Agenda item

This item is to:

(a)    Receive any new petitions: to receive any new petitions. The lead petitioner is  entitled to briefly introduce their petition by providing a statement in writing, and a response to any petitions received will then be organised for a future meeting;

(b)  Consider reports on petitions previously received:

(i) Request for a footpath / cycleway to connect Red Row Drive to Barrington Road in Bedlington Station – report attached.

(c) Receive any updates on petitions for which a report was previously considered: any updates will be verbally reported at the meeting.

(a) Receive New Petitions – no new petitions had been received.

(b) Petitions Previously Received – Request for footpath/cycleway connecting Red Row Drive to Barrington Road, Bedlington Station

A report had been provided responding to the paper and e-petition and the lead petitioner, Mrs M Trotter had been invited to attend and provide a response.   Her comments included the following:-

·       The body of the report deviated towards the existing pedestrian access to Bedlington Station over the Welwyn Bridge and via Stakeford Road, with statements made suggesting that the bridge was not fit for purpose. This was an objective assessment where it had been identified as unsuitable but mitigated by adding traffic lights.

·       It is not defensible to state that no accidents had occurred so it cannot be justified. Near misses were not recorded, therefore it was not that there was no risk, it was just that the risk was not recorded.

·       An accident in which she had been involved happened on the bridge in December 2019 which resulted in her receiving a fractured wrist. The Council were informed of this accident and whilst no one contacted her in respect of this, the cause of the accident was removed the following week. 

·       One of the primary objectives as a local authority was a duty of care and to take proactive action to minimise risk to life, therefore was this an appropriate alternative route to allow children to ride their bikes safely; expect less able and wheelchair users to attempt the route; and allow parents with pushchairs to experience difficulties crossing.

·       Residents needed to be able to travel to access local amenities and link communities together and were not always walking towards Bedlington Station, but trying to access a wider range of activities in the opposite direction.

·       The request for a pavement/cycleway was to allow children to safely ride their bikes to schools, parks and leisure facilities; minimise the risk to the travelling public; strengthen inclusion by improving the highway and broadening outdoor opportunities for those less able and wheelchair users; link communities to the new rail link rather than them having to use the Welwyn Bridge, with its increased traffic heading to the station car parks; and allow residents the choice of a safer route.

·       A supporting statement from Steve Patterson, Managing Director of Remondis was read out to the Committee in which, as a local employer, he advised that he strongly supported the scheme and had pledged a contribution of £1500 towards the cost of a scheme to should it be approved.

Officers advised that they appreciated the concerns and supported a scheme being put forward in the next round of the LTP,  however it might still be difficult to prioritise this over other schemes, but it would be submitted and go through the normal process.

Councillor Foster advised that she would also be happy for this to be put forward for consideration as part of the LTP and make a contribution to any costs should it be successful. She highlighted the gradient of the bridge and advised that the petition route would be the route of choice as there was no gradient and it would be safer if it had a footpath.  She highlighted that a lot of other areas had cycle lanes but there were none in Stakeford or Choppington.

It was clarified that the traffic lights on the bridge were put in when the schools in the area changed to two tier and whilst there was no data on the numbers using that route, an analysis could be undertaken and contact made with the schools in the area.

RESOLVED that the contents of the report and the actions to be taken be noted.

(c) Updates on Petitions previously received – no updates were provided.