Agenda item

The Committee considered the report of the Director, Legal and Business Operations detailing the call-in of Executive Decision CAB 20/21 28124 – Southampton Green Transport Recovery Plan. 

Councillor Shields, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities,  Mandi Bissett, Director of Southampton Collective, Alistair Chaplin, Street Space Southampton, Angela Cotton, Transition Southampton and other interested parties were present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

The Committee discussed the reasons for requisition of Call-in of the decision in accordance with the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules 12.5.1, namely:

·  The lack of prior consultation.

·  It does not appear to support the Economic Growth element of the Southampton City Strategy; taking into account the impact of Covid-19.

·  Insufficient focus on schemes that have the most likely chance of encouraging the long term facilitation of active travel, whilst following all Government guidance for Covid-19.

·  Does not put a high enough priority on Council led “school streets” schemes the creation of low traffic residential zones. 

UPON BEING PUT TO THE VOTE

RESOLVED that Cabinet reconsider the called in decision at the next decision meeting. 

The following recommendations were made to be addressed by Cabinet:

(i)  Cabinet withdraws it’s proposed Green Transport Recovery Plan as it is not fit for purpose, undemocratically instigated, not evidence led and fails to demonstrate it supports economic growth, as set out in our Southampton City Strategy – given the impact of Covid-19 on our economy. 

If Cabinet is not minded to withdraw the plans in full:

(i)  Cabinet agrees to suspend the decision on the Green Transport Recovery Plan whilst it reviews it against the recently released Government policy announcement of ‘Gear Change’, paying particular attention to this line “we will need to ensure that understanding of transport users’ needs, motivations and behaviours is central to what we do, in order to maximise our chances of success” – that shows understanding and taking people with us is crucial to success. 

On the assumption Cabinet neither withdraws or pauses:

(i)  Cabinet introduces measures to help with traffic flows, looking to reduce congestion and stop start traffic across our City;

(ii)  Cabinet undertakes proper consultation, that can help shape any of the future proposed schemes, outside the emergency measures already taken, with a focus on spending money where it has the highest chance of long term facilitation of active travel;

(iii)  Cabinet place a higher focus on Council led “school streets” schemes and the creation of low traffic residential zones.  It is not acceptable to only have St. Denys as an identified neighbourhood scheme and action needs to be taken around all schools with traffic related issues, not just those who wish to engage with the Council;

(iv)  Cabinet immediately engage with disability representatives and amend existing and future schemes to ensure our most vulnerable are not discriminated against.  Including immediately reinstating at least some of the parking on the Common side of Hill Lane, as this has been removed with no consultation or regard to vulnerable users of the Common, impacting their well-being and access to the Common.

(v)  Cabinet pauses any major future plans, such as Millbrook Road West bus lanes, whilst we wait for analysis on the impact of Covid-19 on our local economy, our air quality and the new ‘Gear Change’ policy that suggests segregated facilities for cyclists.

(vi)  Cabinet agrees to immediately removing the temporary road space reallocation on Bassett Avenue and Bitterne Road West in full, due to concerns over additional congestion and the effect this will have on local air quality.  If Cabinet is not prepared to do this, it states the conditions that would need to be met for them to remove the road space reallocation and considers making public the weekly data that is the base of the decision not to remove these measures.