After
securing funding of £4.2-million from the Greater
Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the council's private sector
partner, Engie, had intended to carry out such works at:
·
Tollbar
·
Nuns
Corner, Grimsby
·
Littlecoates Road/Cambridge Road, Grimsby
But
at a meeting of NELC's regeneration, environment, housing and scrutiny
panel, members had little faith that traffic lights would improve
existing snarl-ups.
Chairman
Cllr Philip Jackson (Con, Waltham) said: "The perception is that
lights will worsen congestion rather than easing it."
Cllr
Andrew De Freitas (Lib-Dem, Park) additionally noted that Nuns Corner was
within a conservation area, the appeal of which would be undermined by the
installation of lights.
He
continued: "Not one resident I have spoken to favours the replacement of
the roundabout with lights."
Cllr
Stan Shreeve (Con, Humberston & New Waltham) said he had ecountered similar
antipathy to the Tollbar scheme from residents and parish councillors alike.
Cllr
Kathryn Wheatley (Lab, Croft Baker) was scornful of all three proposals - not
least because they focused solely on zones 50 yards from where the lights were
earmarked for installation.
"It
is just as important to consider the impact such works would have on junctions
further away." she commented.
The
panel's opposition was a blow to Engie representatives at Tuesday's
meeting, especially transport officer Mark Gibbons who is familiar with the
traffic problems because, as he pointed out, lives in Park ward and is a former
pupil of Tollbar School.
In his
detailed and thorough presentation, for which he was praised by panel members,
he stressed that it was necessary to consider the interests not just
of motorists but also of cyclists and of pedestrians seeking to cross the
roads.
He
noted that it was also important to bear in mind that traffic would only
increase in the wake of forthcoming housebuilding projects at Scartho Top
and in New Waltham and Holton-le-Clay - hence the need for action.
The
officer expressed particular concern about the peak-hour situation at Tollbar
where there is highway conflict between school pupils and other road-users on a
daily basis in term time.
Agreement
came from Cllr James Cairns (Ukip, Yarborough) who called for more rigorous
enforcement in no-stopping areas in this location, saying: "Some parents
are very very selfish."
The
meeting heard that the installation of a footbridge or pedestrian
underpass had been considered for Tollbar, but had been deemed too
expensive to warrant further exploration.
Subject
to further consultations between Engie and ward councillors, some
modifications are likely to take place at all three locations, with the
mini-roundabout at the junction of Littlecoates Road and Cambridge Road likely to be enlarged if adjacent land
can be acquired.
It is
possible that, in conjunction with retaining the roundabout, lights may still
be installed at Tollbar but for operation during peak times only.
The
subject is due to be revisited in the New Year by the council's cabinet who
will also be invited to consider at least one residents' petition opposing the
installation of traffic lights. Any
works carried out are unlikely to cost anywhere near £4.2-million, and any
unspent monies may have to be returned to Greater Lincolnshire LEP and
thus lost to North East Lincolnshire.
