| Item | Description | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| PART 1 - PUBLIC | ||
| JTB 11/035 |
Declarations of interest. |
Councillor Heslop declared a personal interest in the item on Borough Transportation Matters on the grounds that he was a regular commuter using the Southeastern services. Councillor Mrs Luck declared a personal interest in the item on the Parking Plan on the grounds of owning a business in West Malling. Councillor Worrall declared a personal interest in the item on Borough Transportation Matters in respect of the Pembury Hospital development on the grounds of being a non-executive director of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. |
| JTB 11/036 |
Minutes |
RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Transportation Board held on 19 September 2011 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. |
| JTB 11/037 |
Welcome to and Presentation by KCC Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste |
The Chairman welcomed Mr Bryan Sweetland, Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste and Mr John Burr, Director of Highways and Transportation. Mr Sweetland reported that he was visiting all Joint Transportation Boards in the county and was keen to make them more meaningful. He congratulated the Tonbridge and Malling Board on the level of attendance and indicated the intention to loosen control from Kent County Council to allow action at local level providing it was legal, safe, sensible and budgeted. A common sense approach was being adopted and he would be meeting Joint Transportation Board chairmen every six to eight weeks. |
| MATTERS FOR RECOMMENDATION TO THE CABINET | ||
| JTB 11/038 |
Parking Action Plan Decision Notice D110157MEM |
The report of the Director of Planning, Transport and Leisure advised that an assessment of parking management in Aylesford and West Malling had started. It was recommended that consideration of the detailed proposals for public consultation be referred to local Steering Groups for each exercise with the aim of presenting the outcomes to the next meetings of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board and Joint Transportation Board in February and March 2012 respectively. Consideration was given to a further petition from residents of Woodfield Road and Springwell Road in respect of the additional period of afternoon permit-only parking within Zone M, Tonbridge. In considering action to address the petitioners' concerns, attention was drawn to the need to re-canvass residents across Zone M regarding the implications of any changes. It was agreed that on completion of Phase 6 an appropriate letter would be drafted in consultation with the Local Members. The report also gave details of a petition received from residents of Bridgewater Place, Leybourne, expressing concerns about parking on the road near the junction with Oxley Shaw Lane. RESOLVED: That the following be commended to the Borough Council Cabinet: (1) endorsement be given to the decision of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board to request that the detailed consideration of the parking management reviews for Aylesford and West Malling, including approval of proposals for an appropriate level of public consultation, be expedited by local Steering Groups set up for that purpose; (2) the petition from some residents of Springwell Road and Woodfield Road, Tonbridge, be noted; (3) the work to address the petitioners' request, including an initial stage of public consultation across the nine streets of Zone M without the afternoon restriction, be scheduled into the programme after Phase 6 is completed and the petitioners be advised accordingly; and (4) the petition from some residents of Bridgewater Place, Leybourne be formally received and logged within the forward schedule of parking requests to be dealt with as soon as currently programmed commitments permit, and the residents be advised accordingly. |
| JTB 11/039 |
Draft Medway Valley Sustainable Transport Strategy Decision Notice D110158MEM |
The joint report of the Director of Highways and Transportation and Director of Planning, Transport and Leisure sought endorsement of a fresh statement of transportation strategy for the Medway Valley in the context of the significant scale of planned development for the area. The paper focussed on the public transport aspects of the strategy on the A20 corridor and the three principal inter-urban bus routes currently serving the area. It was proposed that the funding available for bus priority measures be allocated to smaller scale improvement schemes throughout the corridor to add maximum value to the new and enhanced bus services to be provided. Attention was drawn to the planned remodelling of West Malling Station forecourt which formed a distinct but complementary component of the strategy. Kent County Council's general approach to bus service provision was explained and a report to the Board on future bus services was requested in due course. RESOLVED: That the following be commended to the Borough Council Cabinet: the approach set out in the revised strategy be endorsed and the detailed draft Medway Valley Sustainable Transport Strategy be presented to a future meeting of the Board before final approval. |
| JTB 11/040 |
West Malling Station Access Decision Notice D110159MEM |
The joint report of the Director of Highways and Transportation and Director of Planning, Transport and Leisure gave a progress update on the station forecourt remodelling project, explaining the links with the ‘bus gate' and the assessment and survey work earlier in the year. It was noted that contravention of the ‘bus gate' was widespread and required early review. Endorsement was therefore sought for the principle of dealing with the matter jointly with the proposals for the forecourt. RESOLVED: That the following be commended to the Borough Council Cabinet: the principle of joint consideration of the West Malling Station forecourt remodelling and the planning obligations associated with the bus gate be endorsed. |
| MATTERS SUBMITTED FOR INFORMATION | ||
| JTB 11/041 |
'A' Frames and Tables and Chairs on the Public Highway |
The report of the Director of Highways and Transportation provided an update on current policy for the management of temporary items on the highway. Some Borough Members expressed concern about enforcement of the policy in Tonbridge. An awareness campaign was currently being undertaken in Maidstone and it was agreed to provide feedback on this to a future meeting of the Board. |
| JTB 11/042 |
Borough Transportation Matters |
The report of the Director of Planning, Transport and Leisure provided an update on a number of transportation matters on which the Borough Council had recently been focusing. Reference was made to discussions at the recent meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board and to representations to the Minister of Transport on concerns about the imminent Southeastern Railway fare increases and the delivery of the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury dualling scheme. Members commended the joint approach of the Borough and County Councils and the Local Enterprise Partnership and thanks were recorded to the Chief Engineer for the quality of the representations drafted. |
| JTB 11/043 |
Traffic Schemes Progress Report |
The report of the Director of Highways and Transportation provided a summary of the current position on a number of traffic and transportation initiatives in the Borough. Updates were given on a number of the County Member funded schemes and it was clarified that whilst requests for funding had to be received by the end of November, the cut off point for authorisation and commitment of money was the end of December. The Board was advised that no roll over of schemes to the next financial year would be permitted although the same amount of funding would be made available for new applications in 2012/13. In response to a question, the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste indicated that Joint Transportation Boards and local communities would be consulted on a new approach to street lighting involving rationalisation and part-lighting to achieve savings and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. |
| JTB 11/044 |
Winter Service - Operational Arrangements |
The report of the Director of Highways and Transportation summarised winter service arrangements for the forthcoming season. Particular reference was made to the local winter service plan for Tonbridge and Malling together with arrangements for providing roadside salt bins and assessment criteria for requests for new bins. It was noted that, for the future, arrangements were in hand to review the process at an earlier stage (May 2012) to allow consultation with key partners and incorporation of comments into the next plan. In the meantime Members were invited to contact the officers if amendments to the current document were necessary. |
| JTB 11/045 |
Petitions Submitted to Kent County Council |
The report of the Director of Highways and Transportation updated the position on petitions being considered by the County Council together with a new one from residents of Catlyn Close, East Malling. With reference to the petition in respect of the A20 Wrotham Hill, and further to Minute JTB 11/027 of the last meeting, it was reported that a route study of that section of the A20 would be undertaken as part of the crash remedial measures process. The Chairman of Wrotham Parish Council responded to the action being proposed and expressed concern that the substantive items incorporated in the decision of the Board had not been addressed. In view of the prevailing road safety situation on that stretch of the A20, the Board reiterated the need for an interim scoping report to be shared with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Wrotham Parish Council before the next meeting and requested that a full report be submitted to the meeting on 12 March 2012. Members also asked that in the meantime the centre lane of the A20 south of the Gravesend Road roundabout be gritted in adverse weather and the cycle track on Wrotham Hill be cleared of broken glass. |
| MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION IN PRIVATE | ||
| JTB 11/046 |
Exclusion of Press and Public |
There were no matters considered in private. |