Agenda and minutes

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Regeneration and Development, held on 1st November, 2013, be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chairman.

Further to Minute No. G96 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Regeneration and Environment held on 24^th January, 2011, consideration was given to a report presented by the Leisure and Green Spaces Manager concerning the 2103 update of the list of Local Wildlife Sites in Rotherham.  The information forms part of the evidence base for the Local Plan and is used in the determination of relevant planning applications.

The report stated that Rotherham’s Local Wildlife Site series identifies sites of substantive nature conservation value in accordance with DEFRA best practice.  The adoption of the Rotherham Local Wildlife Site system and the initial series of site boundaries were approved by the Cabinet on 17th December 2008 (Minute No. B139 refers). Sites of wildlife interest change over time due to management practices and natural processes. The Rotherham Local Wildlife Site system accommodates changes by enabling new sites to be added and site boundaries to be altered or removed whenever new areas of interest are identified, or if sites no longer meet the standards set by the system. 

During 2013, one site was proposed as a new candidate Local Wildlife Sites. Foers Wood, Aston, is a privately owned site of mature, wet woodland with running and standing water features, managed for wildlife.  There is no public access to the site and the isolation and lack of disturbance, combined with the positive management by the landowners, has developed a diverse, complex woodland site. The assessment confirmed that the site has demonstrated substantive nature conservation value by meeting at least one of the selection criteria and it is therefore proposed that Foers Wood, Aston is added to Rotherham’s existing Local Wildlife Site series.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the Rotherham Local Wildlife Site 2013 boundaries, as shown in the report now submitted, be endorsed.

(3) That the inclusion of Foers Wood, Aston in Rotherham’s Local Wildlife Site series be approved.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Economic Development Manager, concerning the proposed public realm works on High Street, Rotherham as part of the Townscape Heritage Initiative programme. The report detailed the cost of the proposal and the sources of funding. A contribution was required from the Rotherham Economic Regeneration Fund (RERF).

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That a revenue contribution of £22,000 be allocated from the Rotherham Economic Regeneration Fund towards the cost of the public realm works on High Street, Rotherham.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Parking Services Manager giving details of statistics and income and expenditure for Parking Services for the financial year 2012/2013. The report highlighted:-

-          the Traffic Management Act 2004, which requires parking authorities to report each year on financial and statistical information;

-          parking enforcement and appeals against penalty notices;

-          the review of parking within the Rotherham town centre (a number of initiatives were detailed in the report);

-          parking issues affecting schools;

-          the acquisition, during the 2012/13 financial year, of a vehicle-mounted closed circuit television system to facilitate the lawful enforcement of illegal parking activities; the vehicle and cctv system have been fully deployed since the beginning of October 2013;

-          Disabled Parking (blue badges) and fraud investigation;

-          income, expenditure and statistical information for Parking Services (the account surplus being derived from car parking charges, not from parking penalty charge notices);

-          collection of debts.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the report be approved for publication.

(3) That a progress report be submitted to a future meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Regeneration and Development concerning the use of the vehicle-mounted closed circuit television system in respect of parking enforcement.

Further to Minute No. G1 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity held on 28^th May, 2012, consideration was given to a report presented by the Transportation and Highways Projects Manager and the Highways Engineer, detailing the outcome of the consultation into proposals to permit cyclists to use the Rotherham town centre Vehicle Restricted Area and to extend the hours of access for loading/unloading.  Two of the proposals contained in the report were to:-

(i) permit cyclists to use the Rotherham town centre Vehicle Restricted Area to improve access by bicycle to facilities or services such as employment, retail and education within this area, or to those cyclists who may wish to travel across the town centre; and

(ii) extend the hours of access for loading/unloading in the zone from its current 5.00 pm to 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 pm to 10.00 a.m., to allow more flexible access to premises and to the street market.

The report stated that permitting cyclists to use the town centre Vehicle Rrestricted Area requires three changes to existing Traffic Regulation Orders:-

-      the no vehicles restriction needs to be changed to a no motor vehicles restriction;

-      cyclists need to be allowed to cycle the “wrong way” down the one-way streets in the town centre Vehicle Restricted Area;  and

-      cyclists need to be exempted from some of the prescribed and prohibited turns within the town centre Vehicle Restricted Area.

Details of these proposals were illustrated shown on plans numbered 126/14/TT563, 126/14/TT564 and 126/14/TT565, which were included with the submitted report.

Members noted the various representations received, especially the views of some town centre retail businesses, of the South Yorkshire Police and of the two organisations Action for Blind People and Help the Aged. Comments had also been received from the Rotherham Visually Impaired group and from the Rotherham Older People’s Forum. Some of these comments expressed concerns about perceived dangers to pedestrians of cyclists riding through the town centre.

Reference was made to research by the Transport Research Laboratory, undertaken for the Department for Transport, which had found no real factors to justify excluding cyclists from pedestrianised areas and that accidents between pedestrians and cyclists were very rarely generated in pedestrianised areas. The proposed Traffic Regulation Order would not permit cyclists to use any part of All Saints Square, and of Howard Street between Effingham Street and Frederick Street.

The proposal was not being considered in isolation and further improvements to make the Rotherham town centre more attractive for cycling and walking were also being progressed or were currently being developed. Members agreed that the proposal to permit cycling in the town centre Vehicle Restricted Area should be implemented initially on an experimental basis only, for a period of twelve months, in order to gauge whether there are any problems being caused. Detailed monitoring arrangements will also be in place, with progress reports being submitted to Elected Members at quarterly intervals after implementation.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Finance Manager concerning the budget monitoring of the Environment and Development Services Directorate Revenue Accounts for the period to 31^st October, 2013, including the forecast out-turn of overspending of £504,000 to the end of the 2013/14 financial year. The submitted report included information on the variances reported by each Division of Service. 

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the latest financialprojection against budget for the 2013/14 financial year, for theEnvironment and Development Services Directorate, based on actual income and expenditure to 31st October, 2013, be noted.

(3) That the report be referred to the Self Regulation Select Commission for information.