Agenda item

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents raising concerns about road safety in Cherry Lane. In support of the petition, the petitioners spoke of their concerns and suggestions including the following:

·         Cherry Lane was a dangerous road and accidents happened due to road surfaces.

·         There was dual carriage way close by and there was no indication or signs to show that this was dual carriageway. There was also an exit from Crown Plaza which was dangerous due to its location and visibility.

·         Cars travelled at huge speed limits not taking into account people using the roads. Residents, particularly children and elderly were vulnerable.

·         Something needed to be done

·         There was the suggestion of a pedestrian crossing being introduced.

·         There was an accident black spot at the Cherry Lane and Sipson Road junction.

·         The bus shelter did not have enough room for passengers forcing them to wait in this road. This problem had developed since the shelter had been reversed.

·         There had been a serious incident where a resident was taken to hospital.

Councillor June Nelson attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor in support of the petition. She reiterated the view of residents and explained that on the other side of Cherry Lane near the cemetery, there had been cases where cars started spinning causing the fence to be knocked down. Traffic bollards had been put in place with the aim to reduce speeding. She also said that it was difficult for residents to cross the roads as the speed went from 50 to 30 quite quickly. Residents were fed up with the situation.

Councillor Stuart Mathers, Ward Councillor for West Drayton addressed the committee and that speeding was an issue in the area. Also Shepperton Lane had seen a reduction in speed due to recent tragic events and requested the same for the other side of Cherry Lane.   Cars had limited information to reduce speed and often overtook buses. This was dangerous as the bus stop was located in an unsafe place. This also led to a build up of traffic. He suggested moving hotel entrances to increase road safety as it was often the case that cars sped around the corner and then slammed brakes on. He asked for an increase in pedestrian crossings.

Councillor Peter Money attended the meeting and spoke as Ward Councillor in support of the petition. He agreed with all the submission made and said that there was a blind corner in the place and a lack of pedestrian crossings. There was a high risk of accidents and the potential for greater harm.

Councillor Burrows listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. Councillor Burrows questioned when the incident happened when a resident was taken to hospital and it was confirmed that it was some time ago. He noted the investigations undertaken to date and that the bus stops were an arrangement with TFL. He also noted that there had been an access audit report and the bus stop was complying with standards. He noted that the steel sewer cover had been investigated by officers and the cover had now been replaced. He explained that surveys had been commissioned and the data was independently collected and could not be altered. He was satisfied that the speed was accurate and that the traffic surveys showed that speeds had reduced.  and accepted recommendation four. acknowledged the concerns raised regarding the design of the bridge as it was steep. He asked officers to check ownership of the bridge to consider if there were any options that could be taken. He explained that additional traffic surveys could be undertaken and agreed a location with ward councillors, he said that these would need to be chained to the roads.

In considering the matters, Councillors Burrows made the following decisions. 

RESOLVED -

That the Cabinet / Cabinet Member(s):   

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

2.         Noted that the Cherry Lane is a local distributor road but fortunately without a recent major collision history;

3.         Noted the specific concerns listed by petitioners in their petition, and the actions/ investigations undertaken to date, details of which are discussed in the body of this report;

4.         Noted that recent traffic surveys show that prevailing traffic speeds have reduced slightly between the previous surveys in 2014 and 2017;

5.         Noted that a recent accessibility audit reported that the bus stop referenced by petitioners is designed in accordance with current standards, and that any alterations to bus shelters must as always be agreed by Transport for London, who have the responsibility for the majority of local bus stop infrastructure;

6.         Noted that the steel sewer cover reported by petitioners has been investigated by the Council's Highways Team and replaced, subsequent to which there have been no further reports of accidents;

7.         Noted that the police consider the road section in question to be laid out safely and appropriately for its purpose with clear sight lines and safe crossing points;

8.         Asked officers to commission further independent '24/7' traffic surveys at locations to be agreed with petitioners and Ward Members; and 

9.         Asked officers to consider the relevant detail of the petitioners’ testimony, and if appropriate, to discuss these further with the emergency services through the next Traffic Liaison Meeting, and then if deemed appropriate, to undertake further investigation and report back to him.

10.      Asked officers to test current road surface following comments made by the Lead Petitioner.

11.      Asked officers to review the signage within the area following comments made by the Lead Petitioner.

Reason for decision

To give the Cabinet Member the opportunity to discuss with the petitioners their concerns and aspirations.

To investigate in further detail the potential to address the petitioners' concerns.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The options were discussed with the petitioners.