Issue - decisions

Evaluation of Local 15% CIL Scheme - Redlands Traffic Calming

25/11/2022 - Evaluation of Local 15% CIL Scheme - Redlands Traffic Calming

The Executive Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing the Sub-Committee with a summary of the findings following delivery of the measures in 2021 to improve motorist compliance with the 20mph zone restrictions in specific locations within Redlands Ward and Katesgrove Ward and the undertaking of comparative speed surveys and an independent Road Safety Audit.  The scheme drawings, as advertised during statutory consultation in 2020 were attached to the report at Appendix 1 and an enlargement of the priority flow measure recommended for alteration was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report explained that speed surveys had been commissioned and carried out in early 2022.  The surveys had been conducted over a representative one week period, 24 hours per day, which would have captured both the busier work/school traffic mid-week, leisure type traffic at the weekends and speeds during periods where overall traffic volumes had been far lower, for example overnight.  It was accepted that it was not possible to exactly replicate the conditions of prior surveys, but best endeavours had been used to conduct the surveys in the same locations as those carried out previously and the results provided the closest factual baseline and evaluation measures of a scheme of this type.  It was standard practice to analyse the ‘85th percentile’ speeds, which was the speed that 85% of vehicles were travelling at or below and the report set out the results for Allcroft, Kendrick, Morgan and Redlands Roads.  The result of the speed survey comparison had indicated that the delivery of the measures had achieved speed reductions, particularly in Allcroft and Morgan Roads where full-width speed humps had been installed, although a proportion of motorists had continued to speed, regardless of the physical measure that had been put in place to discourage them from doing so.

Independent Road Safety Audits had also been conducted for the scheme, both at the design stage and on-street, following delivery of the scheme.  The audits were intended to provide an independent view on the safety and regulatory compliance of the features.  Officers had also received feedback from residents and users both directly and via Ward Councillors.  The primary themes of the feedback were as follows:

·         The speed humps on Allcroft Road and Morgan Road were too high;

·         Congestion was caused by buildouts on Redlands Road and Kendrick Road;

·         Placement of cushions in the context of cycling and on-street parking;

·         Priority-flow feature on Redlands Road (near Allcroft Road) was causing congestion and was unsafe.

During the post-delivery independent Road Safety Audit the auditor had been made aware of the primary themes of feedback from the scheme, informal comment was made in reference to the parking bay build out on Redlands Road, but it was the priority flow feature on Redlands Road about which they had raised a suggestion of a review requirement.  The issue raised was that the parking bay immediately to the south side created the potential of a long section of carriageway that would be impassable by two-way traffic and the auditor suggested that either a section of parking or the priority flow feature be removed.  They also recommended that if the priority flow feature was removed that an alternative form of traffic calming measures should be installed in its place.

There report explained that currently there was no identified funding for making alteration to the scheme, but it acknowledged that there was a requirement for alterations to the priority flow feature on Redlands Road, the officer recommendation to address this issue was detailed in the report.  Officers also recommended that, once funding had been identified, and the priority flow feature at this location had been removed, that officers proceeded to statutory consultation on the proposed placement of speed cushions in this approximate location as an alternative speed reduction measure. 

At the invitation of the Chair Councillor Cross, Ward Councillor for Redlands Ward, and Joe Edwards, Chair of the Reading Cycle Campaign, addressed the Sub-Committee.  They raised a number of points where they considered there were issues with the scheme including the chicane at the junction of Redlands Road and Allcroft Road that had resulted in bad behaviour from road users and cars being in the wrong lane; the buildouts on Redlands Road went to the edge of the curb so cyclists were forced out into the middle of the road; the buildouts also ‘book ended’ parking bays; traffic going downhill on Redlands Road was going very fast; vehicles were going into the centre of the road to straddle speed cushions and excessive noise was created by vehicles going over the speed humps too fast.

The Sub-Committee discussed the report and Councillor Page suggested that whilst officers were identifying funding a meeting be arranged with Ward Councillors, members of the Reading Cycle Campaign and officers to review the additional points and concerns that had been raised and a report be submitted to a future meeting with the agreed proposals to be included in one consultation.

Resolved –

(1)     That the report be noted;

(2)     That the following be agreed, once funding had been identified:

(a)     The Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to undertake statutory consultation processes for the proposed adjustment to the priority flow measure (Item 4.7) in accordance with the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996;

(b)     Feedback to the statutory consultation, alongside costings (quotations) for the proposed changes, be submitted to a future meeting for a decision on the outcome;

(c)      A meeting be arranged with Ward Councillors, members of the Reading Cycle Campaign and officers to review the additional points and concerns that had been raised and a report submitted to a future meeting with the agreed proposals included in one consultation;

(3)     That no public inquiry be held into the proposal.