Visitors and members of the public who are unfamiliar with the building and procedures are advised that:

(a)      The fire alarm is a continuous loud ringing. In the event that a fire drill is planned during the meeting, the Chair will advise of this.

(b)      Exit routes from the chamber are located on each side of the room, one directly to a fire escape, the other to the stairs opposite the lifts.

(c)      In the event of the alarm sounding, leave the building via the nearest safe exit and gather at the assembly point on the far side of the car park. Do not leave the assembly point or re-enter the building until advised to do so. Do not use the lifts.

(d)      Anyone unable to use the stairs should make themselves known during this agenda item.

The Chair outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 7 October 2024 (Minute Nos. 311 – 328) as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 7 October 2024 (Minute Nos. 311 – 328) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their families or friends.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) or disclosable non-pecuniary interests (DNPIs) to declare in respect of items on the agenda. Members with a DPI in an item must leave the room for that item and may not participate in the debate or vote. 

Aside from disclosable interests, where a fair-minded and informed observer would think there was a real possibility that a Member might be biased or predetermined on an item, the Member should declare this and leave the room while that item is considered.

Members who are in any doubt about interests, bias or predetermination should contact the monitoring officer for advice prior to the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

Members of the public have the opportunity to speak at this meeting.  Anyone wishing to present a petition or speak on this item is required to register with the Democratic Services Section by noon on Friday 29 November 2024.  Questions that have not been submitted by this deadline will not be accepted.  Only two people will be allowed to speak on each item and each person is limited to asking two questions.  Each speaker will have a maximum of three minutes to speak.

Petitions, questions and statements will only be accepted if they are in relation to an item being considered at this meeting.

There were no public speakers.

Report to consider results of the recent informal consultation on the proposed extension of double yellow lines in Attlee Way, Milton Regis.

The Seafront & Engineering Manager introduced the report as set out in the agenda papers.

Councillor Angela Harrison moved the recommendation in the report, and this was seconded by Councillor Simon Clark.

Recommended:

(1)      That the results of the recent informal consultation with residents be noted, and that a Traffic Regulation Order be drafted to extend the existing double yellow lines.

The Chair drew attention to the tabled paper from Town Councillor Julian Saunders which had previously been circulated to Board Members.  The tabled paper explained that parking in Market Place and Court Street, Faversham was a ‘considerable concern to many residents’ and included a proposal for the Swale Joint Transportation Board (JTB) to engage with the working group set-up by Faversham Town Council (FTC) to explore how the issue could be resolved.

The Chair invited the visiting Ward Member, Councillor Hannah Perkin to speak on the item.  Councillor Perkin advised that following the introduction of overnight car parking charges, parking had become ‘problematical’ in the centre of Faversham.  She reported that car parking in Market Place and Court Street was a particular issue and the current parking order could not be enforced as the yellow lines were no longer visible due to wear and tear.  This was leading to vehicles blocking the entrance to the centre of Faversham causing obstructions: to the market; to local events; and deliveries to local businesses.   She asked that local residents and local businesses be reconsulted about the reinstallation of the double yellow lines.

The Chair invited Members to raise points, which included:

·         Aware that inconsiderate parking was blocking access to the market and impacting on traders;

·         considered it was important that the Swale JTB engaged with local residents and worked with FTC’s Working Group to find a solution and ensure public safety;

·         it was important to encourage visitors to the town centre, but Faversham was a unique town and it was important to get it right;

·         pedestrians and café users were also being put at risk by vehicles entering the town centre;

·         lack of parking enforcement was also an issue;

·         there was an absence of controls on vehicles entering the town centre;

·         the problems were “underpinned” by the fact that both Kent County Council (KCC) and Swale Borough Council (SBC) had not been able to move forward with the agreed town centre road closure proposals; and

·         the Neighbourhood Plan for the town of Faversham had recently been passed and it made a very strong commitment to a walking environment.

Town Councillor Julian Saunders moved the motion as set-out in the tabled paper.  This was seconded by Councillor Alastair Gould.  On being put to the vote the recommendation was agreed.

Recommendation:

(1)      That this Board notes that Faversham Town Council has agreed to write to Swale Borough Council asking them to arrange a meeting with local businesses to discuss town centre parking issues and set-up a working group (consisting of the Chair and Vice-Chair of its Active Travel Committee and the two relevant borough ward members, with the KCC division member attending as an observer) to represent its views to SBC about town centre parking and gain greater understanding of Swale’s plans for pedestrianisation.  That SBC and KCC actively engaged with the working group in order to find an effective solution to the parking problems in the Market Place and Court Street, Faversham, and an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 433.

The Western Area Committee requested that the Swale JTB consider the following:  Noted that there are incidents of buses parking on double yellow lines outside schools in the Sittingbourne area, parking around junctions and obstructing the view of the road.

The Chair introduced the item following a request from the Western Area Committee, who had noted: “There are incidents of buses parking on double yellow lines outside schools in the Sittingbourne area, parking around junctions and obstructing the view of the road.”  The Chair reported that he was aware that this was a constant issue within an area of his KCC division, namely Bell Road and Remembrance Avenue, Sittingbourne where coaches dropped-off and collected pupils from three schools (Fulston Manor, Highsted Grammar, and Borden Grammar).  He further reported that he had paid for an extension of the double yellow lines in Bell Road, to ensure all vehicles were kept away from the traffic islands in Bell Road.

The Chair said he understood that school buses parking in Adelaide Drive, Sittingbourne had mostly been resolved following the introduction of the dedicated bus stops.

Councillor Simon Clark a Ward Member for Homewood ward said that he had spoken some time ago to the Seafront & Engineer Manager (SBC) about buses parking in Bell Road, and he had advised that any buses parked on the double yellow lines were being moved on by the parking attendants.  Councillor Clark said that the situation was ok some of the time and really bad at other times with buses parked along the Cemetery in Bell Road.  He suggested that the Council’s parking enforcement team provide a formal schedule of times for parking attendants to attend the area and move the buses on.

Councillor Paul Stephen a Ward Member for Woodstock ward, also the Chair of the Western Area Committee, said that often the school buses arrived much earlier than they needed to.  He explained that the situation of the buses parking in Bell Road was becoming very dangerous for other road users and pedestrians.  He considered that possible solutions could be that the buses parked off-road somewhere else, or staggered their drop-off and pick-up times so they were not all there at the same time.  Otherwise, enforcement of the double yellow lines was the only option.

The Chair invited Members to make comments, and points raised included:

·         If any of the bus companies wanted to utilise a school property to park then that was for the bus companies to liaise with the school, not SBC;

·         suggested that SBC’s parking enforcement speak direct to the bus companies about the issue;

·         maybe ask KCC if they had any funding available that Fulston Manor could use to improve the area for bus parking; and

·         enforcement was probably the only option.

The Chair moved the following motion:  That the Chair of the Swale JTB write to SBC’s parking enforcement team and Kent Police asking them to improve enforcement of the double yellow lines in Bell Road, Sittingbourne to ensure that school buses were not illegally parked.  This was seconded by Councillor Simon Clark.  On being put to the vote the motion was agreed by Members.

Recommended:

(1)      That the Chair of the Swale JTB writes to Swale Borough Council’s parking  ...  view the full minutes text for item 434.

Parish Councillor Jeff Tuff will be invited to speak on this item.

Note added 10.05 am on 28 November 2024.

The Chair drew attention to the tabled report from Parish Councillor Jeff Tutt on Quiet Lanes, which had previously been circulated to Members of the Board.

Parish Councillor Jeff Tutt introduced the item.  He suggested that as some roads were designated as ‘rural lanes’ within the Council’s Local Plan, they could be linked together with quiet lanes.

KCC’s Senior Programme Manager (Active Travel) advised that officers would be happy to talk with local groups about Quiet Lanes and then see what was possible through the Highway Improvements Team.  He said that just putting  up signs was not likely to have much affect without a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) being imposed.

The Chair invited comment from Members, and points raised included:

·         Important for parishes to engage with their local community to explore what was possible;

·         supported the progression of the Quiet Lanes scheme in Swale;

·         had never understood why the national speed limit applied in country roads, as nobody drove in accordance with road conditions;

·         new developments had created dangerous “rat-runs” in rural roads in Minster and they would benefit from Quiet Lane designation;

·         referred to a report funded by the Eastern Area Committee, the project was managed by Faversham Town Council and highlighted several locations in the outlying villages that would benefit from interventions including Quiet Lanes;

·         considered the best deterrent was to not cut back hedges as a narrower road reduced the speed of traffic;

·         not cutting hedging back was not a good idea from a safety perspective;

·         astonished that anyone would drive 30 mph in a rural lane and the speed limits needed to be looked at;

·         not cutting hedges back was dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians;

·         reducing the speed limit to rural roads to 30 mph should be enforced; and

·         other than reducing the speed limit wondered what other things could be imposed to have the most impact?.

The Chair asked that the Senior Programme Manager feed the comments of the Swale JTB into any consultation on Quiet Lanes.  This was agreed by Members.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Senior Programme Manager (KCC) feed the comments of the Swale JTB into any consultation on Quiet Lanes.

Councillors are requested to consider areas in their area for ANPR cameras for traffic violations.

The Chair introduced the item and reported that KCC now had powers to place ANPR cameras in roads to enforce moving traffic violations in areas such as: one-way streets, bus lanes, and yellow box junctions.  He asked  the Board to consider if there were any roads in their wards/divisions that may benefit from ANPR cameras and to forward details to democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or john.wright@kcc.gov.uk by Tuesday 17 December 2024.  The list would then be sent to the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at KCC for consideration.

Areas identified in the meeting were:

·         Shortlands Road, Sittingbourne where vehicles continually drove the wrong way down it;

·         the junction between Milton High Street and straight into Charlotte Street; and

·         the yellow box junction outside in Bell Road just Swale House, Sittingbourne.

In response to questions, the Chair advised that KCC now had the same powers as the Police in terms of traffic violations and breaches would result in a fine.

Councillor Karen Watson asked that a report back on the success of any ANPR cameras provided be brought back to the Board at a later date.

The Highway Manager (Swale) advised that the updates would be circulated to Members of the Board.

Members were advised to contact the relevant officer direct if they had any queries on the report.

Resolved:

(1)      That the report be noted.

To consider the Progress Update which outlines progress made following recommendations and agreed action at previous meetings.

Resolved:

(1)      That the report be noted.

The next meeting of the Swale Joint Transportation Board meeting is  on Monday 3 March 2025.

The date of the next Swale Joint Transportation Board meeting is 3 March 2025.