Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

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

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 always effective. The cost of enforcement associated with speed limits also had to be considered. Regular monitoring ensured that action was taken wherever possible, specific to the location and subject to criteria and funding. Cheveral Avenue required a local safety scheme due to the large number of injury collisions that had occurred.

The Cabinet Member referred to the work involved with wider implementation of 20mph speed limits in the City and suggested that an appropriate working group/task and finish group could be established to progress this. Having considered the report and the comments made by Mr Avery and the Traffic Management Officers, and having regard to the support from local residents for the proposals,  the Cabinet Member decided that the raised features and the proposed 20mph speed limit extension be implemented as part of the Cheveral Avenue Local Safety Scheme. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Having considered the objection to the proposed use of raised features, approves that the raised features are installed on Cheveral Avenue.

2)  Having considered the objection to the proposed 20mph speed limit extension, approves that the City of Coventry (Catesby Road, Jubilee Crescent & Cheveral Avenue) (20mph Zone) Traffic Regulation Order 2019 is made operational.