Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor Yusra Hussain and Andrew Bird (Co-optee).

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 4^th March 2021 and 13^th July 2021.

The Panel considered the minutes of the previous meetings held on 4 March 2021 and 13^th July 2021.

The Panel had received guidance from the Head of Governance on holding virtual scrutiny meetings in response to a request from the Panel in the meeting held on 13^th July 2021.  The Panel noted that meetings could continue on a virtual basis.

Councillor Iredale requested that specific dates for receipt of information requested by the Panel should be added to the minutes in future.

RESOLVED -

The minutes of the meetings held on the 4 March 2021 and 13^th July 2021 were agreed as a correct record.

The Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have disclosable pecuniary interests, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items, or any other interests.

Councillor Uppal declared an interest regarding her position as Ward Councillor for the Ashbrow Ward in relation to agenda item 7.

Councillor Bolt declared an interest regarding his position as Ward Councillor for the Mirfield Ward in relation to agenda item 7, noting the scheme also affected the Mirfield, Liversedge and Gomersal Wards. Councillor Bolt requested that the above wards were consulted.

Most debates take place in public. This only changes when there is a need to consider certain issues, for instance, commercially sensitive information or details concerning an individual. You will be told at this point whether there are any items on the Agenda which are to be discussed in private.

All items were considered in the public session.

The Panel will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation by emailing executive.governance@kirklees.gov.uk .

Councillor James Homewood, representing the affected ward area Ashbrow, raised concerns in relation to the A62 to Cooper Bridge Improvement Corridor Scheme and the detrimental impact additional traffic, including heavy goods vehicles (HGV’s) would have particularly on Oak Road, Leeds Road and Bradley Road residents in terms of reducing access and increasing poor air quality. Councillor Homewood stressed the importance of listening to the concerns raised by residents, as well as the need for further understanding and analysis of the impact of the scheme.

Ms Angela Howard, a member of the public representing residents of Oak Road and Leeds Road, raised concerns in relation to the increased volume of traffic travelling on Oak Road, the reduction in air quality, increased noise pollution particularly from HGVs,  and the issue of children being able to access the park on Oak Road safely.

It was explained that Oak Road was a narrow residential street that was not designed for high volumes of traffic. There were also concerns in relation to a listed building which could be disrupted by increased traffic, particularly HGV’s. Ms Howard also highlighted that the disruption meant that residents would have to take a detour to get to their homes.

Ms Howard further questioned how the re-routing of traffic on Oak Road would alleviate congestion at Cooper Bridge?

The Panel will hear any questions from the general public. Questions should be emailed to executive.governance@kirklees.gov.uk  no later than 10am on 23^rd August 2021.

No questions were received from the public.

The Panel will consider an overview of the recent public consultation findings ahead of reporting to Cabinet.

Contact:

Keith Bloomfield, Programme Manager, Major Projects

The Panel considered a video presentation setting out the proposed improvements to the A62 to Cooper Bridge Corridor, which highlighted the following key points:

·       Reduced congestion and improved journey times.

·       Improved air quality and support for future housing and job growth.

·       Integration with other planned interventions to improve access into Huddersfield town centre and other neighbouring towns.

·       Improved pedestrian and cycling facilities to create a safer environment and encourage healthy lifestyles.

·       A new, larger signal-controlled roundabout with left flow links to reduce traffic on the Cooper Bridge roundabout.

·       Improved signal timings.

·       The Dumb Steeple would be relocated nearby and would be easily accessible to the public.

·       Wakefield Road, Cooper Bridge Road and Colne Bridge Road were to be widened.

·       Lanes on Leeds Road to Cooper Bridge would be reconfigured to provide 3 lanes.

·       Oak Road would become a one-way street with access to Bradley Road.

Councillor McBride advised that the scheme was to deal with the movement through Cooper Bridge and the reverberations throughout the network, taking account of increased traffic. Councillor McBride acknowledged there would be more traffic on Oak Road which could cause significant problems. However, Councillor McBride advised that the scheme did try to minimise the negative impact for residents and was a compromise in trying to ease movement overall.

Councillor McBride also noted the importance of listening carefully to residents, their objections, and reactions to future proposals.

David Shepherd, Strategic Director for Growth and Regeneration highlighted the benefits of the consultation, in terms of the overview of responses and frequently asked questions. He also advised that officers were able to provide comprehensive answers to each of the questions and shared his view that the Panels comments would be helpful in moving forward with the report to Cabinet.

The Panel highlighted that the Ashbrow ward was the focus of the scheme within the report but questioned the implications beyond the physical changes within the Ashbrow ward and asked how these changes might impact on neighbouring wards.

In response, David Shepherd confirmed the report was correct in its focus on physical changes in the Ashbrow ward and Oak Road, but acknowledged the scheme had wider implication on neighbouring wards.

Responding to Ms Howards earlier question about the re-routing traffic onto Oak Road, David Shepherd explained that the scheme allowed traffic to be maximised along the A62, maintained air quality and allowed the scheme to deliver a better arrangement for all road users, including cyclist and pedestrians.

The Panel further raised concerns about the listed building on Oak Road and asked if there were any objections at the planning stage because of this.

In the discussion to follow the panel referred to the strategic aims of the scheme and asked to know what the measurable outcomes were which would help determine if the scheme was a success. It was also highlighted that there was no reference to the Cabinet’s and West Yorkshire Combined Authorities commitment to reducing motor vehicle usage in the report and advised this needed to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Panel will consider the work programme and forthcoming items/activities for 2021/22.

Contact: Jodie Harris, Principal Democratic and Engagement Officer

The Panel acknowledged the Economy and Neighbourhood Scrutiny panel had scheduled an additional meeting on 7^th September 2021 to discuss the Cultural Heart Regeneration Programme and the Winter Maintenance Review.

The Chair advised that there was a view to bring forward an update on Kirklees Homes and Neighbourhood.