Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by email indicating the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case 6 November 2020). Enquiries can be made through the telephone number/email address below.
Minutes:
The Chairman reported that five members of the public had asked to speak and that their submissions had been circulated to the Panel in advance of the Meeting.
A summary of the key points from the participants was as follows:
Chris Cooke
· Mr Cooke referred to a recent Cabinet Meeting, where Cllr Amos, the Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Highways, had suggested that tackling traffic congestion was a priority for the Council
· Mr Cooke suggested that building new roads and widening others had not only an environmental impact, but also presented more of a danger to road users
· Reference was made to the LTP4 suggesting that it was a key opportunity to tackle congestion and small shifts from single occupancy car use to walking, cycling and passenger transport could deliver significant improvements to traffic flow and wider benefits. The measures the Council had put in place was questioned.
· In addition, students should be encouraged to walk or cycle to school, however, only when safe to do so. Therefore, widening footways, restricting vehicles near schools at the start and end of the school day and reducing speed limits should be considered.
Danny Brothwell
· Mr Brothwell asked whether Councillors had reviewed the central government Local Transport Note LTN 1/20, which outlined cycle infrastructure design, published in July 2020
· It was questioned what the Council’s plan for implementing the design requirements was and whether the Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) was to be reviewed in light of the Note
· Was the Council considering ‘School Streets’?
· LTP4 made numerous references to ‘active travel’ and ‘modal shift’. What was the Council doing to encourage active travel?
· Would the Council consider introducing a dedicated Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Active Travel?
· There was an increase in active travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and counters show that during October 2020, rates for walking and cycling at Diglis Bridge (Worcester) remained 33% higher than a usual October. What attempt had there been to maintain this increase?
· Does the Council really want a reduction in car use and an increase in active travel?
Andy Lyon
· Mr Lyon referred to the Council’s support of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) target of a 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
· Would the Council quantify the Worcestershire-wide greenhouse gas emission increases or reductions that would result from its transport policies, including road expansion and active travel?
Clive Prince
· Mr Prince asked whether the Council was aware that Sustrans had declassified the part of National Cycle Route 45 between Stourport High School and Burlish Top Nature Reserve, as under its ‘Paths for Everyone’ initiative, the road was deemed unsafe for active travel?
· Therefore, a suitable active travel corridor was required to ensure safe passage between Bewdley and Stourport
· Could the County Council work in partnership with Wyre Forest District Council to establish an appropriate multi-user corridor, which would support economic, environmental and public health objectives?
David Whiting
· Mr Whiting referred to a previous Scrutiny Panel meeting, where Members considered the Council’s Net Zero Carbon Plan, specifically that the Council would consider the environmental impact of all future Council projects
· The Economy and Infrastructure Directorate Dashboard did not seem to reflect this commitment yet, therefore, was the Council taking the matter seriously and was the Panel being appropriately updated?
The Chairman thanked all participants for their interest and stated that if during the relevant discussion their questions were not answered then a written response would be provided by Directorate Officers.