Agenda item

An update and feedback will be given to the meeting.

Martin Fletcher (City Highways Director), Janet Dyer (road safety, 20mph, etc.) and Jamie Long (laybys) were present at the meeting, and the attached presentation was delivered. Officers gave information on work undertaken in the area over the last few years.

The following additional information was provided:

·         Highways work was prioritised with ward councillors to include issues raised, for example, parking concerns. Each workstream had budget assigned to it.

·         The City Council had significant capital programmes across the city not just the centre, for example, road maintenance works at the Pork Pie Island at £170k.

·         Discussions at drop in sessions prior to layby works consultation had changed priorities for residents.

·         School run parking was a national issue, and a serious problem across the city. A programme around priorities due to resources would focus on risk assessed schools across the city for 2019/20, for example, Rolleston Primary School.

·         Physical and enforcement measures could include bollards, targeted activities involving police, and warnings to parents. Work would continue to create behaviour change amongst parents.

·         Time was spent in schools training students how to ride bikes, walk to school as a healthy alternative.

·         20mph schemes had been introduced e.g. Stonesby Avenue, and more were planned, along with traffic calming measures. Eventually the scheme would make the whole estate 20mph. Schemes were developed with the police.

·         The scheme would be policed and sampled to see if it was working. It would encourage more people to drive slowly. It was up to drivers to adhere to the limit of the road.

·         Bollards and railings would be installed to try to stop inconsiderate parking.

·         People bollards were more expensive than pencil bollards, and had been well received. A resident reported those on Stonesby Avenue were very effective.

·         Bollards needed to be used in the right location, for example, on the approach to an entrance. Using closely placed pencil bollards were suitable, for example, school entrances.

·         There was a long term problem of queuing traffic at peak time at the Saffron Lane / Sturdee Road junction, which might be resolved with a mini-roundabout. A resident noted the issue had been raised back in 2005, and Samworths had paid towards the cost in 2006. Installation of a roundabout would be costly as Telecom Cables were in the way – approximately £200k. A solution was needed that didn’t cost the earth.

Residents raised the following issues:

·         It was difficult to get out of the drive some mornings. The problem was the turn on Hillsborough Road near to Featherstone Drive.

·         Residents believed that modern cushions caused undercarriage damage to cars.

·         Residents stated signage for speed limits was poor and small. It was explained that traffic officers were restricted to work within statutory sign laws. At an entrance to a speed restriction, big round signs were visible – beyond that only small, repeater signs were used. 

·         The government should intervene with manufacturers to restrict the speed of cars.

Officers were thanked for the presentation. Residents were asked to speak to the traffic officers during the information session following the meeting.