Minutes

Apologies – Mike Davies, Roxanne de Beau and Anthony French

ACTION: Cllr Tim Moore to confirm his continued membership of the Group.

1. Welcome and introductions.

Cllr Blencowe (KB) described the function of the Group as advisory, intended to inform Committees such as Environment Scrutiny Committee. Regarding bringing any potential agenda items before the Group, Cllrs are recommended to approach CR in the first instance who will discuss the item with KB. The City and County updates on the agenda are standard items.

ACTION: CR to circulate the Steering Group Terms of Reference with the minutes.

2. Notes of the last meeting 25^th February 2016 and matters arising.

Notes agreed.

·       Tins Path signage (CR). The ‘Greenways’ project which includes Tins Path could become a City Deal project and therefore be eligible for significant funding. The path has been earmarked for improvement for some time and is a well-used cycle and pedestrian route.

3. Palmer’s Walk.

JR had circulated the background report in advance. Palmer's Walk links Mill Rd with Bradmore Street. The existing path is 1.2m wide and a proposal to widen the path went out to local consultation in August last year. Views received were split but ultimately the decision was taken to proceed. A local residents' group subsequently raised concerns about the decision which resulted in an ICI investigation. This concluded that the consultation should have been more extensive with alternative options provided. Officers now need to explore if there is still an appetite to consider widening the path. If so,they will need to repeat the consultation process and conduct it more thoroughly this time.

KB remarked that this proposal had originally been raised several years ago at an East Area Committee by a representative of the Petersfield Mansions Residents Association at the time. The path is currently regarded by some  users as not being wide enough to accommodate the different uses and moreover the stretch of grass alongside the path becomes muddy and treacherous in poorer weather. Funding had latterly been found and agreed and a consultation on the proposed widening conducted.

Issues regarding the consultation process were subsequently raised by the current membership of the Petersfield Mansions Residents'Association and referred to the ICI.Points highlighted in the ICI report have been accepted.

There is still a pledge of part-funding from ARU.The general view from ward councillors is that the proposal should still be considered.

JR stressed that should the group decide to proceed with reconsideration of the proposal that it should be within the context of other routes in the area.CR added that although the path is not a signed cycle route,there is no by-law to ban cycling along this popular desire line.

The group agreed that if the project was to be taken forward that local views needed to be reflected and that all points highlighted by the ICI needed to be addressed.

LW addressed the group. She said most people questioned during the survey opposed the widening of the path. There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/8/MCPSG