Agenda item

Questions to be asked by Members of the County Council of the Leader of the Council, a Cabinet Member, or a Chairman of a Committee. The question will be answered by the relevant Member and the Member asking the question may then ask a follow up question which will also be answered

Councillor Yatesasked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport whose reply is set out below the question:- 

 

Question 

 

As all Members are very much aware, roads around schools are plagued by excessive numbers of cars parked both illegally and inconsiderately around schools, creating an inconvenience to residents and a direct danger to the safety of our children. Given that current traffic management around schools is obviously not working, what new and innovative initiatives are being considered for introduction to resolve this issue? 

 

Reply 

 

Staffordshire County Council works with a range of partners to keep the roads around schools safe. Finding sustainable solutions to school parking challenges will require continued collaboration between School Travel Advisors, the School Crossing Patrol team, Road Safety Education Team and the Civil Enforcement Teams.? Ongoing engagement with schools is also essential, promoting active travel, educating pupils and asking parents to park considerately and safely. Current behaviour change initiatives include parking buddies, anti-idling and Pupil Parking Toolkits for schools.?  

 

Where serious issues and complaints are received from schools, higher enforcement may be required, with police presence over a short period, supported by communications to parents.??The County Council has trialled enforcement by use of a camera car in East Staffordshire, which had mixed success and still requires Civil Enforcement Officer support to issue the Penalty Charge Notices (PCN).  

 

The County Council can implement zero-minute observations for parking restrictions, where considered appropriate, such as where people are driving off during the observation period, however there is currently no progression of the PCN as the enforcement code (01) is not supported under the Traffic Management Act, so there is no follow-up when the driver does not pay. 

 

We are also exploring bids to national funding pots to trial different ways of working, as well as learning from best practice across the Country. Bids to Active Travel England that include School Streets are welcomed and have the potential to secure funding.? They are being delivered by other local authorities, supported by Sustrans and Living Streets, and rely on the temporary removal of moving traffic outside school gates at drop-off and pick-up times, giving the street environment back to pedestrians for this short period within the day.?As yet, we haven’t delivered any School Streets in Staffordshire, but we are keen to discuss the idea with Councillors and identify schools where it could work.?  

 

Finally, I would like to highlight that the Prosperous Overview and Scrutiny Committee is considering Civil Parking Enforcement at a future meeting which will provide a good opportunity to explore options for managing the areas around schools. 

 

Supplementary Question 

 

We currently have a situation where parents are following the school bus in their cars, adding to the congestion and pollution around our schools, as they live slightly outside the free bus catchment area and are unable to pay for vacant seats.  What work is the Council undertaking to resolve this frustrating issue and, in the short term, will the Council permit schoolchildren to pay and use these busses where the service provider can provide a disability compliant bus? 

 

Reply 

 

This has already been processed and evaluated in the Council and is subject to Government legislation to what can and can’t happen.  If you want to write to me with your question, I will make sure you get a full response. 

 

Councillor Pardesi asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport whose reply is set out below the question:- 

 

Question 

 

Now that the HS2 line from Birmingham to Manchester has been cancelled, how soon can the residents of Staffordshire expect to see the promised significant road upgrades with the money that will have been saved? 

 

Reply 

 

The government have not yet released any details for any of the proposed schemes, including the proportion of funding that will be allocated to Staffordshire. Officers are seeking further information urgently and I will make this available as soon as possible. 

 

Supplementary Question 

 

Why did the seeking of further information not happen sooner?  Debate and speculation as to whether the line of HS2 will, or will not, happen towards the north has been going on for some considerabletime.  So where was Plan B or the strategic thinking/forward planning as to what we should be going just in case that line doesn’t go ahead? 

 

Reply 

 

This is a matter for the Government, not the County Council. 

 

Councillor Charlotte Atkins asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport whose reply is set out below the question:- 

 

Question 

 

What assessment has the County Council made of the PM’s local transport improvement plan Network North, its impact on Staffordshire and its timescale for delivery? 

 

Reply 

 

An initial assessment has been undertaken and the following schemes are included in the Network North plan for Staffordshire: 

 

·    Paras. 23 and 24: the construction of the Handsacre link. 

·    Para. 36: safeguarding will be lifted in weeks on Phase 2a. Land acquisition will be halted with immediate effect. Property no longer required for HS2 will be sold and a programme is being developed to do this. 

·    Para. 40 f: J15, M6 strategic road project is mentioned. No further details are provided. 

·    Para. 40 k: A50/500 corridor improvements Stoke to Derby. 

·    Para. 62: £2.2b investment in rail, improvements to Kidsgrove and Longport stations. 

·    Para. 63: a new station at Meir. 

·    Para. 66: £2.2b additional funds for pothole repairs in Midlands. No breakdown for Staffordshire has been provided. 

 

A dialogue will be opened with Government to discuss provision of high speed services to Stafford and Stoke and the making good of existing damage. Further ways in which Network North could support local transport infrastructure and economic development in Staffordshire will also be discussed (the details of this are not yet finalised). 

 

Supplementary Question 

 

I am really surprised that this response does not include the exciting project about the Leek to Stoke Railway Line, unless of course it has been dropped which I hope it hasn’t.  The feasibility study for this particular line speaks about seven hundred thousand journeys being carried out on this line by 2030.  That is a remarkable figure, but my concern is can we be sure that it will be fully funded by the Government and that there is connectivity with buses?  I hope that when the County Council does get more involved with the DfT, those issues around the Leek to Stoke Railway Line will be considered and fully addressed?   

 

Reply 

 

We work alongside the DfT on our Local Transport Plan which we are putting together now. We have constantly worked with HS2 to try to reduce issues and we work with Government and DfT as much as possible on transport matters. 

 

Councillor Hussainasked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport whose reply is set out below the question:- 

 

Question 

 

We are deeply saddened to report that in the past few weeks, we have witnessed two tragic fatalities resulting from road accidents. Unfortunately, both incidents occurred in the same area, which falls under my division. Can the cabinet member assure me that he will implement the necessary steps and strategies to prevent this from happening in Burton on Trent? Will he provide me with information about his initiatives? 

 

Reply 

 

Our condolences go out to the family, friends and communities affected by the tragic incidents that recently took place in Burton.  

 

At this point in time, we have not received detailed information concerning the circumstances of the collisions; however, the County Council will work with the Police and the Coroner to understand the factors involved and take appropriate action to reduce the number of tragic incidents on our roads. 

 

Staffordshire County Council takes road safety extremely seriously and, as the Local Highway Authority, the Council has a statutory responsibility to study road collisions in its area and promote measures and actions to improve safety.?  

 

All reported injury incidents are continually reviewed by a dedicated team to identify those sites and routes where actions can be taken to reduce the number of people hurt on our roads.? We also work with wider agencies within the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership to ensure the Council’s limited resources are being used in the most effective way in response to the most pressing road safety needs.? Our annual programmes of interventions include road safety engineering, education in schools, training activities, and the control of traffic where appropriate.? Most importantly, we liaise with our local communities to understand their individual aspirations and work collaboratively to tackle any road safety issues. 

 

Supplementary Question 

 

May I urge the Cabinet Member to listen tothe bereaved families, to hear their stories, to see if there is anything we can find out to improve the situation for the future? 

 

Reply 

 

Our sympathies go out to the families. The details of the accidents will be properly investigated by the Police and reported on. We will look at why these accidents happened and what, if anything, can be put in place to prevent any reoccurrence.  

 

Councillor Afsar asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Health and Care whose reply is set out below the question:- 

 

Question 

 

General practitioners (GPs) are essential to the functioning of the National Health Service (NHS). They serve as expert risk managers and proficient communicators. If general practise is not successful, then the NHS as a whole will also fail. Recently, I have been contacted by numerous residents in Burton on Trent who are registered for various surgeries. They have expressed their frustration regarding the lack of available appointments when they need to see their doctors. As a partner of NHS,could the county council please investigate this matter as an urgent health concern for our residents and work towards finding a mutually agreeable and sustainable solution? 

 

Reply 

 

I am sorry to hear about the difficulties that residents in Burton on Trent are experiencing in getting a GP appointment. We know that access to GPs is a high priority for the NHS nationally with the 'Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care' published last month. I will raise the issues in Burton on Trent with the Integrated Care Board who are responsible for GP services. The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee may also wish to consider investigating these concerns further. 

 

Supplementary Question 

 

Will the Cabinet Member feedback any findings? 

 

Reply 

 

Yes, I will be happy to work with you on this matter.