Agenda and minutes

The Director of Regeneration submitted a report to introduce a Toucan Crossing on Stainton Way, immediately to the west of the Gables Roundabout, in order to provide a safe crossing point for children travelling between Hemlington Grange and The King’s Academy in Coulby Newham. 

The report required a decisions as the proposals would impact upon the road safety of residents, school age children in particular, in the Hemlington and Stainton & Thornton wards.  Approval would continue to ensure that the proposals are aligned with the Councils ambitions and objectives.

The report outlined that following its allocation for housing in the 2014 Middlesbrough Housing Local Plan, planning approval for the Hemlington Grange development was granted in April 2016.  Comprising well over a thousand dwellings, it is the largest residential development currently under construction in the Borough.

Because of the way that construction of Hemlington Grange has been phased, all of the 300 or so dwellings built and occupied to date are located towards the eastern end of the development, in an area to the south of Stainton Way and to the west of B1365 Stokesley Road.  As most of the local facilities serving Hemlington Grange are located in Coulby Newham, residents travelling on foot or by cycle to reach those facilities have to cross Stokesley Road and/or Stainton Way when doing so.

The plan attached at Appendix 1 to the report showed the existing and proposed pedestrian and cycle links serving Hemlington Grange.  At present, the only footpath route between Hemlington Grange and Coulby Newham obliges pedestrians to cross Stokesley Road by means of an uncontrolled crossing point located roughly midway between its junctions with Stainton Way and Hemlington Grange Way, and then proceed through the Ridgeway industrial estate to reach the footpath/cycleway linking the area of Coulby Newham to the south of Stainton Way with the district centre.  There are no existing cycle routes linking Hemlington Grange and Coulby Newham.

To address this situation, approval was granted for a new footpath/cycleway link – connecting Hemlington Grange with the existing pedestrian and cycle network serving the area of Coulby Newham to the south of Stainton Way.  Once in place, this link will complete a continuous, safe and direct pedestrian and cycle route connecting Hemlington Grange with many of the local education, employment and leisure facilities in Coulby Newham.

The new link will also connect Hemlington Grange with The King’s Academy.  Many of these students currently travel from Hemlington Grange to The King’s Academy via the existing footpath on the western side of Stokesley Road, crossing Stainton Way immediately to the west of the Gables Roundabout and then completing their journey via the existing footpath/cycleway route on the north side of Stainton Way, crossing B1365 Hemlington Lane at the staggered Toucan Crossing that was introduced in 2015.

This issue has been raised by Members representing both the Hemlington and the Stainton & Thornton Wards, as well as by residents of Hemlington Grange whose children attend The King’s Academy.

The cost of the crossing and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20/3