Agenda item

7.1

The Executive Director, Place submitted a report outlining the receipt of objections to the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in the High Green area and setting out the Council’s response.

7.2

RESOLVED: That:-

(a)

the High Green and Greaves Lane 30mph Speed Limit Orders be made in accordance with the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;

(b)

the objectors be informed accordingly;

(c)

the concerns of the Police be noted and speeds on the roads within the 20mph area be monitored; and

(d)

the proposed 20mph and 30mph speed limits be introduced.

7.3

Reasons for Decision

7.3.1

Reducing the speed of traffic in residential areas will, in the long term, reduce the number and severity of accidents, reduce the fear of accidents, encourage sustainable modes of travel and contribute towards the creation of a more pleasant, cohesive environment.

7.3.2

Having considered the objections to the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in High Green the officer view was that the reasons set out in the report for making the Speed Limit Order outweighed the objections. The introduction of a 20mph speed limit in this area would be in-keeping with the City’s approved 20mph Speed Limit Strategy.

7.3.3

A transitional 30mph speed limit on part of Greaves Lane was required to encourage drivers to moderate their speed as they approached the 20mph area from the north.

7.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

The objections related to the principle of introducing sign-only 20mph speed limits into residential areas, and therefore the recently approved Sheffield 20mph Speed Limit Strategy. As such, no alternative options had been considered. Speeds will be monitored and the addition of further measures will be considered, if appropriate.

7.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

None

7.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

None

7.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

Simon Green, Executive Director, Place

7.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

Economic and Environmental Wellbeing

4.1

The Executive Director, Place submitted a report outlining the receipt of objections to the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in the High Green area and setting out the Council’s response.

4.2

Representatives of the High Green Community Action Team attended the meeting to make representations to the Cabinet Member. Gill Green commented that she was not opposed to the scheme in principle but was concerned about the lack of consultation and the location proposed.

4.3

Ms Green further commented that she believed the scheme would be a waste of public funds as the City Council had acknowledged that speeds were already low and there had been no reported injury accidents in the area. As such there wouldn’t be fewer accidents, as stated in the consultation leaflet, as there hadn’t been any accidents in the first place.

4.4

Other areas in the locality were more in need of a 20mph limit such as Thompson Hill, Foster Way, Greengate Lane, School Lane and Mortomley Lane. Two petitions had already been submitted to the Council in relation to speeding on Greengate Lane.

4.5

The consultation results showed that only 5 people out of 680 were in favour of the scheme. The report and consultation appeared to suggest that the scheme was a foregone conclusion and nothing could be done by objecting. Residents were also not given an opportunity to suggest alternative roads for the scheme.

4.6

Barry Bellamy further stated that there had been a serious accident on Wortley Road, west of Westwood Road, the previous Saturday due to speeding and this was an area which had a greater problem with speeding. It was impossible to speed past the school as the parked cars and the number of buses using the road prevented this.

4.7

Mr Bellamy believed that the rest of Wortley Road, Cottam Road, Potterhill Lane and Thompson Hill should be made a 20mph limit as these were more appropriate locations with speeding problems.

4.8

James Booker referred to an article in the Star Newspaper on 10 July 2013 which suggested the scheme had already been agreed and he believed this was pre-emptive. The issues of speeding were not the locations where the scheme was proposed and there were greater problems in other locations nearby.

4.9

In response John Bann, Head of Transport, Traffic and Parking Services, commented that all objections to a scheme are considered, even objections past the deadline when made to the Cabinet Member for decision, as in this instance. The Council has a policy of introducing 20mph speed limits on all residential roads in the City.

4.10

Mr Bann added that all Community Assemblies had been asked to identify priority areas for the first stage of the policy. He acknowledged the issues raised on Wortley Road West but using guidance from the Department for Transport the Council considered that the speed limit on this should remain at 30mph, due to the more rural nature of the area.

4.11

Simon Nelson, Scheme Designer, added that all Community Assemblies’ had been presented with the accident information for their area. A centrally held budget had been allocated to fund the first seven 20mph speed limits, one per Community Assembly area. The Northern Community Assembly had chosen to nominate the Spink Hall area of Stocksbridge.  The High Green scheme was funded from Northern Assembly’s own alloctaed budgets.

4.12

The guidance from the Department for Transport makes it clear that speed limits need to be logical and appropriate to the road conditions. In the South of High Green there were no logical boundaries to treat one part over another.

4.13

Councillor Bramall commented that he had some sympathy with the views of residents in that they believed other locations would be more suitable. However, Community Assemblies had been set up to give local areas their say. This scheme was not to be funded centrally but from the Assembly’s own Highways and Discretionary Budget. He believed that there would have to be something fundamentally unjust with a scheme for him to overrule the views of local Members and residents.

4.14

The Assembly could afford the scheme and the proposal was in accordance with the Council’s 20mph Speed Limit Strategy He believed that the fact that the consultation showed only 5 people in support of the proposals and 5 people against was not necessarily reflective of levels of support as people did not generally write in if they supported something and objectors were more likely to make their views known. The new Local Area Partnerships may be consulted on the next round of 20mph schemes and the South of High Green may be on the list for that, although that was not confirmed at this stage.

4.15

RESOLVED: That:-

(a)

the High Green and Greaves Lane 30mph Speed Limit Orders be made in accordance with the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;

(b)

the objectors be informed accordingly;

(c)

the concerns of the Police be noted and speeds on the roads within the 20mph area be monitored; and

(d)

the proposed 20mph and 30mph speed limits be introduced.

4.16

Reasons for Decision

4.16.1

Reducing the speed of traffic in residential areas will, in the long term, reduce the number and severity of accidents, reduce the fear of accidents, encourage sustainable modes of travel and contribute towards the creation of a more pleasant, cohesive environment.

4.16.2

Having considered the objections to the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in High Green the officer view was that the reasons set out in the report for making the Speed Limit Order outweighed the objections. The introduction of a 20mph speed limit in this area would be in-keeping with the City’s approved 20mph Speed Limit Strategy.

4.16.3

A transitional 30mph speed limit on part of Greaves Lane was required to encourage drivers to moderate their speed as they approached the 20mph area from the north.

4.17

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

The objections related to the principle of introducing sign-only 20mph speed limits into residential areas, and therefore the recently approved Sheffield 20mph Speed Limit Strategy. As such, no alternative options had been considered. Speeds will be monitored and the addition of further measures will be considered, if appropriate.