Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

To consider the above petition, bearing 263 e-signatures, which is being sponsored by Councillor R Singh, a Lower Stoke 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 Deputy Chief Executive (Place) concerning a petition bearing 263 signatures which was submitted by Councillor R Singh, a Lower Stoke Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting along with the petition organiser, Carrianne Caress and they spoke on behalf of the petitioners. Rob Matthews, Head Teacher at Ravensdale Primary School and Nick Darlington also attended and spoke in support of the petition. The petitioners were advising of road safety concerns and requesting road safety measures along Longfellow Road including the reinstatement of the school crossing patrol or the addition of a pedestrian crossing and reducing the speed limit to 20mph. 

The report indicated that Longfellow Road was a local distributor road connecting Walsgrave Road with Hipswell Highway. Since 2016 the Council had only been able to provide school crossing patrols where funded by the local school. The crossing patrol on Longfellow Road ceased in January 2016 as no funding was available from Ravensdale Primary School.

A review of the personal injury collision history of Longfellow Road for the past three years revealed one injury collision which involved a vehicle and motorcycle, no pedestrians were involved. In March 2017 there was a collision involving a child pedestrian and a vehicle. According to the information provided by the police the cause of the collision was pedestrian error. 

The Cabinet Member noted that speed surveys undertaken on Longfellow Road between 2015 and 2017 recorded an average weekday speed between 25.6 mph and 26.7 mph eastbound and 24.5 mph and 31.8 mph westbound. Further details of speed surveys and traffic counts were set out in an appendix to the report.

Requests for road safety measures were considered for inclusion in the Local Safety Scheme Programme, subject to criteria being met. This included six or more personal injury collisions reported to the Police in the previous three years. Longfellow Road didn’t meet this criterion. Monitoring of the location would continue.

Reference was made to the national Community Speed Watch initiative, co-ordinated by the Police and run by local volunteers, which residents could become involved with.

Carrianne Caress outlined the difficulties for parents and pupils crossing Longfellow Road following the loss of the school crossing patrol. She also highlighted the problems for elderly residents. Rob Matthews sought clarification regarding the speed surveys including the average speeds and suggested that the locations used were on the section of road where traffic speeds were lower than on other parts of the road. Councillor Singh referred to the importance of reducing traffic speeds and the concerns about the cessation of the school crossing patrol.

Councillor Innes informed that schools now had responsibility for funding their crossing patrols, although the Council would assist with the recruitment and training. She highlighted the importance of the safety of all school pupils across the city. She indicated that she intended to use Longfellow Road as one of the first trials using the new mobile vehicle activated speed warning signs.

The petitioners suggested the introduction of a boxed zebra crossing on the road and Rob Matthews indicated that the school would be prepared to part fund these works.   

RESOLVED that: 

(1) The petitioners concerns be noted.

(2) It be endorsed that Longfellow Road does not meet the criteria for consideration for inclusion in the Local Safety Scheme programme.

(3) The monitoring of Longfellow Road as part of the annual collision review be endorsed.

(4) Longfellow Road be used as one of the first pilots to trial the new mobile vehicle activated speed warning signs in the autumn term.