Agenda and minutes

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am on the working day before the meeting, ask a question on any matter in respect of the Cabinet Member’s delegated powers.

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

Questions submitted prior to the agenda being despatched are shown below and will be the subject of a response from the appropriate Cabinet Member or such other councillor or officer as is determined by the Cabinet Member, and shall not be the subject of further debate at this meeting. Questions received after the despatch of the agenda, but before the deadline, will be shown on the Schedule of Addenda circulated at the meeting, together with any written response which is available at that time.

Councillor Jean Fooks

“Following the petition from the Cherwell School presented to this committee on February 11^th, the response from Steve Howell explained that no amendments to the current 20mph limits were planned until after the scheme had been reviewed.  He also made the point that a permanent 20mph limit might not be the best way to address pedestrian and cyclist safety, as the concerns related mostly to school arrival and departure times. Is the Cabinet member aware that there are advisory 20mph limits during school times on the A338 near Wantage Primary School, installed in 2003, and that a similar approach is being considered in connection with a project to improve safety for school children in north west Abingdon, partly based on some quite encouraging preliminary monitoring results reported by the Isle of Wight council following a similar initiative?

In the light of Steve Howell’s response, and the Council’s current use of such temporary advisory speed limit signs, would the Cabinet Member now consider the use of such signs on the Marston Ferry Road outside Cherwell School at school arrival and departure times?”

Cabinet Member response

There is evidence that these signs can help reduce speeds and we are currently consulting on a scheme addressing child road safety problems in Abingdon, where such signs are being considered as a possible option.

However, given that both the number of accidents involving school children on the B4495 Marston Ferry Road is thankfully low, and the circumstances of these accidents does not suggest speed was a factor, it would be difficult to recommend a high priority here given the severe pressures on our funding which has already led to many road safety schemes addressing more severe problems being deferred.   It is estimated that the cost of providing each sign is approximately £4500.

Supplementary question

As there are very great concerns regarding speed on this section of the Marston Ferry Road would the Cabinet Member consider placing this request on a list of schemes for future consideration.

Cabinet Member response

No.  

Petition

A petition in the following terms was presented by Mr Alan Freinkel and Councillor Jean Fooks:

“Petition to OCC about the rumble strips in Elizabeth Jennings Way near the junction with Lark Hill, Oxford

We the undersigned have suffered considerable disturbance from the rumble strips ever since they were installed.  They were supposed to slow traffic and to be a pleasing visual feature: unfortunately, whatever their aesthetic merits, they do not slow the traffic significantly, if at all, and do cause considerable noise of a kind which disturbs people’s sleep so much that they either have to wear ear plugs or do not use their front bedrooms at all.

We request the County Council to remove these strips and install alternative traffic calming measures.”

Mr Freinkel who resided at 2 Elizabeth Jennings Way presented the petition.  He explained that the strips had had a negative effect on the lives of residents since they had been installed.  This had been due to both noise and vibration throughout the night and day.  He had installed improved glazing but the problem had persisted due to issues of vibration. He urged removal and replacement.

Councillor Fooks added that the roads had not yet been adopted and endorsed comments regarding issues of health and disturbance.

Councillor Turner referred to a form of less aggressive speed cushion which had been installed successfully in Garsington.

Ms Dow confirmed that the roads had not yet been adopted and thought it unlikely that developers would fund alternative traffic calming measures.

The Cabinet Member for Transport received the petition and referred it to the Head of Transport for him to respond to the petitioners.

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/096

Contact: Matt Bromley, Development Assistant Tel: (01865) 815531

Report by Head of Transport (CMDT4).

The Cabinet Member for Transport considered a scheme to adapt the eastbound Weirs Lane bus stop following concerns raised by a local bus user regarding obstruction of the layby and existing bus stop by parked vehicles.  He noted comments from Dr Gillian Howe in support of the scheme as referred to in the addenda sheet.

Councillor Tanner referred to the success of the 16 service and hoped that the  frequency of the service would continue to increase.  This particular bus stop had been at its current site for some time and he expected that there would be opposition to any proposal to move it.  He felt this was the wrong solution, represented unnecessary expense and urged the Cabinet Member to reject the proposal. 

Mr Bromley advised that those residents that had complained had confirmed that the new proposed stop site was where buses invariably had to stop because of obstruction to the layby.  The trial period would identify any problem and could be stopped if necessary in a matter of days.  He confirmed that he would be informing local residents if the decision was taken to provide a temporary stop.

The Cabinet Member for Transport approved provision of a temporary bus stop on Weirs Lane as outlined in the report CMDGI4.