This item seeks consideration of a petition, submitted as an e-petition, that was received by the Council’s Petitions Officer. The petition contains just over 1000 valid signatures and as such is required to be debated at Full Council.
In accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme, the Full Council has a maximum of 30 minutes at each meeting to consider petitions. Within this time the Principal Petitioner will be given five minutes to present the petition to the Council and the remaining time will be for the Council to consider the petition.
A petition states as follows “No Right Turn - Three Bridges Station Objection”
“We the undersigned petition the council to commence a further consultation on this issue, including viable options for the retention of the right turn out of the station forecourt, and ensuring that the consultation period lasts for a sufficient period of time and is adequately publicised in order to ensure that all key stakeholders are able to participate fully.”
“We wish to register our concerns at the implications of the loss of the right turn out of Three Bridges Station proposed as part of the re-design proposals which have recently been the subject of consultation by Crawley Borough Council, due to the negative effects we believe this will have on local residents. We also wish to express our concern about the short timeframe in which the consultation took place, and the level of publicity afforded to ensuring that all interested parties were able to have their say effectively.”
The Petition above relates to a responsibility of the Cabinet, and as such Cabinet is required to take the final decision. At this meeting Full Council will consider the petition and decide whether or not to make recommendations to inform the Cabinet’s decision.
It should be noted that the “Three Bridges Station Improvement Final Design” report is scheduled to be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 11 March 2020. Prior to that Cabinet meeting, the Overview and Scrutiny Commission will scrutinise the report at its meeting on 9 March 2020.
The Principal Petitioner will receive written confirmation of this decision. The confirmation will also be published on our website.
Full Council decisions, relating to petitions, which are not unanimous require a recorded vote/s.
The Full Council is recommended to:
1. Receive the contents of the petition and the views expressed by the Principal Petitioner.
2. Decide which of the following options to take (noting that any such recommendation must formally moved and seconded):
a) Note the petition without making any recommendations to inform the Cabinet’s decision.
b) Note the petition and ask Cabinet (at its meeting on 11 March 2020) to consider the contents of the petition.
c) Support the petition and ask Cabinet (at its meeting on 11 March 2020) to commence a further consultation on this issue, including viable options for the retention of the right turn out of the station forecourt, and ensuring that the consultation period lasts for a sufficient period of time and is adequately publicised in order to ensure that all key stakeholders are able to participate fully.
d) Make any other recommendations relating to the petition to Cabinet for its consideration.
Minutes:
The Full Council considered the e-petition which had been received by the Council’s Petitions Officer. As the petition contained over 1000 valid signatures it was required to be debated by Full Council. The petition stated as follows “No Right Turn – Three Bridges Station Objection”.
“We the undersigned Petition the council to commence a further consultation on this issue, including viable options for the retention of the right turn out of the station forecourt, and ensuring that the consultation period lasts for a sufficient period of time and is adequately publicised in order to ensure that all key stakeholders are able to participate fully.”
“We wish to register our concerns at the implications of the loss of the right turn out of Three Bridges Station proposed as part of the re-design proposals which have recently been the subject of consultation by Crawley Borough Council, due to the negative effects we believe this will have on local residents. We also wish to express our concern about the short timeframe in which the consultation took place, and the level of publicity afforded to ensuring that all interested parties were able to have their say effectively.”
As the Petition related to a responsibility of the Cabinet, the Cabinet was required to take the final decision. The Full Council was however required to consider the petition and decide whether or not to make recommendations to inform the decision of the Cabinet. In accordance with the Council’s petition Scheme, the Full Council had a maximum of 30 minutes to consider the petition.
Janet Seymour, the Principal Petitioner, presented the petition to the Full Council (the presentation is attached as Appendix B to these minutes).
Councillor P Smith, as Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, addressed the meeting, thanking the Principal Petitioner for submitting the petition. Councillor P Smith then made the following points:
· As a long-term resident of northern Crawley he used Three Bridges Station on a frequent basis.
· The petition requested that viable options be considered which retained the right-hand turn. Although the project was being managed by Crawley Borough Council, highways were the responsibility of West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and as such that element of the development was not the responsibility of Crawley Borough Council and would be deferred to WSCC.
· Had it been feasible to incorporate a right-hand turn into the Scheme it would have been retained. Ultimately no right-hand turn had been incorporated into the design as its retention had not been deemed feasible.
· Three consultation exercises had already been undertaken in relation to the Scheme. As a result of those consultations adjustments had been made to the Scheme including a new access to the eastern platform of the station, and engaging a company to carry out traffic modelling to inform the design options.
· Further consultation would not add value.
Councillor P Smith then moved recommendation 2(b) which was seconded by Councillor Irvine. Recommendation 2(b) proposed that the petition be noted and that Cabinet be asked (at its meeting on 11 March 2020) to consider the contents of the petition.
A debate then took place, during which Councillor McCarthy moved recommendation 2(c) which was seconded by Councillor Burrett as they fully supported the petition and, as a Ward Councillors for Pound Hill North & Forge Wood, felt that they could not support the redevelopment as it stood. Recommendation 2(c) proposed that the petition be supported, and that Cabinet be asked (at its meeting on 11 March 2020) to commence a further consultation on the issue, including viable options for the retention of the right turn out of the station forecourt, and that it be ensured that the consultation period lasted for a sufficient period of time and was adequately publicised in order to ensure that all the key stakeholders were able to participate fully.
During the debate Councillors A Belben, T Belben, Burrett and Purdy spoke on the issues and expressed views including:
· Retention of the right-hand turn would cause delay to other vehicles travelling along Haslett Avenue East and Worth Park Avenue.
· Engagement of stakeholder views had been lacking.
· The lack of feedback provided to residents had led to the large number of petition signatories.
· Due to the increase in distance vehicles would be required to travel as a result of the loss of the right-hand turn, vehicle emissions in the area would increase.
· The data obtained through the traffic modelling survey did not truly represent average traffic movements as it had been carried out during a period when there was reduced traffic movement (ie end of school year and school activities week).
· The loss of the right-hand turn would also affect those who travelled from outside the Borough to use the station. Those users, as they were not Crawley residents, had not been entitled to sign the petition.
· The loss of the right-hand turn would increase the use of the surrounding roads, including St Mary’s Drive, where congestion was already an issue.
· Some information contained within the traffic modelling survey was incorrect (such as increased travel distance and time due to the re-routing as a result of the loss of the right-hand turn) which called into question the accuracy of other information within the survey.
Councillor Lamb, as Leader of the Council and as Chair of the Cabinet, then addressed the Full Council and made the following points:
· It had been demonstrated that there was high demand for bike racks at the station.
· The current right-hand turn delayed all traffic in the areas.
· The Cabinet would re-contact West Sussex County Council as Highways Authority to ascertain whether there was a remotely conceivable way in which a right-hand turn could be accommodated.
· It would only be possible for the Scheme to move forward if it was ‘signed off’ by West Sussex County Council as the Highways Authority.
· If the Scheme did not go ahead then any money allocated to the project would need to be returned and could not be spent.
As recommendation 2(b) (“that the petition be noted and that Cabinet be asked (at its meeting on 11 March 2020) to consider the contents of the petition”) had been moved and seconded first during the debate it was then voted upon. The Mayor called for a recorded vote as Council Procedure Rule 18.5 required that all petitions considered by Full Council be subject to a recorded vote where the decision was not unanimous:
Voting in favour of Recommendation 2(b): M Ayling, R Fiveash, M Flack, J Hart, I Irvine, G Jhans, M Jones, P Lamb, T Lunnon, S Malik, T McAleney, C Mullins, T Rana, R Shama, B Smith, P Smith and K Sudan (17)
Voting against recommendation 2(b): A Belben, T Belben, B Burgess, R Burgess, R Burrett, D Crow, C Eade, F Guidera, K Jaggard, K McCarthy, J Millar-Smith, M Mwagale, D Peck, A Pendlington and J Purdy (15).
Abstentions: None (0).
The Mayor declared that recommendation 2(b) had been carried – 17 votes in favour, and 15 votes against with no votes of abstentions.
RESOLVED
1. That the contents of the petition and the views expressed by the Principal Petitioner be received.
2. That the petition be noted and that Cabinet be asked (at its meeting on 11 March 2020) to consider the contents of the petition.