To consider the response to the report of the Regeneration and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

That the proposed response to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as set out in Appendix A to the Report of the Director of Change and Environmental Services, be endorsed, subject to a review of whether it is value for money for the Borough Council to lead on the annual Road Safety Day.

The recommendations of the Regeneration and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee were reported to Cabinet at its meeting on 11 November 2009. 

Cabinet noted the recommendations and agreed to give delegated authority to the Director of Change and Environmental Services, in consultation with the Leader, to respond in writing to the recommendations of the Regeneration and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Furthermore, Cabinet agreed that a recommendation should be included in the Committee’s report with regard to Cabinet reviewing the position on road safety in the borough on an annual basis.  The response to the recommendations therefore incorporates this decision.

The Council’s response to the Committee’s recommendations was prepared and discussed internally; this was then circulated to the agencies that had inputted into the Committee’s review. The witnesses were asked to comment on the response and to highlight any activities there were also planning to undertake in the borough to address road safety.  The Kent Economic Board was also consulted on the draft response as they had lead responsibility on road safety with the Kent Partnership.  The draft response was amended to reflect these responses as appropriate.

The detailed response to the Committee’s recommendations is attached at Appendix A to the Report of the Director of Change and Environmental Services and is summarised below.

Actions

Education with regard to road safety is of significant importance and methods to promote road safety within the Council’s own workforce will continue to be explored.  The Council is committed to publicising and promoting road safety initiatives and this will include a programme of raising awareness of policies and guidance amongst management, circulating road safety literature and encouraging all employees to complete the Ivy Learning road safety based modules.

The Council is keen to help support partners in promoting road safety in the Borough, particularly given the number of occurrences of road traffic collisions in comparison to other districts in Kent.  However, achieving improvement involves a range of partners working together and recognising the role of others in delivering, for example, road safety events in the borough.

Partner Support

The Scrutiny Committees recommendations were well received and supported by its witnesses, with the following responses received:

Dr Guy Rollinson, Kent Police:

“We enthusiastically support MBC in its efforts to secure greater road safety in both Maidstone, and more widely in Kent - especially your willingness to support and collaborate with various road safety partners' initiatives”.

Inspector Geoff Wyatt, Mid Kent Police:

“I am in agreement with the actions outlined in the implementation plan and would ask that once adopted by MBC, that all interested parties meet to implement these actions”.

Steve Horton, Kent Highways Services Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity:

“I am grateful for the offers of support in your document, in terms of using Maidstone Borough Council facilities to promote road safety promotional work (campaigns, etc)... I am also grateful that you are keen to promote a partnership with our colleagues from the Safety Camera Partnership.  This will be a effective way to maintain the promotion of ant-speeding messages”.

Felicity Drewitt, Kent Highways Agency:

“The Highways Agency is pleased to see how Maidstone Borough Council is proactively using its driver safety packs and distribution of driver literature as well as a driving on business strategy and management of occupational road risk”.

Steve Griffiths, Kent Fire and Rescue Services:

“I would like to say that we fully support the recommendations within the plan”.

  Andy Corcoran, Transportation and Development Manager, Kent Highways Services:

“I wholeheartedly support the recommendations made in the report”.

However a number of the witnesses requested the following be incorporated into the Cabinet’s response:

·  That the response to recommendation c (ii) highlight that Kent Highways Services also be used as a source of information available to the Borough Council in addition to its partner organisations; and

·  That the support for recommendation a (iii) be withdrawn if it is proposed that criminal proceedings not be pursued in cases of ‘extreme’ speeding offences in lieu of speed awareness training

The responses to these recommendations were amended to reflect these suggestions.

Partner Activities and Initiatives

Kent Highway Services have three crash remedial measures proposed for implementation in the 2010/11 financial year, subject to funding being approved. These will be at the A229 Running Horse Roundabout, A274 Five Wents crossroads and A274 Warmlake Crossroads.  They have also made bids for schemes in Nettlestead and Harrietsham that are intended to reduce the potential for crashes.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) have planned the following road safety activity in the Maidstone area during the next twelve months:

Rush - Road safety education package delivered to all Key Stage 4 students in Maidstone schools.  This will take place at each of the schools in Maidstone throughout the school term.

Carmageddon - Road safety demonstration.  This is planned for early summer 2010 at the Lockmeadow complex.

License to Kill - Multi-agency theatre production. This will take place in November 2010 at the Mote Park Leisure Centre.

Driving Business Safely – Internal education campaign for all KFRS staff.  This is planned for spring 2010 at KFRS Headquarters in Maidstone.

In 2009 Kent Highways Services offered ten education programmes to schools in Maidstone, four Kent based training courses and five publicity campaigns, two of which had a Maidstone focus.  Kent Highways Services anticipates that most of these will continue to be offered subject to budget constraints, with two Maidstone specific campaigns planned for March 2010.

Cabinet could decide not to endorse the responses to the ‘Fit for the Road – Maidstone Road Safety Review’ report, however the recommendations are based on evidence from a range of sources and support the Council’s objectives with regard to improving road safety.

The Maidstone Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) includes the objective to “reduce deaths and serious injuries from accidents on the roads”. This objective includes the following action: “implement an evidence-based plan to reduce deaths and injuries, including recommendations from the Maidstone Borough Council Overview and Scrutiny investigation”. Endorsing the response to the recommendations within the road safety review report supports the objective and action listed in the SCS.