ITEM 3

SCRUTINY REMIT: Hertfordshire County Council Highway Signage and Street Furniture

TITLE: Highway Signage and Street Furniture Topic Group

OBJECTIVE:
To assess how well the County Council is conforming to legislation and guidelines around highway signs and street furniture
QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED:
·  How much freedom does the County Council have to put up signs that it feels highway users would want
·  How much control does the County Council have over the number of signs and other street furniture on the highway
·  Does the County Council Conform to Policy
OUTCOME:
·  To establish whether anything else can be done to improve the consistency of highway signing across the county.
·  To establish whether anything can be done to help reduce street furniture/clutter and aesthetics of the highway scene
·  To see how this conforms to policy

CONSTRAINTS:

The topic group will look at the generic signing policy of the County Council and guidance it follows, not at individual locations for signing or areas of alleged street clutter

EVIDENCE & WITNESSES

Overview, Traffic Signs Manual Jon Prince

Baldock town Centre Enhancement Roxanne Glaud

Maintenance and serviceability of highway signs Peter Simpson

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Gary Nobel

Future intelligent transport systems Sanjay Patel

Hertfordshire County Council Signs Policy Mark Fell

METHOD: One off Scrutiny DATE: 24th February 2010
MEMBERSHIP:
Clare Berry
Malcolm Cowan
Terry Douris
Bryan Hammond
John Usher
SUPPORT:
Scrutiny Officer: Laura White
Lead Officers: Jon Prince
Democratic Services Officer: Laura Shewfelt
HCC Priorities for Action:- how this item helps deliver the Priorities
1.  Support economic well being
2.  Maximise independent living
3.  Ensure a positive childhood
4.  Secure a good education for all
5.  Reduce carbon emissions
6.  Promote safe neighbourhoods
7.  Be a leading council
This scrutiny will particularly address priorities 5, 6 and 7. The following statement demonstrates how signage and street furniture aids in the delivery of these priorities:
Signs are primarily provided to help highway users find their way around safely. The more easily highway users can find their way around the less confusion and congestion there is likely to be. This in turn promotes a safer more efficient highway network.
CfPS OBJECTIVES:- how the item delivers these objectives
1.  Provides a critical friend challenge to executive policy makers and decision makers
2.  Enables the voice and concerns of the public to be heard
3.  Is carried out by independent governors who lead and own the scrutiny role
4.  Drives improvement in public services

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