Agenda item

Matthew Lowe, Engineer to report

- to inform Cabinet Member of a proposal to introduce a local safety scheme on Middle Lane, Clifton

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Engineer, which set out details of the proposal to introduce a local safety scheme on Middle Lane, Clifton.

Following concerns raised at the Rotherham South Area Assembly, it was decided to develop a local safety scheme for Middle Lane through a series of workshops with the community. Officers from the Rotherham South Area Assembly arranged and assisted at these workshops.

An initial workshop was held to identify what residents thought were road safety problems on Middle Lane and to develop a possible road safety scheme to treat these problems. Two groups at this workshop developed two different schemes to solve the identified road safety problems. These schemes were assessed by officers from the Transportation Unit after the workshop and were combined into one proposed scheme which consisted of:-

·              putting both of the existing zebra crossings on Middle Lane onto bus friendly flat top road humps.

·              permitting cycling on the footway to the east side of Middle Lane between Badsley Moor Lane and Doncaster Road.

·              changing the position of give way lines at the mini roundabout at Park Hotel and putting one set of speed cushions on the Middle Lane South.

·              adding two bus friendly flat top road humps to create two informal crossing points close to Clifton Comprehensive School and the Church.

·              replacing/installing bollards along the whole of Middle Lane to give the same type of bollard along its whole length.

·              removing the centre line on the section of Middle Lane between Cambridge Street and Lister Street.

A second workshop was held at which officers from the Transportation Unit presented details of a combined scheme. Following extensive discussion it was agreed that this combined scheme would be presented to residents in the streets surrounding Middle Lane who may be affected by the proposals for them to make comment on. 

In October, 2009, a consultation letter and plan was delivered to approximately 850 households in the surrounding area, with an invitation to attend an exhibition meeting to discuss the scheme.  Of the 850 letters delivered 98 were returned giving an 11% response rate. The main comments made in these responses were set out as part of the report, but taking into account comments made by people responding to the consultation letter the following items were removed from the scheme:-

·              shared use footway/cycleway (due to the number of comments made in respect of this).

·              road hump closest to Doncaster Road (to reduce number of road humps).

·              road hump on zebra crossing outside Clifton Comprehensive School (this has been replaced by speed cushions either side of the zebra crossing due to practicalities on site).

·              build-out at the junction of Newton Drive (due to concerns about turning out onto Middle Lane from Newton Drive and Gilberthorpe Street. This had been replaced with waiting restrictions.

The following features had, therefore, been added in:-

·              waiting restrictions in the junctions of side roads with Middle Lane.

·              changes to improve loading/short term parking close to shops.

·              install “Zebra-Bright” on belisha beacons to increase prominence of crossings.

A final meeting was held in March, 2010 with attendees from the original workshops to present the findings of the consultation and to finally agree on the scheme and an update letter was sent to the 850 households consulted in October, 2009 giving details of the changes made to the proposed scheme in response to consultation.

A road hump notice was advertised on 3rd September, 2010 and no objections were received in response to this notice.

Discussion ensued on the work and role of officers in getting this scheme, in its new form, to this stage ready for implementation and congratulated them all for their efforts.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the scheme, as shown on Drawing Number 126/RS/ML/F/01A, be implemented during the 2010/11 financial year.

(2)  That the scheme be funded from the Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Capital Programme for 2010/11.

(3)  That a Traffic Regulation Order be promoted to introduce a series of waiting restrictions in junctions of side roads with Middle Lane.