The Overview and Scrutiny Officer outlined the brief outcome for each of the objectives of the review and asked Members to highlight any areas that they felt had been overlooked or required further investigation. Members noted that the Kent Permit Scheme information was a short guide and were informed that the full version of how the scheme works was available on KCC’s website.  A number of Members noted incidences of advertised emergency road works, which had seemingly been left without any works being undertaken for a number of days.  Members requested information on what was classified as an emergency and how this was monitored.  Furthermore, Members agreed to provide details of case examples to inform its review.

The Committee felt that its review was timely to enable its informed consideration and scrutiny of the Integrated Parking Strategy (IPS) and Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) prior to a decision being made on them.  However, Members felt that there was still some outstanding work to be conducted to complete the review and noted that the final report could use the data collated to inform the ITS.  The Chairman suggested that an interim report was required to ensure its findings thus far fed into the IPS and ITS. The Committee agreed that its final report could be concluded following the completion of the ITS and IPS and further investigative work undertaken by the Committee as required.  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer agreed to email the Committee with the review recommendations made to date and additional suggested recommendations for Members’ comment prior to its next meeting to ensure that all the Committee’s findings were sufficiently stated within the interim report. 

Members noted that the summaries of the Committee’s field trips would serve as supporting evidence to its findings and the Chairman requested that Councillors Ross and Beerling provide the Overview and Scrutiny Officer a summary of the visit to Maidstone Traffic Control Centre for the purpose of the interim report. 

Due to the importance and ongoing nature of traffic congestion the Committee suggested appointing a Member to monitor the implementation and outcomes of the review’s findings once published.

The Committee requested that the recommendation in minute number 32 ‘2 Cameras, 2 TV screens and a tree surgeon be funded by the Council for the use at the Traffic Control Centre to assist traffic management onto the gyratory’ be amended to recommend ‘that one camera point towards St Peters Street, and one camera towards Tonbridge Road during peak traffic flows at the Traffic Control Centre to assist traffic management onto the gyratory’

Resolved:   That

a)  Further information regarding emergency road works be circulated;

b)  Members provide case examples of lengthy emergency road works with seemingly no emergency works undertaken to inform its review;

c)  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer produce an interim report to inform its scrutiny of the Integrated Transport Strategy;

d)  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer compile a list of suggested recommendations for the interim report and circulate this to the Committee for its comment;

e)  Councillors Beerling and Ross provide a summary on the field trip to Maidstone Traffic Control Centre to the Overview and Scrutiny Officer; and

f)  A Member be appointed to monitor the implementation and outcomes of the review’s report.