Agenda item

Councillor Allan Kauffman attended the meeting and spoke as a Ward Councillor in support of the petition.  As she was unable to attend the meeting, Councillor Kelly had submitted her comments which were read out by Councillor Burrows. 

Concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·         West End Road was used by residents to access the bus stop, train station and GP surgeries which were on the other side of the road - there were some residents that walked along the road four or five times each day;

·         It was suggested that the footpath was not wide enough for bicycles and pedestrians and some cyclists used both sides of the pavement as there was no deterrent to stop them doing this; 

·         There had been instances where adult cyclists had sworn at and abused pedestrians and the petition organiser had been knocked over and injured by a female cyclist;

·         The current shared arrangement was not thought to be safe and there appeared to be only one sign along the whole length of West End Road; and

·         When the road had been resurfaced, the bollards on the cycle path side had been removed and not replaced.  As a result, the tactile paving had been smashed up and the grass verges had been destroyed as cars drove over them.  Councillor Kauffman had raised this issue with Dalton Cenac who had advised that the bollards could be put in as necessary.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised.  He noted that the problem cyclists were not the smaller children travelling to school but the older children and adults.  Similar shared footway arrangements were in place elsewhere in the Borough and seemed to work well in those areas.  The Cabinet Member asked that officers attend his weekly meeting to confirm that they had visited the site and to provide an update regarding the measures that would be put in place, particularly in relation to the bollards.  The location of the missing bollards would be available on the street file.  The Ward Councillors would be advised of any action that would be taken by the officers.

RESOLVED:  That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling:

1.    met with and listened to the petitioners’ concerns;

2.    noted that the shared cycle/footway arose as a direct consequence of a previous petition from local residents, asking specifically for such provision;

3.    noted that prior to the development of the proposals, it had been established that there was a significant history of accidents between pedal cyclists and other road users in this section of West End Road;

4.    noted that the path surface and drainage had improved significantly as a consequence of the measures;

5.    noted that, of the petitioners supporting the present petition, a clear majority (82%) do not live on West End Road but in adjacent roads;

6.    asked officers to consider the petitioners’ concerns, and if deemed appropriate to undertake further investigation and report back to him; and

7.    requests that officers review this area, in particular the bollards that were removed but not replaced, and report back to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling.

Reasons for recommendations

To give the Cabinet Member the opportunity to discuss in detail the petitioners’ concerns and aspirations. To investigate in further detail the potential to address the petitioners' concerns.

Alternative options considered / risk management 

Options will be discussed with the petitioners.