Agenda item

To consider a report by the Executive Director of Place.

The Committee considered a report by the Executive Director for Place explaining that following the advertising of proposed changes to parking restrictions in Denewood Road, Highfield Road and The Avenue, West Moors, objections had been received to the proposals.

Consequently, the Committee was now being asked to give consideration to those objections and decide whether to recommend – for Executive decision - that the proposals should be implemented as advertised.

With the aid of a visual presentation, officers explained the reasoning behind

the need to change the waiting restriction arrangements and the basis of the objections received. Plans and photographs showed the roads concerned and what was being experienced; how this might be addressed and the way this could be done. The characteristics of the road were described and their setting within the townscape.

The original rationale for the proposals was designed to facilitate a return of a town bus service which had run along this route but had been withdrawn owing to limitations in its ability to access the route with vehicles being parked at junctions and causing congestion.  Whilst any return of the bus service would not necessarily be along the same route again, there was still considered to be a need for the restrictions as it was important that access for emergency vehicles was improved so as to be able to always easily access residential areas.

Having considered all the responses received, officers considered that the current proposals should be progressed rather than leave the situation as it was. The proposals were seen to be a reasonable and practicable solution in addressing the situation which would benefit road safety and access.

The Committee heard from Ruth Povey who considered that the proposals should be evidence based and, in the absence of that, they were not warranted as there had been no reports of any issues being experienced. She considered the proposals to be of little value and should not be progressed.

Brian Miles was not against the principle of the restrictions but asked why they had taken so long to come to fruition, especially as the reason for which they were designed – in aiding the access for the bus service - no longer applied. He was of the view this might be a precursor to a development opportunity, on land served by the road.

One of the local Ward Members, Councillor David Shortell, was pleased to see that the restrictions - being originally proposed by West Moors Parish Council – were now being implemented and could see what benefits these would bring. He asked the Committee to approve the proposals accordingly. He took the opportunity to refute the claim that these restrictions had any bearing on any future development proposals as suggested.

The other local Ward member, Councillor Mike Dyer, similarly supported the proposals and reinforced what Councillor Shortell had said about the links to any development.

Having had the opportunity to discuss the merits of the proposal and a series of questions about the arrangements answered satisfactorily, on being put to the vote, the Committee agreed that the proposals should be implemented as advertised.

Recommended

That having considered the objections received, the proposed waiting restrictions on Denewood Road, Highfield Road and The Avenue, West Moors, as originally advertised, be recommended for approval for Executive decision.

Reason for Recommendation

The proposed restrictions at Denewood Road, Highfield Road and The Avenue were mainly to cover junctions which would help facilitate larger vehicles and service buses and enforce the highway code.