Agenda item

(Report by Mid Kent Transportation Manager)

(1)       Richmond Street was identified as a crash remedial scheme in the 2006/7 Local Transport Plan bid. A total of four isolated child pedestrian crashes were identified in the study area consisting of Richmond Street, Coronation Road, Alma Street, James Street, Jefferson Road, Unity Street, St Helens Road, Wellesley Road and Nursery Close. The initial suggestion was to introduce a 20 mph zone within the area to be enforced by speed humps, build outs and chicanes.

(2)       However, very few of the properties within the area had off-street parking facilities and residents therefore, parked their vehicles on-street. The introduction of physical traffic calming measures would have reduced the available on-street parking. Furthermore, the measures might not sit harmoniously with the recently published school travel plans for the two local schools, Richmond First and Cheyne, and might not fully address the school travel issues identified within the plans.

(3)       Marine Parade was also a crash remedial scheme in the 2006/7 Local Transport Plan bid. At the time of submitting the bid, the three-year record showed a total fourteen crashes, eight of which occurred during wet weather conditions. A traffic management scheme was devised to reduce and maintain lower traffic speeds, regulate parking with marked parking bays, prevent footway parking and provide a safer facility for pedestrians at the footpath entrance to the Cheyne School from Marine Parade.

(4)       The scheme was the subject of a public consultation exercise and the community response was for further consideration to be given to improving the existing lay-by parking facilities and the introduction of conventional speed humps instead of chicanes. This was currently the subject of an investigation to establish the cost and viability of the scheme. However, an analysis of the latest three-year injury crash record indicated that the numbers of crashes were declining, with a reduction from twelve to eight crashes with only one incident occurring during wet weather conditions.  Marine Parade had also been resurfaced recently, which should also have a beneficial impact.

(5)       A report was presented to the Swale Joint Transportation Board (JTB) in March 2007 which recommended that the highway issues in Marine Parade and Richmond Street, Sheerness, because of their adjacent proximity, be combined into one project and explore options to link the resulting scheme proposals to the travel plans of local schools.  The rationale behind the approach was to create a more comprehensive solution to meet the different travel needs of the residential and school communities.

(6)       Members of the JTB recommended that the schemes be progressed separately. In circumstances where there was a clear conflict of outcomes between officer recommendations and the JTB resolution the issue was referred to the Highways Advisory Board for consideration.

(7)       This holistic approach to the combined issues would aid better understanding of the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and help to develop a scheme that would improve the quality of life of the residents. The investigative work could be done during this financial year with a view to including it in the next round of the PIPKIN assessment in April 2008, which, if successful, could be included in the 2009/10 programme.

(8)       Subject to a report back to the Board prior to any action being taken, the Board supported the proposal for recommendation to the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste that the two schemes be combined so that options could be explored to link the resulting new scheme with the travel plans of the two schools.