Minutes of Previous Meeting

MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

Maidstone Joint Transportation Board

 

Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 13 July 2016

 

Present:

Councillor Hotson (Chairman), and

Councillors Bird, Boughton, Brown, D Burton, Chittenden, Clark, Cooke, Cuming, Daley, Garten, Mrs Grigg, T Sams, Mrs Stockell, Vizzard, Mrs Whittle and Willis

 

Also Present:

Councillor Prendergast

 

 

 

<AI1>

1.           Apologies for Absence

 

It was noted that apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Carter, Springett and Wilby.

 

</AI1>

<AI2>

2.           Notification of Substitute Members

 

It was noted that Councillor Boughton was substituting for Councillor Springett.

 

</AI2>

<AI3>

3.           Notification of Visiting Members

 

Councillor Prendergast was in attendance as an observer.

 

</AI3>

<AI4>

4.           Disclosures by Members and Officers

 

There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.

 

</AI4>

<AI5>

5.           Disclosures of lobbying

 

There were no disclosures of lobbying.

 

</AI5>

<AI6>

6.           Minutes of the Meeting held on 20 April 2016

 

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

</AI6>

<AI7>

7.           Matters arising from the minutes

 

The Chairman updated the Board on two items that had been considered at the meeting held on 20 April 2016.

 

160. Verbal Report of the KCC Head of Transportation – Request for correspondence with Kent Police

 

The Chairman advised that he had contacted Kent police and had received a response. A meeting would be arranged between the Chairman and Chief Inspector Gardner to further discuss the issues raised.

 

165. Report of the KCC Head of Transportation – Verbal Update on proposed amendments to the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board Agreement

 

The Chairman had been in contact with the KCC legal department and it had been confirmed that an amended version of the agreement would be drafted in advance of the next meeting of the Board.

 

</AI7>

<AI8>

8.           Petitions

 

The Chairman advised that the petition included on the agenda had been withdrawn at the request of the petitioner.

 

</AI8>

<AI9>

9.           Questions/Statements by members of the public

 

Mr Hughes was in attendance to make a statement regarding item 11 Report of the MBC Head of Planning and Development – Integrated Transport Strategy.

 

Mr Hughes stated that future growth would affect the A229 and A274, which were already congested. Mr Hughes expressed concern that more congestion would increase air pollution in these areas, and hoped that mitigation against this would be implemented at the earliest opportunity.

 

Mr Hughes’ statement was noted.

 

</AI9>

<AI10>

10.        Verbal Report of the KCC Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste - Update on Petitions Submitted to Kent Highway Services

 

Richard Emmett, outgoing KCC Highways District Manager for Maidstone, provided an update on the petition received to the previous meeting requesting KCC to extend the existing 20 mph speed zone to further residential roads around North Maidstone with specific reference to Hillary Road, The Hedges, Gladstone Road and Peel Street.

 

Mr Emmett advised that a KCC Councillor had agreed to finance initial investigations into this matter through his combined members grant. Once the findings of these investigations had been evaluated they would be presented to the Board for discussion.

 

RESOLVED: That the verbal report be noted.

 

</AI10>

<AI11>

11.        Verbal Update of the MBC Head of Planning and Development - Boughton Lane and Oak Lane

 

Steve Clarke, MBC Principal Planning Officer, addressed the Board regarding Boughton Lane and Oak Lane.

 

Boughton Lane

 

Mr Clarke explained that following feasibility work undertaken on the A229 corridor as part of the evidence base for the Local Plan, various options had been considered to improve highway capacity. These included widening of the existing signal junction and its replacement by a mini roundabout.

 

It was agreed at MBC Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee on 6 July 2016 that results of the junction modelling indicated that proposed and committed developments could be delivered with improved operating conditions with the implementation of mitigation measures.

 

Oak Lane, Headcorn

 

Mr Clark advised that improvements to visibility at the Junction with A274 Wheeler Street, to include minor kerb build-outs and the provision of a footway on Grigg Lane, had been secured through an approved housing development at Grigg Lane. Improvements would be delivered through S278 agreements with the Highways Authority.

 

</AI11>

<AI12>

12.        Report of the MBC Head of Planning and Development - Integrated Transport Strategy

 

Tim Read, KCC Head of Transportation, and Rob Jarman, MBC Head of Planning and Development, presented the joint MBC and KCC report on the Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS).

 

Mr Read advised that KCC and Highways England had objected to the ITS, and the ITS had not been included with the Local Plan for submission.

 

Mr Jarman explained that at the meeting of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board on 7 December 2015, priority junctions were agreed and were largely in alignment with those of the MBC Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee. The Local Plan submitted for examination included a number of those junctions, and there was £8.9m available through the Local Growth Fund (LGF) for junction improvement.

 

During discussion it was confirmed that the jointly commissioned strategic modelling, and the MBC commissioned detailed local modelling, would inform each other.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.        That the transport interventions identified in paragraphs 2.4 and 2.5, together with a firm commitment to the items identified in paragraph 4.2 of the report of the MBC Head of Planning and Development, be approved as forming the basis of the transport strategy.

 

2.        That this matter be referred to the KCC Cabinet Member for Transport and the MBC Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport Committee for approval.

 

</AI12>

<AI13>

13.        Minutes (Part II) of the Meeting held on 20 April 2016

 

RESOLVED: That the minutes (Part II) of the meeting held on 20 April 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

</AI13>

<AI14>

14.        Duration of meeting

 

5.00 p.m. to 5.44 p.m.

 

</AI14>

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