Agenda item

Officers from the Regeneration, Highways and Transportation Division, Leicester City Council, will be present to give an update to residents of highways issues in Stoneygate. 

Martin Fletcher, Acting Group Manager of City Highways at Leicester City Council, gave a presentation on Highway Management, a copy of which is attached at the end of these minutes for information. 

During the presentation, the following points were highlighted:-

·              the City Council’s focus in the current Local Transport Plan was principal routes in the City;

·              work was prioritised according to need, using a “worst first” approach;

·              every road and footpath in the City was inspected at least twice a year;

·              although highway maintenance was funded through Council capital and revenue expenditure, other sources of funding were used where possible, including national and European sources; and

·              major work in the Stoneygate Ward included the upgrading of footpaths on Evington Road in 2007.  Current projects included works to Mere Road and the resurfacing of Woodland Road.

Martin Fletcher advised the meeting that the roads discussed at the last meeting had been visited and had been found to be in a poor condition.  Various problems had been identified, including the need to repair potholes in the Ward.  It was estimated that it could cost approximately £3,000 to repair Rawson Street, but there could also be other areas that needed similar repairs and the Council did not have the funding available to do this.

The Ward Members explained that they had asked for a commitment to this funding to be given and for timescales to be given within which the work would be done, but neither of these had been received.  It was stressed that this was not due to officers, but Members felt that it was unfair to local taxpayers.  They undertook to report further on this matter if the situation changed.

Martin Fletcher explained that a survey had been undertaken in 2009 to see if residents in the south Highfields area were interested in a residents’ parking scheme being introduced.  As a result, some very general proposals had been drawn up and had been sent to statutory consultees, (such as the emergency services and bus operators).  Feedback from these would be reported to the Cabinet Lead Member for Regeneration and Transport and the Director of Regeneration, Transport and Highways, to see if the proposals should be taken forward.

If it was decided that they should proceed, a public consultation exercise would be undertaken.  As all views received during this process would be considered, all residents were encouraged to respond to the consultation.  Responses could be sent either to Martin Fletcher or the Ward Councillors.

Woody Wood, Community Partner, reminded the meeting that there had been a very low response rate to a previous survey on residents’ parking, partly because the Council and the residents had not worked together on it.  This time the Highfields Association of Residents and Tenants (HART) had worked closely with the Council, including holding a series of public meetings and leafleting affected roads, and there had been a good response to the survey.  This led to some disappointment when petitions against the scheme were received.

Mr Wood further explained that, it was recognised that a residents’ parking scheme was not a perfect solution to the problems being experienced, but the situation had now grown so bad that a way forward needed to be found.  HART felt that the scheme proposed would benefit the community and had added advantages, such as a proposal for dedicated spaces for car sharers.

The Ward Members reported that over 300 responses had been received to the leafleting done in the area, of which approximately 70% had been in favour of a scheme, but a petition with just under 1,200 signatures had been received against the scheme.

The Ward Members explained that they did not know how many people had actually been surveyed, what number had been in support of a residents’ parking scheme and where displaced vehicles would go.  They stated that, until they could be sure that residents supported a scheme and answers to the various questions raised had been received, it would not be possible for Ward Members to support a scheme.  It therefore was suggested that a public meeting be arranged on this issue as soon as possible.