a further Appendix to the report provided a copy of the determination letter.

 

The report indicated that the approved action was that the location would continue to be monitored as part of the annual citywide personal recorded injury collision study and, in addition to local safety scheme works, the Traffic Management Team were investigating the possibility of trialling some alternative forms of rumble strips. Once a suitable feature of this type was identified, it was proposed that this section of Broad Lane became one of the trial locations. 

 

Councillor Lepoidevin outlined the concerns raised by the petition confirming the significant problem with speeding vehicles and the many speed watches undertaken in the area, that highlighted the issue. Acknowledging the criteria for prioritising areas for further action, she expressed her concern that actual traffic accidents did not give an accurate picture of the situation which she felt was far greater than recorded. She confirmed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

17.

Petition - To Implement Traffic Calming Measures Along Eastern Green Lane pdf icon PDF 470 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

 

To consider the above petition, bearing 8 e-signatures. The petition organiser has been invited to the meeting for consideration of this item

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) in response to a petition, received from a Woodlands Ward resident, that requested traffic calming measures on Eastern Green Lane. The report considered Upper Eastern Green Lane which had centre carriageway hatched ladder markings along its full length coupled with ‘SLOW’ road markings and Lower Eastern Green Lane which already had physical traffic calming measures comprising speed cushions and a 20mph zone. The Petition Organiser, Mr Adey, attended the meeting for consideration of the matter and to speak on behalf of the petitioners.

 

The petition, bearing 8 e-signatures, read:

‘This petition is being raised to request that the Council and its officers implement traffic calming measures along the length of Eastern Green Lane, in order to slow traffic to the limits prescribed and by doing so avoiding the opportunity for injury or near miss incidents to local residents. We would request more speed limit proactive signage and the review of other methods not only limited to signage i.e. the installation of safe crossing areas and road bollards to avoid people driving at speed along the centre of the road or indeed 'chicane' installations’.

 

In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with petitions, those relating to parking and road safety were heard by the Cabinet Member for City Services.  The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and in response to the request made, requested that the petition was dealt with by letter (determination letter), rather than a formal report being submitted to a meeting; to be able to deal with the matter more efficiently.

 

The determination letter advised of the 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 its funding was utilised carefully, personal injury collisions reported to the Police were used. A review of personal recorded injury collision history for Upper Eastern Green Lane had been reviewed and showed that there was one personal injury collision recorded on Upper Eastern Green Lane in the last three years therefore, did not meet the safety scheme criteria. Lower Eastern Green Lane already has a safety scheme in place comprising speed cushions and a 20mph zone. On receipt of the determination letter, that provided an option to request a Cabinet Member report to be considered at a Cabinet Member meeting if so wished, the Petition Organiser advised that they did not wish the petition to be progressed by letter and wanted the issue to be considered through a report at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting. An Appendix to the report provided a site plan of the location and a further Appendix to the report provided a copy of the determination letter.

 

The report indicated that as the petitioners raised concerns about speeding, information detailing the Community Speed Watch initiative was also included in the determination letter. The Community Speed Watch initiative was a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

Petition - Repairs to the Road and Pavement in Leyland Road pdf icon PDF 704 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

 

To consider the above petition, bearing 43 signatures, which is being supported by Councillor Lepoidevin, a Woodlands Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for consideration of this item along with the petition organiser.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) responding to a petition, bearing 43 signatures, that requested that the Council prioritise repairs to the road and pavements at Leyland Road. The Petition Organiser, Ms Heaven, and the Petition Sponsor, Councillor Lepoidevin, attended the meeting for consideration of the matter and to speak on behalf of the petitioners.

 

In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with petitions, those relating to parking and road safety were heard by the Cabinet Member for City Services.  The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and in response to the request made, requested that the petition was dealt with by letter (determination letter), rather than a formal report being submitted to a meeting; to be able to deal with the matter more efficiently.

 

The determination letter advised of the investigations undertaken and the approved action in response to the issues raised. On receipt of the determination letter, that provided an option to request a Cabinet Member report to be considered at a Cabinet Member meeting if so wished, the Petition Organiser advised that they did not wish the petition to be progressed by letter and wanted the issue to be considered through a report at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting. An Appendix to the report provided a site plan of the location and a further Appendix to the report provided a copy of the determination letter.

 

The report indicated that records showed that the last annual programmed safety inspection took place on the 26th April 2019, at which time 2 number carriageway defects were identified as requiring repair and 1 number carriageway gully needed to be reset. Following receipt of the petition an engineer made a separate visit, on 13th May 2019, to make an assessment of the construction and overall condition of the road and pavements. It was noted that the road and the pavements were traditional bituminous/tarmac construction. Both the road and pavements were somewhat aged and although not aesthetically pleasing at the time of inspection there were no intervention level defects identified. 

 

Given the current condition and usage, the recommended treatment would be to surface dress the road and slurry seal the pavements. If a priority score was reached they would be included in a future capital funded improvement programme, budget permitting. Until such time any defects would continue to be made safe at or above the intervention level, as identified.

 

Councillor Lepoidevin acknowledged the action that been undertaken and the data that had been obtained following site visits. She acknowledged the process for inclusion of Leyland Road in a future capital funded improvement programme and that any defects would continue to be made safe.

 

Having considered the report and the comments made by Councillor Lepoidevin and the Traffic Management Officers, the Cabinet Member decided that Leyland Road be included in a future capital funded improvement programme, as budget permitted and until such time the road and pavements  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

19.

Objection to Road Humps and 20mph Speed Limit Proposed as part of the Cheveral Avenue Local Safety Scheme pdf icon PDF 1021 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

 

(Note: The objectors have been invited to attend the meeting for consideration of the report)

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) that sought consideration of an objection received to the Notices of Intent (NOI) for proposed raised features and an objection to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to make amendments to the speed limit, as Part of the Cheveral Avenue Local Safety Scheme. Appendix A to the report provided a site plan of the location and details of the objections were set out in Appendix B to the report. The objectors were invited to the meeting for consideration of the matter.

 

The personal recorded injury collisions that occurred on Coventry’s roads were reviewed annually and a safety scheme programme was proposed to try to reduce the number of injury collisions that were occurring. In March 2019 Cabinet approved the 2019/2020 Transportation and Highway Maintenance Capital Programme (their minute 124/18 referred) which included the installation of a safety scheme on Cheveral Avenue and Jubilee Crescent.

 

The proposed local safety scheme included Cheveral Avenue, Jubilee Crescent and Catesby Road and the route had been identified due to the large number of injury collisions that were occurring; 22 in the last 3 years. The proposed scheme extended the existing 20mph limit, making it part of a larger 20 mph zone and used a mixture of measures including raised features such as speed cushions, road humps and raising an existing zebra crossing. Local residents had been consulted on the proposals and of the responses received, 84% were in favour of the scheme.

 

To enable the installation of raised features (road humps) and to change the speed limit of a road, legal processes had to be followed. On 20th June 2019, an NOI for the proposed raised features was advertised and on 27th June 2019 a TRO to make amendments to the speed limit was advertised. One objection was received to each of these notices. In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with objections to NOIs and TROs, they were reported to the Cabinet Member for City Services for a decision as to how to proceed.

 

Mr Avery, objector to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to make amendments to the speed limit, spoke in support of 20mph speed limits but indicated that he did not agree with the speed limit being introduced on a road by road and/or section of road basis in the City. He emphasised his support for the aspiration for a Coventry to become a 20mph speed City and referred to the increased cost of installing many more signs associated with implementing reduced speed limits on roads individually, which he felt was not cost effective. Further, he suggested that a City-wide 20mph speed limit would soon become common knowledge and have a real effect on safety.

 

Traffic Management Officers indicated that there were now many 20mph locations across the City. Individual roads needed traffic calming measures appropriate for the location, with some requiring measures in addition to reduced speed limits as signage alone wasn’t  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), that sought approval of the updated Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan and sought approval of the version of the plan attached as Appendix 1 to the report, for implementation.

 

The Plan had been developed using the national guidance provided by the Government’s Highway Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) and followed the HMEP principles which the highways team would apply when managing the Authority’s highway assets.

 

The report brought forward the updated HIAMP which now also reflected the recommendations of the 2016 Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice. The changes to the HIAMP included the formal adoption of a risk based approach to highway maintenance, a review and update of the road hierarchy, and the defining of Coventry’s resilient highway network. The HIAMP would help the Authority secure the highest band (band 3) under the Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) Incentive Fund Scheme and it was increasingly being required as part of other funding bids. Its adoption therefore had financial benefits for the Authority.

 

The Cabinet approved the Coventry City Council Highway Asset Management Policy & Strategy in January 2016 (their minute 93/15 referred), these set out the Authority’s long-term asset management approach to highway maintenance. Following the publication of 2016 Well Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice, the HIAMP had been revised and updated to ensure compliance with the new code.

 

Infrastructure asset management planning was an established and widely recommended approach in highways and other sectors both in the UK and internationally. Asset management had been widely accepted by central and local government as a means of delivering a more efficient and effective approach to the maintenance of existing infrastructure. It enabled best use of limited resources by taking a long-term view of how highways were managed, focusing on outcomes by ensuring that funds were spent on activities that prevented, as far as possible, expensive short-term repairs. This made the best use of public money whilst minimising the risk involved in investing in highway maintenance.

 

The adoption of sound highway infrastructure asset management planning enabled the Council to drive efficiency in service delivery; manage demand; use data and information to establish maintenance needs, match maintenance needs to available funding, and prioritise investment to get the best overall network outcomes. The HIAMP would support the case for funding, enable effective communication with stakeholders, and enable a greater understanding of the contribution highway infrastructure assets made to economic prosperity and to local communities.

 

The national guidance issued by HMEP promoted a joined-up approach to determining how all highway infrastructure assets such as roads, bridges, streetlights etc. were managed. A suite of documents had been developed to reflect this: The Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Policy; The Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy; and The Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan. This hierarchy of documents should be read and referenced as a set, in order to understand the background and reasoning for Coventry’s approach to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

21.

Petitions Determined by Letter and Petitions Deferred Pending Further Investigations pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which provided a summary of the recent Petitions received that were to be determined by letter, or where decisions had been deferred pending further investigations and holding letters were being circulated. Details of the individual Petitions were set out in an Appendix attached to the report and included target dates for action. The report was submitted for monitoring and transparency purposes.

 

The report indicated that each Petition had been dealt with on an individual basis, with the Cabinet Member considering advice from officers on appropriate action to respond to the petitioners’ request. When it had been decided to respond to the Petition without formal consideration at a Cabinet Member meeting, both the relevant Councillor sponsoring the Petition (if any) and/or the petition organiser/spokesperson could still request that their Petition be the subject of a Cabinet Member report.

 

Members noted that where holding letters were being sent, this was because further investigation work was required. Once matters had been investigated either a follow up letter would be sent or a report submitted to a future Cabinet Member meeting.

 

RESOLVED that the actions being taken by officers as detailed in the Appendix to the report, in response to the Petitions received, be endorsed.

22.

Outstanding Issues

There are no outstanding issues

Minutes:

There were no outstanding issues.

23.

Any other items of Public Business

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

Minutes:

There were no other items of public business.