Archived decisions

AT A MEETING of the REGULATORY COMMITTEE B - SCHOOL TRANSPORT APPEAL PANEL held at The Solent Hotel, Rookery Avenue, Whiteley on 29 March 2010.

PRESENT:

Councillors: R. McIntosh (Chairman), A. Broadhurst, M. Cooper.

1 APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

That Councillor R. McIntosh be appointed Chairman for this meeting only.

2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a personal or personal prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should, normally at the time of the debate, declare their interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with paragraph 12 of the Code.

There were no declarations of interest made by the members of the panel under this item.

3 DEPUTATIONS

Deputations were received from Councillor G.M. Hockley, local Member, Mr F.J. Sherwin, Chairman of Governors at St John the Baptist CE Primary School and the appellant, supporting the appeal against the County Council's decision that the walking route was available accompanied or unaccompanied.

4 SCHOOL TRANSPORT APPEAL: WHITELEY LANE, WHITELEY, TO ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CE PRIMARY SCHOOL, TITCHFIELD COMMON

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 4 in the Minute Book) on the walking route between Whiteley Lane, Whiteley, to St John the Baptist CE Primary School, Titchfield Common.

Having previously walked the route that morning accompanied by officers from the Environment Department, the appellant, Chairman of Governors at the school and the local Member, the Panel carefully considered the evidence and concerns expressed by the appellant. They paid particular attention to safety factors along the route inspected, expressing specific concerns about the following points:-

· The 60 mph speed limit throughout the section of the route.

· Uneven step off places onto narrow, steep, overgrown verges less than one metre wide in places.

· Poor sightlines and visibility, allowing little indication to oncoming traffic that there was a pedestrian ahead.

· Inappropriate crossing points.

· The volume of traffic using the particular stretch of road.

Members felt the route was not safe for a child to walk, unaccompanied or accompanied, and expressed concern about the initial assessment of the route. Members were unhappy that the Safety Officer who inspected the route was not present at the meeting to answer their questions, and felt it essential that in future the Safety Officer attended panel meetings.

Therefore, the Panel concluded that the route between Whiteley Lane, Whiteley and St John the Baptist CE Primary School, Titchfield Common is not unavailable both unaccompanied and accompanied.

RESOLVED:

That the appeal be allowed as the walking route between Whiteley Lane, Whiteley and St John the Baptist CE Primary School, Titchfield Common is not unavailable unaccompanied or accompanied.