Agenda and minutes

Consider Minute of Meeting of 6 September 2016. (Copy attached).

1.       The Minute of meeting of the Tweeddale Area Forum A72 Action Sub-Committee held on 6 September 2016 had been circulated.  Councillor Bell asked that paragraph 8 of the Minute be amended to reflect that the anti-skid surfacing referred to the area at the Nest roundabout.

          DECISION

          APPROVED as amended.

1.1     With reference to paragraph 7 of the Minute, the Asset Manager advised that the centreline on the section between Neidpath and Hallyne was programmed to be re-lined towards the end of September/beginning of October.   The Network Manager advised there were no warning signs in place at the Meldon junction or at Lyne Station.  This would be picked up in a review/audit.  

DECISION

          AGREED

1.2     With reference to paragraph 10 of the Minute.  Councillor Bell thanked the Network Manager for the information he had provided.  The suggestion regarding repositioning of the centre line at the entrance to Caerlee Estate had not worked out.   A lead member of the Caerlee Estate Community would liaise with those living in the estate about the options available.  She would advise Councillor Bell of the outcome in due course.

          DECISION

          NOTED.

1.3     With reference to paragraph 12 of the Minute, Officers confirmed that details of the survey provided by the Royal Burgh of Peebles and District Community Council had been passed to Neighbourhood Services to enable the items listed to be checked.

          DECISION

          NOTED.           

Consider list of recommendations.  (Copy attached.)

2.       The Sub-Committee considered a list of recommendations which had been circulated.

          DECISION

          AGREED to recommend:-

(a)        that the Tweeddale  Area Forum, or its successors,  create an action group, in the next Council term, comprising of Councillors (both local and with interested portfolios), Community Councillors, and other interested parties such as the Constituency MP and MSPs, and the group should also take into account how future works on the A72 could benefit business development in Tweeddale, such as cycling tourism; 

(b)       that the Tweeddale Area Forum recommend that the replacement of the existing anti-skid surfacing at the approaches to The Nest Roundabout  be considered in future  Road Maintenance Programmes;

(c)        that the Tweeddale Area Forum ask Officers to investigate the provision for a crossing for cyclists on the Innerleithen Road, Peebles beyond the entrance to the Peebles Hotel Hydro to facilitate a connection with the multi use path where it came out at Whitestone Park.  (Meantime, Community Councillor Tatler would liaise with the developers of the Hydro Gardens to ascertain if access would be provided through the estate);

(d)       that the Tweeddale Area Forum ask that Officers explore the possible provision of a traffic  island in the middle of the road where the 30 mph limit was to stop vehicles speeding before leaving the village of Clovenfords;

(e)        that the  Area Forum, recommend to Officers to recognise the importance of the A72 in their allocation of budgets in the light of the volume of traffic it carried.

(f)        that the  Area Forum, or its successors,  request Officers to provide a further  report on the condition of the A72 to be brought to the Area Forum, or its successors, at a future date (to be agreed). And that the report requested indicate whether the spend, or repairs, to the road infrastructure were comparable in any of the following 3 sections of the A72; West of Peebles, East of Peebles, and in Peebles;

(g)       that the Area Forum request Officers to prepare an audit or review of the signage on the A72;

(h)       that the  Area Forum  recommend to Council that the A72 Woodend – Tighnuilt be given consideration in the Council’s Capital Plan, as budgets allow;

(i)         that the  Area Forum, or its successors,  act on any information that may come from any forthcoming, or future investigations into vehicle collisions and vehicle related accidents on the A72; and

(j)         that the  Area Forum  recommend that Officers investigate the possibility of changing the speed limit at the junction of the A72 and the A701.