Portsmouth City Borough Council Cabinet Member for Transport Meeting

There were no apologies.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair formally noted that it was Michelle Love's (Safer Travel Manager) last meeting as she was due to leave PCC on 23^rd February.  He thanked her for all her work in Transport.

Abi Kelly, Principal Project Manager, presented the report the purpose of which was to request the Cabinet Member for Transport to consider the representations received in relation to the proposed "Prohibition of Motor Vehicles" on Canal Walk and Somers Road (TRO 219/2023) and decide whether or not a Traffic Regulation Order should be implemented as advertised, amended, or abandoned.  It was the recommendation of officers that the proposal be introduced as advertised.

Members' questions

In response to members' questions, officers clarified:

·         The report had been bought to this specially convened Transport meeting as the need to convert the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) to a permanent Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) was time limited and could not wait until the next meeting at the end of February.   Advice had been sought from the Secretary of State to extend the TTRO but this had been declined.  The report could not come to the January meeting as an objection to the TRO had been raised, and time was needed to enable the objector to be notified of the meeting.

·         The details of the survey in 2021 was not to hand but the survey in 2023, reference in the report showed 60 residents in the local area responded and they would have been aware of the permanent TRO being advertised and could have put in an objection if they had so wished.

·         E-scooters were not going to be banned from the area.

Members' comments

·         Even though the figures show a majority of people would like the TRO to be permanent, it appeared that the majority of those people residing in Canal Walk, who had responded, did not want it.

The Chair observed that the point of the closure was so that the east-west cycle and scooter route was a safer route for cyclists, pedestrians and people using other forms of transport.  The Chair considered it had worked well and should continue.

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Transport approved to make permanent the Traffic Regulation Order (219/2023) for the Prohibition of Motor Vehicles on Canal Walk (between its junction with Somers Road and a point 8 metres east of Bridgeside Close) and Somers Road (between its junction with Canal Walk and a point 42 metres south of its junction with Sydenham Terrace)