Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting on 30 November 2022 and 5 December 2022 were agreed and signed as a true record. 

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways regarding a request for Traffic Calming Measures on Parrotts Grove and Alderman’s Green Road.

The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to the meeting and requested that the petition be dealt with by Determination Letter rather than a formal report being submitted to the meeting however, before the Determination Letter was issued, the petition sponsor requested that the issue be considered at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting.

Parrots Grove and Alderman’s Green Road did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the average enforcement programme however, Council was working with the Police to arrange mobile speed limit enforcement.  The location of the Nuneaton and Bedworth boundary sign would be adjusted to improve the visibility of the speed limit signs and Parrotts Grove and Alderman’s Green Road would continue to be monitored as part of the annual citywide injury collision review.

Councillor G Duggins, the Petition Sponsor and Mr Collins, the Petition Organiser, spoke in support of the petition, and whilst welcoming the collaborative working with the police and Nuneaton and Bedworth Council, set out their concerns, advising of the dangers on that stretch of road and suggesting speed surveys be carried out on the full stretch of Parrotts Grove and Alderman’s Green Road to the Elephant and Castle Bridge and that average speed enforcement cameras be installed.

Officers advised that a review of traffic calming measures at all Coventry schools was being undertaken, which would include Alderman’s Green school, following which safety measures may be improved in that area.  Officers undertook to investigate if any additional funding was available to implement safety measures in the area.

The Cabinet Member, having considered the report, the comments made by the Petition Sponsor, the Petition Organiser and the officers who presented and responded to questions, agreed to undertake a site visit with Members to investigate the matter further.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services having considered the report:

1.  Notes the petitioners’ concerns.

2.  Requests that officers arrange an appropriate site visit for Councillors to investigate this matter further.

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

In accordance with the City Council’s procedure for dealing with fees and charges, those relating to highway adoptions were agreed by the Cabinet Member for City Services.  It was standard practice to review each of the fees and charges and increase in line with current inflation levels on an annual basis.  The last review of the fee levels was in April 2019 and therefore a review had been undertaken.  This had concluded that it was appropriate to update the fees and charges and therefore, it was proposed to uplift and amend the existing Section 278 (S.278) and Section 38 (S.38) (Highway Act 1980) fees such that the fees were aligned with the level charged by other Authorities and to ensure that the level of risk placed on the Council when covering staff costs was reduced.  It was also intended that the increase in fees would provide sufficient additional revenue to provide continuing flood risk and drainage work in connection with the S.278 and S.38 process.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services having considered the report, approves the uplift and amendment to the fees in connection with the technical approvals of Section 278 and Section 38 works as set out in Appendix A to the report.

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways in respect of petitions received relating to the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for City Services and how officers proposed to respond to them.

In June 2015, amendments to the Petitions Scheme, which forms part of the Constitution, were approved in order to provide flexibility and streamline current practice.  This change had reduced costs and bureaucracy and improved the service to the public.

These amendments allow for a petition to be dealt with or responded to by letter without being formally presented in a report to a Cabinet Member meeting.

In light of this, at the meeting of the Cabinet Member for Public Services on 15 March 2016, it was approved that a summary of those petitions received which were determined by letter, or where decisions are deferred pending further investigations, be reported to subsequent meetings of the Cabinet Member for Public Services (now amended to Cabinet Member for City Services), where appropriate, for monitoring and transparency purposes.

Appendix A set out petitions received relating to the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for City Services and how officers propose to respond to them.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services endorses the actions being taken by officers as set out in Section 2 and Appendix A of the report in response to the petitions received.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

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 other items of public business.