Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Environment which informed Members of a petition which had been received from the residents of Claremont Avenue, Claremont Drive, Derby Rd, Marsh Hall Road, Windermere Avenue and Windermere Street, following the relocation of a bus stop by approximately 100 metres from its original location on Derby Road, at the junction with Clarement Drive, Widnes.

The Board was advised that Halton Borough Council had received a petition on the 10^th August 2009, signed by 49 residents, concerning the relocation of a bus stop on Derby Rd (Set out in Appendix A to the report). The basis of the petition being that: the majority of the people who use the bus stop were between 60 and 80 years of age, had health and mobility problems and had at a greater risk of falling, (particularly in the winter with icy pavements and the downhill location of the new bus stop); and that the current siting of the stop provided little protection from inclement weather. It was alleged that the original location of the stop had never caused a problem. Finally, the petition sought a ‘Request Stop’ to be placed in the vicinity of the old bus stop.

The Board was further advised that the bus stop was served by the Halton Transport Ltd service 17a, which operated on an hourly frequency Monday to Saturday between Widnes, Vicarage Rd and St Helens Town Centre.

The bus stop was originally relocated as part of a Borough wide scheme to improve access to stops and to bring the bus stop up to Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) compliance. Part 3 of the DDA gave people with disabilities the right to access goods, facilities, services and premises. Unfortunately, the bus stop, in its initial location could not accommodate the necessary improvements to make the stop DDA compliant (bus shelter, raised kerbing and bus box markings) and as such an alternative location was sought.

   It was reported that as a result of the concerns raised in the petition, a site visit had been carried out by the Executive Board Member for Planning, Transportation, Regeneration and Renewal and relevant Council Officers, to assess the situation and if appropriate, identify an alternative location. It was subsequently agreed that for a trial period of six months, an alternative bus stop should be sited on Derby Rd, closer to its junction with Claremont Drive to enable an assessment to be made of the relative benefits of each bus stop location. However, the temporary bus stop would not comply with DDA standards, during the trial and the current bus stop would be taken out of use due to the close proximity of the temporary stop. 

   It was also reported that further consultation with the residents occupying frontage properties on Derby Rd, affected by the alternative bus stop location, would be undertaken.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)               the petition be noted; and

(2)               the proposed course of action to relocate the bus stop on Derby Road on a temporary basis to enable an assessment to be made of the relative benefits be supported.