Agenda item
HAZARDOUS ROUTES TO SCHOOLS
- Meeting of Communities Scrutiny Committee, Thursday, 8 September 2016 9.30 am (Item 8.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 8.
Application of rules and guidance in the determination of the safety of
school routes as they apply in the context of the Learner Travel (Wales)
Measure 2008
Minutes:
The Traffic,
Parking and Road Safety Manager and the Road Safety Engineer introduced the
report and appendices (previously circulated) explaining the legislative
framework that governed the hazardous routes to school. They also
outlined the assessment process followed, in line with statutory guidance, when
assessing the safety of a walking route to school. Any changes in traffic
flow or volumes would automatically instigate a review. This had happened
in Rhuddlan recently which had consequently resulted in the installation of a
traffic island to aid safe crossing of the highway for pupils walking to
school.
Whilst the introduction of traffic calming measures would assist to slow
down traffic it would never eliminate accidents from happening, as the majority
of accidents were down to human error on the part of one party.
Responding to members’ questions officers advised that:
·
the cost of any modifications to the highway to
ensure the safety of pupils would be the subject of budgetary discussions
between the relevant services e.g. education and highways. Monies could
be vired from the school transport budget to the
highways budget towards the cost of modifications etc. if required;
·
whilst
it was acknowledged that some roads, particularly in rural areas, were deemed
hazardous for children to walk to school, where it was safe for them to walk
the school route there were added benefits as it contributed towards the
pupil’s health and well-being as physical exercise was recognised as a way of
reducing obesity;
·
if traffic volumes or flows altered on any school
routes, once notified of the changes or a request for school transport was
received stating that the route had become hazardous, a hazardous route
assessment would be undertaken. Councillors were encouraged to inform
officers if any such traffic flow or volume changes occurred in their wards;
·
if members so wished officers could inform Member
Area Groups (MAGs) on an annual basis of routes due to be reviewed within their
areas, and include councillors in the consultation process. Members
concurred with this suggestion and officers agreed to adopt this approach from
now on;
·
with respect to routes subject to the bio-diversity
grass cutting regime, officers did act with caution when assessing routes and
gave human life priority over wildlife. However, they did acknowledge
that the assessment could only be based on the visual evidence available at the
time it was undertaken. If verge growths were proving a hazard the Streetscene Team would deal with them as a matter of
urgency and if landowners were responsible for hedges etc. they would request
that they cut them on safety grounds. If the landowner/responsible person
did not respond to the request the Streetscene Team for
safety reasons would cut back the growth and recover the costs later from the
responsible person.
Members referred to
a number of examples across the county where officers’ help in reducing traffic
speed or introducing traffic calming measures, particularly in and around
schools, had been invaluable. Work was continuing in those areas with a
view to getting enforcement officers to enforce the measures where some road
users seemed to be flouting the restrictions.
Prior to the
conclusion of the discussion the Committee requested the Road Safety officers
to e-mail all county councillors who have non-hazardous routes within their
wards seeking them to inform officers immediately they become aware that a
route may no longer be a safe walking route to school to enable officers to
assess it as soon as possible. Councillors should also be asked to
inform Highways and Environmental Services officers immediately they become
aware that vegetation impair the visibility of road signs in their area.
The Committee:
Resolved: subject to the above observations –
(i)
to endorse the contents of the
report and the method by which Denbighshire County Council applies the Welsh
Government’s operational guidelines with respect of risk assessing walked
routes to schools;
(ii)
to recommend that school routes
that lie within areas subject to bio-diversity grass cutting schedules, and
which have not been assessed within the last 12 months, be assess at the
earliest possible opportunity;
(iii)
that all Member Area Groups
(MAGs) be informed and consulted on an annual basis on the routes due for
review in their area; and
(iv)
to support the proposal to carry
out periodic reviews of home to school walking routes every five years, unless
significant changes to traffic volumes or flows are reported, or requests are
received for a review to be undertaken.
Supporting documents:
- Hazardous Routes to School Report 080916, item 8. PDF 195 KB
- Hazardous Routes to School Report 080916- Appendix A, item 8. PDF 158 KB
- Hazardous Routes to School Report 080916 - Appendix B, item 8. PDF 98 KB
- Hazardous Routes to School Report 080916 - Appendix C, item 8. PDF 177 KB