|
|
BERKHAMSTED | |
| TOWN COUNCIL |
|
|
|
|
BERKHAMSTED | |
| TOWN COUNCIL |
|
|
2007–2008 Archives of Transport and Environment Minutes
|
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the TRANSPORT & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 3rd March 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councillors R.M. Cowie - Chairman P. Matthews - Vice Chairman M. Allen J. Laws I. Reay G. Stevens NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillor P.G. Gibbs J.D. Lythgoe OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
12/08 APOLOGIES There were no apologies for absence. 13/08 TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were no declarations of interest regarding items on the agenda.
14/08 MINUTES The minutes of the last meeting held on the 7th January 2008 had been agreed at Full Council and were signed by the Chairman.
15/08 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS TransportNotification had been received from Hertfordshire County Council of the closure of Ivy House Lane, Berkhamsted, from its junction with The Common to its junction with Meadway for the purpose of carriageway patching and resurfacing sometime during the period 10th April 2008 to the 9th October 2009 when signs are in place. An email had been received from Mr. Carter-Savigear expressing his concerns about the difficulty in parking on any on-street area close to his property in Montague Road. The streets are being used by commuters who park for free and walk to the Station. He asked the Council to consider the introduction of residential parking schemes. The Town Clerk had replied to the email and copied it to all Town Councillors. Notification had been received from Hertfordshire County Council of the introduction of a 40 mph speed limit in Gravel Path from the crossroads at The Common southwest for 60 metres. Also of parking and waiting restrictions in Castle Street, Murray Road, South Park Gardens/Bridgewater Road, Queens Road/West Road and outside Clunbury Court, Ravens Lane.
EnvironmentThe following publications had been received: The Open Space magazine for Spring 2008. Chiltern News the magazine of the Chiltern Society for March 2008. The Executive Summary of the Hertfordshire Health Check Scrutiny Report dated February 2008. The Hertfordshire County Council Waste Development Framework consultation of waste development plan documents dated January 2008. The Dacorum Partnership Towards 2021 the Dacorum Sustainable Community Strategy. It was agreed to obtain a copy for each Councillor. 16/08 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Mrs. Fleur Tucker, the Town Council’s representative on the Dacorum Environmental Forum, was present and addressed the Committee at item 21/08f.
17/08 TRANSPORT POLICY i. Urban Transport Plan for Berkhamsted (Standing item –no reports) Members Working Group to be set up. Plan to be published in 2012/2013. To note the Working Group Meeting to be held on the 13th March at 2.30pm. The date and time of the meeting were confirmed. Members had been informed and representatives of the Gravel Path Safer Action Group would be attending.
18/08 TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE a. Traffic Management Vide 08/08 i. Congestion Shootersway/Kingshill Road – update on replies to the Town Council’s letter – Councillors Allen/Laws. Councillor Allen said that 16 replies had been received to the circulated letter. No single solution was obvious but there were real concerns of the danger caused to pedestrians when attempting to cross the junction. It was agreed that this matter would be discussed at the Transport Plan meeting on the 13th March 2008. ii. George Street/Ellesmere Road one way system Councillor Allen referred to the reply to the Town Council’s letter to Brian Scott, Dacorum Borough Council. It was clear that the Parking Attendants could only deal with parking on the pavements when yellow lines were in place. Councillor Matthews said that parking in the town was a bigger problem than first envisaged and incorporated a number of issues, for example, space taken up by builders’ skips and equipment. There were a number of parking issues, which needed to be coordinated. It was agreed that these issues would be dealt with at the Transport Plan meeting on the 13th March 2008. iii. Vehicle Activated Speed Signs Councillor Laws said that two suppliers had been contacted and potential locations had been looked at with one of them. The current thinking was that they would have a greater impact if installed at the three entrances to the town. More research was required which would be incorporated into a report for the Committee when completed. The cost of these signs was variable depending on how they were powered. Approximately £2,000 if powered electrically and £4,000 if solar powered. In respect of the latter shading from trees could be a problem. It was hoped that a report would be ready for the next meeting of the Committee. Action Councillors Allen & Lawsb. Parking i. Chesham Road – Congestion during Collegiate School events An event had taken place on Sunday 2nd March 2008, which had been observed by a number of members. Ashlyns School had been used for parking and the Collegiate had provided stewards. This had resulted in Chesham Road being much more orderly and parking mainly confined to one side. Councillor Stevens said that approximately 150 cars had been parked on the Ashlyns School site. It was agreed to write to the Headteacher and Principal to thank them for the arrangements that they had mutually made and to encourage similar arrangements in the future. Action Town Clerkii. Commuter parking in Murray Road The Chairman referred to correspondence between Mr. Simon Croker and the Town Clerk. Councillor Allen said that he had visited Murray Road and agreed with the proposal by Mr. Croker that the waiting restrictions should be extended to the junction with Castle Hill. It was decided to write to Hertfordshire Highways to indicate the Town Council’s agreement with Mr. Croker’s proposals. Action Town Clerkiii. Road safety at the junction of Three Close Lane and the High Street The Chairman referred to the correspondence received from Mr. Paul Chapman concerning cars parking in Three Close Lane and at the High Street end of Castle Street during film performances at The Rex. It was noted that restrictions were about to be implemented in Castle Street and it was agreed to forward Mr. Chapman’s proposal to install double yellow lines at 20 metre intervals in Three Close Lane to assist the flow of traffic when The Rex was open. Action Town Clerkc. Pedestrian routes and footways i. Footpaths in Canal Fields, The Moor and Velvet Lawn There was nothing to report. ii. Alternative paving at St. Peters Church The Chairman referred to the plan provided by Hertfordshire Highways of the proposed paving at the junction of the High Street and Church Lane and to a letter received from Mr. John Cook who was in favour of the plans but felt that the wooden posts and metal bars could pose a problem on special occasions such as the Remembrance Day Parade. The Town Clerk said that he had met Mr. Mark Goodyear of Hertfordshire County Council that afternoon who had come from a meeting with the Church Secretary. The Secretary was in agreement in principle with the plan but also had issues regarding the siting of the bollards. Mr. Goodyear said that he would be negotiating with the Church over this issue in respect of which he thought that a solution could be found. It was hoped to implement the plan by the summer. Councillor Stevens said that it was essential that the sub-base was stable and would ensure a long life. d. Roads There was nothing to report. e. Cycling There was nothing to report. f. Rail Services There was nothing to report. g. Bus Services - Department for Transport Consultation The Chairman referred the report circulated with the agenda and summarised it to the Committee. Following discussion it was agreed that Option 3b “The creation of a new multi-modal public transport users committee” was the preferred option as it made sense to coordinate different means of transport under one body. It was agreed to copy the Town Council’s response to HAPTC. Action Town Clerk
19/08 ENVIRONMENT20/08 a. Town Projects i. Millennium Garden ii. Gateway Garden There was nothing to report. b. Sponsorship and maintenance of the roundabout at Chesham Road/Kingshill Way Following the reply from Peter Lamprell of Hertfordshire Highways in November 2007 it was agreed that taking responsibility for the roundabout at the junction of Chesham Road and Kingshill Way might present difficulties with contractors and might not provide value for money. The following action was agreed. q Write to the Head of Environmental Services at Hertfordshire County Council to ask for information on which grass verges, roundabouts and green open space in Berkhamsted the County Council was responsible for. q Giving the roundabout at Chesham Road as an example to point out that the service level agreements with contractors must be improved to ensure that the grass is cut more frequently. q To write to Dacorum Borough Council to ascertain which verges, roundabouts and green open space in Berkhamsted they are responsible for and to ask for an update on the Green Space Strategy which the Borough Council had previously identified as a reason for delaying any consideration of the Town Council taking over responsibility for green spaces in the town. Action Town Clerk & Mr. Barnesc. Town & Country Planning Act 1990 Section 215 Councillor Allen referred to the correspondence circulated with the agenda from Rob Egan, Head of Enforcement, Dacorum Borough Council. The Town Council had asked for more use to be made of Section 215 and had made particular reference to the British Film Institute buildings in Kingshill Way. Mr. Egan had said that he did not consider Section 215 to be appropriate for use in these circumstances but he had written to the BFI to ask if they had plans for redecoration. The Town Clerk said that further information had been received from Mr. Egan to indicate that his correspondence with the BFI was confidential but that he anticipated some action would be taken in the near future. Following discussion it was agreed to inquire of Mr. Egan what the timescales for renovation were. Action Town ClerkCouncillor Allen said that the exchange of correspondence from Mr. Egan had also included the problems with fly posting in the town, in particular, Big Ron’s leather sale from the Kings Arms. The letter sent by Mr. Egan to the Kings Arms had proved to be ineffective. It was agreed to correspond further with Mr. Egan and to ask him to inform the Proprietor of the Kings Arms that the next time any fly posting occurred as a result of a sale at his premises he would be prosecuted. Action Town ClerkIt was noted that there would be an item on the agenda for the next meeting of the Town Council to consider a formal policy on fly posting in the town. d. Climate Change Notes of meeting held on the 30th January 2008 Councillor Matthews referred to the notes of the meeting circulated with the agenda and said that the term “Climate Change” was too grand for what the Town Council could achieve and the Working Party would concentrate on the key issues of sustainable energy and water. The meeting had been attended by Mr. Simon Best of Envirowise who had offered to hold surgeries and provide free advice to small businesses and would be attending the next meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. The next meeting of the Working Party was at 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday 4th March 2008. It was noted that the Berkhamsted Community Partnership was still working on the reusable shopping bag. e. Birtchnell’s Copse, Ivy House Lane The Town Clerk reported that he had recently walked through The Copse, which was looking in good order. The Warden, Mr. Patrick Stileman, had been sent an agenda for the meeting but was clearly unable to attend. f. Dacorum Environmental Forum – minutes of meeting held on the 17th January 2008 The Chairman adjourned the meeting to allow Mrs. Fleur Tucker to inform members of her attendance at the Launch Lunch of the Towards 2021 Sustainable Community Strategy and the Dacorum Green Space Strategy Workshop. She had completed reports from both events, which had been copied to members of the Committee. The minutes of the Dacorum Environmental Forum meeting held on the 17th January 2008 were noted in particular the item on the Tree Warden Scheme (paragraph 6), which it was agreed, should be subject of a separate agenda item at the next Committee meeting. Action Town ClerkA discussion took place as to whether or not it was possible to reduce the amount of paper generated by the Town Council, in particular in relation to Committee papers. It was agreed that this could be a topic of discussion at the Climate Change Working Party and would require future consideration by the Finance & Policy Committee. Action Councillor Collins & Town Clerk
21/08 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES REPORTS 22/08 a. Roads , Pavements and Parking (Councillors Laws and Allen) Councillor Laws said that she was pleased that Hertfordshire County Council had announced an extra £10m for roads maintenance. She was disappointed that Chesham Road, Hilltop Road and Three Close Lane were not to be resurfaced in the immediate future and would be taking this matter up with the County Council. It was also noted that the lights in Church Lane had not been installed. Action Mr. Barnesb. Recycling (Councillor Stevens) There was nothing to report. c. Litter and Nuisance (Councillor Reay)
Councillor Reay said that the next 6-weekly litter visit
to Berkhamsted by d. Berkhamsted Heritage and Environment (Councillor Cowie) There was nothing to report.
23/08 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 8.50 p.m. TRANSPORT & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 7th January 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councillors R.M. Cowie – Chairman P. Matthews – Vice Chairman M. Allen J. Laws I. Reay G. Stevens NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillor P.G. Gibbs J.D. Lythgoe OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood – Town Clerk
01/08 APOLOGIES There were no apologies for absence. 02/08 TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were no declarations of interest regarding items on the agenda.
03/08 MINUTES The minutes of the last meeting held on the 29th October 2007 had been agreed at Full Council and were signed by the Chairman.
04/08 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS TransportNotification had been received from Hertfordshire Highways of a safety improvements project phase 2 on the B4506 at Ringshall. Drawings of the proposed diversion route were enclosed. A Statement of Reasons for the proposed Borough of Dacorum (Off-Street Parking Places) Order 2008 had been received including proposed charges for Berkhamsted car parks. A copy of a letter sent by Mrs. Sara Ansell to Dacorum Borough Council concerning parking charges in Berkhamsted had been received objecting strongly to the proposal to charge for parking on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Councillor Reay said that the Borough Council Cabinet had agreed that there should be no charges on Sundays and Bank Holidays and had asked Brian Scott to undertake further discussions with the Town Council in relation to the 4 hour parking limitation in Water Lane car park. Minutes of a meeting held on the 15th October 2007 with members of Ashley Green Parish Council concerning cross-boundary road issueshad been received and were available for reference. Councillor Laws said that Paul Trustram from Hertfordshire Highways had agreed at the meeting that signs should be placed at the entrance to Dennys Lane and White Hill to deter use by heavy vehicles. The signs were not yet in position and it was agreed to contact Paul Trustram to find out when they would be. Action Mr. Barnes
Environment The following publications had been received: Groundwork Hertfordshire 2007 Year Book Chiltern News December 2007 Chiltern Woodlands Project – News of the Woods Autumn 2007 Countryside Management Service Newsletter Autumn 2007 Community Development Agency Newsletter and Annual Review 2006/7 Ways to Tackle Climate Change issued to Parish & Town Councils by defra. The Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust Newsletter Winter 2007 A letter had been received from Dacorum Borough Council informing of the publication of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment including a series of flood maps and policy recommendations for the Council’s flood policy documents. Copies available on the Borough Council’s website at www.dacorum.gov.uk A letter had been received from the Environment Agency inviting the Town Council to a meeting on the 17th January 2008 at their Hatfield office to discuss the current and potential future water resource stress affecting local rivers. The letter had been copied to Councillors Cowie, Collins and Foster Weinreb. An email had been received from local resident, Mr. John Clements, of Charles Street stating that the area between Boxwell Road and Kitsbury Road was blighted by dog fouling and asking if the Town Council could assist in reducing the problem. The matter had been referred to the Dog Warden who had replied to Mr. Clements. Councillor Laws said that she had spoken to the Dog Warden and as a result letters would be delivered to local residents and additional signs erected in the vicinity in an effort to reduce the problem and identify the offending owner.
05/08 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The meeting was adjourned. Mike Locke and another representative of the Safer Gravel Path Action Group were present and addressed members concerning the speeding problem on Gravel Path. Mr. Locke said that they were grateful for the previous help given by the Town Council as a result of which a petition had been presented to the Joint Members Panel. Hertfordshire Highways had identified a number of actions including a change of speed limit at the four-ways junction and a study of conditions, which would be carried out over a period of time. However the Action Group were keen to receive the advice of the Town Council on what could be done in the interim period until the Study was completed. The meeting was reconvened. (See items 07/08i and 08/08aiv)
06/08 TRANSPORT 07/08 TRANSPORT POLICY i. Urban Transport Plan for Berkhamsted (Standing item –no reports) Members Working Group to be set up. Plan to be published in 2012/2013. Following discussion and taking into account correspondence from Trevor Land of Hertfordshire Highways it was agreed to set up a meeting of the Berkhamsted & Northchurch Member Working Group for March 2008. It was noted that actions needed to reduce the speed of traffic in Gravel Path pending the result of the Hertfordshire Highways Study of Conditions would be included in the agenda. It was further agreed that member representation should be Councillors Laws, Allen and Lythgoe plus one Councillor from Northchurch Parish Council. Members of the Safer Gravel Path Action Group would be invited as observers. Action Town Clerk
08/08 TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE a. Traffic Management i. Proposed changes to speed restrictions and junction control – The Common, Nettleden Road, Berkhamsted Common. The letter received from Mr. Ron Turner was noted. It had been forwarded to Hertfordshire Highways. The Town Council would support his proposals subject to the consultation period still being open. Action Town ClerkVide 31/07 ii. Congestion Shootersway/Kingshill Road Councillor Allen said that a letter to residents had been prepared and would be distributed in the next few weeks by himself and Councillor Laws. Action Councillors Allen, Laws and Town Clerkiii. George Street/Ellesmere Road on way system Councillor Allen said that he had received a suggestion from a resident proposing a one-way system to prevent congestion. For various reasons it had been decided not to proceed with the proposal but to include it for further discussion at the forthcoming meeting of the Berkhamsted & Northchurch Members Group. The Chairman then adjourned the meeting to allow a local resident of George Street to say that that afternoon approximately 50 cars had been parked on the pavement in George Street in contravention of the Road Traffic Act. However these breaches were never enforced and Parking Wardens had informed him they had been instructed not to carry out enforcement for parking on the pavement in George Street. The meeting was reconvened. Following discussion it was agreed to write to Brian Scott, Dacorum Borough Council, to ask why the Parking Wardens had been instructed not to enforce offences of causing obstruction of the pavement by parking and to propose that there should be a policy of rigorous enforcement throughout Berkhamsted for these offences to include Chesham Road during Collegiate School events. Action Town Clerkiv. Vehicle Activated speed Signs Councillor Laws said that such signs were being considered for Gravel Path, Kings Road and Hall Park. The recent Newsletter had contained a request for volunteers to operate the portable speed indicator device so that evidence could be gathered in those three areas to support funding applications for fixed signs. It was hoped that the evidence would be available for the forthcoming meeting of the Berkhamsted & Northchurch Members Group. Action Councillor LawsCouncillor Gibbs said that the Town Council could consider funding fixed speed indicator devices, which apparently cost between £2,000 - £3,000 depending on the power source. v. Gravel Path See 07/08i. vi. Road safety at the junction of Three Close Lane and the High Street The Chairman referred to the letter received from Mrs. E.M. Morgan sent to Councillor Gibbs. Following discussion it was agreed that her concerns would be considered by the forthcoming meeting of the Berkhamsted & Northchurch Members Group but in the meantime efforts should be made to have the resurfacing of Three Close Lane brought forward from the reserve list as it was in an appalling condition. Action Mr. BarnesIt was agreed that Councillor Gibbs would reply to the letter. vii. Minutes of the annual Speed Indicator Device joint meeting The minutes circulated with the agenda were noted. Councillor Laws said that a number of people had volunteered their services to be trained as operators as a result of the article in the Newsletter. b. Parking i. Spaces available in Water Lane car park behind Tesco’s during term time and at half term Following discussion it was agreed that it would be unfair to discriminate against any section of the community that wanted to park in Water Lane and therefore no further action would be taken. ii. Chesham Road – Congestion during Collegiate School events The Chairman referred to correspondence circulated with the agenda. Councillor Stevens said that the main problems were caused when special national events were held on the sports fields. To his knowledge there had been no meaningful discussions as yet between the Collegiate and Ashlyns Schools. It was agreed to write again to the Schools to ask for a progress report. Action Town Clerkiii. Commuter parking in Murray Road The Chairman referred to the letter received from Simon Croker circulated with the agenda. Following discussion it was agreed to monitor the results of the implementation of parking restrictions in Murray Road to the junction with Gaveston Drive before taking any further action. Action Mr. Barnesc. Pedestrian routes and footways i. Footpaths in Canal Fields, The Moor and Velvet Lawn. (Standing item – no reports) There was nothing to report. ii. Alternative paving at St. Peters Church – to consider alternative blocks for the area outside St. Peters Church The Town Clerk said that a meeting had taken place last week between Mark Goodyear of Hertfordshire Highways and Emma Adams, Dacorum Borough Council Conservation Officer. As a result of the meeting Emma Adams had recommended the use of a block paviour similar in colour to the existing slabs used in front of the Church. She had also recommended the construction of a small lay-by outside the Church door for use by hearses and other Church related vehicles and the erection of bollards to prevent vehicle encroachment onto the pavement. Hertfordshire Highways were considering these recommendations and will inform the Town Council of their decision in due course. d. Roads There was nothing to report. e. Cycling There was nothing to report. f. Rail Services There was nothing to report. g. Bus Services The Chairman referred to correspondence received from Mr. Tony Price drawing attention to the vulnerability of the 30/31 bus service, which runs four times a day from the High Street to the Ashlyns Estate. Mr. Price drew attention to the withdrawal of funding by Dacorum Borough Council, which could result in the service being stopped. Councillor Reay said that the Borough Council had decided to withdraw its subsidy from April 2009 and the County Council would have to decide which services would be cut as a result of the withdrawal of funding. It was agreed to await proposals from Hertfordshire County Council, which would be subject to public consultation. Action Town Clerk
09/08 ENVIRONMENTa. Town Projects i. Millennium Garden ii. Gateway Garden There was nothing to report. b. Sponsorship and maintenance of the roundabout at Chesham Road/Kingshill Way The Chairman referred to correspondence received from Hertfordshire Highways and in particular the letter concerning the maintenance of the roundabout at the junction of Chesham Road and Kingshill Way. Following discussion it was agreed to write to Hertfordshire County Council to ask for a response to the Town Council’s original request for a concurrent services agreement to be considered. Action Town Clerkc. Town & Country Planning Act 1990 Section 215 Councillor Reay confirmed that he had spoken to the Enforcement Officer, Robert Egan, who had not yet sent a letter to the National Film Archive concerning the condition of their buildings. Councillor Allen said this was an unsatisfactory response and a letter should by now have been sent and Section 215 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 implemented. It was agreed to ask Mr. Egan for a copy of his letter to the National Film Archive and to ask him to give reasons why Section 215 could not be used to force an enhancement of the visual appearance of the premises. Action Town Clerkd. Climate Change i. Climate Change and your Community – Councillor Stevens. Extract from the NALC iii. East of England Climate Change Partnership: Update for December 2007 – Councillor Stevens Councillor Stevens spoke to various papers circulated with the agenda and said that it was a Government target to achieve a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2010. He said that the Town Council should encourage its community and take a facilitating role to identify what local initiatives could be taken. Following discussion it was agreed to set up a Working Party to make recommendations on measures that the Town Council could take or encourage the community to take, the impact those measures might have and the cost of implementation. Working Party to consists of Councillors Matthews (Coordinator), Stevens and Reay and to include expert advice from members of the community. It was suggested that Messrs. Bruce Nixon and Danny Bonnett could provide that expert advice. The Working Party should be invited to make a presentation to the Town Council once it had completed its work. Action Councillor Matthews/Town Clerke. Birtchnell’s Copse, Ivy House Lane – oral report from the Warden, Patrick Stileman. There was nothing to report. e. Dacorum Environmental Forum – minutes of meeting held on the 25th October 2007 The minutes of the meeting were noted. The next meeting was scheduled for 17th January 2008 and members were encouraged to attend. f. Celebrating the Diversity of Hertfordshire’s Countryside The Chairman referred to correspondence circulated with the agenda and said that he was awaiting a reply from David Guest of Rosewood Publishing to whom he had made a request for suitable photographs. g. Fly Posting – information from Councillor Allen Councillor Allen referred to his report circulated with the agenda and said that he had been in discussion with Borough Council Enforcement Officers. It appeared that prosecution was ineffective as was the recent letter sent to the Proprietor of the Kings Arms Hotel concerning the sale of leather jackets which had not prevented fly posting in the town. He was encouraged by the response from the Town Hall Manager who had agreed to include in hire agreements that fly posting would not be allowed. He also proposed that the Town Council should adopt a policy of not allowing any fly posting and should not agree to such requests. It was agreed to establish the legal position from the Enforcement Officer regarding fly posting and in particular who had the power to remove it. It was also agreed to point out the failure of the letter to the Kings Arms Hotel. Action Town Clerk
10/08 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES REPORTS a. Roads , Pavements and Parking (Councillors Laws and Allen) There was nothing to report. b. Recycling (Councillor Stevens) There was nothing to report. c. Litter and Nuisance (Councillor Reay) There was nothing to report. d. Berkhamsted Heritage and Environment (Councillor Cowie) There was nothing to report. 11/08 CLOSE OF MEETING
The meeting closed at 9.17 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the TRANSPORT & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 3rd September 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councillors R.M. Cowie - Chairman M. Allen Julie Laws I. Reay G. Stevens SUBSTITUTE MEMBER: Councillor D. Collins OFFICERS: Mr. C.R. Westwood – Town Clerk
12/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Matthews. 13/07 TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were no declarations of interest regarding items on the agenda. 14/07 MINUTES The minutes of the last meeting held on the 11th June 2007 had been agreed at Full Council and were signed by the Chairman.
15/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS Transport Notification had been received of a Workshop event held by Hertfordshire County Council on the subject of Tackling Congestion to be held at Campus West, Welwyn Garden City, from 6.30 to 8.30 p.m. on the 25th September 2007. The Chairman had received a copy of a letter sent from Mr. R. Turner to the Principal of Berkhamsted Collegiate School asking for measures to be taken to reduce the amount of parking in Water Lane Car Park by 6th form pupils therefore reducing the availability of parking places to the general public. Mr. Turner suggests in the letter that the school allows older pupils to park free of charge on open land in its ownership. Mr. Turner had received a reply which indicated that the school were not concerned at the use of Water Lane Car Park by students but would ensure that they did not use Tesco’s underground car park. The Town Warden was asked to monitor available spaces during term time and at half-term in the block adjacent to Tesco’s underground car park to establish the extent of the problem. A document called “Towards Better Transport in Hertfordshire 2006/7 Progress Report” had been received from Hertfordshire County Council and was available for reference. The report sets out the County Council’s achievements in the first year of delivery of the 2nd Local Transport Plan 2006/7 to 2010/11. Notification had been received of the temporary closing of New Road, Berkhamsted, from its junction with Station Road to its junction with White Hill to enable bridge maintenance work to take place for a five-day period between 3rd and 7th September 2007. Notification had been received from Hertfordshire County Council of proposals to implement new waiting restrictions in Castle Street, Murray Road, Queens Road, Ravens Lane and South Park Gardens. Details had been copied to Committee members. A publication called Train Times; Summer 2007 edition had been received and was available for reference. Environment The following publications had been received: Chiltern Woodlands Project News of the Woods Summer 2007. Chilterns Conservation Board Annual Review 2006/7. Chiltern News September 2007. A letter had been received from Brian Scott, Dacorum Borough Council, attaching the Area Working Schedule for street cleansing and highway faults. The letter and schedule had been copied to all Councillors.
16/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The meeting was adjourned to allow Ms Wheeldon to refer to the Terms of Reference for the Committee and in particular recycling for small businesses. No facilities were currently provided by the Borough Council and she would like to see them introduced as soon as possible. Fore example how were glass bottles from the Civic Centre disposed of. Ms. Wheeldon welcomed the parking restrictions to be introduced in Castle Street but asked how they would be enforced during the evenings. Ms. Wheeldon commented on the poor standard of work in the High Street to replace paving slabs. The original work had not been of a high enough standard and the present work was equally poor and ugly, for example, outside Atchison’s Estate Agents. Mr. Dyer referring to the agenda item concerning traffic management in George Street and Ellesmere Road said that a residents parking scheme had been proposed but was not introduced. If a one-way system was introduced the level of parking would not reduce and traffic would still be held up by the refuse and recycling vehicles. There were too many cars on Victorian streets. A local resident spoke regarding Manor Street and Ravens Lane and said that he was waiting for Hertfordshire Highways to put parking restrictions in. There were problems with parked cars and at the top end of Ravens Lane near the High Street large vehicles were churning up the tarmac. He had also noticed that large vehicles were using the High Street early in the morning and appeared to be connected with the Stag Lane development. He was concerned at the effect on the road surface. Councillor Reay said that it had been agreed with Bellway Homes that lorries would not use Berkhamsted High Street but would be directed in and out of the site via Northchurch. The meeting was then reconvened.
17/07 TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE Vide 070/07 – Amended Terms of Reference The Amended Terms of Reference circulated with the agenda were approved and adopted.
18/07 TRANSPORT 19/07 TRANSPORT POLICY i. Urban Transport Plan for Berkhamsted (Standing item –no reports) It was noted that the West Herts Area Transport Plan which would incorporate the Berkhamsted and Northchurch Plan had been delayed to 2012.
20/07 TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE a. Traffic Management i. To consider corresponding with Hertfordshire Highways and the Police concerning one way traffic system for George Street and Ellesmere Road. Councillor Allen spoke to his paper circulated with the agenda. He had sought the views of the Police Traffic Management Officer who was not in favour of such a scheme for various reasons. The views of Hertfordshire Highways had been requested but it was noted that a response had not been received. Following discussion it was agreed to seek a meeting with representatives of Hertfordshire Highways, Dacorum Borough Council and the Police to discuss the proposal and to establish if it was a suitable matter to be included in a future Transport Plan. Action Town Clerk
ii. To consider corresponding with Hertfordshire Highways and the Police concerning the installation of a roundabout at the junction of the A 416 Kings Road and Shootersway. Councillor Allen spoke to his paper circulated with the agenda. Following discussion it was agreed that this was a suitable matter to be discussed at the joint meeting to be held with Ashley Green Parish Council on the 15th October 2007 at 9.30 a.m. in the Council Chamber where representatives of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils and the Police would be present. Action Town Clerk
ii. Vehicle Activated sign A41 Eastern Approach to Berkhamsted. Councillor Allen spoke to his paper circulated with the agenda. Following discussion it was agreed to seek a meeting with representatives of Hertfordshire Highways, Dacorum Borough Council and the Police to discuss the proposal and to establish if it was a suitable matter to be included in a future Transport Plan. Councillor Reay said that a cheaper option would be to paint roundels on the road surface indicating the speed limit and there was also the New Lodge site development to be considered in respect of which a planning application was expected within 12 months. Section 106 Agreements could be sought to introduce traffic calming to compliment the right turn into the site. Action Town Clerk
b. Parking i. To consider use of Manor Street Social Services Car Park for public parking The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. Councillor Stevens said that although the Manor Street offices were now apparently under the control of a tenant they could still be used in the evenings for parking with the tenant’s consent. It was agreed to establish if a tenant had moved in. Action Town Clerk
ii. Annual Review of Car Parking charges – to consider a report from the Working Party. The Chairman referred to the report circulated separately from the agenda. Following discussion it was agreed to accept the report of the Working Party and forward the recommendations to Dacorum Borough Council. Action Town Clerk
iii. Vide 09/07 b – parking in Castle Street The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted.
c. Pedestrian routes and footways i. Parish Paths Partnership The next meeting was due to be held on the 6th September 2007.
ii. Footpaths in Canal Fields, The Moor and Velvet Lawn There was nothing to report.
iii. High Street pavements – complaint from John Cook. The Chairman referred to recent correspondence with Mr. John Cook and exchanges of correspondence with the Project Manager of Hertfordshire Highways concerning the poor state of repairs of the High Street pavements. Councillor Stevens said that he was one of the Councillors who walked the High Street with Hertfordshire Highways personnel and came to some agreements regarding the standard of work that would be carried out. There had been no agreement to use dark grey paviors in any area of the High Street. It was noted that a meeting had been arranged for the 12th September 2007 with Hertfordshire Highways representatives and there would be a walk of the High Street to identify problems with the refurbishment. Mr. John Cook would be invited. Action Town Clerk
d. Roads (Standing item – no reports) e. Cycling (Standing item – no reports) f. Rail Services (Standing item – no reports) g. Bus Services (Standing item – no reports)
21/07 ENVIRONMENT a. River Bulbourne Restoration Project It was noted that responsibility for the River Bulbourne Restoration Project had been transferred to the Canal & Riverside Partnership which was due to meet on Wednesday 5th September 2007 at 4.30 p.m. The Town Clerk reported that there was only one outstanding item left from the work of the Project Team and that was the planting of the lake in St. John’s Well Lane. b. Town Projects i. Millennium Garden ii. Gateway Garden The correspondence from Mrs. Betty Patterson was noted and her proposals for the maintenance for the two gardens were accepted. It was agreed to ask Mrs. Patterson what her plans were for the gardens for the next 12 months. Action Town Clerk
c. Land Use (activities) i. Bridle Way Dell Project ii. East Meadow The Town Clerk reported that following the last meeting of the Finance & Policy Committee letters had been sent to Dacorum Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council proposing the Concurrent Service Agreements for Bridle Way Dell, East Meadow and other green space in the town. Replies were awaited.
d. Hertfordshire Integrated Works Programme for Berkhamsted Details circulated with the agenda were noted. It was agreed to write letters of appreciation to the County and Borough Councils for the work being carried out in Berkhamsted. Action Town Clerk
e. Litter i. Around Victoria School The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted.
ii. Other locations Following discussion it was agreed to write to the Town’s voluntary groups to ask them to notify the Town Council of any litter picks that they organise to enable Town Councillors to join them.
It was further agreed to write to the Principal of the Collegiate School and the Headteacher of Ashlyns to ask for their cooperation in discouraging their pupils from dropping litter particularly in Chesham Road and to bring to their attention the fact that Dacorum Borough Council’s Waste Services Department offers schools the opportunity to have free work shops on recycling and anti-littering to support key stage subjects including Science, Geography, Art and History (letter from Claire Covington, Dacorum Borough Council refers.). Action Town Clerk
f. To consider the installation of street lighting in Church Lane. Councillor Allen said that he was a member of the Berkhamsted Crime Prevention Panel and the lack of lighting in Church Lane had been identified as a problem. Police would like to see street lighting installed and following discussion it was agreed to seek a meeting with representatives of Hertfordshire Highways, Dacorum Borough Council and the Police to discuss the proposal. See items 20/07ai and aiii. Action Town Clerk
g. Birtchnell’s Copse, Ivy House Lane There was nothing to report.
22/07 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES To note aspects of the Strategic Plan assigned to this Committee. a. Roads, Pavements and Parking To improve the Town’s transport infrastructure and the maintenance of roads and pavements. b. Recycling To support the Borough Council’s recycling service whilst looking at ways to reduce the amount of waste created by local businesses. c. Litter and Nuisance d. Berkhamsted Heritage and Environment To protect and improve the Town’s environment and to provide support and information regarding its heritage The elements of the Strategic Plan allocated to the Committee were noted. The Chairman said there would be a specific discussion held at the next meeting to identify the actions required to achieve the objectives. Members were invited to send ideas to the Clerk who would prepare a paper for discussion. Action Members of the Committee
23/07 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 8.45 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the TRANSPORT & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 11th June 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councillors M. Allen Julie Laws P. Matthews I. Reay G. Stevens SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillor D. Collins NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillors K. Coleman P.G. Gibbs (left at 8.50 p.m.) J. Lythgoe (left at 8.50 p.m.) CO-OPTED MEMBER: Patrick Stileman Birtchnell’s Copse Warden (left at 8.10 p.m.) OFFICERS: Mr. C.R. Westwood – Town Clerk 01/07 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR THE FORTHCOMING YEAR On the proposal of Councillor Reay, seconded by Councillor Laws, Councillor Cowie was elected Chairman for the forthcoming year. On the proposal of Councillor Reay, seconded by Councillor Allen, Councillor Matthews was elected Deputy Chairman for the forthcoming year and took the chair for the remainder of the meeting. 02/07 TO APPOINT MEMBERS TO THE FOLLOWING WORKING PARTIES AND GROUPS: a. Berkhamsted & Northchurch Member Working Group (Transport Plan) Deferred until requested by Hertfordshire Highways. b. Parish Paths Partnership Councillor Laws. c. River Bulbourne Restoration Project Councillor Foster Weinreb, Chairman of CARP. d. Land Use (activities) Deferred until policy agreed by the Finance & Policy Committee.
03/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Cowie. 04/07 TO RECEIVE ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were no declarations of interest regarding items on the agenda.
05/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS The following publications had been received and are available for reference: The Chiltern News for June 2007 The Open Space newsletter for Summer 2007 Countryside Management Service News May 2007 Groundwork Hertfordshire News Spring 2007 Buckinghamshire County Council Minerals & Waste Local Development Framework Draft Statement of Community Involvement had been received. Response may be submitted by 22nd June 2007. Further correspondence had been received from Dacorum Borough Council and the Berkhamsted Market Fund on the matter of use of the Civic Centre car park on Saturdays by Market Traders. The Borough Council were steadfast in their view that a planning application was required.
06/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Mike Locke representing Gravel Path residents said that they had made a lot of progress to reduce the speed of traffic on Gravel Path and to persuade the County Council to introduce further measures. They had received support from Berkhamsted Town Council and the Joint Members Panel. He was looking for that support to be continued and asked who the Town Council representative on the Joint Members Panel would be. He had also received support from David Gauke, MP and was keen to continue the use of the speed indicator device, which he was trained to operate. Ms. Wheeldon raised three matters. a. The Conservation Area had no identity. The Town Council should adopt a policy to give it an identity and a model to dictate the replacement of, for example, street furniture in keeping with the Conservation Area. b. The Gravel Path weight limit of 7.5 tonnes was being ignored. The signs in Station Road and in Gravel Path were obscured by trees. Nothing had been done to clear the growth. Action Help Pointc. Ms. Wheeldon agreed with the proposal being dealt with later in the agenda to reduce the use of plastic bags. A larger bin was needed in Water Lane car park. Action Help Point
07/07 TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE – FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL Councillor Allen proposed some amendments to the Terms of Reference, which he agreed to circulate for comment. It was agreed that the discussion would be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee. Action Councillor Allen & Town Clerk
08/07 TRANSPORT POLICY i. Urban Transport Plan for Berkhamsted – extract from the West Hertfordshire Area Transport Plan attached to note. Correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted.
9/07 TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE a. Traffic Management i. School Travel Forums The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. Councillor Stevens pointed out the need for a crossing at the junction of Shootersway and Kings Road. A local action group had been formed and may make recommendations to the Town Council. b. Parking i. Castle Street – parked cars impeding the Fire appliance. Following discussion it was agreed to support the view that there should be parking restrictions in Castle Street, to restrict parking near the junction with the High Street, to improve access and egress for traffic including large emergency service vehicles. It was agreed that a letter should be sent to Hertfordshire Highways and the Traffic Management Police Officer for Dacorum. Action Town Clerk
ii. The Chairman referred to late correspondence received from Dacorum Borough Council asking for the Town Council’s views on the Annual Car Park Charges Review. It was agreed to set up a Working Group to consider the correspondence and to make recommendations to the Town Council at its meeting on the 16th July 2007. Action Councillors Matthews, Collins, Stevens & Cowie
c. Pedestrian routes and footways i. Parish Paths Partnership The minutes of the last meeting circulated with the agenda were noted. It was agreed to display a copy of the definitive footpath map in the Council Chamber. Action Mr. Barnes
ii. To note Town Council ownership of and responsibility for footpaths in Canal Fields, The Moor and Velvet Lawn. Ownership of the three footpaths was noted.
d. Roads (Standing item – no reports)
e. Cycling (Standing item – no reports)
f. Rail Services (Standing item – no reports)
g. Bus Services (Standing item – no reports)
10/07 ENVIRONMENT a. River Bulbourne Restoration Project The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted.
b. Town Projects – to discuss future maintenance of: i. Millennium Garden ii. Gateway Garden Following discussion it was agreed to accept the offer made by Mrs. Betty Patterson that her volunteer group would manage the two gardens on an annual contract. Action Town Clerk
Councillor Collins suggested that local sponsorship of these two sites should be considered. It was agreed to defer this matter for discussion to the next Committee meeting. Action Town Clerk
iii. To note Town Council responsibility for grounds maintenance at St. Peter's Churchyard and the lower Cemetery, Rectory Lane. Town Council responsibility for the Cemetery and lower Churchyard was noted. Councillor Stevens said this initiative was a good example of a better service being delivered locally.
c. Land Use (activities) – for discussion. i. Bridle Way Dell Project ii. East Meadow It was agreed to defer any discussion until responsibility for these areas had been discussed and agreed by the Finance & Policy Committee.
d. Hertfordshire Integrated Works Programme for Berkhamsted. The document circulated with the agenda was noted. Councillor Allen said there were significant omissions notably Durrant's Road and Mill Street both of which were in a poor state of repair but not mentioned. It was agreed to request a meeting with the Area Manager of Hertfordshire Highways to discuss the works programme. Councillor Coleman agreed to establish further information with regard to how works were prioritised and to circulate it before the next meeting. Action Councillor Coleman & Town Clerk
e. Litter around Victoria School The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. The Town Clerk had not received a reply from Mr. Thorpe of Dacorum Borough Council. Councillor Stevens said that there was a history of problems emanating from Butts Meadow and the alleyway to Prince Edward Street. CCTV and lighting had been considered but the Borough Council had not given their consent.
f. Recycling – Motion from Councillor Garrick Stevens Councillor Stevens referred to his Motion circulated with the agenda and proposed that it should be adopted. His proposal was seconded by Councillor Laws and unanimously agreed. Councillor Stevens then proposed that details of the Motion should be sent to the Chairman of the Berkhamsted Community Partnership with a request that the Partnership considers how the Motion may be activated. It was agreed that this was an appropriate course of action. Action Town Clerk
g. Birtchnell’s Copse, Ivy House Lane – oral report from the Warden, Patrick Stileman Patrick Stileman explained to members of the new Town Council that he was the volunteer warden of Birtchnell’s Copse, which was a one hectare nature reserve in Ivy House Lane next to Sunnyside New allotment site. It was owned by the Town Council and managed by a group of volunteers mainly from the Sunnyside Allotment Society. Occasional funding was requested from the Town Council. The site was formerly allotment land, which had regenerated as secondary woodland and provided habitat for birds and other wildlife. The site was open to the public and he occasionally hosted guided walks. He would be pleased to show Councillors around the site. Mr. Stileman was thanked for his report.
11/07 CLOSE OF MEETING
The meeting closed at 9.25 p.m.
|
