Agenda item

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 the associated footpath/cycleway link is estimated to be in the region of £100,000.  However, the figure will be refined during the scheme design process.  All costs associated with the scheme will be met from that part of the capital receipt for the Hemlington Grange development allocated for the provision of sustainable transport links.  The total sum allocated for such works is £885,000, as approved by Executive in August 2013.

 

Given the current concerns regarding pedestrian safety, it was intended to deliver the proposed scheme as swiftly as possible, with a view to the new crossing coming into operation before the start of the 2021/22 academic year in September.  The indicative implementation timetable is set out in the table below:

 

Task	Timescale
Executive Member Approval	March 2021
Preliminary Design	March to April 2021
Consultation	April to May 2021
Detailed Design	May to June 2021
Procurement	June to July 2021
Construction	July to August 2021

 

The report outlined that the actual delivery programme will be refined and developed as work to implement the scheme progresses.

 

Options

Other potential decisions and why these have not been recommended

 

The other potential decisions that have not been recommended include:

 

a)     Do nothing - this is not recommended as it will not allow the residents of the aforementioned wards safely access the Kings Academy.  A road traffic accident occurred in late 2020 on Stainton Way and further highlighted the need for the Council to install a safe crossing point immediately.  The growth of Hemlington Grange means that the demand for a controlled crossing facility at this location will continue to increase in future years.

 

b)     Re-assessing the project proposals – this is not recommended, as the lack of any pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities at the appropriate section of Stainton Way, immediately to the west of the Gables Roundabout means that there is no safe crossing point for children travelling between Hemlington Grange and The King’s Academy. 

 

c)     Approve the proposal and deliver the proposed Toucan Crossing.  Work will then commence to detailed design of the proposals and commence construction thereafter.

 

The Chair formally thanked the Ward Councillors and residents involved in bringing forward concerns which led to this decision being made.

 

ORDERED

 

a)     That the proposed Toucan Crossing on Stainton Way be approved in principle;

 

b)     That the cost of the crossing be met from that part of the capital receipt for the Hemlington Grange development allocated for the provision of sustainable transport links; and

 

c)     Work to deliver the scheme commences immediately, with a view to the new crossing coming into operation before the start of the 2021/22 academic year.

 

REASONS

 

The decisions were supported by the following reasons:

 

a)     This would allow prudent allocation of capital receipt funding for the Hemlington Grange Development site, to install a Toucan Crossing on Stainton Way to allow for a safe crossing for residents of the Hemlington and Stainton & Thornton wards to the west of Gables Roundabout on the B1365.

 

b)     This is a much more direct route, for which demand will inevitably increase as the number of properties in Hemlington Grange continues to grow.  However, the lack of any pedestrian or cycle crossing facilities on this section of Stainton Way means that the potential for collisions to occur (as it did in December 2020), is also likely to increase unless prompt action is taken.