Agenda and minutes

Councillor Reiner proposed and Councillor Rosenstiel seconded the nomination of Councillor Kightley as Chair. 

 

Councillor Cantrill proposed and Councillor Rosentiel seconded the nomination of Councillor Tucker as Vice Chair. 

 

Resolved (unanimously) that Councillor Kightley be Chair and Councillor Tucker be Vice Chair of West/Central Area Committee for the ensuing year. 

Apologies were received from Councillor Bick and Councillor Reid.

Under paragraph 4.2.1 of the Council Procedure Rules, the Chair used his discretion to alter the order of the agenda items. However, for ease of the reader, these minutes will follow the order of the agenda.

The Chair gave permission for Mr Taylor to film the meeting. It was confirmed that filming would cease if members of the public or speakers expressed a desire not to be filmed.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25^th April 2013

The minutes of the meeting of the 25^th April 2013 were approved as a correct record subject to a correction of the spelling of Susan Stobbs name.

Update on Outstanding Issues:

 

13/25/WCAC: Councillor Reiner confirmed that planning permission had been required for the wind turbine on Midsummer Common. Either the height of the mast would be lowered or an application for retrospective planning permission would be submitted.

 

13/41/WCAC: Over ranking of taxi rank in St Andrew’s Street. County Councillor Whitebread had agreed to investigate the County Council plans for the area. County Councillor Cearns agreed to report back on this matter at the next meeting.

Action

The Committee agreed concerned that Police action would be needed in the area until a long term solution was found. Councillor Kightley agreed to write to the Chief of Police to request police action as the area was a serious safety concern for cyclists and pedestrians.

Action

(Q1) Bev Nicholson

Why was the location of cycle racks in Castle Street selected when there appeared to be better options?

 

Councillor Ward (as Executive Councillor) responded. The item was on the agenda to encourage people to make that sort of comment using the consultation process.

 

(Q2) Richard Taylor

Can the West Central Area Committee have a direct link to the Shape Your Place website? This would allow concerns raised to be addressed at this meeting.

 

Councillor Rosenstiel suggested that this might not be practical as it would be difficult to identify who should respond to issues raised.

 

(Q3) Tim Brown

The paths across Queen’s Green are impossible to use after rain. How advanced are the plans to make them into a cycle route from West Road and to give them a hard surface.

 

Councillor Cantrill responded. Discussions were on-going with Cambridge University regarding this matter. The route was still being debated as concerns had been raised about the narrowing of Grange Road, the volume of cycles using Silver Street and a possible new route.

Councillor Smith remembered this plan being approved in 2010.

The Asset Manager agreed to investigate a short term repair while the long term solutions was finalised.

Action

(Q4) Hugh Kellett

It has been three years since the 20mph limit was introduced for Newmarket Road / Maids Causeway. The surface strips at the entrance of the area are still not in place.

 

The Project Delivery and Environment Manager gave an update on this matter. Balfour Beatty would need to make the changes and, before this could happen, they would need to give 3 month’s notice in order to close the road. It was expected that this work would be completed very soon.

 

(Q5) Richard Jennings

Mill Road pavements are being damaged by City Council owned vehicles. When would driver of these vehicles be instructed to keep off the pavements?

 

Members of the Committee agreed that this was unacceptable. It was agreed that the Chair would write to Head of Streets and Open Spaces (cc Chief Exec).

Action

Councillor Smith suggested that action was also needed in the Market Square to encourage market traders to keep off the pavements. 

 

(Q6) Susan Stobbs (Friends of Midsummer Common)

Is there any progress regarding improvements to the gates to the Midsummer Common Orchard?

 

Councillor Reiner stated that the Head of Streets and Open Spaces was looking into this and improvements would be made.

The Asset Manager stated that there were two projects for the Orchard and that both had funding allocated. It was hoped that the work would be completed shortly.

 

Susan Stobbs

The gate from the Orchard to the Common is dangerous and in need of urgent attention.

 

The Asset Manager agreed to repair the gate

 

(Q7) Richard Lawton

Why have the results of the consultation regarding the lighting on Parker’s Piece have not been published?

 

It was confirmed that the results would be available on the website in the near future. The consultation had demonstrated that lighting would be welcomed but that the designs offered were not acceptable.

 

(Q8) Councillor Cantrill on behalf of residents of Lammas Field.

Residents of Lammas  Field had asked for assistance as their street lighting had not been working for 9 months. The lighting was the responsibility of their landlord Metropolitan Housing.

 

Contacting the Housing Ombudsman was suggested as a solution. The Chair agreed to write to Metropolitan Housing to ask them to rectify the situation.

Action

The Committee received a report from the Asset Manager regarding bench improvements. 

 

Dick Baxter

Dick Baxter circulated a map highlighting the locations and condition of benches in the Midsummer Common area. He stated that in 2010, the need for new benches to the riverside area had been identified together with repair needs to several other benches. This work had never been delivered. The locations suggested in the current proposal are not in line with the previous plan. The current proposal places some benches in the open areas of the Common; this has always been considered undesirable.  The 2010 plan proposed renovating and moving of some attractive older benches from Victoria Avenue to the Orchard Area. If this plan could be reconsidered, volunteers were willing to complete the renovations. Ownership of the benches appears to be unknown.

 

The Asset Manager thanked Mr Baxter for his comments. He stated that use of S106 funding was restricted to additional provision. However, other funding could be available for repair work.

 

Anthony Bowen

The consultation on locations does not appear to have included relevant Resident’s Association or the Jesus Green Association.

 

Councillor Smith agreed with Mr Bowen and stated that due to the sensitive locations under discussion, consultation needed to be as wide as possible.

 

Susan Stobbs

As current Chair of the Friends of Midsummer Summer Common reminded the Committee that the Orchard was not part of the 2010 plan.

 

The Committee made the following comments:

       i.          Benches in Penarth Place could be delivered alongside the playground renovation.

     ii.          Benches in the plan but outside the West Central Area should be deleted.

   iii.          Jesus Green Association, Christ’s Pieces Resident’s Association and Ward Councillors should be fully consulted about plans for Jesus Green.

   iv.          Assurances were sought that the anti-social behaviour team had been consulted about the proposed bench locations as benches had caused problems in the past.

    v.          Jesus Green play area improvement plan includes additional benches.

 

The Committee decided to consider the recommendations drawing by drawing as included in the Officers report. Recommendation b was withdrawn.

 

Resolved (unanimously)

 

Drawing 1

Midsummer Common by Orchard  

Midsummer Common

Jesus Green

 

Decision: Deferred for further consultation

 

Drawing 2

Christ’s Piece’s

 

Decision: Deferred for further consultation

 

Drawing 3

Coe Fen

Laundress Green

 

Decision: Approved subject to the removal of bench 19.

 

Drawing 4

Paradise

Lammas Land by Newnham Road

New Bitt

 

Decision: Approved with the proviso that Newnham councillors will approve the design of benches for Paradise (Nature Reserve)

 

Drawing 5

Queens’ Green

 

Decision: Approved

 

Drawing 6

Penarth Place

 

Decision: Approved (to be delivered in conjunction with playground improvements)

 

Drawing 7

Shelly Road play area

 

Decision: Approved.

The Committee received a report from the Project Delivery and Environment Manager regarding City Centre Cycle Parking.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report.

 

       i.          Councillor Rosenstiel was concerned that the Taxi rank in the Market Square was not clearly marked. He agreed to draft a letter to the County Council requesting action. The Chair would then sign the letter on behalf of the West Central Area Committee.

 Action

     ii.          The City Council should lead by example and improve cycle parking at the Customer Access Centre.

   iii.          Concerns were raised that the new cycle racks would be vulnerable to damage by cars. The Officer confirmed that this had been considered and addressed in the design stage. Footpaths would be widened and, where necessary, bollards installed.

   iv.          Some members were concerned that there was no representative of Market Ward on the Project Board. Councillor Ward confirmed that the Project Board was an operational body. All decisions would be made at either West Central Area Committee or the Environment Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Kightley (as Chair of West Central) delegated the liaison role for this project to Councillor Reiner.

    v.          The design merits of the various cycle racks were discussed and the Officer explained that the most appropriate rack would be selected according to the location.

   vi.          Councillor Cantrill expressed concern that the consultation period of the summer months, would result in no feedback from students.

 

Members of the public made the following comments:

 

Susan Stobbs

Consulting over the summer period could also limit overall response rates as families are likely to be on holiday. Ms Stobbs also expressed support for higher density racks.

 

Robin Hayden – Cambridge Cycle Campaign

Cycle parking appears to be encroaching onto green spaces. Could more car parking spaces be used instead?

 

Officers stated that the proposal was to reconfigure the existing space which would result in some loss of green space. Car parking bays were controlled by the County Council.

 

Gregg Spiers

All cycle racks are eyesores and need to justify their existence.

 

Councillor Ward thanked the Committee and members of the public for their comments. He summed up the drivers behind the project as being: the current shortage of cycle parking, additional housing planned for the area generating an increased need, the need to promote cycling as a lifestyle choice, and the expected lost parking spaces while Park Street Car Park is updated. The consultation was important and he asked the officers to investigate extending the consultation period.

Action

 

Resolved (unanimously):

 

       i.          To support the proposed on-street measures contained within

The Officer’s report for further consultation with the public and key stakeholders.

     ii.          To provide any specific comments on the proposed locations.

   iii.          To support the planned consultation activities detailed within

the Officer’s report.