A report informing the Sub-Committee of the findings of Officers in response to a petition received seeking the installation of planters along Hamilton Road.  

Further to minute 22 of the meeting held on 12 November 2020, the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing the findings of Officer investigation regarding the implementation of traffic calming planters on Hamilton Road, as proposed by the petition.  Signatories to the petition had suggested a number of benefits to the proposals, which were set out in the report.

The report stated that an external representation, opposing the implementation of the planters, had been shared with Councillors ahead of the meeting held on 12 November 2020. In summary, the representation considered that the planters would have no positive effect on traffic speed above that already provided by the current speed bumps and parked traffic and would cause adverse effects for road users and pedestrians.

Officers, having considered the content of the petition, the external representation made to Councillors in November 2020, had investigated the proposal and recommended against progressing proposals to place planters along Hamilton Road. The reasons were set out in detail in report. They included the following observations:

·           Parking capacity – the current layout of the bays maximised the parking capacity while maintaining visibility at junctions and providing sufficient space for traffic to flow. Siting planters on the carriageway would reduce the number of parking spaces available for residents and their visitors and, along with the risk of the vegetation growing taller and could compromise visibility along the road and around junctions/accesses.

·           Speeding and safety – Hamilton Road was already a traffic calmed street with speed humps and there was no pattern of speed-related (or other) incidents involving casualties.

·           Notwithstanding that the petition suggested that a number of residents would be willing to plant and maintain the vegetation in the planters, the expectation would be for the Council to maintain and remove them; this would have cost implications, were the planters not maintained locally.

The Sub-Committee discussed the proposal and considered that the concerns identified by Officers outweighed the arguments put forward by the petitioners.

Officers confirmed at the meeting that they would be notifying the lead petitioner of the Sub-Committee’s decision and would be happy to engage with the petitioners on any modified proposal which they might wish to submit. The Sub-Committee suggested that it would also be helpful if a copy of the report, which set out Officers’ reasons as to why they recommended against progressing the proposal, was sent to the lead petitioner, together with the offer of further engagement with them, should they wish to do so.

Resolved –

(1)   That the report be noted;

(2)   That the Officer’s recommendation not to progress with the implementation of planters on Hamilton Road be agreed;

(3)   That a copy of the report, together with the Sub-Committee’s decision, be sent to the lead petitioner, with the offer of further engagement with Officers, should the petitioners wish to do so.