Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL. View directions

Contact: Rob Close  Democratic Services Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence/Replacement Members

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors T J G Dyer, R A Gibson, E W Strengiel and R A Wright.

 

It was noted that the Chief Executive, having received notice under Regulation 13 of the Local Government (Committee and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, had appointed Councillor T R Ashton to replace Councillor E W Strengiel for this meeting only.

 

2.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made with respect to any items on the agenda.

3.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee held on Monday, 25th April, 2022 pdf icon PDF 526 KB

Minutes:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 25th April 2022 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

4.

Announcements by the Chairman, Executive Councillors and Chief Officers

Minutes:

No announcements were made.

5.

Gainsborough Transport Strategy 2022 pdf icon PDF 380 KB

(To receive a report from Karl Gibson, Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure, which sets the final update on the Gainsborough Transport Strategy and the main Gainsborough Transport Strategy 2022 documents)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a presentation from the Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure presenting a final update on the Gainsborough Transport Strategy. 

 

Issues covered in the presentation included:

 

·       A strategic overview of the phase one and two, including detail of current and future challenges, engagement and intervention, vision and objectives updates, development and assessment options and the draft and final strategy.

·       The transport strategy vision and objectives, including the Local Transport Plan Five, Gainsborough Transport Strategy Vision, and the Gainsborough Transport Strategy Objectives.

·       The transport strategy components, including the key pillars, supporting interventions, strategic interventions, connected strategies and monitoring and investigations.

·       Plans of Gainsborough, including environmental improvements along Beaumont Street Corridor, market square frontage, public realm enhancements, and bus station public realm improvements.

·       Multimodal transport hubs including park and bike scheme, E-bike hire, park and ride, delivery lockers and electric vehicle charging.

·       Supported interventions including junction improvements on Flood Road to A156 to Lea Road to Bridge Street, A631 Thorndike Way to Ashcroft Road to Trinity Street, North Street to Beaumont Street to Station Approach to Marshalls Yard, and A159 North Street to B1433 Spital Terrace.

·       Electrification charging for new developments, taxi ranks and Council owned car parks.

 

During consideration of the presentation, the Committee raised the following comments:

 

·       Members of the Committee suggested that, in future, they would appreciate a supporting map to be included within strategy documents to enable them to contextualise the information within the report. Moreover, Members suggested the Committee may even benefit from in-person visits to transport strategy sites in the future.

·       Noting the reference within the report which suggested promoting reduction in the need to travel for both essential and recreational services, Members asked what impact officers felt this would have on the viability of Gainsborough’s retail Highstreet. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure acknowledged the challenge of Highstreet regeneration, exacerbated by the Covid-19 Pandemic. He went on to suggest a more service-based economy may take prominence.

·       Making reference to the influencing travel behaviour, particularly that of promotion of hybrid working solutions, the Committee asked, what engagement the Council had undertaken with employers and lower tier local authorities to identify a mutually advantageous approach. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure stressed that the transport strategy naturally required collaboration with all key stakeholders. Moreover, the Executive Support Councillor for Highways, Transport and IT added that stakeholder engagement had been undertaken successfully for this strategy, particularly emphasising the engagement with West Lindsey District Council.

·       Members were concerned that promotion of digital health and social care appointments may not be best suited to the County’s aging population.

·       The Committees were pleased to see the emphasis on rail transport within the strategy, particularly noting that currently Gainsborough Town Station was thus underused. The Senior Project Leader - Highways Infrastructure agreed that rail was a key transport method within Gainsborough, adding that train stations regeneration was a wider endeavour within the Local Transport Plan Five.

·       Noting the towns referred to within the report, Members asked if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Speed Limits Review - Task and Finish Group Progress Update

(To receive a presentation from Richard Fenwick, County Highways Manager, which offers an overview of the Speed Limits Review Task and Finish Group)

Minutes:

The Chairman explained to the Committee that the title for this item should have read Speed Limits and Traffic Management Proposed Interim Review to better reflect the business of the update. Moreover, that the issue of traffic management in Lincolnshire had already been proposed to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) as a topic for Scrutiny Review currently pending allocation.

 

Consideration was given to a report from the Head of Highways Infrastructure which presented an update on the proposed future in-depth review of traffic management policy that was previously approved by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board. The Committee were advised that the traffic management review was to be extended to encompass speed limits, as requested at the 17 September 2021 meeting of Council. In preparation, Highways Officers conducted an advance framework exercise identifying the Traffic Management Plan Review as an umbrella to four specific areas under the title of ‘Managing the Network Safely in Lincolnshire’. The four areas included Traffic Policy for Schools, Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) Policy Review, Speed Limit Policy Review and Traffic Calming Policy Review. Moreover, the TRO Policy Review was to encompass, environmental weight limit, waiting limits, weight restrictions and lorry watch. The Committee were advised that they could expect a formal position report at the 18 July 2022 meeting, recommending the set up of a working group seeking to scope the initial framework for the review.

 

During consideration of the update, the Committee raised the following comments:

 

  • Members took the opportunities to raise topics they felt they would like to see within review including efficiencies in determining challenged TROs, Local Member engagement in speed limit reviews and weight limit enforcement
  • Members asked for clarity in relation to the process for the working group. The Scrutiny Officer advised a working group was to be recommended in order to, over a three-meeting period, enable the initial scope of the scrutiny review to be identified prior to the review’s commencement in Spring 2023.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee’s note the officer proposal for commissioning a working group to explore prior to a formal review

7.

Levelling Up Schemes

(To receive an update from Sam Edwards, Head of Highways Infrastructure, which provides an overview of Levelling Up schemes)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a presentation from the Head of Highways Infrastructure presenting a final update on the review of speed limits.

 

Issues covered in the presentation included:

 

  • A16 - Marsh Lane Roundabout, Boston – This scheme sought to move the existing roundabout and widening the westside enabling a designated right turn lane which would improve the flow onto the Marsh Lane Industrial Estate, thus benefitting the agri-foods industry. Furthermore, significant widening was proposed to create two lanes to relieve right turning traffic at peak times impeding Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)
  • Active Travel Project in Boston – This scheme sought to widen the footway to provide a combined footway cycleway on the network in addition to improved crossing facilitates while remaining compliant with LTN1/20 design guidance. The alternative travel pattens of this scheme would enable those moving in an East-West direction greater model selection.
  • A16 – Kirton Junction – This scheme sought to turn the existing compact roundabout into a signalised traffic light junction. The level of growth along the corridor required this junction to be redesigned to safeguard for the future. The A16, North and South, two lane approaches and exits, would open the door for potential dual carriageway schemes in the future.
  • A16 – Greencell Roundabout, Spalding – This scheme sought to increase the size of the current roundabout to enable two HGVs to use it simultaneously. Land take to the north east of the site was required to enable the expansion of the lanes. Additionally, when travelling in from the south east to go into Spalding, a designated lane was proposed, and all junctions would have a two-lane entry and exit. Officers wanted to extend the scheme further to the south east, but the bridge widening would have not been feasible within the funding bid.
  • A16 – Springfield Road Roundabout, Spalding – This scheme intended to introduce a spiral roundabout by piping the current ditches thus, avoiding the need for land take. This would subsequently allow for three lane entrance and two lane exits on the larger routes and two-lane entrance and one lane exits for the minor routes.
  • Active Travel Project in Spalding – This scheme sought to improve the footway cycle routes and improve crossing facilities.
  • Programme of works – The Committee were demonstrated the programme of works for the above schemes and were advised that Active Travel Boston and Marsh Lane were intended for development for April 2023 and Greencell and Springfield were to be staggered to mitigate impact to traffic.  It was heavily stressed that the programme was illustrative only and was very likely to change as the detailed design progresses.

 

During consideration of the presentation, the Committee raised the following comments:

 

  • A16 Marsh Lane Roundabout – It was clarified that the right-hand lane would become a right turn only while a left hand lane, to be constructed, would alleviate the wait for right hand lane traffic while still facilitating a route to Boston.
  • A16 – Kirton Junction – It was explained that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 217 KB

(To receive a report from Kiara Chatziioannou, Scrutiny Officer, which enables the Committee to comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year to ensure that scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit)

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from the Scrutiny Officer, which enabled the Committee to comment on the content of its work programme for the coming year to ensure that scrutiny activity was focussed where it could be of greatest benefit.

 

The Scrutiny Officer advised the Committee that, at the 18 July 2022 meeting, they were to expect to receive the Winter Service Plan for 2022/23. Moreover, a visit to the Lincs Laboratory was still under consideration for the ensuing municipal year.


RESOLVED

         That the work programme presented be agreed.

 

 
 
dot

Original Text: