Agenda item

Gillian Ralphs, Assistant Director, Transport and Planning, introduced three Officers from Thames Water who gave a presentation detailing the current position on the replacement of water mains in Chalvey.  The Committee was advised that the scheme was necessary to increase the security of the water supply in the Chalvey area by reducing leakage and reducing the number of bursts and future disruption from repairs.  It was noted that £1.5m had been invested and this was one of the first schemes to replace full mains in the Thames Valley Region.  The Committee noted the detail of the construction programme for Chalvey Road West and that final testing and commissioning excavations had prevented the Council from taking the site over, therefore a 10 day extension was necessary so that the site could be completely cleared. 

The Assistant Director emphasised that the works being carried out by Thames Water were completely separate and unconnected to the experimental road proposals for the Chalvey area.  Jo Carter, Head of Transport, outlined  a report detailing the history of these proposals and providing an update on the latest progress of the scheme.  The Officer discussed the consultation which had been carried out with the Chalvey community in November 2009 when the amount of traffic in Chalvey Road West was cited as one of the biggest problems in the community.  Respondents to the consultation had identified a number of priorities which included the need to improve the appearance of streets and open spaces, improve pavements and access for pedestrians, improvements to deter rat running in the locality and the closure of Chalvey Road West.  Respondents had also prioritised the need for a one way system in Ledgers Road and Chalvey Road East and the provision of new parking.  All of the suggestions provided had been reflected in the current experimental proposals.

The Officer discussed the history of the decision to implement the proposals and advised that the Commissioner for Neighbourhoods and Renewal and officers had met with approximately 40 members of the Chalvey community. Meetings were held with a range of individuals and residents groups and very diverse views and suggestions were received; it was therefore not possible to achieve a consensus on a preferred option.  At its meeting on 18^th July, Cabinet had decided to implement a range of experimental measures which would allow the community to comment on their advantages and disadvantages and provide feedback to the Council before any decision to implement permanent change was made.  The Committee noted the detail of the experimental measures implemented.

Following a protest made by members of the Chalvey community it was decided not to close Chalvey Road West but to make this road one way east bound toward the railway bridge.  The Officer discussed the progress with the delivery of the project and advised that the implementation of the measures had been planned to follow on from the Thames Water scheme to replace water mains across Chalvey.  Public engagement would be carried out before November and a second phase would be carried out from November 2011 to February 2012 by way of meetings with identifiable groups and drop in sessions.  The proposed public engagement would assess whether the proposed measures were welcomed by the Chalvey community.

Councillor Swindlehurst, Commissioner for Neighbourhoods and Renewal, addressed the Committee and discussed the progress of the scheme.  He highlighted that concerns had been raised by members of the business community in Chalvey regarding the disruption that had been caused to their businesses.  He advised that business relief forms had been forwarded to businesses in the area and noted that generally there was support for the scheme. 

A Chalvey resident addressed the Committee and advised that she supported the one way system which had resulted in an improvement to the locality.  She discussed a number of areas of concern including the unacceptable and dangerous speeding of vehicles in Ledgers Road and the lack of proper inclusive consultation which prevented members of the community from participating through language barriers. 

Two further resident expressed concerns regarding safety aspects of the works, confusing sign posting and the lack of accessibility for disabled individuals and the phasing of lights near the bridge. 

In the ensuing debate Members raised a number of questions/ comments regarding the Thames Water work and the experimental road scheme.  A Member was concerned that residents had not been told what was going on and it appeared that workers were on site only for a few hours and then left.  He asked what compensation was available for businesses in the area.  Thames Water advised that they had conducted a letter drop for residents and businesses and another update would be provided by the end of the following week.  He advised that anyone who had concerns about the loss of business income could write to Thames Water at the address provided on their website to obtain information regarding submitting a claim.  In response to a number of other questions raised Thames Water advised that when they left the site each day they ensured that the site was in a secure state and that there had been no other option than to close Chalvey Road West for safety reasons.  In response to a number of other questions and concerns regarding the duration of the Thames Water works and the disruption caused, the Assistant Director emphasised again that it was important to separate the disruption caused by Thames Water from the experimental scheme.  The disruption currently being encountered resulted from Thames Water works and there had been no other option because it was essential to update the water mains. 

A Member questioned how the wider Slough community had been consulted because Chalvey Road was a major artery through Slough from east to west. Bearing in mind there were works going on for the Heart of Slough scheme, Chalvey Road was a major alternative route- why could the traffic phases not have been experimented with?  The Assistant Director reminded the Committee that many of the consultation questions had centred on environmental issues and residents had confirmed that improvements which reduced dirt and grime were very important.  It was emphasised that Chalvey was a community and not just a rat run for traffic.  The Committee was also advised that there would be an embargo on road works during the run up to Olympic games and for this reason there had been no other option but to carry out the Thames Water works and the Heart of Slough works at the same time. 

In response to a question regarding attracting customers to Chalvey from outside the locality, the Committee was advised that more parking spaces would be available for shoppers and it was important to deter rat runners.  The Head of Transport confirmed that he was aware there were currently issues with the increased traffic on Montem Lane but it would not be possible to install a pedestrian crossing because statutory requirements were not satisfied in this case.  It would be possible however to react quickly to any problems with traffic on Montem Lane. 

Resolved -That the report be noted and that an update report be provided in January 2012.