Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered a report (CMDE4) which focused on enabling works as part of the on-going process to transform Frideswide Square from a busy highway junction into a well-managed entry point to the City together with the results of formal consultation on required amendments to traffic regulation orders (TROs) and conversion of footways.

Councillor Pressel commented that the County Council's overwhelming priority seemed to be to keep motor traffic flowing as fast as possible, with pedestrians and cyclists considered a mere afterthought. Although she did not support shared use she could understand why some people might wish to see cycle lanes on the pavement where there was no alternative but here, in a large new scheme there really was an opportunity to achieve a "modal shift" and there ought to be a way to make the carriageways safe enough so that all cyclists were happy to use them. Pedestrians deserved to enjoy the new pavements without being forced to share them with cyclists, especially where those cyclists were zooming around in all directions.

Councillor Howson stressed the importance of this route for residents in his division and emergency services etc and highlighted:

·                       the importance of light phasing at the Worcester Street junction. This was a 4 way junction with traffic often backed up to Walton Street and St Giles;

·                       the Westgate and Oxpens redevelopment and access by London coaches. Better signposting would be needed to encourage use of Hythe Bridge Street.

Endorsing the earlier comments Councillor Tanner highlighted potential problems for:

·                     cyclist/pedestrian conflict at Becket Street/Osney Lane.

·                     Worcester Street junction where cyclists needed to be discouraged from using pavements and encouraged to use the carriageway to improve safety. For that reason he could not support the recommendation set out in paragraph 31(b).

·                     Worcester Street – need for clear surface marking at proposed pedestrian crossing.

Officers confirmed that the recommendation at 31(b) merely allowed for civil engineering works to be carried out below the surface in order to offset the more expensive option of retro fitting at a future date.  Undertaking that work now did not mean a commitment to future shared use as a legal process would still need to be completed to achieve that. No final decision had been taken with regard to conversion of footway areas to shared use  Pedestrian usage remained a fundamental part of the ethos for this scheme and their needs would be taken fully into account. Lights would be co-ordinated in order to manage traffic flow to the optimum level.

In response to the Cabinet Member officers confirmed that although greater levels of traffic in Becket Street could compromise air quality within that specific area it was expected that levels over the area as a whole would not deteriorate.

Having regard to the arguments and options set out in the documentation before him, the representations made to him and the further considerations set out above the Cabinet Member for Environment confirmed his decision as follows:

(a)             to approve the making of Traffic Regulation Order amendments for Becket Street, Osney Lane, St Thomas Street and Woodbine Place, as advertised and shown in Annex 2 to the report CMDE 4;

(b)             to approve the conversion of footway areas to shared use at the Worcester Street/George Street/Hythe Bridge Street junction, shown in Annex 3 to the report CMDE4 but not its implementation at this time. Monitoring to be undertaken with a view to implementing later should the need arise;

(c)             to approve progression to implementation of the enabling works subject to any specific matters on the detailed design being resolved (including whether any specific provision for blue badge parking could be made in Becket Street and/or Hollybush Row) in consultation with the Deputy Director of Environment & Economy (Commercial) and the Cabinet Member for Environment.