Agenda item

Report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy regarding designating cycle routes for Coventry South Transport package – B4110 London Road, B4110 Humber Road and Terry Road.

The Coventry South Transport Package was improving connectivity between the city centre and the area by Coventry Airport, where the West Midlands Green Power Park was located.  These improvements would encourage more walking, wheeling and cycling, whilst also encouraging through traffic on to roads like the A45 and A444 rather than residential roads.

Improvements were being delivered in phases.  Work was completed at the Abbey Road junction in 2024 and earlier this year, a section of segregated cycle track was constructed along London Road, between Abbey Road and ASDA roundabout.

The remaining sections of the package: London Road South (Tollbar End to its junction with Abbey Road), the roundabout junction between London Road, Humber Road and Allard Way (ASDA roundabout), and Humber Road and Terry Road (ASDA roundabout to Binley Road) included the construction of a new segregated cycle track and, where there were constraints, shared use facilities.

Councillors R Bailey and R Brown attended the meeting Cheylesmore Ward Councillors indicating that whilst residents were supportive of the scheme in principle, they had raised the following concerns:

• Despite the consultations, the Whitley Residents Association did not feel their voice was being heard, indicating that during the consultation process Whitley Residents Association’s concerns and comments had not been included, nor were there any conclusions to the matters raised.
• The report implied the design changes had already been implemented with no resident consultation.
• The newsletter drop had not been successful as it had not reached all residents.
• The comments made at the drop-in session on 17^th July 2025 did not appear to be included within the report, which made the drop-in session pointless.
• London Road was a very busy road already and would only become busier due to further developments in the area.
• It was impossible for residents to get on or off the Tunbridge and Abbey Road estates at certain times of day.
• Works to the ASDA roundabout could create further congestion.
• No plans had been seen to date regarding the pedestrian/cycleway for the London Road roundabout

Councillors Bailey and Brown referred to the Abbey Road junction changes and gave this as an example of good collaborative working between the Local Authority and residents. Residents had been involved throughout the process and officers had been very responsive to matters raised by residents. The resulting scheme was considered very successful. Councillor Bailey particularly thanked Council Officer, Lee Kavanagh, the Installation Manager in the Public Realm Team, for his positive reaction and engagement on the project.

Officers responded in detail to all the issues raised at the meeting, making the following comments:

• Lee Kavanagh had regularly been on site for this scheme and provided weekly reports
• A more detailed design stage was being undertaken. Mark O’Connell had offered site visits to Whitley Residents Association to walk certain areas of the scheme. These had yet to be agreed.
• The report stated the RSA2 had been reviewed however, this was an error in the report as this had not yet been done.
• Officers were currently working through the response to the RSA1.
• There was no detail of the scheme at this stage and explained why only lines had been drawn on maps attached as Appendices to the report.
• The report gave legal consent to build on that road in a period of time.
• Further consultations, site visits, walks with residents and other stakeholders, were needed.
• There would be further letter drops for further sections of the scheme
• The pedestrian crossing would assist users to cross the road in and out of the estate and further traffic signals would also assist
• An external organisation had been commissioned to undertake traffic modelling at the ASDA roundabout, which was taking a bit longer than expected.
• The RSA1 had been done however, the design response was still to be undertaken along with the necessary design changes.
• A full consultation report and summary response would be undertaken.
• Newsletter drops were undertaken in hard copy, via the Council’s website, and also on social media. Going forward, a core letter drop in areas would be undertaken along with other methods of communication e.g. social media.
• Officers indicated that they were happy to meet with residents again to explain and provide clarity on what stage the scheme was currently at.

In light of the concerns from Whitley Residents Association, the Cabinet Member for City Services requested that additional recommendation be added to the report that assurance be given to residents that the Council would continue to listen to and work with them.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Approves the removal of footways and construction of new footways and cycle tracks on London Road, from Tollbar End to Abbey Road, around the ASDA Roundabout, and along Humber Road and Terry Road to join onto the Binley Cycleway, under Sections 65 and 66 of the Highways Act 1980 which for the purposes of identification, are shown in Appendices A, B and C to the report.

2)  Gives assurance to residents that the Council will continue to listen to and work with them.