Agenda item

To be presented by Councillor Alex Collingwood.  This item will include a Broadband work stream update which will be presented by Councillor Chris Whitehead.

Transport

Councillor Alex Collingwood stated that the Transport, Infrastructure, Reopening of High Streets and Regeneration (TIRR) working group been looking at active travel; more people were walking and cycling due to covid-19 and Government funds were available towards temporary schemes such as the proposed scheme in Trinity Road, Marlow.  Councillor Collingwood explained that if the CB approved the request for the temporary closure of Trinity Road; a public consultation would be carried out between 24 November and 24 December 2020.  It would be a temporary scheme, from 1 January to 30 June 2021 to enable walking and cycling on Trinity Road; residents would not be affected as their access would remain.  A ‘road closed’ sign would be erected and planters would be placed in the road.  There would be no cost to the CB as it would be funded by the Government’s Active Travel Scheme.  The consultation would be promoted via the press, social media and communicated to local schools.

Councillor Collingwood also highlighted the Marlow to Marlow Bottom to High Wycombe and Marlow to Bourne End cycle routes but these would take much longer to implement.  Following a comment from a member that any cycle path would have to be separate to the road; Councillor Collingwood clarified that the Government funding would only be granted if the cycle path was clearly segregated from the road and would be the choice of route for residents.  Councillor Collingwood also confirmed that the aim of the cycle paths was to improve health and wellbeing; the proposed route had been suggested to avoid use of the C100 road and Handy Cross roundabout as the TIFF was investigating the options of a proposed Cycle path which may require a feasibility study. 

RESOLVED:  The Community Board AGREED that the consultation be carried out on the temporary road closure of Trinity Road, Marlow.

Councillor Collingwood provided the following updates:

• The funding for the bike racks in Marlow had been approved; confirmation of the exact cost was awaited before discussion with Marlow Town Council to agree the match funding.  Costs and locations were also being prepared for bike racks in Wooburn Green and Bourne End.
• Match funding had been received for the bollards in Pound Lane, Marlow; timescales to be confirmed.
• Additional requests for Traffic Regulations Orders (TRO) had been received and assessed by the officers and would be put forward to the CB in January 2021.
• Other, new, applications/requirements would be processed and were likely to take until June 2021 due to the length of the process and purdah; it was key to receive the transport applications by the deadline in order to obtain officers’ approval for allocation of the funding as the process was lengthy. 

The following points were raised in discussion:

• Following a question on whether all council/councillor’s requests for a TRO had to be approved by the CB; Councillor Collingwood confirmed that better use was made of financial resources if a number of TRO schemes were combined; all requests would be considered/processed by the working group and put forward to the relevant officers.  Any required match funding would need to be sourced by the CB.  The Chairman emphasised that the PC or a local councillor could bring a proposal to the CB if the working group had disagreed/refused an application. It was agreed that Makyla Devlin would clarify the process in writing.

ACTION:  Makyla Devlin

• Councillor Collingwood confirmed that the TIRR working group would consider an application for electrical charging points.

Infrastructure

• New signage on Marlow Bridge would be erected in January 2021; the bollards would be installed during half term in February 2021 and work was progressing on the ANPR instruments. 
• The work on the Westhorpe junction of the A404 would start in January 2021. 
• Swish Fibre – work was being carried out on the footways in Marlow to lay a new superfast cable; the defects in the paving slabs in Spittal Street would be repaired. 
• The British Gas issue on the A4155 had not been resolved.

Rural Broadband

Councillor Mark Turner reported that the working group would focus on finding out where rural connectivity was poor e.g. Bockmer End and monitor whether suppliers could improve the connection.  Local knowledge would be beneficial to determine which rural areas had poor broadband speed and Councillor Turner offered to attend the Lane End parish council meeting to discuss the issue.  The Chairman advised that the rural broadband problem had been identified during lockdown and agreed it was essential that improvements were made.

Regeneration

• Councillor Collingwood stated that support would be provided from the Councillor Crisis Fund to residents who had been made redundant. 
• Electric charging points were key for a green economy and would need to be installed en masse. 

Reopening of high streets

Outdoor events would be required for the next 6-9 months due to the ongoing pandemic.   It was suggested that the CB purchase a number of gazebos, possibly CB branded with the website and email address, and provide them free of charge to villages to hold outdoor events; costings would be provided at the meeting in February 2021.