Agenda item

The Service Director, Regeneration, Highways and Transportation submits a report in response to a petition presented to full council on January 24 2008 by Yahya Birt.  The Board is asked to support a number of recommendations set out in paragraph 3.1 of the report.

The Service Director, Regeneration, Highways and Transportation submitted a report in response to a petition presented to full Council, on January 24^th, 2008 by Mr Yahya Birt on behalf of the School requesting that parents of pupils at Al-Aqsa Primary School and neighbors of the school, had particular concerns about road safety at the complex junction of Clumber Road, The Littleway, The Wayne Way and the Langhill in Leicester at school start and finish times. They requested the installation of traffic calming measures at this junction to slow traffic down.

An officer from the Regeneration and Culture Department introduced the report and stated that he had visited the site and recommended that no further action be taken to implement a traffic-calming scheme in the area at this time.  Members heard that the area had experienced very few traffic incidents in recent years and was currently 31^st on the city priority list for introducing a traffic-calming scheme, and that with limited funds, such a scheme could not be implemented in the foreseeable future.  In light of this explanation, Members requested that a report be brought to a future meeting of the Board that comprehensively illustrated the local factors that could be used for determining whether an area should be placed towards the top of the traffic-calming priority list.

Members of the Board had received correspondence from Councillor Draycott, whose ward covered Al-Aqsa Primary School.  The correspondence stated that the petitioners were disappointed by the officers’ recommendation not to introduce a traffic-calming scheme in the area.  Councillor Draycott asked the Board to consider an extra recommendation for further work to take place to address problematic issues with the Coleman Lodge community mobile car park, which were said to be further contributing to the congestion problems.  The board agreed to support the suggestions made by Councillor Draycott.

Furthermore, Members requested that once a report that illustrated the local factors used for determining whether an area should be considered as a high priority for traffic-calming, that the Children and Young People’s Task Group conduct an investigation that looked at the role of education both children and parents in road safety issues outside schools. 

RESOLVED:

a)                 That the petitioners concerns be noted.

b)That officers, in consultation with Councillor Draycott, be asked to explore carrying out further work to take place to address the problematic issues with the Coleman Lodge community mobile car park.

c)                  That support be provided by officers to the petitioners by helping the school to produce a school travel plan to counteract the congestion problems mentioned in the petition.

d)                 That officers visit the school to carry out road safety education and training.

e)                 That officers investigate the provision of suitable school warning signs in the area around the school.

f)                    That the petitioners be informed accordingly and of the decisions of this meeting.

g)                 That a report be brought to a future meeting that comprehensively illustrates the local factors that can be used for determining whether an area should be placed towards the top of the traffic-calming priority list.

h)                  that the Children and Young People’s Task Group and Regeneration and Transport Task Group be asked to conduct a joint investigation that looked at the role of education both children and parents in road safety issues outside schools once the further report outlined in recommendation (g) had been considered by the Board.