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Maidstone Borough Council

Community, Leisure Services and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting as the Crime and Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Draft Road Casualty Reduction Strategy for Kent Consultation

Report of: Orla Sweeney, Overview & Scrutiny Officer

1.      Introduction

1.1        The Community, Leisure Services and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee has a statutory role to act as the Crime and Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committee in line with Maidstone’s protocols for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Overview and Scrutiny. 

1.2        In line with these protocols the Committee is responsible for holding the Safer Maidstone Partnership (SMP) to account. The SMP’s priorities include Road Safety.  It is in this capacity that the Committee wish to consider a joint response to Kent County Council’s Draft Road Safety Casualty Reduction Strategy.

 2.     Recommendation

2.1        That the Committee consider the Draft Road Casualty Reduction Strategy Consultation and associated documents (Appendix A)and interview the following witnesses enabling it formulate a response:

·       Councillor John  A Wilson, Chair of the SMP;

·       David Joyner, Transport and Safety Policy Manager, Kent County Council Highways & Transportation;

·       Stephen Horton, Chair of the SMP Road Safety Sub-Group;

·       John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services; and

·       Sarah Robson, Community Partnerships Manager.

2.2     The Committee is recommended to agree its response and submit it   via email to crashdata@kent.gov.uk before the consultation    deadline of 24 February 2014.

3.      Draft Road Safety Casualty Reduction Strategy Consultation

3.1     Kent County Council is proposing a new Road Casualty Reduction      Strategy which draws on the latest data and     research available to       improve how we work with our partners to reduce death and injury on Kent's roads.

3.2     KCC is consulting the following districts affected: Ashford,       Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway,       Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge & Malling and    Tunbridge Wells

3.3     “In Kent, the number of people killed or seriously injured in road       crashes fell by 50% between 2000 and 2010. We have a target to       deliver a further 33% reduction by 2020.

3.4     It is vital that death and injury on Kent’s roads continues to be          tackled as effectively as possible by all agencies involved. As part of       our commitment, the County Council is producing a new Road     Casualty Reduction Strategy for Kent aimed at drawing on the           latest data and research available to us, as well as improving the       effectiveness of how we work with our partners and stakeholders.

          A workshop was held at Oakwood House, Maidstone on 13       November 2013 and presentations given…”[i] (These can be found at:           http://consultations.kent.gov.uk/consult.ti/casualtyreduction/consutationHome).

3.5     Following the workshop, Kent County Council has drafted a Road       Casualty Reduction Strategy for consultation. Alongside this is a         Questions and Answers document formulated from comments     received from the workshop.

3.6     The documents for the Committee to consider at Appendix A are:

·         Covering letter
(Comments from David Brazier - Cabinet Member for Highways)

·         Strategy Draft for consultation

·         Questions & Answers

·         Equality Impact Assessment
(Equality analysis for the proposed strategy)

4.      Impact on Corporate Objectives

4.1     The remit of Safer Maidstone Partnership relates specifically to Maidstone Borough Council’s priority ‘For Maidstone to be a decent place to live’.

4.2     There are no risks involved in considering the priorities the Safer Maidstone Partnership and in making a response to the Draft Road Casualty Reduction Strategy Consultation.