Agenda and minutes

Cllr Laura Price was elected Chairman of the Committee for the term lasting until September 2020.

Apologies for their absence were received from Cllrs Aitman, Bartington, Morris and Fenton and Mrs Maria Wheatley (Parking Manager – WODC)

There were no members of the public present at the meeting for this item.

The Chair reported that she had had an e-mail regarding speeding on Tower Hill. 

a)            To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 4 June 2019

b)            Matters Arising from the Minutes

a)            Minutes              

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 June 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

b)            Matters Arising

Page 2 : T711 – The Chair thanked Mike Wasley for the County Council’s work on white lining throughout the town.

Page 3: T716 – The Chair advised that there were plans to address the late-night activity at the Leys through Youth Work and also via CCTV.  She asked where things had got to in terms of a price for road humps.  Mike Wasley replied that there would need to be a consultation and the costs estimate was around £10, 000.  Funding this would be tricky.  The Town Clerk advised that she had had a meeting with the Community Safety Partnership and the Police who had done a safety audit.  Speed bumps had been identified as something that might help and there may be some funding.  The Chair asked if Mike Wasley could put this into writing and send it to the Town Clerk.  She thought it could then go with a report to a Town Council meeting.  A consultation could be done if this was something to be pursued.  Kevin Hickman expressed concern that speed humps were not cycle/trike friendly and the Chair advised him to contact the Town Council’s cycling champion, Cllr Smith, to discuss view on this.

To review the current action plan.

The Committee received and considered the action plan from the last meeting and revised this where required.  This is attached to the minutes.

To receive and consider survey sent from Oxfordshire County Council

The Committee received and considered a survey from Oxfordshire County Council.

RECOMMENDED:             that the survey is circulated to all Town Councillors for response, subject to an extension being granted to the response closing date.

To receive and consider correspondence from OCC’s Localities Committee.

The Committee received and considered an update from Oxfordshire County Council’s Localities Committee.

RECOMMENDED:             that the update be noted.

a) Speeding in Bridge Street

b)  New Pedestrian Crossing

c) Footpath/Baffle Barrier at rear of Property in Colwell Drive

a)            Speeding in Bridge Street

Correspondence had been received from a resident concerning cars speeding in Bridge Street.  The Chair asked if people were interested in undertaking a Community Speed watch.  John Croxton commented that the police had to carry out speed enforcement on safety grounds and a community speed watch was a good way into this.  The Community Policing Team would be able to advise on kit etc.  Mr Croton added that the police were prosecuting and educating more people than ever before on speeding issues but it was evidence led.

Members thought his was a good idea and something to be supported.

RECOMMENDED:             that the Town Clerk speaks to the local police inspector about this and takes the information back to the Town Council.  The resident who had written in should be thus advised.

b)            New Pedestrian Crossing Request

A resident had written requesting a new pedestrian crossing on Deer Park Road.  Members commented that it was imperative to get the message across with developers at an early stage. 

RECOMMENDED:             that the correspondence be noted.

c)            Footpath/Baffle Barrier at Rear of Property in Colwell Drive

Members considered a report concerning a resident’s complaint about a new baffle barrier being installed on a footpath at the rear of his house, which was now being used as a means of accessing his garden and ASB.  The Chair advised that she had been directly involved in getting this installed as an elderly gentleman had been knocked over and badly injured on this footpath by school children bicycles.

RECOMMENDED:             that the Chair speaks directly to the gentleman.

Minutes of the Climate Working Party held on11 September 2019 for information only.

The Committee received and considered the minutes of the meeting of the Climate Emergency Working Party.  Trevor Bayliss of Stagecoach advised that they were trying to reduce their carbon footprint by bringing in emission free buses.  The first one in Witney would see service in October and by the end of the year there should be 21 in service.

Cllr Coles referred to the recent Car Free Day held in the town and the Chair added that it was definitely something that the Committee could play a role in next year.

It was agreed that the Climate Emergency should be a standing item on the Committee’s agendas.

RECOMMENDED:            

1.            that the minutes be noted;

2.            that the Climate Emergency be a standing item on the Committee and that the Committee supports Car Free Day next year;

3.            that the Climate Working Party be advised to think how it would like to use the TAC.

To receive and consider the report of the Principal Officer – Traffic Schemes, Area Operations, (North).

The Committee received and considered the report of the Principal Officer – Traffic Schemes Area Operations (North).  The Chair suggested that going forward the Committee has an item for future business and Officers could start to draw up a Forward Plan.  She felt this might encourage WODC members to attend and also felt that someone from the Strategy side at OCC should come to the next meeting.  Mike Wasley advised that this would be Jackie Coles although she would probably delegate this downwards.

RECOMMENDED:             that the report be noted.

The Chair asked members to think about some substantive items that they might want to discuss in more detail via a Forward Plan, so this could be shaped with the Committee.

Cllr Ashbourne had recently attended a meeting in her capacity as a WODC Councillor which had discussed health in the district and one of the top three causes of death was road traffic accidents.  It might be worth looking into – it could be speeding/dangerous driving.  There had not been a breakdown of data but she would go back and ask for the information.

Cllr King raised an issue on behalf of the Parking Manager at WODC who was unable to attend the meeting due to illness.  There had been a proposal by the shop owners in High Street to the District Council’s Business Development Manager to increase the length of the parking along the side of the wall in high street from 30 mins to one hour.  The Chair was frustrated that despite the comprehensive parking review, very little had actually changed and she was reluctant to see such a change in isolation.  She felt that the 30-minute turn around was very important for blue badge holders in particular.  The District would be launching a full consultation. 

Trevor Bayliss advised that going forward Stagecoach would be looking to reduce the dwell time of buses specifically in rush hours – Bridge Street coming in from Oxford and going out.  They were having to add in time to the timetable to cope with this when what should actually happen is to reduce the times.  He would be keen to talk about this at future meetings.

Cllr Coles had had complaints about taxis parked with their engines running.  He would like a representative to attend future meetings.

Cllr Coles asked Mike Wasley and John Croxton about the possibility of planting at Springfield Oval as the residents’ association had been allocated some S106 money and they had wondered if they could plant around the oval to reduce traffic.  Mike had no objection but it should be planted in connection with the tree team.  John advised that the police would have no objection as long as it was safe.  Andrew Lyon asked if speeding was the issue as he had had complaints about the Community Bus.  Cllr Coles replied that this had nothing to do with the bus and was at an early stage.

Cllr King raised an issue about drivers doing U turns around roundabouts.  Cllr Price said that perhaps the Committee could be look at roundabouts apart of the accident records etc.  Most members didn’t think it was a problem and John Croxton said it was not an offence.

RECOMMENDED: to respond to WODC on the parking issue and explain that the Committee has concerns about a consultation being opened up on this in isolation and the Committee would welcome an opportunity to discuss wider parking issues including off street sites.

14 January 2020.

The date of the next meeting would be 14 January 2020.