Agenda item

Report ES16027

In November 2012, the Head of Traffic and Road Safety reported to the Committee on the progress of a number of ‘pinch point’ schemes to tackle congestion on the local highway network.

This report before the committee provided an up-date on the progress of these schemes and included a number of new schemes that had come forward since 2012 as identified in the Local Implementation Plan (LIP) programme. The report also highlighted the importance of having an agreed programme in place and how this would provide the opportunity to seek funding for some of these schemes through the Community Infra-structure Levy (CIL). 

Congestion Relief schemes were a major part of the LIP programme funded by TfL. Eligibility for TfL funding was authorised through the Council having an approved Local Implementation Plan programme which set out how the Council intended to implement the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. The current financial year, 2016/17, was the final year of the three year LIP2 and preparation of LIP3 was underway although this awaited direction through the new Mayor’s Transport Strategy.  The fact that congestion reduction formed such a significant part of the programme reflected the priority placed upon this by Members over the past eight years. The work carried out in recent years reflected the priorities given to officers by the Members Congestion Working Group in 2010.  The vast majority of the smaller, ‘quick win’ and lower cost schemes had, where possible, been delivered.  Some larger schemes were now being considered, but as schemes increased in size and complexity some of the very largest were likely to remain outside the scope of the LIP but could be subject to one-off scheme specific bids to TfL. Developer funds through the S106 process and the Community Infra-structure Levy (CIL) would be utilised to also help achieve these objectives. 

The schemes outlined in the repot originated from a number of sources including Ward Councillors, members of the public, local bus operators and Council officers from local investigations, traffic monitoring and use of TfL’s network performance data.  They also sought to enable the unlocking of potential development sites thereby helping to mitigate the traffic generated whilst providing new and improved facilities to create increased travel choices.     

The following priorities had been identified:

·  Keston Mark (A233) to Biggin Hill corridor improvement study

·  Westmoreland Road/Masons Hill junction improvement

·  Crystal Palace Parade/Anerley Hill junction improvement

·  Chislehurst Common congestion relief scheme

·  Penge High Street congestion relief scheme

·  St Paul’s Cray, Sevenoaks Way between Main Road and A20

·  Orpington, Crofton Road/Station Road between York Rise and Sevenoaks Road congestion relief scheme

·  Mottingham,  Elmstead Lane/William Barefoot Drive junction improvement scheme 

·  Shortlands Station area congestion relief scheme. 

The Chairman noted that the element in the report focused on junctions and that in time there would be a requirement for an element that focused on destinations, such as Biggin Hill SOLDC and Bromley Town Centre.

The Portfolio Holder requested that part of the brief for Officers should include assessing the impact of school traffic on congestion.  As the number of school places in the Borough increased there was likely to be an increasing negative impact on congestion and it would be important going forward to gain a clear understanding on the impact of the growth of schools on congestion across the Borough and any additional costs associated with this.

Councillor Tickner, as Ward Member for Copers Cope and Chairman of the Beckenham Town Centre Working Group, suggested that the update in relation to Beckenham High Street/Southend Lane/Rectory Road/Albermarle Road was misleading as the Beckenham Town Centre Working Group, as a Renewal and Recreation PDS Committee Working Group had not been addressing the traffic problems that were identified in the report.  No solutions to improve traffic flow around Beckenham Junction had been identified by Officers and the traffic problems were set to worsen.  The Head of Traffic and Road Safety reported that a recently agreed but yet to be implemented scheme at Beckenham junction was aimed at relieving traffic congestion but is tied in with the public realm scheme.

The Committee agreed that the Congestion Working Group should be reconvened in order to look at the proposals in more detail and identify priorities.  Members requested that more general detail concerning projected costs be provided to the Working Group and acknowledged that any projected costs would be estimates as there would be a cost involved to identifying the real costs of any proposals that were taken forward.

RESOLVED: That

(a) the progress of the existing programme of schemes be noted;

(b) the addition of a number of new schemes be noted; and

(c) the Congestion Working Group be reconvened to identify priorities and review any proposals in more detail.