Agenda item

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.

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

(2) That objections to the proposed scheme to permit cyclists to use the Rotherham town centre Vehicle Restricted Area and to extend the hours of access for loading/unloading, as contained in the report now submitted, be not acceded to at this time.

(3) That, further to resolution (2) above, proposed Traffic Regulation Order, as detailed in the report now submitted, be made on an experimental basis for a period of twelve months.

(4) That, during the period of the experimental Traffic Regulation Order, monitoring be undertaken and liaison take place with interested groups on the operation of the Traffic Regulation Order.

(5) That, after implementation of the Traffic Regulation Order, further reports be submitted to meetings of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Regeneration and Development, at quarterly intervals, detailing the progress of the monitoring of the scheme in the Rotherham town centre.