Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Project Delivery and Environment Manager regarding the Cambridge 20mph Project.

In response to member’s questions the Project Delivery and Environment Manager confirmed the following:

i)                Whilst traffic counts will be undertaken on the current 20mph roads, the whole area will form part of the consultation.

ii)              Agreed to expand the wording with regard to ‘Mill Road’ (page 109 of the agenda pack: Consultation Questionnaire).

iii)             The specific environment of a road determines its suitability for a 20mph zone.

iv)            In the North Area phase of the consultation many respondents suggested the ‘splitting’ of particular roads. In response to these comments we have therefore given this option in the East Area phase.

v)              The views of the previous consultation on Coldhams Lane conducted by Councillor Bourke would not be taken into account. This is a fresh consultation exercise.

vi)            Acknowledged members concerns about ‘split’ roads being more difficult to police. The police however form part of the Project Board and have confirmed that speed limits on ‘split’ roads will be enforced.

vii)          Speed cameras can only be used on roads where there have been fatal accidents. 

viii)         When assessing consultation responses Officers can distinguish between those from ‘inside and those from ‘outside’ the consultation area. It would be a lot more difficult, and time consuming, to distinguish between individual streets – but may be beneficial if the consultation results are particularly close.

ix)            Ditton Lane is a ‘B’ road and under current County Council policy would not be eligible for a 20mph zone.

Members supported the idea of including Ditton Lane in the consultation and the Project Delivery and Environment Manager agreed to discuss this further with the County Council. Councillor Blencowe also agreed to raise this through the Project Board.

Within the Consultation Questionnaire, Cherry Hinton Road is split into 2 sections. Members discussed options for splitting this road into different sections and separate votes were taken on each proposal:

Splitting the road into:

-        3 sections (proposed by Councillor Whitehead and seconded by Councillor Saunders): proposal lost by 4 votes to 8.

-        1 section (proposed by Councillor Kavanagh and seconded by Councillor Owers): proposal lost by 3 votes to 6.

-        2 different sections: Hills Road to Coleridge Road and then Coleridge Road until the end (proposed by Councillor Smart): proposal lost by 3 votes to 10. 

It was therefore agreed that Cherry Hinton Road remain split into the 2 sections specified in the Officer’s report.    

Councillor Johnson suggested holding an additional Consultation Exhibition at East Barnwell Community Centre, but this was not supported by the committee.

Resolved to:

i.                 Note the project programme, and previous approvals from Environment Scrutiny Committee, and to note the proposed consultation area, consultation method, and content for Phase 2;

ii.               Request that the Project Delivery and Environment Manager feedback their comments on the proposed consultation arrangements, as above, to the Executive Councillor for Planning and Climate change (Councillor Tim Ward).

The committee took a break at 9.10pm and returned at 9.20pm.