Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Highways will update the Panel on any relevant issues.

Councillor Manda Rigby, Cabinet Member for Highways, gave an update on matters within her portfolio. A report and presentation slides are attached. The presentation covered the following:

·  City Centre Security

·  Residents Parking Zones (RPZs)

·  Cleveland Bridge

·  Emission Based Parking Charges

·  Transport Improvement Programme

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions:

Councillor Box asked about Park and Ride parking charge changes, she also stated that parish members had commented on the times of services (especially in the evenings). The Cabinet Member agreed on the comment on rural bus services. She further explained that Park and Ride Services were brought back in house last year which had been an expensive project. She explained that we want to overachieve – all ringfenced funds will be invested back in the service. She asked that parish representatives write in with ideas.

Councillor Leach asked about the numbers of overweight lorries travelling over Cleveland Bridge. The Cabinet Member reported that it was 0.09%, on a monthly basis this is approximately 482 vehicles who have all had warning notices sent.

Councillor Heijltjes asked about the effects of the vacancies in parking services. The Cabinet Member explained that the Civil Enforcement Officer Service is running with 4 vacancies out of a staff of around 30. The main aim of the service is to educate people around the restrictions.

Councillor Beaumont asked to meet with the Cabinet Member regarding 20mph zones in Keynsham (school routes). The Cabinet Member stated that she would be delighted to meet and had plans to bunch together all of the areas that are requesting 20mph zones.

Councillor Heijltjes stated that she would like the free parking permits for Bath Councillors reviewed as a way of showcasing leadership. The Cabinet Member explained that everything is reviewed in the budgeting process, the budget will be considered by Council in February 2024.

Councillor David stated that there was an overspill issue in Oldfield with regard to RPZs and thanked officers for helping with this issue. She asked what monitoring was happening outside of the zones. The Cabinet Member confirmed that monitoring is being done and mitigations will be considered where necessary. She added that it was difficult to get to the cause of the issues and data can be affected by people parking a second car outside of the zone or HMOs.

Councillor Player asked about the state of roads and how, when potholes are repaired, they soon return to a bad state. She asked if cheaper materials are being used to patch up the roads. The Cabinet Member stated that it was not that cheaper materials are used. She explained that there has been ongoing underfunding but that there had been investment in a machine that fills the roads differently which means pot hole repairs will last longer. She stated that the weather in the past year had been a large factor with regard to pot holes (almost double the damage last year).

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Rigby stated that she would like to thank the team who do an outstanding job.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member.