Agenda item

To consider a report from the Director for Digital & Resources, a copy is attached as item 12.

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital & Resources, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as Item 12.

The Joint Strategic Committee (JSC) was asked to receive and note the findings and recommendations of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) review on Adur and Worthing transport strategy issues. The recommendations follow on from the discussions of a Working Group set up by JOSC. A copy of the report to JOSC and Working Group report were attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

The evidence assembled as part of the Scrutiny review provided the JOSC Working Group with a good analysis of the transport strategy activities being delivered in Adur and Worthing and more widely across West Sussex. However, the Working Group had identified some issues that it wished to submit to JSC for consideration as it is recognised that they were key issues which needed to be addressed as part of the overall transport strategy implementations to ensure that the proposals were taken forward.

A Member questioned why the A27 Action Group had not been asked to comment on the review. The Chairman of the Working Group advised that the A27 was not within the remit of the review as it was the responsibility of Highways England not Worthing Borough Council or West Sussex County Council.

A Member questioned why the team leading on car parking provision in Worthing Town Centre had not been asked to make any representations or been consulted on this matter. The Chairman of the Working Group advised that West Sussex County Council were currently undertaking a road space audit around Worthing which would be looking at both car parks and the use of roads for parking and for transport purposes.

The Committee requested that comments from the team leading on car parking provision in Worthing be included in the report being brought back to the Joint Strategic Committee in October.

During consideration of the report, the Committee made the following observations:-

·         times attached to CPZs should be reviewed;

·         idling cars and vehicles, especially at railway crossings and outside of schools were an avoidable source of pollution;

·         representation from disabled transport user groups should have been included in the report;

·         engagement with the major projects team should have been included in the report;

·         there was a lack of evidence supporting recommendation 13.11

·         how could the Councils reduce car parking in town centres?

In relation to recommendation 13.11, the Chairman of the Working Group advised that Members had spoken to Officers from West Sussex County Council and did take into account other schools and their strategies in relation to safety and transport. The Working Group found that the Sir Robert Woodard Academy and the Thomas A Beckett schools had the weakest strategies in relation to safety and transport which is why they had been included in the recommendation. It was noted that in comparison, the Shoreham Academy had over 50% of their pupils using bicycles every single day.

The Committee was also advised that although the Working Group had attempted to contact Network Rail, no response had been received to date.

Decision:

That the Joint Strategic Committee

1. noted the report, findings and amended recommendations from the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

 2. agreed to receive a report in October 2019 on the issues raised by the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee and consideration of the implications for each recommendation contained in the Scrutiny report at Appendix 1 in order for the Executive to provide a formal response to the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee.