Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of a meeting of the Town Centre Events Group held on 29^th September, 2008.

Resolved:-  That the minutes be noted.

Consideration was given to the minutes of a meeting of the Clifton Park Restoration Project Board held on 2^nd October, 2008.

Resolved:-  That the minutes be noted.

Consideration was given to the minutes of a meeting of the Play Pathfinder Project Board held on 6^th October, 2008.

Resolved:-  That the minutes be noted.

The following report was submitted:-

Health, Welfare and Safety Panel

Friday, 10th October, 2008

Ken Wheat, Transportation Unit Manager, to report.

-           to report receipt and investigation into petition for one way systems on both roads.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Transportation Unit Manager, detailing the results of an investigation into the request for a one way system on Fitzwilliam Street and Chapel Street following receipt of a petition with 95 signatures.

The Transportation Unit Manager explained in detail the investigations that had been carried out and why, as a result, it was not possible to accede to the request.

Resolved:-  (1)  That receipt of the petition be noted

(2)  That the request for a one way system on Fitzwilliam Street and Chapel Street be not acceded to.

(3)  That the lead petitioners be informed of the outcome of this meeting and thanked for their interest shown in road safety

(4)  That authority be given for officers to explain in more detail to the lead petitioners the reasons for the proposal not being implemented.

Matthew Lowe, Engineer, to report.

-           to report results of consultation.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Transportation Unit Manager, relating to the details of a proposed traffic management scheme for Wellgate.

It was reported that, as a result of investigations into accident clusters, a problem was identified with pedestrian injury road accidents on the section of Wellgate from Hollowgate through to the town centre.

Therefore a scheme had been proposed which was illustrated on the plan appended to the report and which was used in a two phase consultation with households and businesses.   Details of the statutory consultees, Ward Members and others who had been consulted were set out in the report.

The Transportation Unit Manager highlighted key issues raised by the consultation, and these were also detailed in the submitted report.

It was also reported that an objection to the proposed traffic calming had been received and this was detailed together with the technical response to the issues raised.

Members present commented on:-

-                      the need to test out the proposals particularly the suggested location of the loading bay.

-                      time limit on the loading bay

-                      use of flat top road hump to form pedestrian crossing point

-                      volume of traffic on Wellgate

-                      consultation with the Area Assembly

Resolved:-  (1)  That the objection to traffic calming be not acceded to.

(2)  That the Director of Planning and Regeneration, in exercise of  delegated powers, promotes a Traffic Regulation Order to create a time limited loading bay in front of the Wellgate multi-storey car park and if no objections are received the proposal be implemented.

(3)  That the Transportation Unit investigate the possibility of installing a more formal pedestrian crossing facility as part of flat topped road humps.

(4)  That subject to (3) above the revised scheme be implemented

(5) That the scheme be funded from the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Capital Programme for 2008/09 and 2009/10

(6) That the proposed improvement to the junction of Hollowgate and Wellgate be progressed to detail design and consultation and subject to no objections being received the scheme be implemented in the 2009/10 financial year.

(7) That the proposals be presented to the Rotherham South Area Assembly.

Andy Lee, Operations Manager, to report.

-           to request provision of a teenage seating unit in Barkers Park, Kimberworth.

Consideration was given to a report relating to the receipt of a request from the Rotherham North Area Assembly to provide a teenage seating area in Barkers Park, Kimberworth.

It was reported that members of the “Friends of” Barkers Park and Police Community Support Officers had carried out verbal consultation with local young people around the St. John’s Green area and in Barkers Park itself and the provision of a seating area had been requested.  The seating area was also identified by the community during the formation of a master plan for Barkers Park.

It was suggested that seating be sited adjacent to the multi-use-games-area (MUGA).  The seat would act both as an informal meeting place and also as a viewing bench for the MUGA.  The seating unit would be a spectator bench style.

Resolved:-   That Green Spaces, working with the Rotherham North Area Assembly, Safer Neighbourhood Team and the Friends of Barkers Park, be allowed to site a teenage seating unit, as described in the report submitted, by the multi-use-games-area in Barkers Park.

Jayne Wright, Vehicle Removal Officer, to report.

-           to report on the extension of DVLA powers.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Streetpride Design and Assessment Engineer, seeking approval to amend current procedures to include new powers of removal of authorised unlicensed vehicles from non-highway land.

It was reported that new powers were introduced with effect from 1^st October 2008 which enabled access onto privately owned land without the land owner’s permission to inspect, and if necessary seize authorised unlicensed vehicles.  The powers also allowed for vehicle removal from Council owned non-highway land.

It was verbally reported that the present tender was being renegotiated for extension by RBT Procurement Team when it becomes due for renewal commencing 1^st February, 2009.

Resolved:-  That approval be given to allow Streetpride’s agents authorisation to apply for an appropriate licence in order to remove unlicensed authorised vehicles from non-highway land.

Ken Wheat, Transportation Unit Manager, to report.

-           to report receipt of an objection.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Transportation Unit Manager, relating to receipt of an objection to the proposed reduction in the speed limit from 50mph to 40mph on the A631 East Bawtry Road and part of the A631 West Bawtry Road.

The proposal was illustrated on Drawing No.  126/46/TT73 appended to the report.

An explanation was provided of the technical and road safety reasons for not acceding to the objection.

Reference was made to the need to coincide the introduction of the road markings for the lower speed limit with those associated with the West Bawtry Road Improvement Scheme, which would ensure there were no additional costs or disruption to traffic movements.

Reference was made to the need to exempt this item from the Call-in process.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the objection not be acceded to.

(2)  That the objector be made aware of the decision and the reasons.

(3)  That the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make the Traffic Regulation Order.

(4)  That the road markings are implemented on the A631 and at Whiston crossroads to accord with the 40mph speed limit.

(5)  That, due to the timescale for implementation of the permanent road markings associated with the A631 West Bawtry Road and Whiston Crossroads improvements, the Mayor be asked to consider exempting this decision from the call–in process.

(The Mayor, having considered the submitted report, agreed to the request for exemption from Call-in)

-           to consider proposed measures to improve accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Transportation Unit Manager, relating to proposed measures to improve accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users between Herringthorpe Valley Road, Herringthorpe and Wharncliffe Street, Rotherham Town Centre

The proposals were illustrated on Drawings Numbers 126/17/TT14 (Phase 1 – Herringthorpe Valley Road to Far Lane) and 126/17/TT01 (Phase 2 – Middle Lane to Wharncliffe Street) appended to the report.   Phase 3 of the scheme would include similar improvements on the section of Doncaster Road between Middle Lane and Far Lane.  A summary of each of the phases of the scheme was set out in the report.

Details of the results of consultation that had taken place were set out in the submitted report.

Attention was drawn to the benefits of the scheme for local residents, users of public transport and cyclists and these were further detailed in the report.   It was also pointed out that the proposals were in line with the accessibility planning shared priority within the Local Transport Plan.  Funding was available from the 2008/2009 and 2009/210 Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Capital Programme.

Those present welcomed the scheme.

Resolved:-   (1)  That detailed design on Phases one and two be carried out and the scheme be implemented in the 2008/09 financial year.

(2)  That the proposed improvements to the Doncaster Road/St Ann’s Road junction be progressed to detail design and be implemented in the 2009/10 financial year.

(3)  That investigation and consultation be undertaken on the proposed Phase three improvements and the results of this be reported to Cabinet Member at a later date.

Nick Barnes, Principal Project Development Officer, to report.

-           to seek approval enable the Play Pathfinder programme to pre-purchase play equipment.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Project Development Officer, seeking approval to enable the Play Pathfinder programme to pre-purchase play equipment, as specified in approved play area designs, in order to reduce completion times.  It was reported that this would reduce some of the risk associated with the delivery of play areas within this programme.

Resolved:-  That, for the purposes of delivering the Rotherham Play Pathfinder programme, the contracts for the purchase of play equipment be exempted from the requirements of Standing Order 47.6.3 (requirement to invite three written quotations for contracts with an estimated value of £20k but less than £50K) and purchased by the Council from the relevant manufacture to enable the commissioned play areas to be completed by the due dates.

Chris Majer, Programmes Manager, to report.

-           to request a contribution from RERF.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Programmes Manager, requesting a contribution of £30,000 capital from the Rotherham Economic Regeneration Fund (RERF) to secure the Brampton Business Centre until its handover to the George Ellis Trust on 31^st March, 2009.

It was reported that as tenants had begun moving out the Centre had become a target for vandalism to the point where it had become impossible for the Council to operate from the premises and there were now serious safety implications at the site.

It was, however, pointed out that the application did not meet the requirements of eligibility for RERF.  It was emphasised that there were no alternative sources of funding available and the Council was required under the terms of the lease to handover the premises in a satisfactory condition.

Resolved:-  That, in this instance only and in view of the exceptional circumstances, approval be given for £30,000 of RERF funding to be allocated to the securing of the Brampton Business Centre Site.

Tim O’Connell, RiDo Business Development Team, to report.

-           to consider a request for RERF to match funding from ERDF.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Business Development Manager, seeking approval for the allocation of £25,000 from the Rotherham Economic Regeneration Fund (RERF) to match funding from the European Regional Development Fund at a 1:1 ratio.

The allocation would be used to speed development at the Council’s newest business incubation centres, Fusion@Magna and Matrix@Dinnington. The project will seek to accelerate the development at the centres by increasing the number of enquiries from potential tenant companies, including start-up, small and growing enterprises.

Resolved:-  That £25,000 of RERF revenue be approved for activities to increase the awareness of the Council’s Business Centres at  Dinnington and Magna.

The following items are likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under those Paragraphs, indicated below, of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006).

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (financial/business affairs).

Liz Ryan, Estates Surveyor, to report.

-           to outline the options available to the Council.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Strategic Property Manager, outlining options available to the Council concerning future Town and Village Green applications.

The report addressed legal issues in respect of the following:-

(i)                   Land where public use has been authorised -

this included-

-                      land dedicated to the Council under a Section 106 Agreement or by other legal document

-                      recreation grounds

-                      land subject to charitable status pursuant to the Public Health Act 1875

-                      land subject to a trust under the Open Spaces Act 1906

(ii)  land where public use has not been authorised by the Council:-

this referred to land which did not fall into any of the above categories for which the Council had a number of options for defence, the financial implications of which were detailed in the report.

Resolved:-  That the recommendations for defending against future town and village green applications, as detailed in the report now submitted, be supported.

Bob Stock, Network Principal Engineer, Streetpride, to report.

-           to request exemption from Standing Orders.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Network Principal Engineer, requesting exemption from Standing Order 48.1 to enable a partnering arrangement to be entered into with Wakefield MDC for the supply of Consultancy Services to prepare the business cases in order to secure DfT funding for their respective major maintenance schemes.

Resolved:-  That approval be given for the procurement of consultancy services in relation to the preparation of a Major Scheme Business Case for Centenary Way to be exempted from Standing Order 48.1 and that the work be procured in partnership with Wakefield MDC from their framework consultants.