Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

Note: The objectors have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

Further to minute 35/21, the Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Director of Transportation and Highways concerning objections that had been received to a Traffic Regulation Order advertised on 10th June, 2021 relating to proposed new waiting restrictions and amendments to existing waiting restrictions in Wards across the City. The Order consisted of over 100 proposals, some proposals relating to multiple locations.

123 objections were received, which related to 40 proposals. Two petitions in opposition were also received.  In addition, there were 17 responses in support of proposals and five comments. In accordance with the City Council's procedure for dealing with objections to TROs, they were reported to the Cabinet Member for City Services for a decision as to how to proceed.

The objections to be considered at this meeting related to proposals in the Cheylesmore, Wainbody, Westwood, Whoberley and Woodlands Wards. A summary of the proposed restrictions, objections and responses were set out in an appendix to the report. All the respondents were invited to the meeting and one objector attended.

The Cabinet Member was informed that over 60 of the proposals received no objections, the responses received were either in support or comments about the proposal. 

The report highlighted that many of the locations where changes were proposed had been identified from requests for new or changes to existing waiting restrictions. These requests had been received from a number of sources, including the public, for example due to safety concerns relating to parked vehicles and issues due to overnight lorry parking.

One objector attended the meeting in respect of the proposals for Ivy Farm Lane and Cannocks Lane. The objector highlighted that the location was in a conservation area and installing yellow lines would be unsightly. He indicated that the consultation with residents had taken place sometime ago and since then things had changed and there were now no parking issues and the restrictions were unnecessary. Councillor J Blundell, a Wainbody Ward Councillor, attended the meeting and, together with the Shadow Cabinet Member for City Services, Councillor Heaven, also a Wainbody Ward Councillor, concurred with the objector’s comments. The Cabinet Member decided that the restrictions should not installed, monitoring be carried out and that a further consultation be undertaken if necessary. She acknowledged that if parking occurred whilst there were no restrictions, the Police had the necessary powers to undertake enforcement action if they considered the parking was dangerous or causing an obstruction.

Councillor Blundell and Councillor Heaven also spoke in support of residents’ objections in respect of the proposals for Lilacvale Way. They highlighted that for safety, parents did need to park whilst dropping off and picking up children for Cannon Park School. The Cabinet Member decided that the waiting restrictions in Lilacvale Way are not installed, the location be removed from the Order and that further consultation be undertaken.

The cost of introducing the proposed TROs, if approved, would be funded from the Highways Maintenance and Investment Capital Programme budget through the Local Transport Plan.

RESOLVED that, having considered the objections to the proposed waiting restrictions, the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Approves the implementation of the restrictions as advertised in the Allesley Hall Drive Area, Cecily Road/Eltham Road, Goldthorn Close /Farncroft Avenue, Lawley Close, Packwood Green / Wolverton Road, Station Avenue.

2)  Approves that the restrictions proposed for Ivy Farm Lane and Cannocks Lane are not installed, monitoring to be carried out and further consultation undertaken if necessary.

3)  Approves that the restrictions are not installed on Standard Avenue.  Continue to monitor, and if future road safety or obstruction concerns, due to parked vehicles, are raised, consider the installation of double yellow lines (subject to the necessary legal process).

4)  Approves the installation of a reduced extent of double yellow lines on Unicorn Lane as detailed in Appendix A to the report.

5)  Approves that the proposed waiting restrictions for Lilacvale Way are not installed, the location be removed from the Order and that further consultation be undertaken.

6)  Approval be given that those parts of the proposed Traffic Regulation Order referred to in the report and that the recommendations above are made operational.