Agenda item

The report outlines comments and objections received during consultation on Traffic Management Orders (TMOs) for measures focussed on the High Street.  It recommends making TMOs to implement permanent changes to the High Street, and neighbouring streets, principally to provide segregated cycle lanes in the High Street, improve the pedestrianised section of High Street, and improve pedestrian crossing facilities.  Improvement to the public realm would accompany implementation of these measures.

The Committee received a report which outlined comments and objections received during consultation on Traffic Management Orders (TMOs) for measures focussed on the High Street.  It recommends making TMOs to implement permanent changes to the High Street, and neighbouring streets, principally to provide segregated cycle lanes in the High Street, improve the pedestrianised section of High Street, and improve pedestrian crossing facilities.  Improvement to the public realm would accompany implementation of these measures.

Ian Plowright (Head of Strategic Transport) provided the Committee with an introduction which set out:

• This had been a temporary scheme in response to guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Transport on Network Management to Support Recovery from COVID-19;
• The scheme was located on a high priority cycling corridor, which had been identified in two Transport for London (TfL) analysis;
• The proposal for the permanent scheme was to move the cycle lane from east to west in much of the High Street and would include public realm uplift; and
• Objections had been received which were addressed within the report and included concerns relating to parking, loading and coach access.

Charles King (speaking on behalf of Croydon Council Mobility Forum) addressed the Committee and set out the following:

• Thanked officers for meeting with members of the Mobility Forum to discuss concerns in relation to the temporary scheme. Following the meeting it was felt that many of the issues had been resolved;
• It was noted that bus stops would be utilised much more and the proposed scheme would not require taxis to take longer routes which would cost more; and
• A meeting was requested with officers and representatives of Transport for London to discuss outstanding issues such as which buses would stop as which stop and enabling access to low kerbs for drops offs.

The Chair thanked Charles King and the Mobility Forum for their work on working with officers to improve the scheme.

Angus Hewlett (speaking on behalf of Croydon Cyclists) addressed the Committee and set out the following:

• The proposed scheme was a good compromise and alleviated the burden of buses running southbound;
• Queried whether further modelling had been undertaken in terms of the impact of the scheme on high street traffic. It was hoped that the volume of traffic on the High Street would be reduced;
• Noted that it was important that cycle schemes linked up and highlighted the Brighton Road scheme which was being developed;
• Queried how public realm would be recovered from traffic to support public transport; and
• Suggested that Fell Road could be used for bus routes turning left into Fell from the Fell Road slip road.

The Committee discussed the report and raised the following points:

• Committee Members were pleased to see the scheme had been changed from the temporary scheme and highlighted the improved bus routes; and
• Also queried whether Fell Road could be used for bus routes.

In response the Head of Strategic Transport confirmed a meeting would be arranged with TfL, to which the Chair of the Mobility Forum would be invited to. That meeting would discuss bus stops and the feasibility of turning buses left into Fell Road from the slip road.

RESOLVED: to recommend to the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Croydon to

1. Consider the comments and objections received in response to Notice published in respect of making permanent mandatory cycle lanes temporarily installed in High Street, and the implementation of associated permanent changes including pedestrian crossing facilities in and around High Street.
2. Consider the officer’s response to the objections in Section 2 and Appendix C of the report.
3. Authorise the Highways Traffic Manager, Sustainable Communities Division to make the necessary Traffic Management Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (as amended) the effect of which would be to introduce the following measures as part of making permanent the temporary cycle lanes in High Street between George Street and Fell Road to:

a.     make permanent the existing temporary waiting and loading restrictions operating “at any time” in High Street, Croydon, between its junctions with George Street and Fell Road.

b.     permanently amend parking and loading bays by relocating the:

·        Loading Bay outside No. 10 High Street to outside Nos. 1 and 3 High Street

·        Loading Bay outside No. 54 High Street Croydon to outside Nos. 39 to 45 High Street

·        Loading Bay, Permit Bay and Motorcycle Bay adjacent to Nos. 28 and 29 St George’s Walk to outside Nos. 27 to 31 Park Street

·        Taxi Rank outside Nos. 4 to 6 High Street to Park Street adjacent to the flank wall of Nos. 7 to 11 High Street.

c.      introduce one-way working in High Street southbound from the junction with Katharine Street, and in Katharine Street westbound between the junctions with Fell Road and High Street.

d.     relocate bus stops and stands as necessary to accommodate the above changes.

4. Authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to exercise powers under the Highways 1980 to:

a.     implement a two-way cycle lane on the carriageway in High Street, between George Street and Fell Road/Whitgift Street, the cycle lane sited on the:

i)         west side between George Street and Park Street, and between Katharine Street and Fell Road / Whitgift Street;

ii)        ii) east side between Park Street and Katharine Street.

b.     relocate the existing zebra crossing in Katharine Street adjacent to the flank wall of Nos. 27 to 37 High Street to a point 12 metres west of its current position, immediately adjacent to the eastern kerb-line of High St.

c.      implement a new zebra crossing and parallel cycle crossing outside Nos. 83 to 85 High Street, south of the junction with Robert Street.

5. The general effect of Recommendations 3 and 4 being to permanently install the measures in the scheme drawing at Appendix B of the report.