SCRAIP Report - Recommendations from the Review of Transport in Maidstone - alternatives to using a car

A report showing the recommendations from the review with the officer responses to date

(30 March 2015)

PTD.140722.31a

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development be recommended to lobby Kent County Council on the reconfiguration of the gyratory system in Maidstone to ensure safe cycle passages. The design of the gyratory system to incorporate surface cycle passages (not subways) for cyclist heading in and out of the town from west Maidstone using the A20 and A26.

Agreed in principle - further work required

MBC will work with KCC to ensure the bridge gyratory scheme incorporates suitable cycling infrastructure and provides safe access in and out of the town centre.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development; Sarah Anderton; Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.140722.31b

That the Head of Planning and Development be recommended to urgently refresh and update the draft Maidstone Borough Council Cycling Strategy, dated June 2012 and present it to the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference in the new municipal year 2015-2016 before taking it for public consultation.

Agreed in principle - further work required

MBC will work with KCC to refresh and update the draft Maidstone Cycling Strategy as part of the development of the Integrated Transport Strategy to help ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to transport matters.

Sarah Anderton; Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.140722.31c

That the Head of Planning and Development be asked to report back to the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference during the 2015-2016 municipal year on:

o The identity of potential routes for the provision of cycle ways from rural locations (villages and hamlets) with poor bus services, to bus stops on major routes with a more frequent bus service;

o The possibility of creating an orbital cycle and footpath route around Maidstone linking to Maidstone town centre via radial routes such as:

o Len valley to the north of Maidstone

o Medway Valley to the west of Maidstone

o Tovil Nature Park

o The Loose Valley Conservation area

o Boughton Monchelsea, and

o Langley to the east of Maidstone

o The costs of firstly providing cycle parking at the end of these routes;

o The cost of the longer term aim of developing the cycle route to the cycle parking.

Agreed in principle - further work required

MBC will work with KCC to refresh and update the draft Maidstone Cycling Strategy as part of the development of the Integrated Transport Strategy. As part of this process, consideration can be given to the inclusion of rural routes and cycle parking provision in the cycling strategy as appropriate.

Sarah Anderton; Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.140722.31e

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, be recommended to:

o Proceed with establishing the Maidstone Cycling Forum and ensure it is supported by an officer with responsibility for cycling in their job description;

o Identify a lead member to act as a cycling champion within the authority.

Agreed

A new dedicated transport planning resource for MBC is currently being appointed. The transport planning job remit will include the need to consider cycling as integral part of the development of the Integrated Transport Strategy and can extend to include re-establishment of the Cycling Forum.

Sarah Anderton; Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.105.1

That the Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, be recommended to:

a.     Respond to the Department for Transport’s franchise consultation, which was due in 2016;

b.    To reduce unnecessary car travel within the borough, this response should request improved commuter and off peak services using high speed trains and Thameslink services to reduce the number of rail users travelling across the borough by car to other stations that offer better service than their local station;

a.        Continue to promote aspirations for re-securing a Maidstone to Canon Street service.

c.      

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

a) The Cabinet Member would welcome Planning Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committees initial steer upon consultation and before we draft our response (including point b) below already received The Cabinet Member supports this objective

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.105.2

That the Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, be recommended to promote the appointment of a Kent County Councillor for Maidstone and a Maidstone Borough Councillor to the Steering Group for the Medway Valley Line and Kent Community Rail Partnership to ensure Maidstone borough’s needs are pursued.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

The Cabinet Member agrees

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.105.3

Councillor Chittenden investigate how Maidstone Borough can be represented on the South Eastern Public Transport User Group and report back to the committee at their meeting of 4 February 2015

Update provided at the meeting on 20 January 2015.

Tessa Mallett

PTD.141118.105.4

The Head of Planning and Development be recommended to ensure Section 106 funding be sought from developers at every opportunity to:

Support public transport links to and from new developments linking bus and rail services, and; Ensure the provision is timed in a way to provide services that increase as occupation of developments increase.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

We already do –furthermore the earliest possible move to the Community Infrastructure Levy is encouraged.

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.105.5

The Chairman of the Planning, Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee be recommended to write to Mr Mike Gibson of South Eastern Rail to:

a. Establish how parish councils could access funding for improvements to rural rail stations;

b. Request that he take forward his suggestion to approach Network Rail regarding the possibility of expanding rail station car parks at Bearsted and Headcorn and look into the possibility of extending this to other rural rail stations;

c. Request that he take forward his suggestion to reduce parking costs at rural rail stations such as Headcorn to discourage rail users from parking in residential areas.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Completed. Letter written and response received.

Tessa Mallett

PTD.141118.105.6

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development be recommended to ask Kent County Council for an update on the progress with the building of the footbridge replacing the level crossing at the foot of Bower Lane, Maidstone.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

The Cabinet Member recommends that a more suitable approach would be for the Planning Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee to arrange to interview KCC officers on this matter. The Cabinet Member will update the committee on any progress he becomes aware of.

Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.106.1

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, be recommended to carry out consultation with car users to establish why they drive into Maidstone town and what would encourage them to use an alternative mode of transport to get into the town.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

The Cabinet Member recommends that the existing data be reviewed.

Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.106.2

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, be recommended to survey the users of Maidstone East railway station car park to find out their reason for using it to establish how many users were rail passengers and how many were not.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

The Cabinet Member recommends that this is taken forward as part of the wider work on the Parking Strategy.

Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.141118.106.3

That the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for Community and Leisure in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015,be recommended, as part of the Parish Charter refresh, to include a section on the powers and opportunities parish councils have in the provision of transport services and capital equipment, such as bus shelters and real time transport information, and funding streams available to them.

Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

KALC have agreed to provide further information at their meeting on 29/4. Sarah R and Cllr Perry will be in attendance.

John Littlemore; Sarah Robson

PTD.150317.173a

That after publication of the Review of Transport in Maidstone - alternative to using a car report a subgroup be formed from the beginning of the municipal year 2015, by the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference, to explore:

- Alternative methods of transport for the future that will help ease congestion in Maidstone town. This sub group to take forward research into future alternatives (for example rail halts on the Medway Valley Line, trams etc.) and improving existing forms of transport, and;

- Possible European Union funding to fund new transport initiatives.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173b

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, use the principal proposals from the refreshed Cycling Strategy to inform the emerging Integrated Transport Strategy.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173c

That a member of Maidstone Borough Council's PTD OSC or a member of the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015 be invited to join the Quality Bus Partnership.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173d

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, be recommended to re-establish the Maidstone Borough Transport User Group. Membership to include representatives from all public transport service providers, KCC transport planners, MBC officers/members, parish councils, service users and other interested parties to ensure on-going issues with transport and ideas for enhancements to services are communicated and dealt with.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173e

That a MBC transport planning officer investigate and report back to the relevant new Strategic Planning and Sustainable Transport Committee during the municipal year 2015-2016 on the progress and lessons learnt from the Medway twilight service once the trial is complete.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173.f

That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development or the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new 2015 municipal year, be recommended to include the potential use of Section 106/Community Infrastructure Levy monies to support the provision of bus service, and/or provide capital equipment for bus services in the Borough in the Local Plan.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173g

That parishes, resident associations and neighbourhood forums be encouraged by the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference from the new municipal year 2015, to form groups similar to the East of Maidstone Bus User Group.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.150317.173h

Maidstone Borough Council, through the Committee with responsibility for transport in its terms of reference from the new 2015 municipal year, should actively investigate and seek to bring forward an express bus service linked to the Park and Ride service, with particular attention initially being paid to the South Maidstone route.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Cheryl Parks; Sue Whiteside

PTD.140317.173i

Consideration should be given by Maidstone Borough council to aggregate the Park and Ride Service and Parking Services Budgets to ensure that the access to the Town Centre is managed in a more coherent and integrated manner and to safeguard against possible changes in the regulatory climate.

Cabinet Member for Planning Transport and Development

Rob Jarman; Jeff Kitson

That the Public Transport Team at Kent County Council at meetings with Kent County Council Highways, raise the following requests and report back to the relevant new Committee with responsibility for transport and development in their terms of reference during the 2015-2016 municipal year:

a.     A definitive list of forthcoming road closures be sent to bus service providers in a timely manner to facilitate compliance with the Traffic Commissioner regulations;

b.    A set of processes and procedures are established and put in place for communicating road closures to avoid problems when changes to highways personnel are made;

c.     A definition of what constitutes an emergency road closure is published and shared with bus service providers.

That Kent County Council Transport Planning Officers be recommended to make strong arguments where they can to give Section 106 impetus to provide bus services in and around the Borough of Maidstone.