Draft Minutes
Minutes of a meeting of the HIGHWAYS SUB-COMMITTEE held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 24th April 2024 in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
PRESENT Cllr G Sell (Chair), Cllrs M Caton, A Khan, P Jones, J O’Brien and co-opted member Katherine Playle
ATTENDING Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk Mrs Emma Philbrick – Deputy Clerk, Cllrs A Barnes (Zoom) & T van de Bilt, Cty Cllr Ray Gooding, 1 member of the press, 3 members of the public (2 via Zoom)
536 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Prior – Holiday.
RESOLVED To accept the apologies for absence from Cllr Prior.
537 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
538 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 14TH FEBRUARY 2024
RESOLVED To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14th February 2024 as a true and accurate account.
539 TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON ACTION POINTS
442 – Office to send a formal request to Cllr Neil Hargreaves to carry out a configuration and capacity survey on Lower Street Car Park – Done and response received. He advised that it was done in 2022 but Cllr Hargreaves would welcome any further comments from the Parish Council. After discussions it was agreed that the Parish Council would try to arrange a 3-way meeting between themselves, the Goldsmiths and Sarah Lewin – UDC Officer
442 – Respond to consultation re electric vehicle charging points – Done.
443 – Put forward a scheme to the LHP for a viability study on Foresthall Park – Application submitted
443 – Put forward a scheme to the LHP for a viability study on Mountfitchet Green – Application submitted
443 – Cllr Gooding to set a date for Cllr Cunningham to attend a meeting – Still awaiting a response. It was agreed that the office would write to Cllr Kevin Bentley regarding the lack of response copying in Cllr Gooding and MP Kemi Badenoch.
444 – Ask Cllr O’Brien to look at licences granted – Asked and cannot take this on.
445 – Clerk to submit a formal request to replace the chicanes on Church Road – Done by Cty Cllr Ray Gooding.
446 – Apply for village gateway markers – Application submitted
448 – Cllr Gooding to speak to Deputy Cabinet Member – Awaiting update. Cllr Jones pointed out that it is 15 months since he and Cllr O’Brien met with Annette Thornton and they have not had any response since. The Clerk has chased on many occasions, so it was agreed to now go to the Chief Executive.
448 – Clerk to send draft Highways update to Cllr Gooding to finish the piece on Grove Hill – Sent to Cllr Gooding and awaiting update.
448 – Cllr Gooding to keep the Parish Council updated on progress of projects to remove HGV’s from Grove Hill and other routes in Stansted – Cllr Gooding has reported that the outcome of the survey will go to the LHP Chairs’ Committee prior to further consultation with surrounding villages.
448 – Cllr Gooding to advise the date of the next LHP meeting – Done and Cllr Sell attended the meeting.
448 – Write to the Chair of NEPP, Cllr Dan Land ref 75% support policy – Done and the response received was circulated to members ahead of the meeting. The Clerk gave a brief overview of the response.
County Councillor Gooding arrived at the meeting
540 TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR, CLLR GEOFFREY SELL
He attended the Local Highways Panel and put the case forward for all Stansted projects. He was disappointed with how the meeting went and didn’t feel confident about the points he was making.
301 Bus Service – Are there any updates from the County Council? The Local Plan is hopefully progressing, and it requires more sustainability so more and better bus services are needed.
He gave thanks to Essex County Council as when he used the service from Saffron Walden to Stansted earlier in the week, there was no charge to any passengers.
541 TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR RAY GOODING ON HIGHWAYS PROJECTS FOR STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET
The Chair gave permission for a resident attending the meeting to question Cllr Gooding regarding the water leak on Grove Hill which is affecting her property and others. He gave an update on what has happened so far and that his “Highways buddy” will be attending site next week. After this visit he hopes that repair work will be scheduled, or further investigation work will be arranged. Cllr Sell pointed out that there has never been any history of this kind of issue before so it must be something new. Cllr Jones asked if the drains could be cleared to see if that fixes the issue and if it doesn’t then there must be another issue which would need to be investigated. The Clerk informed Cty Cllr Gooding that another resident had been in touch and can see large lumps of tarmac in the drains so jet washing them is not enough and they need a proper clean to remove this. Cllr Khan asked for a timescale of works once the visit takes place next week. Cty Cllr Gooding would expect to have confirmation of what work will take place by the end of next week.
With regard to the meeting with Cllr Cunningham, discussions have taken place but there are no plans in place to attend any meeting yet. We are not unique in our complaint.
Cllr Gooding has gone through different officers to try and get answers with regards to the S106 but has so far not received any response. It has been 10 days so he will chase again at the end of next week. The Clerk advised that she has been chasing regularly also. He agreed to communicate with the office on any progress he makes.
Cllr Jones asked if Cllr Gooding could check that the developers cannot take back any outstanding monies from the Foresthall Highways fund.
Local Highways Panel – he takes Cllr Sell’s point about how the meeting went. The idea was an attempt to open the meeting up but is aware it didn’t go to plan and is aware that the presentation from Cllr Sell didn’t go as well as they had both hoped.
He will try the process again and explained that Cllr Cunningham has set up another level with the new Chairs’ meeting, which has £2m to share across the County. The first meeting is taking place in a couple of weeks and he will let us know the outcome. It will be a difficult meeting as there will be 12 chairs all trying to get a share of the funding which will not go far. Katherine Playle asked why another level has been set up and he said it was because schemes were taking too long to deliver and the old system wasn’t working.
Cllr Gooding gave an update on the issue with the bus service.
The scheme for traffic to be diverted away from Walson Way and down Forest Hall Road instead has been taken on board by the Local Highways Panel and will hopefully get support. The zebra crossing by Forest Hall School is in validation and the crossing on Silver Street has been designed and is now awaiting confirmation as to whether it will get the funding. If it does, then it should be in place in the next 12 months. Pv2 analysis is to be undertaken for the two new crossings on Walson Way.
Cllr Khan asked again as to whether Essex County Council are able to provide a timetable for pothole repairs. Cllr Gooding advised that the member scheme previously did not work for him. A new scheme has been brought forward and will make a team available to each councillor for 1 week every 8 weeks. He will be making a list of the priorities based on work not previously done.
Cllr Sell asked if Cllr Cunningham supports the scheme to ban HGVs from Grove Hill and the centre of Stansted as this was originally supported by Cllr Kevin Bentley. Cllr Gooding explained that he is less aware but that the outcome of the study which took place is not helpful to Stansted. It will also not help just to push the problem somewhere else. A solution is needed instead.
Cllr Jones voiced his bemusement as it is not a complex scheme and there is only one alternative route. We can accept that this might be a worse option but it appears that the chances of the scheme proceeding are minimal and that the data appears not to favour Stansted. He urged Cllr Gooding to let the Parish Council and residents have the truth on the likelihood. We will not be happy and will need to have a think about how we re-group but it is better than having no updates at all. Cllr Gooding advised that a Chair’s meeting is scheduled, and he will update everyone with the outcome. Katherine Playle questioned why vehicles cannot be diverted down the roads owned by the MAG group when their vehicles will be using the local roads to deliver to their new warehouses! Cllr Khan asked if the survey would be repeated at a different time to compare results. It is unlikely and would only be done if the results were on the cusp which does not appear to be the case.
542 TO RECEIVE REPORTS ON
- a) S106 PROJECTS – covered above. Cllr Jones referred to the scheme to widen sections of the footway up Church Road – he believed that the landowners would be open to discussions and this opportunity should not be missed.
- b) UTTLESFORD LOCAL HIGHWAYS PANEL PROJECTS SUBMITTED
Covered above. The Clerk asked Cllr Gooding whether there would be any improvement in the administration of the scheme as Parish and Town Councils are not given any information following submission of their schemes to their county member. Cllr Gooding has raised this point.
- c) NORTH ESSEX PARKING PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS SUBMITTED
All of the these were covered in the agenda items above.
Meeting closed at 8.44pm
ACTION POINTS
539 Office to try to arrange a 3-way meeting with the Goldsmiths and Sarah Lewin – UDC
539 Office to write to Kevin Bentley regarding lack of response from Cllr Cunningham
539 Office to write to the Chief Executive regarding lack of response
541 Cllr Gooding to give update on the water leak on Grove Hill after site visit
541 Cllr Gooding to chase update regarding S106 and to check that the developers cannot take back any outstanding monies from the Foresthall Highways fund.
541 Cllr Gooding to update after the new ULHP Chairs’ meeting.
541 Cllr Gooding to give an update on banning HGV’s from Grove Hill after Chair’s meeting.
Agenda
Members of the Council you are hereby summoned, and members of the public and press are hereby invited to attend a meeting of the HIGHWAYS SUB-COMMITTEE which will be held on Wednesday 24th April 2024 at 7.30pm in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
1 To receive apologies for absence
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14th February 2024
4 To receive an update on action points – see attached report
5 To receive a report from the Chair, Cllr Geoffrey Sell
6 To receive an update from County Councillor Ray Gooding on highways projects for Stansted Mountfitchet
7 To receive reports on
- a) S106 projects submitted
- b) Uttlesford Local Highways Panel projects submitted
- c) North Essex Parking Partnership projects submitted
Parish Clerk 18th April 2024
Any intention to record, film or take photographs during a meeting must be notified to the Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.