Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation and Highways

To consider the above petition bearing 200 signatures, which is being supported by Councillor R Lancaster, a Holbrook 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 report of the Director of Transportation and Highways, responding to a petition requesting improvements to the zebra crossing on Hen Lane, including the upgrade of the zebra crossing to a toucan crossing.  The petition was supported by Councillor F Lancaster, a Holbrook Ward Councillor, who, together with the Petition Organiser, attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners.

The petition submitted contained 200 signatures and, in accordance with the City Council’s procedure for dealing with petitions, those related to road safety were heard by the Cabinet Member for City Services. The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to the meeting and requested that the petition be dealt with by Determination Letter rather than a formal report being submitted to the meeting however, before the Determination Letter was issued, the petition sponsor requested that the issue be considered at a Cabinet Member for City Services meeting.

The petition requested improvements to the zebra crossing on Hen Lane, including the upgrade of the crossing to a toucan crossing.  Hen Lane was a residential local distributor road between Wheelwright Lane and Winding House Lane and was subject to a 30mph speed limit.

Road safety measures in the city were targeted by using personal injury collision data to ensure the available funding was utilised carefully.  A review of the collision data for the zebra crossing on Hen Lane and the adjacent junction with Briscoe Road showed that there was one personal injury collision recorded by the Police in the last 3 years.  Locations where there had been 6 or more personal injury collisions in the previous 3 years were considered for inclusion in the criterion and therefore, it was not proposed to upgrade the crossing to a signalised crossing.  It was also noted that the location was not suitable for a signalised crossing as it was too close to the side road junction.

However, in response to the petition and following an inspection of the location, the following measures would be taken:

·  Warning signage on the approaches to the crossing would be renewed and SLOW markings installed.

·  A proposal for double yellow lines to prohibit waiting at the junction with Briscoe Road would be considered as part of the next review of waiting restrictions.

·  Pedestrian dropped kerbs with tactile paving would be installed on Briscoe Road and tactile paving would be installed at the zebra crossing.

Officers advised road markings at the zebra crossing and on the junction with Briscoe Road had recently been refreshed and speed surveys undertaken on Hen Lane west of Briscoe Road, which showed that both the mean and 85^th percentile speeds were at or below the speed limit of 30mph.

Councillor R Lancaster and the Petition Organiser spoke in support of the petition, welcoming the report and the proposed measures but stating they did not go far enough, that cars were speeding on that stretch of road and that the overgrown trees on the pavements were obscuring the traffic’s view.

Officers clarified the results of the speed surveys undertaken in March 2023, advising the survey was taken over 7 days and that data was taken from weekdays and an average weekday speed calculated.  At a recently undertaken officer site visit, it was noted the trees were very overgrown.  The issue was referred to Highways maintenance for pruning.  Officers also undertook to discuss the possibility of mobile enforcement with the Police and agreed to install a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) on Hen Lane.

The Cabinet Member suggested the installation of a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) on Hen Lane and officers undertook to ascertain how quickly this could be undertaken.

It was noted that when the Kersley bypass was completed, traffic movements in this area would change and officers undertook to raise the issues discussed with the Kersley bypass team.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services having considered the petition:

1.  Note the petitioners’ concerns. 

2.  Endorse the actions which had been agreed to be issued by determination letter to the petition organisers (as detailed in paragraphs 1.5 and 1.6 of the report).

3.  Requests Highways Maintenance to prune the trees obscuring the view.

4.  Discuss the possibility of mobile enforcement (speed) with the Police.

5.  Install a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) on Hen Lane.