Agenda and draft minutes

AGREED:       That Councillor Mrs S Collop be appointed as Vice-Chair for the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G Howman, C Hudson and J Rust.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the Member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There were none.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972.

There was no urgent business.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chair of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before a decision on that item is taken.

Councillor Richard Blunt.

There was no Chair’s correspondence to report.

The Committee will receive a presentation on the King’s Lynn Transport Study.

More information is available at https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/info/20010/regeneration/696/kings_lynn_transport_study

King’s Lynn Transport Study Documents are available to view at https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/downloads/download/768/kings_lynn_transport_study_documents

The Committee received a presentation from Alan Gomm, Local Plan Manager and Peter Jermany, Principal Planner on the King’s Lynn Transport Study.  A copy of the presentation is attached to minutes.   The Committee was informed that the questions / comments would be considered as part of the report to Cabinet.

The timetable for the Study was also outlined to the Committee.

In addition to the comments raised at the meeting, Members were invited to send in their questions, following the meeting, which are included below:

Questions / comments received from Councillor Kemp:

1.         The Transport Plan has no sense of urgency about fixing the crumbling infrastructure of the West Lynn Ferry and making it more accessible. This needs to happen now, as the Ferry is the Park-and-Ride for the west.

2.         The Transport Plan should rule out placing additional types of traffic on Hardings Way bus lane, that was built specifically to speed up buses into the town centre, sustaining the viability and reliability of the commercial bus service, successfully reducing pollution and congestion from London Road by removing buses, improving air quality in the Air Quality Management Area as a result. Planners do not realise they could have to repay the £5.3 million transport grant to the government, if they diminish the outputs of the CIF2 funding.

3.         The Transport Plan should increase buses on the A10 at peak times, to help tackle congestion through West Winch and Setchey, the worst performing section of the A10.

4.         It should rule out the current idea of 300 homes on the A10 before the bypass.

5.         After 18 months, the Lynn Transport Plan is still not fit for purpose. It still has no serious proposals for Park-and-Rides. It should be asking major employers how to encourage their employees not to bring cars into the town centre, but it is not. 

6.         It has no plans to work with bus companies to bring the Clenchwarton and West Lynn buses back to every 20 minutes. It must take this forward now.

Questions / comments from Councillor Mrs Wilkinson:

1) Regarding Pathway Queen Mary Road.  We do not want any extra traffic coming on to Fairstead via this proposed plan.

2) Winston Churchill Drive Entrance near to Queens Way.  This entrance should have Traffic Lights, as it is very difficult to exit onto Gayton Road.  Very heavy traffic from the A149 Roundabout.  Traffic school buses etc turning into Queensway the only option to exit either right or left is when the lights are Red at the Cycle Path going towards the hospital.

3) Widening the exit from the QEH Again we do not need any further traffic on to Winston Church Drive NCC would not do a Survey for Permit Parking. The roads and Centre Point Car Park are bursting at the seams with the overflow from Staff and People visiting the hospital who do not PARK in the QEH Car Park. There is a Planning Application ongoing at the present, that we  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to take place on Thursday 16 January 2020 at 6pm in the Council Chamber, Town  Hall, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to take place on Thursday 16 January 2020 at 6pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall.