Agenda item

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment in relation to the future of the Bank on Safety experimental scheme.

The Chairman of the Planning & Transportation Committee spoke to introduce the report reminding Members that, due to the nature of experimental traffic orders and the rules surrounding them, any decision would need to be either to keep them as they currently were, or reject them. He advised that Counsel’s opinion had been clear that it would not be permissible to amend the experimental order at this stage.

During discussion, Members debated the possibility of making any decision to confirm the experimental traffic order conditional upon a further experimental traffic order being implemented immediately, which would be designed to assess the feasibility and impact of adding north-south and east-west routes through the junction for taxis. A number of Members spoke to oppose this suggestion, noting that the forthcoming “All Change at Bank” project would be looking amongst the future of the junction more widely, including the potential for future taxi access, and urged that this project not be constrained at this early stage. A wide range of views were expressed and, ultimately, it was agreed that the decision in relation to the experimental order should not be made conditional upon any further experiment.

The timing of the experimental traffic order was queried, with it commented that the fact that the hours did not correspond with those in which the Congestion Charge applied had led to some confusion. The Chairman of Planning & Transportation undertook to look into this matter with officers.

Members also discussed the issue of delays associated with delivery vans and vehicles loading and unloading over extended periods, which blocked traffic lanes and contributed to traffic congestion. The Chairman of Planning & Transportation assured Members that this issue was being looked at as a matter of priority, with a report due to the next Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee which would be seeking to address this.

RESOLVED: That approval be given to:-

1.      Making the experimental traffic orders at Bank Junction (to restrict traffic to bus and cycle only, Monday to Friday 0700-1900) permanent.

2.      Additional funding of £36,000 from the On-Street Parking Reserve (subject to the Court of Common Council’s decision on 13 September 2018) to  investigate additional measures to further improve compliance, behaviour and performance within the vicinity of the junction.