Agenda and minutes

It was noted that apologies for absence had been received from District Councillor C A Vinson, County Councillors S S Chandler, D P Murphy and O C de R Richardson, and Mrs P M Brivio (Dover Town Council) and Messrs B W Bano (Deal Town Council), P Carter (Sandwich Town Council) and K Gowland (Kent Association of Local Councils).

It was noted that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4, Councillor M F Hibbert had been appointed as a substitute member for Councillor C A Vinson.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members in respect of business to be transacted on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the attached minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 March 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2021 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Highways and Transportation, Kent County Council.

The Dover District Manager (DDM) presented the report which updated Members on schemes programmed for delivery in 2021/22 and 2022/23.  She emphasised that not all the schemes would necessarily be delivered due to funding issues.  In respect of Appendix B, Members were advised that many of the proposed works required substantial work including landowner consent, technical engineering, etc.  A number of casualty reduction measures were outlined in Appendix D that were designed to address personal injury crashes at those sites.  A fatality on the A256 Sandwich Bypass had led to red markings being installed. 

In response to Councillor J S Back who queried why triangular warning signs were not yet in place at the new school crossing point at Archers Court Road, the DDM undertook to investigate.   In response to Councillor N J Collor, in relation to Appendix J, she undertook to include the name of the parish in the location of proposed works. The DDM advised that conditions were attached to works permits issued to contractors, such as longer working hours to reduce congestion.  Members should report problems so they could be investigated.   In response to Councillor D G Cronk, she explained that streetlights in new developments were the maintenance responsibility of the developer for the first year.   Assuming they had been built and were working in accordance with Kent County Council’s (KCC) policies, an initial certificate would be issued and then a second one issued and the lights adopted after a year.  She asked Councillor Cronk to send her details of lights in Roman Close and Hyton Drive for further investigation.  She also undertook to circulate a list of officer responsibilities and contacts to Members, adding that Pauline Harmer was the replacement for Toby Howes as the Highways Manager East Kent. 

The DDM noted concerns expressed by Councillor J P Haste about the accident rate at the London Road/Tower Hamlets Road junction in Dover.  Whilst she had not seen the crash data, she understood that there was not a predominant movement that was the cause of accidents.  Crashes there were a recurring problem.  The junction improvements would come forward later in the year.  Members were advised that routine work, such as unblocking drains, was not included in the report.   She undertook to find out what had happened in respect of drainage works at Stonehall Road, Lydden where Councillor D G Beaney advised machinery had broken down.  In respect of Appendix E and works at 367 Folkestone Road, she advised that the crossing was being upgraded rather than a new one being installed in preparation for the garage being converted into a Co-op or a Tesco.   In relation to Connaught Barracks, she advised that timescales were very much led by developers who were required to  submit technical drawings for KCC’s approval.   It was likely that the works were being linked with Fastrack so as to ensure that one did not hinder the other.   She promised to look at timescales. 

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.