Agenda item

An update will be provided by Cllr Alex Collingwood.

Minutes:

Councillor Alex Collingwood, Chairman of the Transport, Infrastructure, Reopening of High Streets and Regeneration (TIRR) working group provided a presentation, appended to the minutes.  Cllr Collingwood advised that there were 22 members of the group consisting of Buckinghamshire councillors, town and parish councillors, Transition Town and the Chamber of Commerce.  Cllr Collingwood outlined the work being carried out in each of the four areas.  He also explained that there were four categories under the Transport Section; 23 applications had been received and three were recommended for approval as follows from the budget of £48K:

 

  Safety bollards in Pound Lane, Marlow - £3,503.68

  Blind Lane, Bourne End - £1,918.36

  Bourne End – Various Traffic Orders -£8,432.82

 

A total of £13,854 to be match funded by the relevant town or parish council.  If match funding was not available, the money would be put back into the central pot for reallocation.  The group would meet monthly and make recommendations to the Board via email or scheduled meetings.

 

The following points were raised in discussion:

 

·       Could Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) be combined from various community boards in order to spread the cost?  Councillor Collingwood advised that the preference would be for the community board to produce a combined TRO for the CB area as the process could be held up if the TRO covered multiple CBS and one part of a TRO was in dispute.  The local residents would understand the area and know which TROs to put forward for the CB and avoid any local objection.  There could, however, be the ability to add one onto a county-wide TRO if need be.  TROs, or any other application, needed to be raised with the relevant Buckinghamshire councillor, provided match funding could be supplied (if applicable).

·       How did parish councils become involved in the process?  Councillor Collingwood explained that all town and parish councils had been invited to participate in the working group.  Residents, the Chamber of Commerce, Bid-cos and landlords had also been included. 

·       The road from Bourne End to Marlow was a popular cycleway and cyclists often caused a queue of traffic resulting in a serious pollution problem.  There was a fully signed cycleway for part of the route; how could the problem be resolved?  Councillor Collingwood advised that a CB plan would be put forward to Councillor Nick Naylor, Cabinet Member for Transport, with suggestions for temporary and permanent cycle paths as part of the Active Travel plan to improve the locality.  Transition Town were part of the working group and would help produce the plan.

·       A councillor commented that it was difficult to compare traffic schemes and make a decision and suggested using a matrix.  Councillor Collingwood stated that all traffic schemes were signed off by Transport for Bucks and that a ranking system would be provided.  There was a template form to be completed for every scheme.

·       Concern was expressed regarding the timeframe for the parish council to provide the match funding and recommended that the CB should synchronise with the parish councils’ budget timeframe.  However, the Chairman advised that the projects had been in the pipeline for a while and that a decision was required.

 

RESOLVED:  The Community Board APPROVED the three proposals from the TIRR working group subject to match funding being provided by the relevant town or parish council:

 

  1. Safety bollards in Pound Lane, Marlow - £3,503.68
  2. Blind Lane, Bourne End - £1,918.36

Bourne End – Various Traffic Orders -£8,432.82