MINUTES
Minutes of a meeting of the Highways Sub-Committee held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 2 June 2021. This was an in-person meeting with the public attending via the Zoom platform.
PRESENT Cllr G Sell (Chairman), Cllrs M Caton, A Khan and J O’Brien, Peter Jones and Raymond Woodcock
ATTENDING Mrs Ruth Clifford – Clerk
Cty Cllr Ray Gooding
2 members of the public
63 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – Cllrs M Jessup and F Richards
64 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
65 TO RECEIVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 9th SEPTEMBER 2020
RESOLVED To accept the minutes of the meeting held on 9th September 2020 as a true and accurate account
66 MATTERS ARISING
367 (131) Mr Woodcock queried whether there had been any progress with regard to SatNavs – this would be raised with Cty Cllr Gooding.
368 – Mr Woodcock asked if there had been any progress with regard to the projects submitted to the Uttlesford Local Highway Panel. The Clerk outlined the position to date – the application for an additional area of No Waiting at any Time on Lower Street, adjacent to the Brook, needs to be submitted again to the North Essex Parking Partnership as part of a longer list. Cllr Sell agreed to chase up the other submissions at the next meeting of the Panel.
Cty Cllr Gooding joined the meeting.
67 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT – nothing to report.
68 GROVE HILL
The Chairman thanked a Grove Hill resident for the continued supply of evidence that HGV drivers are flouting the weight restriction, and referred to the list of items under discussion with Essex Highways.
Cty Cllr Gooding reported that the new Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure is Cllr Lee Scott. He has already met with him and had conversations with him regarding highway issues in the area generally but Grove Hill in particular and he has agreed to come on a site visit.
Cty Cllr Gooding stated that he has met with Vicky Presland, one of the Highways officers, to discuss the reversal of the weight restriction such that it would be in place coming downhill on a trial basis and, hopefully in the longer term, in both directions. The legislation to allow enforcement via CCTV has only just gone through Parliament so it will take some time to implement. With a number of feeder routes into Lower Street, it is considered easier to monitor the system down the hill rather than up. Designs will be drawn up and need to be discussed with others, particularly Elsenham Parish Council who have already expressed concerns about the impact on their community.
Turning to the traffic cones which have been placed up the hill to protect the pavement, Cty Cllr Gooding is getting a lot of pushback on these as they are unlawful – he is resisting hard on any intervention but cannot promise that they won’t be removed by Essex Highways.
In response to the Chairman, Cty Cllr Gooding considered it necessary that Cllr Scott should meet some of the residents of Grove Hill and also a representative of the Parish Council. If an appeal is to be submitted to, and ultimately decided by, Cllr Scott, then he will need to visit the site anyway.
Mr Woodcock questioned the existing bollards on the eastern side at the bottom of Grove Hill and stated that they do not comply with the Essex Highways 45cm rule. Cty Cllr Gooding stated that the 45cm is a minimum – bollards can be placed at a greater distance from the kerbside as long as compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) is maintained. Essex Highways will not sanction anything that does not comply with the DDA and this is why many of the bollards proposed for Grove Hill are not permissible.
Peter Jones asked whether enforcement of the weight restriction could be undertaken with photographic evidence of the date and the registration number? Cty Cllr Gooding said he would raise this with Weights and Measures who are responsible for the enforcement but he knows that currently they really only enforce infringements over weak structures.
In response to a query from Cllr Khan, Cty Cllr Gooding stated that he felt that Cllr Scott would be hands on and we have plenty of evidence that the current situation on Grove Hill just does not work. Consultation on the weight restriction switch would form part of the basic package prepared by Essex Highways but discussions in advance with Elsenham PC would be helpful.
69 GYPSY LANE
The Chairman reported that he had been contacted by a resident following a recent accident at the junction of Gypsy Lane with the B1383. Discussion took place around when the right-turn lane had been removed and Mr Woodcock asked Cty Cllr Gooding if he would be able to get the original drawings; Cllr Sell asked if it was possible to get the accident data – the Clerk agreed to request from Essex Police.
70 HARGRAVE MEWS
The Chairman reminded members that the subject of egress from this road onto the B1383 had been raised before. Essex Highways no longer supply mirrors to aid drivers when sight-lines are obscured and any proposal for waiting restrictions to prevent parking would require consultation. It was agreed to add this to the list for NEPP. Mr Woodcock stated that similar issues are being experienced at the site of the former Three Colts pub further along the road.
71 AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING
The Clerk stated that the Council had been contacted by residents who had experienced flooding in or near to their homes in Church Road, Old Bell Close, Hargrave Close and Coltsfield. Cty Cllr Gooding reported that, particularly in Old Bell Close, there appeared to be significant ground water issues so he has spoken to Glenn Shaw, the Flood Defence Officer to have a look.
Peter Jones stressed the need to sort out Church Road urgently where the water collects in the buildouts and comes off the fields, across the road and blocks up the drains. The Chairman agreed that this should be put forward to Annette Thornton. The Clerk reminded Cty Cllr Gooding that he was going to arrange a multi-agency meeting to try to work out why some of these properties are flooding and what remedial action can be taken and by whom.
72 UPDATE ON S.106 PROJECTS
The Clerk referred to the email received from Annette Thornton which stated that no further action would be taken in regard to the build-outs in Church Road, despite some of the comments made during the safety audit. The Clerk was asked to establish how much is left in the S.106 fund and to seek confirmation that this money is secure and cannot be recalled by the developers.
73 PROJECTS SUBMITTED TO THE UTTLESFORD LOCAL HIGHWAY PANEL – already covered
74 PARKING RESTRICTIONS AT BAYFORD WAY
The Clerk reminded members that a request had been received, prior to Lockdown 1, to consider further waiting restrictions in the vicinity of Newell Road; a further request has now been received for Bayford Way at its junction with Bentley Drive. It was agreed that the Clerk and Cllr O’Brien would work to plot these on a plan for submission to the NEPP.
75 TO RECONSIDER A 20MPH SPEED LIMIT FOR FORESTHALL PARK
Again, prior to Lockdown 1, the sub-committee was going to consult residents on proposals for a 20mph zone on Foresthall Park. The Clerk asked if this was still the wish of members? After discussion it was agreed that a consultation should be held via our own social media pages and to seek support from the NhW Co-ordinator at FHP. Cllr Khan stated his desire to see 20mph zones across Stansted, so perhaps this could be treated as a trial to see how it is received?
76 REQUEST TO ESSEX HIGHWAYS REGARDING CLOSURE OF A SECTION OF PENNINGTON LANE
Peter Jones spoke to support this suggestion which has come following discussions at the SSV group preparing appeal documents relating to the Bloor Homes proposal. It is intended to include this proposal, subject to Full Council approval, as part of the draft Neighbourhood Development Plan which it is hoped will be submitted during the appeal as part of the evidence documents.
Having been proposed by Cllr Sell and seconded by Cllr Caton, it was unanimously
RECOMMENDED that the Full Council agree to request the closure of Pennington Lane from its junction with Rainsford Road, going northwards to the junction with the B1383. Access for emergency services, landowners and residents to be maintained.
Meeting closed 8.09pm
ACTION POINTS
- 66 – Cllr Sell to follow up on projects submitted to the ULHP
- 68 – Cty Cllr Gooding to arrange visit by Cllr Lee Scott
- 68 – Cty Cllr Gooding to discuss enforcement with Weights and Measures
- 69 – Clerk to try to obtain accident data for junction of Gypsy Lane with B1383
- 70 – Clerk to add section of Cambridge Road to list for waiting restrictions
- 71 – Cty Cllr Gooding to arrange multi-agency meeting re flooding
- 72 – Clerk to obtain information re S.106 fund from Annette Thornton
- 74 – Clerk and Cllr O’Brien to plot waiting restriction proposals for FHP
- 75 – Office to arrange consultation with residents regarding 20mph zone on FHP
AGENDA
You are summoned to attend a meeting of the HIGHWAYS SUB-COMMITTEE which will be held on Wednesday 2nd June 2021 at 7.00pm in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted, Essex
1 To receive apologies for absence
2 To receive Declarations of Interest
3 To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 9th September 2020
4 Matters Arising
5 Chairman’s Report
6 Grove Hill – To report any update from Cty Cllr Gooding
7 Gypsy Lane – To discuss road safety options going forward to improve this junction
8 Hargrave Mews – To discuss options to improve sight lines
9 Flooding – To discuss how to progress issues raised by residents and not yet addressed by Essex Highways
10 Update on Section 106 projects
11 Update on projects submitted to the Uttlesford Local Highways Panel
12 Request for parking restrictions at Bayford Way, adjacent to park near Blake Mews
13 To reconsider a proposal for 20mph speed limit on Foresthall Park
14 To consider making a formal request to Essex Highways for the closure of Pennington Lane between Rainsford Road and B1383
Ruth Clifford, Parish Clerk- 27 May 2021