Agenda item

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Thomas introduced the Phase 2 Speed Limit Review Update report which provided an update on the progress made to date as well as providing details of a number of legal challenges against the proposed process, which had since been overcome.

            The report provided information on the revised timelines associated with the progression of a Single Consolidated Order covering the entire highway network, whilst also clarifying proposals to expedite those Member requests that were supported by the Department for Transport (DfE) criteria.

            A system of approved templates had been developed which had enabled the completion of a ‘Single Order’ for which all speed limits were to be advertised.  This had streamlined the previous over complicated procedure standardising the order writing process for any given eventuality.

            The Chief Officer (Streetscene and Transportation) explained the complex nature of the concerns regarding the objections to the consolidated speed limit order which fell into two categories (1) those that were 30mph by default of a system of Street Lighting for which an Order was not required or those 30mps speed limits that did not possess a system of street lighting for which and Order would be required; and (2) National speed limit roads with lighting which required an order to remove the default 30mph. 

            Details were provided on the legal challenges that had been made which had delayed the process, details of which were in the report.  The Chief Officer referred to a number of comments had been made at the recent Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the members of the public who had objected to many of the speed limits in the County, despite many of the roads not being in the area where they resided.  He said the objectors cared passionately about speed limits in the County and shared a motive to ensure the appropriate speed limits were in place on every road, so as to not undermine the validity of speed limits everywhere.  Their role was to protect that and the criteria that the speeds limits were based on, and he thanked them for their involvement and stated that the Council were indeed lucky to have such people who gave their own time to ensure the proposals were correct.

            Appended to the report was a matrix which detailed local Member speed limit requests.  On those that were supported by DfT criteria, it was proposed to expedite the advertisement of the 15 proposed speed limits in November 2018 with the exception of the A5119 Northop Road, Flint Mountain for which had been prioritised for advertisement in September 2018 due to an increasing number of accidents.

            Councillor Shotton welcomed the report and thanked the Chief Officer and his team for the work undertaken for the safety of people on the roads in the future.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the progress made to date be noted and both the legal challenges and subsequent changes in approach, which have led to a delay in the process, be acknowledged; and

(b)       That the amended legal process in order to progress the delivery of a Single Consolidated Order be supported.