Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all present to the meeting and read out the Building Evacuation Procedure.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the meeting of the Economic Development, Environment and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel held on 9 November 2022 were taken as read and approved as a correct record.

The Director of Environment and Commercial Services will be in attendance to provide an overview of the new scrutiny topic of School Transport.

RECOMMENDATION: that the Panel considers Terms of Reference for this scrutiny and what further information is required.

The Director of Environment and Community Services provided a presentation on School Transport.  The Council’s Home to School Transport Policy related to the Education Act 1996 and additional duties required by the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

National guidance (last issued in July 2014 by the Department for Education) set out the expectations of Local Authorities with regard to home to school transport arrangements for pupils.   In particular, the guidance set out the circumstances in which the local authority had a duty to provide or arrange free school transport for children of compulsory school age. 

Free home to school transport or assistance would be provided for the following eligible pupils who would be of compulsory school age during the current academic year:

a)   A primary school age pupil attending their nearest suitable school and that school was over 2 miles from the home address, where the distance was determined by the Council and used the shortest walking distance along which a child, accompanied as necessary, might walk with reasonable

safety.

b) A secondary school age pupil attending their nearest suitable school and that school was over 3 miles from the home address, where the distance was determined by the Council and used the shortest walking distance along which a child, accompanied as necessary, might walk with reasonable safety.

c) A secondary school age pupil from a low income family and attending:

·         any one of their three nearest suitable schools and the school was

     between 2 and 6 miles away from their home address.

Or

·         the nearest school preferred by their parents on the grounds of religion or belief and the school is between 2 and 15 miles away from their home address.

Transport requirements were considered as part of a full assessment of a child’s special educational needs.  If a child’s needs were such that there were no associated transport requirements, then eligibility for free transport or assistance would be assessed against the Council’s policy.   If a child was unable to walk the statutory distance to their nearest appropriate school because of their special educational needs or disability, even if accompanied by a responsible adult, the Council would, subject to the statutory assessment/annual review process, provide travel assistance.

The number of children with complex or special educational needs was increasing year on year and some required medical support to travel with them.

Whilst it was acknowledged that some families had access to a mobility car but their child used school transport services, it was explained that often individual circumstances made this a complex issue.  The Council was able to offer parents an allowance if they were able to transport their own child.  Personal transport allowance was a sum of money calculated for each family to cover the cost of travel to and from school. A mileage allowance of 45 pence per mile could be awarded for the return journey to and from school at the beginning and end of the school day.   Allowances were  calculated on an individual basis and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22/45

The Infrastructure Programme Manager will be in attendance to provide the Panel with an update on the Linthorpe Road Cycle Lane.

RECOMMENDATION: that the Panel determines whether further information is required.

The Infrastructure Programme Manager was in attendance and gave a presentation in relation to Phase 1 of the Linthorpe Road Cycleway.

Building more roads to support more cars was not financially viable or sustainable and therefore alternative ways for people to move around the network were needed.  Approximately 10,000 vehicles travelled along Linthorpe Road every day.  1.6% of those vehicles were cycles and cyclists were more likely to be involved in accidents and suffer injuries than other vehicle users.  

Middlesbrough Council had worked with the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) on various different strategies and policies including the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Programme (LCWIP).  Based on TVCA modelling using WSP expertise the transport corridor between Middlesbrough town centre and Linthorpe village had been identified as one of the highest areas with propensity to cycle in the Tees Valley Region.

During the Covid-19 pandemic some of the parking bays on Linthorpe Road were closed to allow more space for social distancing.  An option was put forward by the TVCA to construct a cycle lane.  This proposal was progressed by Active Travel England and the Active Travel Fund and the road space was re-allocated in favour of pedestrians and sustainable travel.  Government guidance on cycle infrastructure design: Local Transport Note 1/20 had been updated and provided advice on how to future proof roads and make them more sustainable and accessible for people to use. 

In December 2020 to January 2021, Middlesbrough Council consulted on the implementation of cycle lanes on Linthorpe Road.  Letters were sent to all premises directly affected and those in the surrounding area.  Whilst the consultation was online, people could also write or phone to put forward their views.   71% of respondents were not in favour of the proposed scheme and some alterations were made which included some of the bus stops being retained and some disabled spaces being added.  All respondents were informed of the proposed changes and no further comments were received.  The final scheme received unanimous approval by Middlesbrough Council’s Executive in March 2021 and funding from the TVCA was approved in April 2021.

Following a procurement exercise, Cleveland Land Services were employed to carry out the construction which was initially anticipated to take three months.  However, due to the discovery of hard ground conditions and old tramlines, as well as increases in material costs and supply, the work took six months to complete. 

An additional signalised crossing was installed and existing crossings upgraded.  Surrounding public realm areas were also upgraded and existing surfaces remediated.  New cycle parking was also installed.

The project was finished in September 2022 within the grant allocation.

A query was raised in relation to the traffic orcas and whether they should have been used.  With regard to light segregation there were a number of different options and the Council had chosen the traffic orcas in the first instance and followed the available guidance.   The Council had listened to the feedback received and had made alterations by replacing 50% of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22/46

Feedback will be provided from a Panel Member in relation to a recent site visit to Teesside Crematorium.

Councillor Thompson had provided a report giving feedback in relation to a site visit to Teesside Crematorium in September 2022.

AGREED that the report would be circulated to all Members of the Economic Development, Environment and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel.

The time and date of the next meeting of the Economic Development, Environment and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel was confirmed as Wednesday 18 January 2023 at 10.30 am.

The Chair will provide a verbal update on matters considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 16 November 2022.

The Chair will provided an update on matters considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 16 November 2022.  The Panel’s request to amend the current Work Programme had been approved by the Board.

None.