Your Council!Your Council
COMMITTEE:        HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION LOCAL JOINT COMMITTEE
 
DAY/DATE:          MONDAY, 10TH JULY 2006
 
TIME:                   5.30PM
 
VENUE:               COUNCIL CHAMBER
                           MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
                           EARLE STREET
                           CREWE
 
GROUP                LAB: 4.30PM     East Committee Room
MEETINGS           CON:  5.00PM    West Committee Room
 
Despatch date:      30th June 2006
Enquiries to:          Tel:  01270 537598
Carol Jones           E-Mail: agendas@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
 
To:  Members of the Highways and Transportation Local Joint Committee
(Borough Councillors: Councillors R A Bailey, J A Beech, M Campbell, D J Cannon, T R Dunlop, B H Dykes, S W Hogben and D J Straine-Francis)
 
(County Councillors: D Brickhill, D Flude, J G A Fyffe, A Moran, D J Newton, P Nurse, A Richardson and M J Simon)
Borough and County Council Officers, Local press and radio
 
 
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THIS MEETING
 
Notes for Members of the Public
 
The Highways & Transportation Local Joint Committee comprises 16 elected members, 8 representing Cheshire County Council and 8 representing Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council.  The names of the Councillors are provided on page 1 of the agenda.
The Highways and Transportation Local Joint Committee welcomes and encourages members of the public to attend its meetings.
 
If you plan to attend, please report to the Reception Desk in the Municipal Buildings, where you will be provided with a Visitor's Pass.
 
Car parking is not available at the Municipal Buildings, but there are several town centre car parks.  There is a disabled access to the rear of the Municipal Buildings, and this can be accessed through the side door on Vernon Way.  Please press the button for attention, and someone will meet you and escort you through to the main reception area.

You are asked to remain quiet whilst the meeting is taking place, and to enter and leave the meeting room, or public gallery of the Council Chamber, as quietly as possible.  Please ensure that if you have a mobile phone or pager, it is switched off for the duration of the meeting.
 
You are not allowed to have drinks or food in the meeting rooms, nor in the Public Gallery, other than refreshments offered by the Borough Council.  A "No Smoking" policy operates in the Municipal Buildings.
 
Fire Evacuation
 
If the fire alarm rings, you should make your way to the nearest exit with your belongings, as quickly as possible, and leave the building.  Please follow any instructions from staff about evacuation routes.
Copies of the agenda will be available if you attend. Agendas are also made available on the Internet and can be accessed via the Borough Council's website see front page for details.
 
On occasions, members of the press and public will be excluded from the meetings when the business to be transacted is of a confidential nature, for example, dealing with individual people, contracts and financial affairs of other parties.
 
If you require any further information, please contact Carol Jones, the Committee Officer
  
A G E N D A
 
1.         ELECTION OF CHAIR AND DEPUTY CHAIR
 
To elect a Chair (from the Borough Council representation) and Deputy Chair (from the County Council representation).
 
In accordance with the County Council's Standing Orders, in the event of there being one nomination only for each vacancy, the election will be conducted by a show of hands.
 
If the office is contested, a secret ballot will be held.  Where no person receives more than half of the votes cast, the name of the person with least number of votes will be withdrawn and further ballots held until one person receives a clear majority.
 
If there is an equality of votes as a result of a secret ballot, the common-law position of casting lots (ie "toss of a coin") will be adopted.

2.         DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
 
Any Member present (including non-Committee Members) to declare any personal or prejudicial interest, and the nature of the interest, which they have in any item of business on the agenda and, if necessary, to leave the meeting prior to discussion of that item.
 
Members who also serve as Town or Parish Councillors are reminded of the need to make declarations in respect of any item which directly concerns the business of the appropriate authority.
 
Declarations are a personal matter for each Member to decide.  Whilst Officers will advise on the Code of Conduct and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not, is the responsibility of the Member, based on the particular circumstances.

3.         MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 10TH APRIL 2006
 
To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 10th April 2006. (3) 
4.         QUESTIONS BY ELECTORS AND PETITIONS
 
To consider any questions or petitions received from members of the public in accordance with the County Council's Standing Order No. 35, as adopted by the Local Joint Committee.

5.          PROPOSED 40-MPH SPEED LIMIT ORDER, A534 WATERLODE, NANTWICH (FOR INFORMATION)
 
At its meeting on 18th October 2004, the Local Joint Committee recommended that consideration be given to the introduction of a 30-mph speed limit on Waterlode between its junction with Welsh Row and High Street, Nantwich. 
 
The report of the County Engineer (5) up-dates Members on the current situation regarding the introduction of a speed limit at this location.

6.         BUS STOP (A500) NEWCASTLE ROAD, WILLASTON (REF CR334) (FOR DECISION)
 
At the previous meeting, Members considered issues which had been raised regarding the safety of the location of the bus stop on Newcastle Road, Willaston, adjacent to The Horseshoe Public House.  The Local Joint Committee resolved that the bus stop be relocated to the East of its existing site, in the Shavington direction.
 
Subsequent to the meeting, a site visit and safety audit has been carried out to identify an appropriate site for the new bus stop.  Consultation is also being undertaken with local residents;  the closing date for receipt of comments is 30th June, and comments will be reported to the meeting.
 
The report of the County Engineer (6) invites the Local Joint Committee to decide whether or not to implement the revised proposal, taking account of any comments made during consultation.

7.         TRAFFIC ISSUES A51, LONDON ROAD, STAPELEY (FOR DECISION)
 
A request, in the form of a petition, has been received from the residents of London Road, Stapeley for traffic management measures along this road.
 
The report of the County Engineer (7) sets out the residents' concerns and explains the County Council's policy in respect of speed limits.
 
The Local Joint Committee is invited to RESOLVE that the A51 (London Road) between Nantwich and the County boundary at Bridgemere, be included on the Speed Limit Review List for assessment.

8.          TRAFFIC ISSUES LORD STREET, CREWE (FOR DECISION)
 
A request, in the form of a petition, has been received from residents of Lord Street, Crewe, for the carriageway to be widened to ease traffic flow.
 
The report of the County Engineer (8) sets out the residents' concerns.  The Local Joint Committee is invited to RESOLVE (a) that further discussions take place with the Police and Fire Service; and (b) that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

9.          OBJECTIONS: PROPOSED "PROHIBITION OF DRIVING", BODEN DRIVE, WILLASTON
NB: attachments to the report are available in hard copy only.
 
At its meeting on 18th October 2004, the Local Joint Committee resolved to advertise the intention to make an Order, the effect of which would be to prohibit the driving of motor vehicles over a 2-metre length of Boden Drive, Willaston. The proposal was advertised and objections have been received.
                       
The report of the County Engineer (9) give the background to the proposal, details of the objections, and invites the Committee to RESOLVE that the objections be not sustained.
10.        PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN CROSSING, MIDDLEWICH STREET,  CREWE
 
Funding has been allocated from the "Safer Routes to School" budget for 2006/2007 to install a pedestrian crossing on Middlewich Street, Crewe.
 
The report of the County Engineer (10) gives details of the proposed location of the pedestrian crossing. It has not yet been determined whether the crossing will be a Zebra or a Puffin facility; this will be dependent on design, the safety audit and consultation with any affected "frontagers". 
 
The Local Joint Committee is asked to grant authority to give public notice of the intention to install a pedestrian crossing facility.

11.        MERRILL'S BRIDGE CLOSURE, CREWE (FOR INFORMATION)
 
At its meeting on 10th April 2006, Members expressed concern about the proposed diversion route during the closure of West Street, whilst work was being undertaken on Merrill's Bridge from July 2006 to February 2007.
 
The information report of the County Engineer (11) gives details of diversionary routes and other amelioration measures during closure for the works.

12.        A500 CHEERBROOK ROUNDABOUT TO MEREMOOR MOSS ROUNDABOUT (FOR INFORMATION)
 
At its meeting on 5th April 2004, the Local Joint Committee supported the proposed de-trunking of two contiguous lengths of road (as identified in the report of the County Engineer now attached). (12).
 
The County Council became responsible for these lengths of road in 2003/2004.   During negotiations relating to its de-trunking, the County Council raised concerns about the long-term maintenance liabilities relating to the recently completed section of the A500. This matter is due to be raised in the near future with the Department for Transport.
13.       PROJECT PROGRESS REPORTS (FOR INFORMATION)
 
To receive the report of the County Engineer (13) detailing progress on highway schemes to be carried out within the Borough during 2006/2007 and Traffic Regulation Orders proposed by the Local Joint Committee which have not yet been made.
           
14.       DATE OF NEXT MEETING
 
            30th October 2006 
 
 
 
This agenda can be made available in larger text on request
 
Note:  In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Council is required to notify those attending meetings of the fire evacuation procedures.  Instructions are located in all rooms within the Civic Suite.