Minutes of the Highways Committee Meeting
       held on Monday 18 June 2001 at 7.30pm in the Community Centre

Present:   RJ Farrington (chair)   R Day   B Jefferson   RT Summerfield
           RLE Waters   PK Oldham
           The clerk SJ Daniels
           R Menzies Cambs County Council

       1   Apologies for absence   JE Coston   LC Twinn

350/01 2   Chairman   RJF was elected chairman.

351/01 3   Minutes
           The minutes of the meeting of 11 October 2000 were approved and
           signed as a true record.

352/01 4   A10 Junction /Butt Lane
(304/01)   The chairman welcomed R Menzies who explained that the South Cambs
           Area Joint Committee were meeting on 25 June to consider the
           implementation of the traffic lights scheme at the A10/Butt Lane
           junction.
           The junction had the second worst accident record on the County's
           (non-trunk) roads - the worst being the A10/A14 interchange.
           Features of the scheme:
           - Priority to A10 traffic - 7 seconds to be allowed for traffic
             turning right in and out of Butt Lane - to prevent rat-running.
           - Queue loop at A10/A14 interchange to allow extra minute of green
             light on A10 at busy times for northbound traffic.
           - Street lights along the A10 by pass from the A10/A14 interchange
             to the Landbeach Road junction. This would affect some houses.
           - No 40 mph speed limit as this would be inappropriate and against
             County Policy viz no 30/40 mph speed limits on rural principal
             roads. A limit would be difficult to enforce. Studies had shown
             that most vehicles travelled between the high 40's and
             mid 50's mph.

           RM could not forecast the effect if any that the lights would have
           on Milton.
           A roundabout would involve land-take, would take longer to
           implement and cost about £500,000. Traffic lights would cost
           £100,000 and could be implemented within 3 to 4 months.
           He was concerned about the probable delays caused to traffic going
           north during the peak times. This needed to be balanced, however,
           against his priority to reduce the accident record.

           RTS was on the Area Joint Committee. RLEW would attend and speak if
           necessary.
           The clerk would obtain accident statistics for the junction.

           Thank you to R Menzies for attending.

353/01 5   School Entrance Butt Lane
           A request for railings at the footpath entrance to the school in
           Butt Lane and a speed restriction was received. Committee were not
           aware of any accidents to children running out into the road. It
           was felt that a bigger problem was caused by children walking out
           from behind parked cars. The number of parked cars effectively
           acted as a speed deterrent.
           AGREED to seek the views of the school.

354/01 6   Jointly Funded Minor Improvements Scheme
           The alteration to the northern approach to the village built as
           part of the cycle scheme was considered totally unsatisfactory.
           AGREED to recommend that Council put in a bid for funding towards
           a pinch point at Ely Road at the appropriate time.

           The clerk would ask J Richards about the design for such a scheme.

355/01 7   Footpath Link to Cemetery
           Noted that cyclists already used the line of the old Landbeach Road
           to cross the A10 towards Landbeach. Concern was expressed that by
           providing a proper footpath/cycle link from the disused part of
           Landbeach Road Council would encourage people to cross the A10 at
           a dangerous point.
           AGREED to seek the views of Landbeach Parish Council and J Richards
                  Cycling Officer County Council.

356/01 8   Request for Speed Humps & 20 mph Speed Limits
(102/01)   AGREED to seek the views of R Menzies about the installation of
           speed humps on estate roads.
           20 mph speed limits would need to be self-enforcing.

       9   Any other business
357/01     Cycle Scheme
           The clerk would ask for an update on remedial works as detailed
           in the list (min) and  would point out the drainage problems at
           the Butt Lane/High Street and Coles Road/Cambridge Road junctions.
           In addition double yellow lines should be reinstated.

358/01     Drainage
           The clerk had asked Ed Thornton to look at the drainage problems
           near Strangeways Cottage Fen Road.
           Ed Thornton was aware of the problems caused by Milton's antiquated
           drainage system and the fact that all the drains fed into the New
           River behind the hospice grounds and ultimately to the river Cam.
           The New River and the riparian ditch behind Goding Way needed to
           be cleaned out.

359/01     High Street/Fen Road Junction
           The clerk would write to D Groom County Council to ask that the
           remedial works be carried out immediately as the road surface was
           dangerous for cyclists and motor cyclists.

360/01     Double Yellow Lines
(468/00)   Results of cycle scheme still to be assessed.

361/01     Flower Seller
           Noted that the flower seller was operating from the Norman
           Industrial Estate and partially obstructing the cycle/foot path.
           The clerk would investigate.


The meeting ended at 9.00pm.