Issue - meetings

A period of up to one hour is allocated to consider the motions on notice.  This may only be extended with the agreement of the Council.

The Chairman reported that three Motions on Notice had been submitted for the meeting.

Options for a Relief Road

The Council considered the following Motion on Notice submitted by Councillor R. Hunter:

“Council notes the loss of the proposed route for the western relief road as a result of planning permission being given for housing development. Council believes a detailed study into alternative options for a relief road is now urgently required in order that chronic traffic congestion can be addressed. Council further believes that Bromsgrove District Council should commission its own independent study, as part of the development of the next local plan and calls on officers to produce a business case for the Cabinet to consider within the next six months.”

In proposing the Motion Councillor Hunter referred to the increasing concern from residents in Bromsgrove about the level of congestion in the town.  Although some of this had been caused by temporary work on the roads, he considered it demonstrated a lack of resilience in the road infrastructure in the town.  He did not consider that anticipated modal shift to public transport and cycling would be achieved, for example as there was a lack of availability of public transport in Bromsgrove.  He suggested that new road infrastructure could be constructed in a more sustainable way than it might in the past and it was now an appropriate time to consider the options available to relieve traffic in the town centre to inform future debate.

The Motion was seconded by Councillor J. Robinson.

During debate on the Motion the view was expressed that the Strategic Transport Assessment would address this issue.  A separate report was not necessary as it would duplicate work being undertaken in the Assessment at taxpayers’ expense. 

Councillor P.M. McDonald proposed, and Councillor H.D.N. Rone-Clark seconded an amendment that consideration of the Motion be deferred until the outcome of the Strategic Transport Assessment was known. 

During consideration of the amendment, the view was expressed that the Assessment would not address the issues that the proposed study would consider, such as the viability of routes for a relief road.  The study was therefore needed to inform debate about the potential options available and deferral was not appropriate.

Another member referred to the Strategic Planning Steering Group meeting in November where members had been briefed about the Strategic Transport Assessment.  There would be the opportunity to attend future meetings about the modelling being used and to influence the content.  In their view this meant that a separate study was not needed.

A member expressed the view that the nature of transport would be changing over time and the most effective way to address future needs was to participate in the Strategic Transport Assessment rather than keep the possibility of a separate study by deferring discussion of it.

On being put to the vote the amendment was lost.

During further consideration of the Motion, the view was expressed that a stand-alone report justifying a solution without looking  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102