(a) Items placed on the agenda by a Member of the Committee or any individual Non-Executive Member
Any individual Councillor may request that a matter is placed on the agenda of one of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committees by providing Democratic Support with notice of the matter prior to the agenda being published.
There are no items for consideration.
(b) Items the subject of Call-In
Executive Decisions may be called-in by the Chairman or Spokesperson of the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee or any three non-executive members.
There are no items for consideration.
(c) Public Petition
To receive the following public petitions:
1. Petition for proposed speed restriction provisions to be installed on Beaconsfield Avenue, Dover (and the surrounding area). (118 signatures)
Petition Organisers: Mr D Overal and Ms K Blackstock
2. Future of Dover Town Centre (1388 signatures)
Petition Organiser: Ms S Malho
Minutes:
(1) Petition for proposed speed restriction provisions to be installed on Beaconsfield Avenue, Dover (and the surrounding area).
The Committee received a petition, signed by 118 people, from the petition organisers Mr D Overal and Ms K Blackstock. The petition called for speed restrictions to be installed on Beaconsfield Avenue, Dover and the surrounding area.
The main points raised by the petition organisers in respect of the petition were as followed:
· That a survey had been undertaken of local residents with only two residents declining to sign it.
· That Beaconsfield Avenue was the most concern in relation to speeding vehicles, as it was used as a ‘rat run’ for local schools.
· That figures provided by Kent County Council demonstrated an increase in the number of accidents in the area over the last 10 years.
· That the petition organisers had no fixed idea of the speed restrictions to be installed and would defer to the views of the highways authority on the most appropriate restrictions.
· That the speed restrictions installed in Capel-le-Ferne, funded by Kent County Councillor Geoff Lymer, was a good example as to what could be done.
· That they had sought to get these proposals taken up before but had been advised that there was no funding available.
In response to questions from Members, the petition organisers stated that the sort of traffic calming measures that they were thinking of for Beaconsfield Avenue were 2 x 20mph signs, speed cushions and a speed table at River Side Walk.
Members expressed concern that irresponsible parking in the area was also increasing the risks of accidents.
RESOLVED: (a) That the Kent County Councillors for the Dover Town Division be invited to the 10 October 2017 meeting of the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee.
(b) That the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets be requested to report to the 10 October 2017 meeting of the committee on the options for traffic calming measures.
(c) That the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets be requested to produce a report to a future meeting on holistic approach to implementing traffic calming measures for urban areas as opposed to the current piecemeal approach.
(2) Future of Dover Town Centre
The Committee received a petition, signed by 1388 people, from the petition organiser Ms S Malho and Councillor P M Wallace. The petition called for the Council to inform the people of Dover about its strategic plans in respect of the future of Dover High Street.
The main points raised by the petition organisers in respect of the petition were as followed:
· That there were lots of empty shops in Dover and there were concerns that the DTIZ would cause shops to relocate to it without replacements in the town.
· That an empty high street would detract from the DTIZ.
· The poor state of buildings in the town.
· That business rates and landlord rents were too high in the town.
· That the town centre was not only a source of revenue but also of community.
· The need for investment not just in the DTIZ but also in the town centre.
Members discussed the activities being undertaken by Dover Town Council and the Dover Town Team and whether landlords were willing to co-operate to improve the town centre. There was also concern that a degree of land banking was being undertaken. The need for co-ordination amongst the various groups active in trying to generate town centre regeneration was emphasised. The role of Invest in Dover post-DTIZ was also emphasised.
It was also suggested that the Council could be proactive in using S215 notices to improve the appearance of the town centre.
Members were advised that the recent Heritage Lottery Fund bid for Dover Town Hall was intended to bookend the town centre with the DTIZ securing the other end.
RESOLVED: (a) That the Leader of the Council asks the Head of Inward Investment, in consultation with partners, to assess the impact of St James’ (DTIZ) on the Dover High Street and consider what might be done to retain a vibrant traditional High Street retail offer in the heart of Dover’s historical town.
(b) That a meeting of both scrutiny committees be held to consider the matter.
(c) That the petition organiser (Mrs S Malho) and Councillor P M Wallace be kept informed of any future meetings.