The following declarations of interest were made in the interest of transparency:

(1)       Councillors Azam and Mohammed disclosed an interest in the item Horton Grange Road, Bradford - Petition (Minute 43), as the petioners had raised their concerns to them prior to the subject matter being discussed at the Commitee.

(2)       The Chair disclosed an interest in the item Squire Lane and Lingwood Avenue Area, Bradford – Objections To A Proposed Traffic Regulation Order (Minute 44), as he had a connection with a school in the area.

(3)       Asad Shah (Committee Services Officer) had disclosed an interest in the item Squire Lane and Lingwood Avenue Area, Bradford – Objections To A Proposed Traffic Regulation Order (Minute 44), as his brother resided on a street which was a close to the proposal.

ACTION: City Solicitor

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

To hear questions from electors within the District on any matter this is the responsibility of the Committee. 

Questions must be received in writing by the City Solicitor in Room 112, City Hall, Bradford, BD1 1HY, by mid-day on Monday 22 January 2018.

(Asad Shah - 01274 432280)

There were no questions submitted by the public.

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “T”) considers a petition requesting the conversion of an existing zebra crossing on Horton Grange Road, Bradford to a puffin crossing.

Recommended –

(1)  That the request for the conversion of the existing zebra crossing on Horton Grange Road (at its junction with Spencer Road) to a puffin crossing be added to the list of requests for traffic management measures to be considered as and when future Bradford West Safer Roads schemes programmes are determined.

(2)  That a similar item for the zebra crossing Horton Grange Road at its junction with Stratford Road be added to the list.

(3)  That the existing proposed measures to improve visibility of the two existing zebra crossings on Horton Grange Road be implemented as approved.

(4)  That the petitioners are informed accordingly.

(Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Andrew Smith – 01274 434674)

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “T”) considered a petition requesting the conversion of an existing zebra crossing on Horton Grange Road, Bradford to a puffin crossing.

Following a synopsis of the report by the Principal Engineer, the Chair then invited the Chair of the Local Residents Association to make representations to the Committee, as follows:

He highlighted that there were two existing Zebra Crossings on Horton Grange Road, at its junctions with Spencer Road and Stratford Road (upper and lower level of the busy road). There were four streams of traffic flowing through the busy junction. Children in the vicinity were attending three different schools by foot and several hundred pedestrians crossed the Zebra Crossing on a daily basis. It was acknowledged that there was a School Crossing Guard during the periods of opening and closing times of schools nevertheless children continued to cross the Zebra Crossing during after school hours. That there had been 12 near accident misses over a period of time and nothing had been done in terms of safety for pedestrians using this crossing point. An Ambulance crew had responded to an accident at the junction in recent times. Despite no fatalities, the Bradford West Area Committee had allocated £45,000 for a safety traffic measure on Whetley Lane; Horton Grange Road junction had 3 fatalities yet no traffic safety implementation scheme had been approved by the officers or the Committee for the implementation of a signalised facility.

In response to the allocation of £45,000, the Committee highlighted to the petitioner that the allocation of traffic safety measures on Whetley Lane were added to the reserve list and had not yet been through final approval by the Committee. In relation to near accident misses, this was not disputed however it was the fact that the Council had to rely on documented Police records.

Following representations, a question and answer session ensued:

·         What would be the cost for meeting the petitioners’ prerequisites?

o   The preferred safety traffic measure would cost in the region of £100,000;

·         What were the reasons behind the significant high cost?

o   The preferred traffic measure would entail a completely new control system due to it being a new scheme; and,

·         How realistic was it for the Council to afford the implementation of such a scheme?

o   The budget allocated to the Bradford West Area Committee for such subject areas had decreased over a number of years and at present there was not sufficient funding allocation in order to achieve such a scheme in one project. However, it could be possible to stage the work through phases over a few years and then maybe possible to achieve as requested by petitioners following a few years of work.

The Chair moved the discussion of the item towards final comments. The Committee highlighted that this request had come to the Committee a number of years ago and yet, nothing had been progressed in the favour of the community’s needs. It was also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “U”) considers objections received to a recently advertised Traffic Regulation Order for the introduction of waiting restrictions and permit parking on Squire Lane and Lingwood Avenue and other residential streets in the area.

Recommended –

(1)  That the objections be overruled and the Traffic Regulation Order be sealed and implemented as advertised.

(2)  That the objectors and supporters of the scheme be notified accordingly.

(Environment and waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Andre Smith – 01274 434674)

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “U”) considered objections received to a recently advertised Traffic Regulation Order for the introduction of waiting restrictions and permit parking on Squire Lane and Lingwood Avenue and other residential streets in the area.

The Principal Engineer gave a synopsis of the report which focused mainly on the objections to the proposed traffic regulation order.

Following introduction, the Chair invited the public (residents’) to make representations to the Committee. They highlighted that there had been long standing issues which had been increasing over a number of years due to the considerable amount of traffic. Parents undertaking school runs were mounting footpaths; this was nuisance driving, compromising the safety of pedestrians and damaging footpaths. Emergency vehicles such as Ambulances were unable to get through during emergencies as Squire Lane was one of the 3 main routes to the Bradford Royal Infirmary (Accident and Emergency Unit). Parents of children attending school were repetitively parking their vehicles in front of residents driveways, hence blocking access to residents own homes. Residents were being verbally abused during school run hours and in the past, attacked for kindly requesting a parent to unblock a driveway. Continuous offensive language in front of school children was being used against residents’ and this aspect was undermining the status of residents in front of school children. Occasionally, waste was not being collected by refuse collectors due to no access. Overall, the health and safety of a child attending school was of paramount and it was imminent that one day a child fatality would be forthcoming.

The Principal commented that the main reason for this scheme was in regards to the concerns expressed by the residents’. It was unfortunate for parents undertaking school runs for their children that there was insufficient space for drop off point for the school on Squire Lane. That if the Committee approved, the implementation of the Traffic Regulation Order, Squire Lane and Lingwood Avenue area would entail further monitoring.

The Committee queried the usage of whether Council Wardens spent time in the area during opening and closing times of the school? The allocation of Council Wardens throughout the Bradford West constituency was prioritised accordingly and a significant amount of time had been utilised in the area especially Squire Lane and the Lingwood Avenue area.

Resolved –

(1)       That the objections be overruled and the Traffic Regulation Order be sealed and implemented as advertised.

(2)       That the Chair of Bradford West Area Committee writes to the Chair of Governors of Bradford Girls Grammar School to express the Area Committees’concern about school travel arrangements of pupils attending the school and that the Strategic Director, Children’s Services and the Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills be copied into the letter.

(3)       That the objectors and supporters of the scheme be notified accordingly.

ACTION:       Strategic Director, Place

                        Bradford West Area Co-ordinator

The report of the Strategic Director, Place highlightes the receipt of a prtition received from residents of Regency Court and Walker Drive, Manningham requesting the closure of a public footpath which links Whetley Lane with Walker Drive.  The petition was referred to this Committee by Full Council at its 12th December 2017 meeting.  The Council has powers to close public rights of way for purposes of crime prevention in certain, limited, circumstances.  The criteria for deciding such requests are described.

Officers have considered the petition and recommend that closure of the path for the reasons requested does not meet the necessary criteria and therefore is not within the powers available to the Council.

Recommended –

That the situation on the path does not currently meet the criteria for a permanent closure of the public right of way.  Option 1 is the recommended course of action. i.e.  Leave the path open, request further involvement of the Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team and the Police and suggest that the residents and owners consider additional alternative means of reducing the problems. 

(Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Danny Jackson – 01274 431230)

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “V”) highlighted the receipt of a petition received from residents’ of Regency Court and Walker Drive, Manningham requesting the closure of a public footpath which linked Whetley Lane with Walker Drive.  The petition was referred to this Committee by Full Council at its 12th December 2017 meeting. 

The Council has powers to close public rights of way for purposes of crime prevention in certain, limited, circumstances.  The criteria for deciding such requests were described in the report.

Officers have considered the petition and recommend that closure of the path for the reasons requested does not meet the necessary criteria and therefore is not within the powers available to the Council.

Resolved –

That the item be considered at a future meeting subject to the submission of further necessary information.

ACTION: Strategic Director, Place

The Programme Manager for Waste Services will give a verbal presentation on the implementation of an alternative week bin collection  in the Bradford West area.

(Environment and Waste Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Susan Spink – 01274 434779)

The Programme Manager for Waste Services was in attendance and gave a verbal presentation on the implementation of an alternative week bin collection in the Bradford West area.

That the change of all bin collection services had changed between October and December 2017. That the overall waste collected during the 3 months  entailed 24% of recyclable waste and the remaining 76% being residual waste. There was a projection of 10,000 tonnes of recyclable waste in the future. Of course, a main hindrance was bin wagons unable to access many roads/streets due to the obstacle of other vehicles and therefore juggling priorities was a obstacle that had to be continuously hurdled through additional unnecessary efforts by refuse collectors.

A question and answer session ensued:

·         How much waste was being filled into a household recyclable waste bin that was not for residual waste purposes?

o   During the early stages the contamination rate was around the region of 105 but it was about educating residents through means of various communication methods; leaflets had been circulated into residents’ houses; new vehicles had been signposted too;

·         Was it possible to immense with a course of action to deter residents from parking vehicles in positions that were considered an obstacle for bin collection during collection days?

o   This task would be an extremely arduous one;

·         What was the position in relation to accommodation provided by Incommunities?

o   It was the responsibility of the landlord to ensure a tenant recycled appropriately;

·         How were elderly residents assisted with their bin collection?

o   They or someone on their behalf would have to apply for assistance; and,

·         How far had the service progressed with educating on recycling appropriately?

o   There were 4 recycling advisers in the service and this was a on going subject area bit ever increasingly progressing appropriately.

Resolved –

That an update report on progress made with an alternate weekly bin collection in the six electoral wards within the Bradford West area be presented to this Committee in 12 months time.

ACTION: Strategic Director, Place