Agenda, decisions and minutes
Venue: Committee Rooms 1, 2 and 3, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD. View directions
Contact: Joe Kwateng, Democratic Services Officer 020 8937 1354, Email: joe.kwateng@brent.gov.uk
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Declarations of personal and prejudicial interests Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda. Decision: None. Minutes: None. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 100 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 February 2013 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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Matters arising Minutes: Scrubbs Lane Bridge
Members sought an update on the strengthening of Scrubbs Lane bridge. Paul Chandler, Head of Transportation responded that the London Bridge Engineering Group (LoBEG), were currently reviewing priorities and that the scheme may potentially be included in a future programme. He noted that Network Rail railway line possession lead times could take years so there was unlikely to be a short to medium term solution even if the strengthening work was prioritised. |
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Deputations Minutes: Harlesden Town Centre
Mr David O’Shea on behalf of Brent Association Disabled People (BADP) stated that despite two meetings held between representatives of BADP and Officers, BADP felt that their concerns had not been addressed. He added that pavements and roads were still a danger to pedestrian safety as cars could easily mount over the 25mm distance between roads and pavements. Mr O’Shea continued that examples submitted by officers of Oxford Street were not comparable to the problems likely to be faced by disabled persons in the Harlesden area, suggesting as an alternative comparison with the Lambeth area where a 20 mph speed limit was in operation.
Kilburn and Queens Park CPZ, KD.
Mr David Evans, on behalf of the Queens Park Area Residents’ Association welcomed the allocation of funds for the review and consultation on the removal of Bank Holiday restrictions in the KD controlled parking zone. He urged officers to carry out the review as efficiently as possible.
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Parking and waiting restrictions review programme 2013-14 PDF 229 KB This report informs and seeks the approval of the Committee to deliver a parking and waiting restrictions review programme during 2013/14 utilising Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funds allocated during that financial year for amendments to loading and waiting restrictions. Decision: (i) that the proposed parking and waiting restrictions review programme for 2013/14 be approved.
(ii) that a 2013/14 LIP capital funding allocation of £60,000 be used to investigate and amend parking and waiting restrictions listed in the programme.
(iii) that the £60,000 budget be allocated as follows; · £40,000 to investigate and implement short sections of waiting and loading restrictions (SSWR) borough wide; and · £20,000 to review parking waiting and loading restrictions in controlled parking zone areas.
(iv) that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Transportation to consider objections and representations to statutory and other consultations undertaken on schemes within the works programme, to report back to the Committee if those objections are substantial, but otherwise to implement the schemes with minor modifications, if appropriate. Minutes: The report from the Head of Transportation sought the approval of the Committee to deliver a programme of parking and waiting restriction reviews during 2013/14 utilising Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funds allocated during that financial year. Paul Chandler, Head of Transportation advised the Committee that the Council had secured an infrastructure improvement fund of £60,000 for “site specific waiting and loading restriction reviews”. He clarified that the fund was for the purpose of investigating the need for, and delivering where appropriate, new or existing waiting and loading restrictions where problems had been identified.
He sought members’ approval to the proposal to allocate 33% of the fund (£20,000), for reviewing parking related schemes within CPZ areas, with the remaining 66%, (£40,000) being used to investigate and implement site-specific changes to parking and loading restrictions. He continued that initially, £9,000 would be spent on investigation and consultation and £11,000 would then be available to implement one or more of the proposed zone changes, subject to consultation outcomes and budget estimates for required Traffic Management Order (TMO) changes and physical works (signage changes).
RESOLVED:
(i) that the proposed parking and waiting restrictions review programme for 2013/14 be approved.
(ii) that a 2013/14 LIP capital funding allocation of £60,000 be used to investigate and amend parking and waiting restrictions listed in the programme.
(iii) that the £60,000 budget be allocated as follows; · £40,000 to investigate and implement short sections of waiting and loading restrictions (SSWR) borough wide; and · £20,000 to review parking waiting and loading restrictions in controlled parking zone areas.
(iv) that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Transportation to consider objections and representations to statutory and other consultations undertaken on schemes within the works programme, to report back to the Committee if those objections are substantial, but otherwise to implement the schemes with minor modifications, if appropriate. |
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Harlesden town centre - major scheme project update PDF 328 KB At the Highways Committee in March 2012, members approved the preferred option for the scheme in Harlesden Town Centre, subject to further consultation with disability groups on the detailed design. This report sets out the outcomes of further investigations undertaken during the detailed design phase, including an accessibility review and further consultation, audit and accessibility workshops with disability groups. The report also considers the provision of a pedestrian phase at the Station Road/Tubbs Road signalised junction. Decision: (i) that the progress on developing the Harlesden Town Centre scheme be noted;
(ii) that the amendments to the scheme set out in paragraph 7.1 of the report following the initial detailed design phase and as a result of the outcomes of an accessibility audit and workshops with disability groups be noted;
(iii) that the introduction of a pedestrian phase at the Station Road/Tubbs Road junction should not proceed with;
(iv) that regular update meetings be undertaken with ward councillors during the implementation phase of the project to keep them informed of its progress. Minutes: Members considered a progress report on the Harlesden Town Centre Scheme including outcomes of the accessibility audit and the provision of a pedestrian phase at the Station Road/Tubbs Road signalised junction.
Paul Chandler, Head of Transportation reported that an accessibility audit had been carried out by an independent accessibility consultant, and that two workshops had been held with local disability groups. A summary of the outcomes was attached as appendices to the report. He continued that one of the main concerns from the blind and partially sighted groups during the consultation related to the provision of a flush (flat) surface in the semi pedestrianised area, with no raised kerb provided between vehicular and pedestrian areas.
The Head of Transportation continued that in view of the positive feedback received from disability groups regarding a 50mm height kerbs in schemes around the country, the design team proposed to introduce a 50mm high kerb. This was considered to be a reasonable compromise between the aspirations of the scheme to provide the feel of a shared space area and the needs of the disability groups.
He then reported on detailed design issues relating to Tubbs Road/Station Road junction and concluded that the significant increases in traffic queues that were predicted on an already over saturated junction coupled with the fact that there had been no collisions involving pedestrians in the last 3 years meant that a pedestrian phase could not be justified at this location. He therefore recommended the retention of the existing traffic signals.
In welcoming the report, most members agreed that the proposal to introduce a 50mm high kerb was a reasonable compromise and that the recommendation to retain the existing traffic signals in Tubbs Road/Station Road junction would prevent significant increases in traffic queues. Councillor Long wondered how enforcement of loading and unloading provisions would be carried out in a pedestrianized zone. She also felt that a kerb height of 60mm would have been satisfactory for guide dogs for the blind and enquired as to when the equality impact assessment would be made available.
The Head of Transportation clarified that private motor vehicles would not be allowed in the pedestrianized area and that camera enforcement would be applied. He added that the equality impact assessment would be completed following the completion of the design process.
RESOLVED:
(i) that the progress on developing the Harlesden Town Centre scheme be noted;
(ii) that the amendments to the scheme set out in paragraph 7.1 of the report following the initial detailed design phase and as a result of the outcomes of an accessibility audit and workshops with disability groups be noted;
(iii) that the introduction of a pedestrian phase at the Station Road/Tubbs Road junction should not proceed with;
(iv) that regular update meetings be undertaken with ward councillors during the implementation phase of the project to keep them informed of its progress.
Note: Councillor Long asked that her dissent against the above decisions (i-iii) be recorded. |
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Transportation capital schemes programme 20013/14 PDF 173 KB This report advises members of the Highways Committee of the decision of the Executive on the 11 February to approve the 2013-14 capital schemes programme of £3.5 million to maintain and improve the highway network. Additional documents: Decision: that the decision by the Executive to approve the Brent funded highways capital programme for 2013/14 of £3.5 million as set out in appendices to the report from the Head of Transportation be noted. Minutes: The Committee received a report which informed of the Executive decision to approve the 2013-14 capital schemes programme and how Brent’s capital budget of £3.5million should be allocated through a prioritised programme.
Paul Chandler, Head of Transportation, clarified that the prioritised programme would involve major footway improvements (long section) of £1.525m (44%); footway improvements (short sections) of £150,000 (4%) and public realm improvements £125,000 being 3% of the budget provisions. In addition to the above, he recommended £1.6million to be allocated on carriageways as follows; £1.3 million (37%) to improve the condition of the unclassified network; £150k (4%) be allocated for Class B and C road improvements and a further £150k (4%) to resurface shorter sections of road throughout the Borough where there are on-going maintenance requirements identified by highway safety inspectors. Members heard that in order to improve the condition of Brent’s A Roads, Transport for London (TfL) had allocated £724.000, which was prioritised on the basis of a London-wide condition survey.
RESOLVED:
that the decision by the Executive to approve the Brent funded highways capital programme for 2013/14 of £3.5 million as set out in appendices to the report from the Head of Transportation be noted. |
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Any Other Urgent Business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services Manager or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 64. Minutes: Councillor Lincoln Beswick
Councillor Beswick informed the Committee that this was his last meeting of the Highways Committee as he would not be a member of the Executive as from municipal year 2013-14.
On behalf of the Committee, the Chair expressed appreciation for Councillor Beswick’s long service as a key member of the Executive and Highways Committee. |
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Date of Next Meeting The date of next meeting of the Highways Committee will be confirmed at the Annual Council meeting in May 2013. Minutes: The date of next meeting will be confirmed after the Council’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, 15 May 2013. |