The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing an update on key progress and milestones associated with the new National Cycle Network Route (NCN 422) between Bath Road/Greenwood Road and the Three Tuns.  A plan showing the removal of the Traffic Island to the west of Ashley Road was attached to the report at Appendix A and a revised plan for the route between Grange Avenue and Pitcroft Avenue was attached to the report at Appendix B.

The report explained the progress on Phases 1 and 2 of the NCN 422 scheme and that a Notice of Intention was required for the removal of a traffic island on Berkeley Avenue, 35 metres west of Ashley Road, in accordance with Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.  The removal of the traffic island would enable the existing advisory cycle lane to be upgraded to a mandatory cycle lane.

Phase 3 of the scheme built on previous works that had been delivered as part of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund programme by extending shared use facilities along Wokingham Road from Cemetery Junction to the Three Tuns and had been granted scheme and spend approval by the Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee on 21 November 2018 (Minute 30 refers).  Measures included improved pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities, junction treatments, signing and footway widening.  Phase 3 works had commenced in April 2019 and were due to be completed by summer 2019.  Works that had been completed to date had concentrated on the section between Cemetery Junction and Palmer Park Avenue, including improved pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities at side road junctions and the conversion of the pedestrian crossing, to the east of St Bartholomews Avenue, to a tiger crossing.  The in-house Highways Team would now focus on improvements to the path running adjacent to Wokingham Road through Palmer Park.  This phase would be further complemented by works proposed between Grange Avenue and Melrose Avenue, as part of the annual resurfacing programme.

The report explained that revised designs for Wokingham Road between Grange Avenue and Pitcroft Avenue had been finalised and had been shared with Ward Councillors.  A Stage 1 and 2 Road Safety Audit had been carried out on the revised design by an independent auditor and had not identified any concerns in respect of the changes that had been proposed.  Further Notices of Intention had been advertised for alterations to existing traffic calming features along Wokingham Road, between Palmer Park Avenue and St Peters Road, and for converting the existing pedestrian crossing to a tiger crossing to the west of Pitcroft Avenue, both in accordance with Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and Section 90C of the Highways Act 1980.

It was requested at the meeting that the Ward Councillors be briefed on the removal of the traffic island on Berkeley Avenue.

Resolved -

(1)     That the progress on delivering the NCN programme as set out within the report be noted;

(2)     That the Assistant Director of Legal & Democratic Services be authorised to carry out the Statutory Notice procedures for the removal of a traffic island on Berkeley Avenue between Bath Road and Ashley Road, as part of the NCN 422 scheme, as set out in Appendix A and in accordance with Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, subject to a briefing being provided for the Ward Councillors.