Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

To consider the above petition, bearing 238 e-signatures, which is being supported by Councillor Andrews, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organisers.

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways that responded to an e-petition that had been received, bearing 238 signatures, requesting measures to improve safety at the junction of The Chesils and Knoll Drive. The petition was supported by Councillor Andrews, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting along with the Petition Organisers, who spoke in support of the petition.

In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with petitions, those relating to road safety are heard by the Cabinet Member for City Services.  The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and requested that the petition was dealt with by 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 outcome of the investigations undertaken in response to the issues raised, as a result of which the vehicle-activated speed limit sign has been repaired, additional crossroad warning signs are to be installed and the junction will continue to be monitored as part of the annual review of personal injury collisions. Upon receipt of the determination letter, the petition organisers advised that they wanted the issue to be considered at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting.

The cost of introducing road safety measures was funded from the Highways Maintenance and Investment Capital Programme budget through the Local Transport Plan.

The petition read:

‘We, the undersigned are concerned citizens who believe the cross junction at The Chesils and Knoll Drive presents a danger to the community. We urge the council to take action to provide speed reduction measures on the cross junction and safeguard pedestrians including the following five points: 1) The speed measurement sign at the Chesils to be fixed, 2) A junction sign to identify a cross junction at the Chesils and Knoll Drive, 3) A sign to identify children crossing the road with flashing lights during school times. 4) A sign on the road to advise of local children crossing the junction (Knoll Drive and The Chesils) and 5) A slightly raised area at the cross junction for The Chesils and Knoll Drive.’

The Chesils and Knoll Drive, residential roads, were both subject to a 30mph speed limit and the junction is in Earlsdon Ward and was one of a number of crossroads along The Chesils.  A location plan was attached as an Appendix to the report.

The determination letter, a copy of which was attached as a further Appendix to the report, advised of the importance of targeting road safety measures in the city. To ensure funding was utilised carefully, personal injury collisions reported to the Police were used.  Locations where there had been six or more reported personal injury collisions in the previous three years were considered for inclusion in the safety schemes programme.  A review of the collision data for the junction of The Chesils and Knoll Drive showed that there were two reported personal injury collisions at the junction in the last three years. Neither involved pedestrians and in both cases the injuries were classified as slight.  Therefore, the junction did not meet the safety scheme criteria.

The vehicle-activated speed limit sign referred to in the petition had been repaired.  The request for additional signage at the junction was also assessed.  The junction was too far from the nearest school for school warning signs and flashing lights to be installed. However, additional crossroad warning signs would be installed on The Chesils on each approach to the junction.

The petition organisers were also advised of the Community Speed Watch initiative, a speed monitoring and awareness scheme that is coordinated by the Police and run by a group of local volunteers who use speed detection devices to monitor traffic and identify speeding drivers on a specific road or small area.  The relevant contact details were provided, should the petitioners wish to get involved in the scheme.

Councillor Andrews referred to the process for sending determination letters and asked that this be reviewed to ensure that Councillors supporting petitions were consulted prior to letters being issued.

Councillor Andrews welcomed the repair of the vehicle-activated speed limit sign and proposals to install additional crossroad warning signs on each approach to The Chesils junction and confirmed that residents had contacted the Police regarding the Community Speed Watch initiative. Acknowledging that the junction did not meet the safety scheme criteria, he outlined his concerns about the continuing danger to the community at this location and referred to the number of parents and children using this junction on route to St Thomas Moore Primary School. Councillor Andrews asked for clarification on the distance from the school that signs could be provided and was advised by the Traffic Management Officer that signage and school warning lights were installed close to the at the main entrance and in the vicinity of schools to maximise effect.

The Petition Organisers gave an account of an accident they had had at the junction in 2018 whilst driving their child to St Thomas Moore primary School, that had resulted in the family car being written off and slight injuries being sustained. They were aware that many incidents had occurred at the junction that would not meet the Police criteria for being recorded but wanted to make the Cabinet Member aware of their occurrence. They were aware that and that a car had overturned at the junction and this was reported in the local newspaper and that there had been a fatality on nearby Baginton Road due to speeding. The junction, which they indicated was a 45 second drive from the local school, was well used by parents and children travelling to and from the school. They feared that a fatality would occur if action wasn’t taken to address the dangers of the junction. The Petition Organisers requested that a ‘Children Crossing’ sign be installed at the junction and a ‘Speed Limit’ sign installed at the junction of Knoll Drive with Baginton Road for vehicles to observe as they turned into Knoll Drive. They also suggested that a raised area on the road surface would help reduce traffic speed.

Traffic Management Officers suggested that consideration could be given to using the Mobile Vehicle Activated Sign at the junction, also the installation of a camera for a period of time to collect vehicle and pedestrian flows data and tubes could also be put down.

Having considered the report, the comments made by Officers, and the representations from Councillor Andrews and the Petition Organisers, the Cabinet Member requested that officers monitor the junction to collect vehicle and pedestrian flow data. She also requested that a site visit be arranged for the Cabinet Member and officers to meet with the Petition Organisers and Councillor Andrews to discuss the matter further including any potential options which could alleviate the concerns raised.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Notes the petitioners’ concerns

2)  Endorses the action taken to repair the vehicle-activated speed limit sign referred to in the petition and the proposal to install additional crossroad warning signs on The Chesils on each approach to the junction.

3)  Agrees that officers monitor the junction to collect vehicle and pedestrian flow data and arrange a site visit for the Cabinet Member and officers to meet with the Petition Organisers and Councillor Andrews, the Petition Sponsor, to discuss the matter further including any potential options which could alleviate the concerns raised.