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ITEM TIC3

TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE –
15 APRIL 2004

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 10.00 am and finishing at 12.20pm

Present:

The Committee considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with a schedule of addenda tabled at the meeting, and decided as set out below. Except insofar as otherwise specified, the reasons for the decisions are contained in the agenda and reports, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

39/04. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS

Apologies for absence and temporary appointments were received as follows:

Apology from	Temporary Appointments
Councillor Purse	Councillor Roaf

40/04. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4 March 2004 were approved and signed.

41/04. PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS

The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:-

Request from	Agenda Item
Mr B. Whitehead, Chairman, Saxon Court Residents Association	5. Bicester - Waiting and Loading Restrictions Amendment Order Market Hill/London Road Zebra Crossing.
Mr J. Gordon, Local Resident	6. Chairman – Lower Icknield Way Traffic Calming.

42/04. BICESTER – WAITING AND LOADING RESTRICTIONS AMENDMENT ORDER MARKET HILL/LONDON ROAD ZEBRA CROSSING

(Agenda Item 5)

The Committee considered (TIC5) objections received in response to the formal advertising of a Traffic Regulation Order to amend waiting and loading restrictions in Market Hill, Bicester which had been promoted to facilitate the implementation of a zebra crossing on London Road.

Councillor Robertson advised that he had previously expressed an opinion on this matter as a member of the Bicester ITS Group but would be considering the issues based on the information now before him.

Mr Whitehead urged the Committee to consider resiting the crossing nearer to the Wessex Way junction in order to help facilitate use by residents of Saxon Court and prevent further accidents by reducing excessive traffic speeds in Manorfield Road and Market Square.

Following a further recent site visit Mr Clough advised that Babtie had indicated that resiting nearer the Wessex Way junction was possible but not necessarily preferable.

Councillor Sibley endorsed the views put forward by Mr Whitehead. Furthermore, as no decision had yet been taken on the options for the redevelopment of the Market Square and Market Hill area, all of which showed the crossing sited nearer to the Wessex Way junction there could well be an abortive cost if the crossing was sited as now proposed. There would also be a loss of 2 parking spaces in the layby near the corner of London Road. He also challenged the accuracy of the various plans produced.

Mr Clough advised that the plans were schematic and as such could contain minor variations.

Councillor Shouler emphasised the need for an immediate safety measure pending the redevelopment proposals. Siting the crossing as now recommended in the officers’ report would have maximum effect from a safety point of view by placing it on a direct line from the main car park through to Market Place with Saxon Way residents only required to travel an extra few metres. Cherwell District Council and Bicester Town Council had also supported the current proposal.

RESOLVED: to approve the removal of the lay-by in Market Hill and construction of the Zebra crossing in London Road as described in the report (TIC5) subject to available funding in the 2004/5 Capital Programme.

43/04. CHINNOR – LOWER ICKNIELD WAY TRAFFIC CALMING

(Agenda Item 6)

The Committee considered (TIC6) the outcome of a formal consultation on a scheme to provide traffic calming on Icknield Way.

Mr Gordon referred to the increased speeds and volume of traffic and the overwhelming local support for the proposals, although there had been some reservations regarding the provision of traffic cushions.

RESOLVED: to authorise implementation of the scheme as detailed in the report TIC6.

44/04. OXFORD – JERICHO AND WALTON MANOR 20MPH

(Agenda Item 7)

The Committee considered (TIC7) the results of a formal consultation on a 20mph zone for Jericho and Walton Manor, Oxford.

Councillor Roaf advised that as local member he had previously expressed an opinion on this scheme but would be considering the issues based on the information now before him.

RESOLVED: to authorise the Head of Transport to introduce a 20mph zone in Jericho and Walton Manor as set out in Annex 1 to the report TIC7 subject to approval of funds for 2004/05 Capital Programme.

45/04. PROPOSED STOPPING UP ORDER, SILKDALE CLOSE, OXFORD

(Agenda Item 8)

The Committee considered a report (TIC8) which sought approval for an application to the Magistrates for the stopping up of an area of highway land that formed part of Silkdale Close.

RESOLVED: to authorise the Solicitor to the Council to make application to the Magistrates under section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 for the stopping of the area of highway in Silkdale Close, Cowley (shown hatched on drawing no 786/G162) on the grounds that it was unnecessary as highway.

46/04. BLEWBURY – PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES BETTER WAYS TO SCHOOL PROGRAMME 2003/04

(Agenda Item 9)

Blewbury School had been included in the 2003/04 Better Ways to School programme but the on-highway scheme had not yet been implemented. The Committee now considered (TIC9) objections received to a formal consultation.

RESOLVED: to approve the implementation of the scheme as detailed on drawing BPN857/B3252D.

47/04. EXEMPT ITEM

RESOLVED: that the public be excluded during the consideration of item 10E in the Agenda since it was likely that if they were present during that item there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda, i.e information relating to:

- the amount of any expenditure proposed to be incurred by the Oxfordshire County Council and other local authorities and organisations under any particular contract for the acquisition of property or the supply of goods or services; and

- the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the authority).

48/04. BUS SERVICES SUBSIDIES

(Agenda Item 10E)

The Committee considered a report (TIC10E) which described bus services for which subsidy agreements were due to terminate in July 2004.

Councillor Bradshaw spoke to his comments which were set out in the exempt document "Responses from Members" and which had been circulated with the Addenda sheet. Officers undertook to seek from Stagecoach a formal explanation of the changes in tender prices and report back to the Executive Members for Transport and Sustainable Development on the need for further action along the lines set out in Councillor Bradshaw’s comments.

Councillor Greene concurred and spoke to his comments as set out in the exempt document "Responses from Members" and particularly emphasised the importance of the S178 Didcot – Berinsfield route. He also advised that the timescale for member comment had been very tight and the need for more information.

Councillor Turner spoke to his concerns regarding services S110 and S162 as set out in the exempt document "Responses from Members" document.

Mr Helling advised that there had been very little scope for extending the time available to members for comment but undertook to investigate how improvements could be achieved and also to review the method of delivery of information to members.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note that expenditure on bus subsidies was already almost equal to the funding available for 2004/5, and that savings of perhaps £150,000 a year would need to be sought for the services considered in the report TIC10E in order to make funds available for expected expenditure pressures later in the year;
2. note the comments of Parish and Town Councils and Parish Transport Representatives and others made in response to the consultation exercise as part of the Henley, Wallingford and Didcot review;
3. to agree levels of subsidy for the services described in this report in sections, A, B C, D and E on the basis of the tender prices (and the periods of time) as set out in Exempt Annex 2 subject to:

1. with regard to S160 to ask officers to negotiate with Thames Travel the reinstatement of some of the journeys between Wallingford and Goring Station and to authorise the Executive Members for Transport and Sustainable Development to agree any additional proposals that appeared beneficial;
2. to note that the required capacity for S162 would seem to exclude the use of Social Health Care vehicles;
3. with regard to S176 to note that the subsidy figure as agreed had assumed that no contribution would be forthcoming from the developer and as such represented a worst case scenario;
4. to explore with Thames Travel alternative means of providing S178 and to authorise the Executive Members for Transport and Sustainable Development to agree any additional proposals that appeared beneficial;
5. with regard to S86 to agree an additional Sunday evening service on a one year trial basis;
6. with regard to V132 to note that the agreed level of subsidy had assumed a price of £300 per day and to authorise the Executive Members for Transport and Sustainable Development to agree any increase to that figure;
7. with regard to V33 officers to be asked to:

1. seek a contribution from Harwell IBC;
2. discuss, in the light of the recommendation of the County Council’s Complaints Panel, with Stagecoach whether the 08.52 arrival in Watage on Service 32 (Contract V33) could be advanced to arrive at 08.40 in order to cater for non-entitled school children who attended King Alfred’s School and to undertake research on the effects such as retiming on other passengers;
8. with regard to C8 to award a contract for a 07.00 journey (Monday to Friday only) until June 2005.
4. agree the changes proposed by Oxford Bus Company to the 13 group of services and to surrender prematurely contract PT/O 8 and operate most of the replacement route on a commercial basis as part of the reinstatement of the 10-minute service along Old Marston Rd and Oxford Rd in Marston, whilst withdrawing the lightly used direct link between Old Marston and the John Radcliffe Hospital;
5. to ask officers to make representations to ensure that all operators met the necessary quality standards in providing these services.

in the Chair

Date of signing 2004

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