Agenda and draft minutes

Consideration was given to a report relating to the receipt of petitions from:-

·              Forty-six residents of Wickersley requesting a fence to be restored between Scarborough Road and Markfield Drive.

·              Seven hundred and thirty residents of Rotherham objecting to the principle of any commercial enterprise on Herringthorpe Playing Fields and a further one hundred and eighty residents (presented to the Cabinet meeting on 14th March, 2012).

The Cabinet Member had been informed that the fence relating to the first petition had been restored by a Wickersley Ward Member.

Resolved:-  That the receipt of the petitions be noted, and referred to the relevant Department for investigation and a report back to a future meeting.

-        Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation and Highways Projects, to report.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation and Highways Projects Group Manager, which set out the funding available to support the annual Integrated Transport (IT) programme for the forthcoming financial year; 2012/13,

The primary Department for Transport (DfT) grant that South Yorkshire receives is the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport (LTP IT) capital grant. The report set out in detail the LTP IT allocation to the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority (SYITA) for the forthcoming year.  Rotherham’s allocation was indicated to be £1,463,715 which was a slight increase on the allocation for 2011/12.  It was anticipated that there would be a carry forward of approximately £270,000 from 2011/12 as a result of additional funding that Central Government made available and would be carried forward to 2012/13. This would make Rotherham’s total Integrated Transport allocation for 2012/13 total £1,733,715.

In addition to the Integrated Transport allocation the Department for Transport also gave Transport Authorities the opportunity to bid for further funding aimed at specific areas of transportation. The South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority had also been successful in securing funding from the Local Sustainable Travel Fund (LSTF), which was made available to the Integrated Transport Authorities to deliver projects that encouraged travel by alternative modes such as walking and cycling.

A further bid had also been made for additional funding from a programme entitled the ‘Better Bus Area Fund’ which aimed to provide funding to improve public transport in an area through capital and revenue investment. This fund made available up to £5 million to an authority and the Passenger Transport Executive had produced a bid that sought the full amount.

The report set out a summary of the proposed programme of works for Rotherham in 2012/13 and showed these additional sources of funding and the projects they intended to deliver if the bids were successful.

The Traffic Management Section also included demand management in the form of residents’ parking schemes. The focus of attention for 2012/13 were the Masbrough and Clifton areas of the town. These areas suffered parking stress as a consequence of being on the edge of town and also in the case of Masbrough due to the Council offices being relocated to Riverside and the potential for football match day parking when the new stadium opened.

Clifton suffered commuter parking and visitor parking through the summer for Clifton Park and in the winter for rugby matches. In both instances properties have limited off road parking opportunities.

Reference was made to the proposed programme of works for Rotherham set out in Appendix A. Individual schemes would be developed, consulted upon and presented for approval to the Cabinet Member at a later stage.  It was proposed that the Hotspot Treatments for the A6123 Herringthorpe Valley Road/Laudsdale Road Junction be supplied to the local Ward Members for information.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the specific allocation for Integrated Transport for 2012/13 including the potential carry over from 2011/12 and the confirmed funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112.

-        Chris Wilkins, Assistant Planning Manager, to report.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Chris Wilkins, Development Manager (South Team), which proposed amendments to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation relating to powers delegated to the Director of Planning, Regeneration and Culture in relation to the Development Control functions of the Service.

There was only one addition to the Scheme proposed, which would allow the withdrawal of Enforcement Notices to be determined by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Planning Board, in consultation with the Planning Manager (or delegated representative). There were currently approximately 500 Enforcement Notices that remain extant, dating back to the 1960s, many of which would have been complied with or were no longer relevant (as sites have been re-developed) and Section 173A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, allowed Local Planning Authorities to withdraw Enforcement Notices.

Officers have been re-visiting sites to determine whether more recent Notices have been complied with in order that reports could be prepared recommending their removal from the Enforcement Register (and from Land Searches when carried out on sites.)

To reduce the burden on the Planning Board and to speed up the process it was recommended that the withdrawal of Enforcement Notices be agreed with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Planning Board. As such, it was recommended that Section 9 of the existing Scheme of Delegation (relating to decisions taken in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Planning Board) be amended at paragraph 9.3 to now read:-

“9.3 The issue of a Planning Enforcement Notice, Listed Building Enforcement Notice, Temporary Stop Notice or Stop Notice and the subsequent withdrawal of such Notices where appropriate.”

Resolved:-  That the proposed changes to the Scheme of Delegation be noted.

(2)  That the reviewed Scheme of Delegation be presented to the Planning Board, Cabinet and Council for formal approval, being a change to Council policy.

-        Tom Finnegan-Smith to report.

Further to Minute No. 98 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member held on 20th February, 2012 consideration was given to a report presented by Tom Finnegan-Smith, Transportation and Highways Projects Group Manager, which detailed the success of the Better Bus Area Fund bid, sought approval to amend the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) and implement a shared use cycle footway.

The proposed Traffic Regulation Orders including prohibited turns at the junction of Doncaster Road and Oldgate Lane junction. Further work had taken place and it was proposed that the most efficient operation of the junction, that minimised delay, identified the need for an additional prohibited movement that being the ahead movement from Oldgate Lane to TATA Steels.

This would effectively make the movement from Oldgate Lane into the A630 Doncaster Road a prescribed left turn only. The most recent traffic surveys have indicated that 97% of all traffic made a left turn from Oldgate Lane into Doncaster Road. Alternative routes existed with the most appropriate route being via Park Lane. The normal statutory consultation process for promoting a Traffic Regulation Order still applied giving the opportunity for any objections to be made.

Cyclists would also be able to use the new bus lane on Doncaster Road, but would have to bypass the bus gate traffic signals as a bicycle would not trigger the signals. It was, therefore, proposed that a shared use footway be constructed so that these cyclists could bypass the signals and that the shared use footway be extended to provide a link to Oldgate Lane, additionally it was proposed that the footway alongside the bus lane was also shared use. This would provide cyclists the ability to cycle off carriageway uphill if they so chose.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the success of the bid, as set out in the report, to fund the additional works at Oldgate Lane those being a bus and cycle lane on Whinney Hill with bus pre-signal be noted.

(2)  That the Traffic Regulation Order for the banned turns from Oldgate Lane, including a prescribed left turn from Oldgate Lane, be promoted through the normal statutory process.

(3)  That a shared use cycle-footway on Whinney Hill and link to Oldgate Lane be included in the scheme.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)).

Resolved, that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act (as amended March, 2006 (information relates to finance and business affairs).

-        Martyn Benson, Business Development Co-ordinator, to report.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Martyn Benson, Business Investment Officer, which related to an application under the Town Centre Business Vitality Scheme for rental contributions towards the opening of a shop on High Street.

Elements of the application and reason for the request were provided in detail as part of the report.

Resolved:-  (1)  That a rental contribution to provide 50% of annual rent (ex. VAT) in Year 1 and 25% of annual rent (ex. VAT) in Year 2 (the grant to be paid quarterly in arrears on submission by the applicant of proof of payment of rent) be approved.

(2)  That any grant offer be subject to the Business Vitality Grants Scheme’s standard terms and conditions and the additional terms as detailed in the report.