Agenda Item No. 3 West Crawley County Local Committee 14 January 2014 – At a meeting of the Committee held at 7.00pm, in the Longley Exhibition Room, Crawley Library, Crawley. Present: Mr Oxlade - Chairman (Member for Bewbush and Ifield West), Mr Jones (Member for Southgate and Crawley Central), Mrs Mullins (Member for Gossops Green and Ifield East), Mr Quinn (Member for Broadfield) and Mrs Smith (Member for Langley Green and West Green. Part I Declaration of Interests 47. Mr Quinn declared a personal interest in Item 8 Community Initiative Funding (Application 162/WC) as his wife works for the applicant. Minutes 48. Resolved - that the minutes of the meeting held on 10 October 2013 be confirmed as a correct record and that they be signed by the Chairman. Streetlighting 49. The Chairman thanked Dale Lewington and Nathan Thayre of SSE Contracting Ltd for attending the CLC to provide a briefing and to answer questions from members and residents. Peter Atkins (Engineering Services Manager, West Sussex County Council) was also in attendance. 50. Dale Lewington provided background information on the PFI Contract with the County Council including the size and scale of the streetlighting replacement project in West Sussex. He advised that SSE had also taken on the handling of customer service. To date 8,266 units had been replaced in Crawley and the company had received 1300 enquiries from residents. 51. Nathan Thayre provided the following responses to the streetlighting issues sent to him in advance of the meeting. • Reduced lighting levels in Kingscote Hill – the new lighting met the required lighting standard. Agreed that trees adjoining columns 10 and 11 would be trimmed. • Additional lights in Little Crabtree Road, West Green – these would now be installed, work would commence on 27 January. • Re-instatement of grass and clearing of piles of earth in Jackdaw Close, Langley Green – the work of sub-contractors is checked by independent certifiers, however the matter would be referred to customer care and the re- instatement work to be done again. • Location of streetlight at 1 Dewar Close – under contract obligations SSE is obliged to move lights back from the edge of the highway, however the position of this light does increase the risk of vandalism. The matter would be raised with the County Council to arrange to have the streetlight moved away from the house. • Unsatisfactory lighting levels in River Mead, Ifield Green – Crawley is a 24 hour lighting area however at midnight the lights are dimmed by 40% to save energy. • Reduced lighting and resulting dangerous spike at 8 Manor Fields – aim of contract is to reduce energy and cost and the road does meet minimum standards of lighting. There has been poor communication in the past between SSE and the County Council over this matter. Communications have now been improved to the benefit of residents. • Need for a streetlight at the end of Hanbury Close – Agreement has been reached with SSE and the County Council to install a light here. Mr Oxlade was asked to advise on the most suitable location. • Reduced streetlighting in Grier Close – lighting level meets the required standard. 52. Further issues were also raised in the discussion that followed. An update on progress with these will be reported at the next meeting. • Problem with the location of a new streetlight outside 25 Strathmore Road. • Entrance too dark to garages at Rother Road/Medway Road, Gossops Green. • Poor standard of care by sub-contractors during installation work and issues regarding re-seeding of the verge following installation at 4 Farnham Close. • Low level of lighting along Malthouse Road near the railway station at Southgate – Mr Jones stated that Crawley should be well-lit 24 hours a day and not have reduced lighting after midnight. Peter Atkins asked for contact details of the local neighbourhood forum. Progress Report 53. The Committee received and noted a progress report on matters relating to West Crawley (copy appended to the signed minutes). 54. Marie Ovenden introduced the report and advised that a pedestrian refuge island had been installed on Brighton Road but further investigations where taking place about a more suitable location for the refuge. Mr Jones expressed concern that the issue had still not been properly resolved and emphasised the need for a suitably located refuge on a popular pedestrian route and hoped that lessons would be learned for the future with improved communication between the parties involved. 55. Marie Ovenden reported the following progress regarding schemes on the Community Issues List: • Pelham Place pedestrian crossing, Broadfield – this scheme is in the forward plan for 2016/2017 but engineers are confident that the scheme can be brought forward to an earlier date • Footway improvements Hyde Drive – a meeting to discuss progress to take place on 16 January • Pedestrian crossing Ifield Avenue – work due to commence 14 January • Junction Improvement – junction of Buckswood Drive and Horsham Road – this had been identified as a scheme which could be taken forward within the wider Kilnwood Vale development. Mrs Mullins stated that this much needed scheme should be progressed as soon as possible. • Railing installation at Furzefield Footpath – Mrs Smith thanked officers for their work on the completion of this scheme. • Speed reduction measures Gossops Drive – awaiting speed survey results. • School vehicle access – Town Barn Road – issue regarding location in the CPZ Infrastructure Plan/TRO Priorities 56. The Committee considered a report by the Director Communities Commissioning and the Community and Economic Development Manager (copy appended to the signed minutes). 57. Marie Ovenden introduced the report and advised members on the process for moving schemes from the Community Issues List to TRO priorities within the Infrastructure Plan. 58. Resolved that (1) the package of TRO priorities (as set out in Appendix A, with the 4 amendments as set out below) is included within the IP, these appear technically deliverable and have evidence of community support, and will be programmed for delivery alongside other IP priorities. • Southgate - Ditchling Hill - extend the TRO for 'junction protection' to include protection of residential access and parking including time restrictions on one side of the length of the road. • Correction of Gossops Green (Panham Road) to Ifield (Parham Road) • Deletion of 'Discovery New School' from list of proposed TRO priorities - School Keep Clear Markings • Schools with School Keep Clear Markings not on the public highway will be deleted from the list (2) the TRO package of priorities will be reviewed annually recognising that additional TRO proposals can only be added if funds are identified, see paragraph 1.7 of the report. (3) the issue (Church Street - West Green - as set out in Appendix B) requires further investigation (e.g. technical and/ or evidence of community support) prior to considering a TRO solution and any subsequent prioritisation in the IP is noted, and that if the impending speed data collection demonstrates a need for a TRO that it be included in the package of measures in Appendix A. Community Initiative Funding 59. The Committee considered a report by the Head of Law and Governance (copy appended to the signed minutes) which detailed applications for Community Initiative Funding. The Committee debated the respective merits of the projects for which funding was sought. 60. Mr Quinn let the room for consideration of Application 162/WC from Relate North and South West Sussex. 61. Resolved that The following awards are made: 162/WC Relate North and South West Sussex, £2068 for new laptops and training in Skype counselling 165/WC Silver Birch Singers, £276 towards the cost of a music workshop 179/WC Crawley Young Persons Council, £600 towards the 2014 election costs The following applications are deferred for consideration at the next meeting of the CLC on 20 March when final allocation of grants for 2013/14 is made: 172/WC Broadfield Youth and Community Centre, £2485 towards the replacement of the Main Hall kitchen 200/WC 2nd Ifield (St Margaret’s) Scouts, £3000 towards fitting out a new kitchen ‘Talk with Us’ – Open Forum 62. The following answers were given in response to a question about matters affecting Crawley residents. • Access and exit to the Broadfield Estate via the route across the playing field during periods of heavy snowfall – members expressed concern that this proposal might cause gridlock for the Fastway buses and encourage motorists to speed. Marie Ovenden agreed to put the suggestion to traffic engineers and report back. • Pedestrian crossing at end of the Barton which links the Guinness Estate across Coachman’s Drive to the Barton – Marie Ovenden advised that if community and local member support is demonstrated for this proposal it could be added to the Community Issues List. • West Sussex Connections – the paper was welcomed as document which includes a number of articles of topical and local interest to Crawley residents including Gatwick Airport, Fracking and flooding. Date of Next Meeting 63. The Chairman informed all that the next meeting would be held on 20 March 2014 at Crawley Library. Exclusion of Press and Public 64. Resolved - That under Section 100(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I, of Schedule 12A, of the Act by virtue of the paragraph specified under the item and that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Summary of Matters discussed in the absence of the Press and Public (Exempt, paragraph 1, Information about Individuals) Appointment of Authority School Governors The Committee had before it a report by the Director Communities Commissioning outlining the nominations for governing bodies at Ifield Community College and St Francis of Assisi School.