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Update on Petitions submitted to Kent Highway Services

 

A report by the Head of Transport & Development to the Joint Transportation Board

 

 

Summary

 

1. A report to update the Board on the current status of petitions received by Kent Highway Services (KHS).

 

Traffic Calming Measures, Heath Road, Coxheath

 

2. A petition was submitted in April 2008 by 59 residents, lead by Mr A R Monk of Westerhill Road, Coxheath.  It sought action to improve the traffic calming measures installed along Heath Road, Coxheath as the petitioners felt these were dangerous.

 

3. A number of changes have been carried out to the traffic calming since the submission of this petition and as previously reported KHS had agreed to carry out a review of the safety record in Coxheath, further speed checks and complete the safety audit of the current scheme. This work has been completed and sent to the both the County Councillor and Parish Council. The Parish Council have recently held an exhibition to consult the community of Coxheath on alternative proposals put forward by their independent consultants prior to further discussions with Kent County Council.

 

4.   Arrangements are currently being undertaken by the Cabinet Member in organising a meeting with Coxheath Parish Council to discuss a way forward.

 

Request for the Implementation of a Weight Restriction through Yalding

 

5. A petition was submitted in September 2008 by Yalding Parish Council with over 570 signatures supporting a previous request for a weight restriction through Yalding and that surveys of lorry movements through Yalding and East Farleigh be undertaken.

 

6. It was reported at the last meeting of this Board that surveys, paid for by the local County Councillor and Parish Council, had been carried out in November 2010. KHS received the results of these surveys in February 2011 and have subsequently circulated these to the relevant Councillors and Parish Councils. Once the Councillors and Parish Councils have had opportunity to consider these results further discussions will be held with the local community on the way forward. A verbal update on the Freight Action Plan for Kent will be given at the meeting.

 

Closure of Pheasant Lane, Maidstone South

 

7. A petition was submitted in August 2008 by some 120 residents, lead by Mr David Frais of Osborne House, Loose Road of the Pheasant Lane Action Group which sought the closure of Pheasant Lane to vehicles other than for residential access.  The petitioners felt the lane was being used as a rat run, was too narrow for the volume of traffic has too many blind bends with drivers driving too fast and pedestrians are at great risk.

 

8. At the last meeting of this Board the permanent closure of Pheasant Lane to all through traffic was approved. The process to make the initial Experimental Traffic Regulation Order permanent has been initiated. The existing arrangement of preventing through traffic by removable plastic bollards has not proved durable and has now become a maintenance problem. KHS have investigated more robust options and are working with manufacturers on a design which should restrict motor vehicles, but remains accessible for disabled users and cyclists and importantly, can be removed quickly should emergency access be required.

 

9. Kent Highway Services are in the process of installing fixed restrictions together with connecting electricity supply to existing signage at each end of Pheasant Lane. Works are ready to be passed over to new contractor for implementation.

 

10. Kent County Council Highway Services has made the temporary order permanent, the order has come into effect since October 17^th 2011. Permanent measures have been ordered to replace the temporary street furniture; these measures are due to be installed by the end of October 2011.

 

Parking Issues Tudor Avenue

 

11. It has been reported to previous meetings of this Board that KHS had been passed a petition with 54 signatures from the residents of Tudor Avenue, Maidstone requesting parking restrictions be implemented to deal with commuter parking that the residents feel is causing potential road safety problems.

 

12. It was proposed that KHS would advertise a Traffic Regulation Order giving notice of the intention to install double yellow lines at certain points along Tudor Avenue to improve road safety on the 26^th January 2011. However, due to staff sickness and shortages it has not been possible to progress this Order and KHS are now procuring additional resources and expertise to overcome this problem. Once these resources are in place this Order will be progressed as a priority. 

 

13. Kent Highway Services are now in a position to progress the Order. However, due to limited funding being allocated to safety related parking restrictions, officers are batching requests with the view to advertise different locations within Maidstone under a single Traffic Order. This is to provide efficiency and a more cost effective way of managing funds.

 

14. Due to the timescales, Cllr Chittenden has agreed to fund the said restrictions with additional measures through his Member Highway Fund. The said Traffic Order is to be advertised in November 2011 together with other locations through Cllr Chittenden’s MHF process.

 

Sutton Road Service Road

 

15. KHS received a petition supported by 55 out of the 66 residents in Sutton Road service road raising concerns over the volume and speed of traffic using the service road to avoid the traffic signals on the A274. At the last meeting of this board it was reported that the local County Councillor, if supported by local residents, would look to use their Member Highway Fund to turn the service road into a cul-de-sac by the use of removable bollards at one end of the road.

 

16. KHS have consulted the residents of Sutton Road service road seeking their views on whether the support a formal closure and if so at which location. The consultation closes on the 12^th April and a verbal update of the results will be given at the meeting.

 

17. Due to the results of the consultation, Cllr Cooke has chose not to progress with the works through the Member Highway Fund process at the present time.

 

 

 

The withdrawal of the Arriva 101 Service from Bus Stops at Cobtree Golf Course and Salisbury Road, Kits Coty

 

18. It has been previously reported to this Board that a petition had been received calling for the reinstatement of the 101 bus service to the Cobtree Golf Course Bus Stop and a report was submitted proposing a number of options and seeking Members views.

 

19. It was agreed that further quotes be obtained for Option 2 in an attempt to reduce the costs of this preferred option. These quotes were returned to KHS and passed to Paul Carter, the local County Councillor, for consideration for funding. Cllr Carter has now approved funding for the scheme from his Member Highway Fund budget and the works are now being programmed with the contractor.

 

Postley Road, Maidstone

 

20. A petition has been received from the residents of Postley Road, Maidstone which raises concern over the dangerous and increasingly unacceptable use of the road by buses including speeding. Kent Highway Services have meet with the lead petitioner and are investigating the issues raised by the petitioners. KHS are currently arranging a meeting with the local Councillors to discuss a way forward with respect to this petition.

 

21. The above meeting was held between local Councillors and it has been agreed that Postley Road will be proposed as part of the Speed Reduction pilot project with measures to be implemented to reduce vehicular speed on Postley Road.

 

Boxley Road and Beechen Bank Road

 

22. At the a previous meeting of this Board a petition was received requesting a reduction in the speed limit along Boxley Road and Beechen Bank Road. KHS commissioned a speed survey and have now received the results from its consultants and have reviewed the personal injury crash records along Boxley & Beechen Bank Road. KHS are currently arranging a meeting with the local Councillors and Parish Council to discuss a way forward with respect to this petition.

 

23. A meeting was held between Officers, Boxley Parish Council and Cllr Carter regarding speed limits along the above-mentioned roads. The results of the surveys showed that the existing speed limit could be reduced and Boxley Parish Council are liaising with officers regarding funding for these works.

 

Footpath along Lenham Road to Sports Field, Kingswood

 

24. At the last meeting of this board a petition was submitted by Broomfield & Kingswood Parish Council signed by 101 residents requesting a footpath be constructed along the Lenham Road, Kingswood to ensure the safety and well being of pedestrians accessing the Sports Field and its facilities.

 

25. Early investigations revealed that third party land not in the control of the Highway Authority will be required to construct the footway and excluding land costs the footway could cost in the region of £40,000 to £50,000. KHS have written to the land owners in control of the land to ascertain, if funding was available, whether they would be willing to agree in principle to transfer the land to KHS.

 

26. Kent Highway Services decided to undertake a formal consultation with residents of Lenham Road seeking views of dedicating private land into the publicly maintainable highway in order to safely install the new footway. Due to objections from residents subsequent to the consultation, Kent Highway Services are not pursuing with the scheme at the present time.

 

27. This scheme is being progressed by Cllr Whittle in partnership with Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Council through the Member Highway Fund process. Cllr Whittle has agreed to fund designs costs and which will enable the Parish Council to decide whether to fund the works.

 

Speed limit Reduction - Charlton Lane, West Farleigh

 

28. At the previous meeting of this Board, the Chairman of West Farleigh Parish Council, presented a petition requesting a reduction in the speed limit on Charlton Lane, West Farleigh from 60 mph to 30 mph for the safety and protection of all residents and road users.

 

29. At the meeting it was confirmed that Cllr Stockell had agreed to fund the cost of the reduced speed limit in Charlton Lane from her Member Highway Fund and that KCC will be proceeding on that basis. A Traffic Regulation Order to reduce the speed limit will be produced and future updates will be included in the Member Highway Fund Update report.

 

Speed Limit Reduction in Sheephurst Lane, Collier Street

 

30. Kent Highway Services have received a petition from residents of Sheephurst Lane requesting that the current speed limit is reduced. The petition has 68 signatures supporting a change in the existing speed limit. There have been no reported personal injury crashes over the last 3 year period as a resultant of speeding.

 

31. Kent Highway Services will investigate the request from the lead petitioner with the view to provide an update at the next Joint Transportation Board.

 

32. The safety record along this route has been investigated. The analysis of the personal injury crashes on Sheephurst Lane does not demonstrate that a lower speed limit would provide a quantifiable crash saving and does not meet with the intervention level set by the County Council therefore, funding would not be available via the Casualty Reduction Programme. KHS will discuss these findings with the local Member to see whether any alternative measures could be provided via the Member Highway Fund.

 

New Petitions

 

Speed Limit Reduction in Green Lane, Collier Street

 

33. Kent County Council Highway Services has received a petition from residents of Green Lane Cottages, Green Lane, requesting that the current speed limit is reduced. The petition has 7 signatures supporting a change in the existing speed limit. There have been no reported personal injury crashes over the last 3 year period as a resultant of speeding.

 

34. Kent Highway Services will investigate the request from the lead petitioner with the view to provide an update at the next Joint Transportation Board.

 

 

 

 

Update on 20MPH Zones in Maidstone

 

35. Kent County Council Highway Services are in the process of installing the said measures at locations previously agreed. Surveys are currently being undertaken onsite identifying the existing vehicle speeds in the vicinity of the schools.

 

36. Designs are currently being drafted at selected locations with the view to install the measures in 2012. Kent County Council will be working with Schools trying to reduce any congestion during the construction phase.

 

37. County Councillors responsible for the works will be consulted on initial designs once made available.

 

 

 

Accountable Officer:              Andy Corcoran 01233 648302