STOTFOLD TOWN COUNCIL

A meeting of the Recreation Grounds, Public Lands and Lighting Committee will be held in the Council Chambers at the Simpson Centre on Wednesday 9th May 2012 commencing at 7.00pm

A G E N D A

1. Apologies

2. Disclosures of Members interests on matters contained in this agenda

Members are reminded that if at any time during the meeting they feel they have an interest in an item being discussed, they should declare it at that point.

3. Public participation – questions, comments and responses

4. Use of The Green for parking/events

·  Friends of St Mary’s Church, Saturday 8th September 2012, 12noon to 4pm – Car Boot Sale with proceeds going towards restoring north entrance of St Mary’s Church.

·  The Coach and Horses – Car show on Saturday 4th August, all day event.

5. Central Bedfordshire Prioritised Works Programme 2012/2013

For information, a copy of the 2012/2013 Highway Programme for maintenance schemes and local improvement schemes has been received. A copy of the accompanying letter is attached, and details of schemes pertaining to Stotfold are provided in the Clerk’s Report.

6. Road Survey 2012

Highways have thanked Councillor Mrs Bundock for her 2012 survey work carried out so far. They advise that sites visits have been undertaken and works orders raised for various works (detailed in the Clerk’s Report).

7. Highways - Town Centre Improvements

Surveyors have been seen working on the High Street, and traffic speed strips have appeared on High Street, Hitchin Road, Regent Street and Arlesey Road over the last month. The Clerk has approached Highways to establish the purpose and obtained a response, detailed in the Clerk’s Report for information.

8. Central Beds Council – Travel Choices Map for Stotfold

For information, CBC have forwarded their draft Travel Choices Map for Stotfold for comment by 4th May. Councillor Mrs Cooper as the Chairman of this Committee and Councillor Mrs Bundock as the Council’s Highways Representative were asked to note any errors, omissions or anomalies on the map. See the Clerk’s Report for response forwarded to CBC.

16. Litter hotspots around the town

Members to advise on litter hotspots - areas that don’t appear to have been covered by the Central Bedfordshire Authority’s litter picks, and where litter has been accumulating for some time.

17. Faulty lighting

Members to advise on faulty lighting around the town and related issues.

18. General work

Members to advise on general work to be carried out relating to this Committee.

19. Items for information purposes only.

Mrs Kate Elliott-Turner

Town Clerk

4th May 2012

To: Councillors Mrs Bundock, Mrs Clarey, Collier, Cooper, Mrs Cooper, Dack, Hayes, Mrs Hyde, Saunders and Stoter.

Other Councillors for information only

CLERK’S REPORT

Recreation Grounds, Public Lands and Lighting Committee

9th May 2012

Matters arising – for information

Minute 6474– Central Beds Council has been advised that we would accept the relocated bus shelter to be sited on High Street. Mike Wood of Central Beds has been chased to provide the shelter as agreed.

Minute 6493 – Anglia & Midland Sports have been chased regarding cleaning of the MUGA. Alternative companies have been asked to quote.

Minute 6450 – Andrew Gwillam has been advised of the requests recommended by the Rights of Way Warden Group.

Minute 6541 – Log and plank style bench has been ordered from Knebworth Carvings and Teasel have agreed to site it on Millennium Green.

Minute 6543 – The resident has been informed of the actions taken by the office with regard to parking on grass verges in Highbush/Hyde Avenue.

Minute 6544 – Local groups have been invited to join us in The Big Tidy Up on Saturday 7th July.

Minute 6545 – The Mill have been asked for an additional contribution for the street lighting on Mill Lane, adjacent to the Mill car park, we are waiting for their response.

Minute 6550 – Our advert in the Stotfold News, June edition will contain a request for residents to keep off grass verges so that our contractor can cut them during the growing season.

ITEM 5 - CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE PRIORITISED WORKS PROGRAMME 2012/2013

Works scheduled for Stotfold for 2012/2013:

Scheme description / Sub-category/Scheme description / Budget
Lantern Replacement Programme – Phase 6 – Stotfold / Replacement of life expired Lanterns / £77,000
Drainage / Drainage scheme to alleviate flooding issues – High Street / £60,000
Integrated Transport (including Local Safety Schemes) / Buses, walking and cycling, traffic management (see LATP) / £122,000 (across Arlesey, Stotfold & Langford)
Stotfold S106 - Walking and cycling scheme / Improve facilities for walking and cycling / £105,000
Stotfold S106 - Queens Street, pedestrian crossing / Improve facilities for walking and cycling / £52,802
Development control – S278 Hitchin Road, Stotfold Pedestrian/Cycle / Section 278 - Hitchin Road, Stotfold pedestrian/cycle / £253,000
Development control – S278 Traffic calming, High Street, Stotfold / Section 278 – Traffic calming, High Street, Stotfold / £33,000
Development control – S106 – Town centre enhancements, Stotfold / Section 106 – Town centre enhancements Stotfold / £153,000

ITEM 6 – ROAD SURVEY 2012

Works orders have been raised for the following works:

·  The Coppens, footway leading to Baldock Road, 20m length of footway to be resurfaced.

·  Groveland Way, two small areas of footway to be patched.

·  Murrell Lane, 4 potholes to be repaired.

·  The Crofts, small area of footway to be repaired and potholes to be repaired at junction.

·  Alexander Road, area outside no. 6 to be repaired to remove trip.

·  The Avenue, pothole outside 48 to be repaired, footways that were not resurfaced have been put forward for consideration for inclusion in a future structural maintenance programme.

·  Norton Road, the vehicle crossing between 121 and 127 is to be resurfaced.

·  Norton Road drainage issue, silt is to be cleared from the carriageway to reveal what if any drainage is present, once this is done Highways will arrange for any drainage to be cleared.

·  St Mary’s Avenue, Highways recently repaired a section of footway at the end of the cul de sac.

·  Mill Lane, Highways are researching the highway boundary, once they have this information repairs will be programmed.

The remaining defects noted in the survey so far do not warrant a repair at the moment, these areas will continue to be monitored under Highway’s routine safety inspection.

ITEM 7 – HIGHWAYS – TOWN CENTRE IMPROVEMENTS

Highways advise that these are advance survey works for the Stotfold Town Centre Improvements, which is in the Local Area Transport Plan (LATP) as developer funded. No design works have taken place yet, and they have been talking to some of the local businesses so that they can promote the town centre idea. The funding for the scheme is not soley S106 however, as some of the other schemes identified in the LATP will have some contributions towards the works.

Generally the Pre-Design Site inspection was based upon:

1.  Town Centre Enhancements

2.  Improved Routes for Pedestrians and Cyclists

Prior to any design, survey works are required, and these will generally include:

1.  Survey works to:

A.  Junction of Arlesey Road/Hitchin Road/Regent Street

B.  Junction of High Street/Brook Street/The Avenue

C.  High Street from Brook Street to Queen Street

2.  Traffic counts at:

A.  Arlesey Road (west of Vaughan Road)

B.  Vaughan Road

C.  Hitchin Road

D.  Regent Street

E.  Arlesey Road (between Hitchin Road and Brook Street)

F.  The Avenue

G.  Brook Street

H.  High Street (between The Avenue and Church Road)

I.  High Street (between Church Road and Queen Street)

J.  Queen Street

It is the intention of the design team to include the Town Council in consultation once the proposals are supported by Central Beds Council Members. The Clerk envisages this matter being passed to the Town Enhancement Committee to deal with.

ITEM 8 – CENTRAL BEDS COUNCIL – TRAVEL CHOICES MAP FOR STOTFOLD

Comments returned to CBC were:

·  Brook Street is not noted as being a ‘no through road’.

·  Various bus stops are missing, and some have been highlighted as not being in use.

·  Hitchin Road shows a zebra crossing, however there is only a cycle crossing not a pedestrian crossing in place.

·  Missing publically available cycle stands are at the Co-operative and Town Council offices.

·  Labels for Etonbury and St Mary’s schools are inaccurate, and should now show that they are Academies.

·  There is no Church at Fairfield, although one is shown.

·  There are shops missing from High Street and Regent Street junction with Whitecrofts.

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