HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION LOCAL JOINT COMMITTEE

     16^TH JULY 2007

PRESENT:  

CountyCouncillors:

D Brickhill,  A Moran, P Nurse, A Richardson and M J Simon

Borough Councillors

R A Bailey, J A Beech, B H Dykes, G Fenton, J I Stockton, D J Straine-Francis and

R Salmon   

IN ATTENDANCE:

CheshireCounty Council

Mr D Heyes               Locality Manager

Mr P Parry                 Development Control Officer

Mr R Welch               Area Traffic Engineer        

Crewe& Nantwich Borough Council

Mrs C M Jones          Democratic Services Officer

Crewe& Nantwich Borough Council : Non-Committee Member

Councillor C Goff    

1.         ELECTION OF CHAIR

RESOLVED:  That County Councillor D Brickhill be elected Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.

2.         ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR

RESOLVED: That Borough Councillor B H Dykes be elected Vice-Chair for the ensuing Municipal Year.

3.         DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

County Councillor D Brickhill declared a personal interest in agenda item 13 (Proposed Extension of 30 mph Speed Limit, Cobbs Lane, Hough) and agenda item 14 (Project Progress Reports) on the basis that he was a resident of Cobbs Lane, Hough.  Borough Councillor J A Beech declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Petitions Received – Request for Speed Limit, Main Road, Worleston) on the basis that he was a Parish Councillor and agenda item 10 (Pedestrian Crossing Survey – Acton) on the basis that he was a Parish Councillor and a local resident.

No other Member made any declaration of interest in any item of business on the agenda.

4.         MINUTES

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd April 2007 be approved as a correct record.

5.         QUESTIONS BY ELECTORS AND PETITIONS

In accordance with County Council Standing Order No. 35, as adopted by the Local Joint Committee, Mr F Jones presented a petition.  The petition stated  -

“We the undersigned deplore the condition of our pavements in Crewe and Nantwich.  We urge our councillors to take immediate action to rectify this sorry state of affairs, a result of many years of neglect, in order to ensure safety”. 

The petition would be considered by County Officers who would submit a report to the next meeting of the Local Joint Committee.

It was noted that there were no questions received from members of the public in accordance with this Standing Order.

6.         ALLEY-GATING (THE CLEAN NEIGHBOURHOODS AND ENVIRONMENT ACT 2005) – INTERIM POLICY CONSULTATION

Following decisions by the Environment Executive meeting on 12 April 2007 and the Rights of Way Committee meeting on 20 April 2007, the County Council, as Highway Authority, adopted the document “Alley-gating – Policy and Procedure for Implementation of Gating Orders on Highways (including Public Rights of Way recorded on the definitive map) in Cheshire” as an interim policy with effect from 20^th April 2007.

The document could not be adopted as a full policy until a consultation process had been undertaken with relevant stakeholders and the Local Joint Committee was being formally consulted. 

RESOLVED:  That the Local Joint Committee support the adoption of the proposed policy “Alley-gating – Policy and Procedure for Implementation of Gating Orders on Highways (including Public Rights of Way recorded on the definitive map) in Cheshire”.

7.          PETITION RECEIVED: GOULDEN STREET, CREWE – REMOVAL OF GRASS VERGES FOR PARKING

A petition, signed by 111 people, had been received in respect of the removal of the highway verges along Goulden Street, Crewe, to allow vehicles to park off the carriageway.

The report of the County Engineer gave details of the petition and invited the Local Joint Committee to resolve that a limited scheme of verge-hardening be identified, prioritised and included in the programme funded in partnership with Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council.

RESOLVED: (a) That the petition be received; and

(b) That a limited scheme of verge-hardening be identified, prioritised and included in the programme funded in partnership with Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council.

8.         PETITIONS RECEIVED : REQUEST FOR SPEED LIMIT, MAIN ROAD, WORLESTON

Members of the Local Joint Committee recalled that at its last meeting (23^rd April 2007) a petition had been presented by the Chair of Worleston and District Parish Council, requesting a speed limit on this road.  The petition had been signed by 152 residents who had requested that a speed limit on the B5074 be introduced as a matter of urgency.

The report of the County Engineer gave details of the petition.

RESOLVED:  (a) That, should County Policy permit, a speed limit assessment be carried out at Main Road, Worleston and any necessary consultations and Orders advertised; and

(b) That a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Local Joint Committee informing Members of speed reducing proposals at Main Road, Worleston.         

(Note:  Councillor C Goff spoke on this item, in accordance with Standing Order No. 40, as it applied to Borough Councillors who were not Members of the Local Joint Committee.)

9.            PETITIONS RECEIVED – REQUEST FOR A SPEED LIMIT AND ENVIRONMENTAL WEIGHT LIMIT - A534, WISTASTON

Requests in the form of petitions had been received from residents along the A534 at Wistaston for –

The report of the County Engineer gave details of the requests and invited the Local Joint Committee to authorise an investigation of the options for reducing heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) on the A534 Crewe Road. 

RESOLVED: (a) That the concerns of residents be noted;

(b) That an investigation of the options for reducing heavy commercial vehicles on the A534 Crewe road be carried out;

(c) That, in the meantime, additional signage be installed to encourage through-traffic to use the A500 as an alternative to the A534, wherever possible; and

(d) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of this Committee.

(Note:  David Heyes, Crewe and Nantwich Locality Manager, declared a personal interest in this item on the basis that he was a resident of the A534, Wistaston.)

10.        PROPOSED NEW HACKNEY CARRIAGE STAND - NANTWICH ROAD,

            CREWE

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council proposed to appoint a stand for 3 Hackney Carriages on the North side of Nantwich Road, Crewe in the current lay-by which was 10 metres West of the West kerb-line of Westminster Street, Westwards for 21 metres, during the hours of 22.00 each evening until 06.00 the following morning, as shown on Plan 1 attached to the report of the County Engineer.

Cheshire County Council was required to give its consent and also to grant the authority to advertise the proposal.

RESOLVED: (a) That consent be given to Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council to appoint a stand for 3 Hackney Carriages on the length of road detailed in Section 1.1 of the report;

(b) That authority be granted to give public notice of the intention to make an Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which would be to prohibit waiting, except for taxis, in the length of road appointed as a taxi stand,  as detailed in Section 1.1 of the report, during the times specified; and

(c) That if no objections were received, the Traffic Order be made.

11.        PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SURVEY, ACTON

Following a petition from residents requesting a pedestrian crossing on Chester Road, Acton, an assessment had been undertaken.

The information report of the County Engineer gave details of the results to the effect that the location fell short of the criteria for a pedestrian crossing, and the installation of such a crossing would be contrary to County policy.

RESOLVED: That a pedestrian crossing be installed on Chester Road, Acton.

12.        WILLASTON TO BRINE LEAS SCHOOL, NANTWICH - CYCLE ROUTE

Following receipt of a successful grant application, it was proposed to introduce improved cycling and pedestrian facilities between Willaston and Brine Leas School, Nantwich.

The report of the County Engineer gave details of the proposal.

RESOLVED:  (a) That public notice be given to remove the appropriate part of a footway under Section 66(4) of the Highways Act 1980 and a cycle track constructed under Section 65(1) at the following locations –

(i)                 Newcastle Road, Willaston, North side from its junction with Elwood Way, Eastwards for a distance of 390 metres;

(ii)               Audlem Road, Nantwich, South side from its junction with Peter de Stapleigh Way, Westwards for a distance of 70 metres;

(b)       That public notice be given of the intention to install a Toucan crossing at the A500, Willaston approximately 120 metres North of its junction with the A51, Newcastle Road.

13.        CREWE ACCESS STRATEGY – ACCESSIBLE KEY ROUTE NORTH STREET TO CREWE TOWN CENTRE: PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN CROSSING – NORTH STREET, CREWE

It was reported that funding had been allocated in the Integrated Area Programme to install a pedestrian crossing at North Street, Crewe.

The report of the County Engineer gave details of the proposal. 

RESOLVED:  That public notice be given under Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 of the intention to install a Puffin crossing at B5076, North Street, Crewe approximately 225 metres East of its junction with Broughton Road.

14.        PROPOSED EXTENSION OF 30 MPH SPEED LIMIT - COBBS LANE, HOUGH

The report of the County Engineer gave details of a proposal to extend the existing 30 mph speed limit along Cobbs Lane, Hough, Southwards for a distance of 148 metres, as shown on the plan attached to the report.

RESOLVED: That the existing 30 mph speed limit along Cobbs Lane, Hough be extended Southwards for a distance of 148 metres.

15.       PROJECT PROGRESS REPORTS

The Local Joint Committee received for information the report of the County Engineer which detailed progress on highway schemes to be carried out within the Borough during 2007/2008 and Traffic Regulation Orders proposed by the Local Joint Committee which had not yet been made.

16.       DATE OF NEXT MEETING

29^th October 2007