Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Place

To consider the above petition bearing a total of 739 signatures (696 paper signatures and 43 e-signatures) which has been submitted by Councillor J Lepoidevin, a Woodlands 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 petition bearing a total of 739 signatures (696 paper signatures and 43 e-signatures) which had been submitted by Councillor J Lepoidevin, a Woodlands Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting for the consideration of the item.

The petition advised “Many of us use this junction to cross to and from St Andrew’s Primary School, Eastern Green Hall Nursery and also Eastern Green Junior School and know that since losing our lollipop man at the junction, crossing the road has become increasingly dangerous. Just this morning there were 2 car accidents both involving vehicles going into each other at this junction. While some drivers are responsible enough to slow down and give way for pedestrians to cross, there are a lot who don’t. So this petition is for either proposed traffic lights, a mini roundabout with a sign “School safety zone – Max speed 20 when lights flash” or a pelican crossing with a lollipop man.”

The former Cabinet Member for Public Services had previously considered a report of the Executive Director of Place in response to a petition about speed concerns on Hockley Lane, heard in January 2015 (minute 76/14 referred), following which changes were made to the speed limit on Pickford Green Lane in August 2015. This moved the position where the speed limit changed to/from 60mph, further away from the Hockley Lane/Upper Eastern Green Lane junction and introduced a new section of 40mph speed limit, to work as a ‘buffer zone’, so drivers approaching the junction were already slowing down as they approached the 30mph speed limit. In addition, a perceived safety scheme was introduced which implemented a 20mph advisory speed limit at school entry and exit times.

In October 2016 a pedestrian crossing count was undertaken which showed that peak crossing times were at school entry and exit times and few pedestrians crossed at other times. A School Crossing Patrol Officer had since been appointed and had been working at the location since October 2016.

The Cabinet Member invited Councillor Lepoidevin to speak in support of the petition. Councillor Lepoidevin spoke on the issues raised in the petition and further raised concerns about the number of heavy goods vehicles travelling at speed along Hockley Lane, which vehicles used as a cut through to the A45. She commented that the 20mph advisory speed limit, introduced as a perceived safety scheme, had been ineffective and suggested that the installation of a physical speed reducing measure, such as a chicane, was required to slow traffic down. Acknowledging that the building of the residential Bannerbrook Park had placed extra traffic and pedestrian pressures on the area, Councillor Lepoidevin queried the use of the Section 106 Planning obligation funding for the Estate. Councillor Lepoidevin confirmed the petitioners request for further action be taken to install traffic lights, a mini roundabout or a pelican crossing at the junction for the safety of the parents and children using the three education facilities in the area.

The Cabinet Member agreed that, following the introduction of measures in the area since August 2015, specifically changes to the speed limit and the introduction of an advisory 20mph speed limit, and the appointment of a School Crossing Patrol Officer to the highlighted location, further monitoring would be undertaken in April 2017 as part of the review of the changes implemented. In addition, the Cabinet Member supported the suggestion that the community could be provided with details of the Community Speedwatch initiative, a speed monitoring and awareness scheme co-ordinated by the Police and run by a group of local volunteers who would use speed detection devices to monitor traffic and identify speeding drivers on a specific road or small area.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1) Notes the concerns of the petitioners.

2) Notes that a school crossing patrol officer is currently working at this location.

3) Endorses the actions that have been taken and that monitoring is continued as part of the review of the changes implemented.