To receive petitions on traffic management matters submitted in accordance with the Sub-Committee’s Terms of Reference.

(a)       Petition – Request for Traffic Management on St Peters Hill and Church Road, Caversham

The Sub-Committee received a report on the receipt of a petition requesting that the Council take measures to enhance access to Caversham Court Gardens and St Peter’s Church, primarily a speed limit reduction on St Peter’s Hill and into Church Road in Caversham.  A plan showing the requested area for treatment in context was attached to the report at Appendix 1 and photographs that had been supplied with the petition were attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report stated that on 5 June 2024 a petition had been received that had been jointly promoted by The Church Leadership at St Peter’s Church and the Committee of the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens and had 165 individual indications of support.  The petition read as follows:

“The Church Leadership Team at St Peter’s Church, Caversham, and the Committee of the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens wish to promote a petition in favour of a Traffic Management Scheme aiming to enhance safety for pedestrians accessing St Peter’s Church and Caversham Court Gardens. The scheme would involve the enforcement of a 20mph speed limit from Darell Road on the whole length of St Peter’s Hill and Church Road. The scheme would include signage near the entrance to Woodrow Court to warn drivers that elderly people may be crossing Church Road.”

St Peter’s Hill lead into Church Road and was a street-lit nationally classified ‘A’ Road with a speed limit of 30 mph.  From north to south it had a number of features that were detailed in the report.  Within the previous five year period of Police supplied casualty data, to 31 October 2023, and there had been no recorded pedestrian casualties in the immediate area around Caversham Court Gardens or St Peter’s Hill and Church Road, with no linking patterns and no recorded suspicion that speeding was a contributing factor.

The report explained that the Requests for Traffic Management Measures Report contained an entry for a desirable 20 mph zone in Lower Caversham and the concept scheme was bounded by the junction of Church Road and St Anne’s Road.  The report proposed that an adjustment to the existing Lower Caversham entry to reflect the receipt of the petition and to propose an extension to the concept area to include St Peter’s Hill.  The next update would be submitted to the meeting on 13 November 2024.

Schemes originating from the Request for Traffic Management List had attracted funding nominations, including those from Local 15% Community Infrastructure Levy and successful government funding bids, such as the Active Travel Tranche 4.  The Lower Caversham 20 mph zone concept had been developed at a time when significant developer contributions had been expected.  Unfortunately, these had not materialised, however, this was still a desirable scheme for development and delivery and while the scale of the concept area was such that it would require significant funding, relatively smaller funding nominations could contribute to a phased delivery on an area priority basis, although currently there was no allocated funding for the development and delivery of the changes that had been requested in the petition.

The report explained that given the nature of the road, it was considered equally important that any speed reduction should be applied to both directions of traffic and the scheme would include any other potential enhancements that could be made, although the addition of any further signing would need to be balanced against the importance of not distracting from the important warning signs detailed in the report.  The report also noted that 20 mph zones were required to have regular traffic management features to ensure compliance and that these should be features that made the zones ‘self-enforcing’ by slowing the traffic.  Due to the combination of the steep gradient, narrow carriageway and steep bends, there were feasibility concerns around placing speed hump/cushion type features, due to the risks of destabilising vehicles and the surface water drainage. 

Finally, the report stated that it should only be expected that scheme development would commence once funding had been identified where it would be programmed around other funded development priorities.

At the invitation of the Chair the lead petitioner, Tony Wernham, addressed the Sub-Committee on behalf of the petitioners.

Resolved –

(1)       That the report be noted;

(2)       That the existing ‘Lower Caversham’ 20mph zone entry on the next Requests for Traffic Management Measures report be revised to reflect the receipt of the petition and the requested measures;

(3)       That the lead petitioner be informed of the decisions of the Sub-Committee, following publication of the agreed minutes of the meeting;

(4)       That no public inquiry be held into the proposals.

(b)       Petition – Request for Reading Hackney Carriage Vehicle Access to A33 Bus Lanes

The Sub-Committee received a report on the receipt of a petition requesting that Reading Borough Council licenced hackney carriage vehicles be granted access to use the A33 bus lanes.

The report stated that on 3 June 2024 a petition had been received that had 231 indications for support and read as follows:

“We the undersigned are licensed by READING BOROUGH COUNCIL as HACKNEY CARRIAGE DRIVERS request that all HACKNEY CARRIAGE VEHICLE licensed by READING BOROUGH COUNCIL are given permission to use the A33 BUS LANE

We have use of all other bus lanes in Reading apart from A33.

By allowing Hackney Carriage Vehicle to use this bus lane, will not effect Reading Buses operations”

The report stated that for context the Council had carried out major schemes to install additional traffic lanes along section of the A33, from south of junction 11 of the M4 to north of Rose Kiln Lane.  These had been funded and delivered as part of the strategic South Reading Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme and the latest phase of delivery was currently in progress between Rose Kiln Lane (South) and Rose Kiln Lane (North).  These additional traffic lanes were bus only lanes.  Changes to access, if agreed, would require a change to the Traffic Regulation Order that underlaid each restriction.  These changes would require statutory consultation for the new draft order, advertising of the sealed Order thereafter and changes to the statutory signing.  Back-office changes to the enforcement software would also be required.  Such changes would require funding and resourcing.

At the invitation of the Chair the lead petitioner, Asif Rashid, Chair of the Reading Taxi Association, addressed the Sub-Committee on behalf of the petitioners.

Resolved –

(1)       That the report be noted;

(2)       That appropriate officers consider the request and their recommendations be submitted to an appropriate future meeting;

(3)       That the lead petitioner be informed of the decisions of the Sub-Committee, following publication of the agreed minutes of the meeting;

(4)       That no public inquiry be held into the proposals.