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.