Agenda Document Pack - Petitions Committee - 25/04/2025
South Lanarkshire Council · 25 April 2025
Back to Petitions Committee — 25 April 2025 and its agenda
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Council Offices, Almada Street Hamilton, ML3 0AA Thursday, 17 April 2025 Dear Councillor Petitions Committee The Members listed below are requested to attend a meeting of the above Committee to be held as follows:- Date: Friday, 25 April 2025 Time: 10:00 Venue: Hybrid - Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA The business to be considered at the meeting is listed overleaf. Yours sincerely Paul Manning Chief Executive Members Alistair Fulton (Chair), Richard Nelson (Depute Chair), Mary Donnelly, Susan Kerr, Eileen Logan, Norman Rae, Graham Scott, Helen Toner Substitutes Alex Allison, Robert Brown, Archie Buchanan, Janine Calikes, Allan Falconer, Lesley McDonald 1
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BUSINESS 1 Declaration of Interests Item(s) for Decision 2 Petition Requesting Safety Measures at Peel Road and Railway Bridge, Thorntonhall Report dated 14 April 2025 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 3 - 12 Urgent Business 3 Urgent Business Any other items of business which the Chair decides are urgent. For further information, please contact:- Clerk Name: Carol Lyon Clerk Telephone: 07385370065 Clerk Email: carol.lyon@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 2
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Petitions Committee Date of Meeting: 25 April 2025 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Subject: Petition Requesting Safety Measures at Peel Road and Railway Bridge, Thorntonhall 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] allow the Petitions Committee to consider a petition lodged by Paul Harvey (Lead Petitioner) [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Petitions Committee is asked to:- [recs] (1) give due consideration to the petition lodged requesting safety measures at Peel Road and Railway Bridge, Thorntonhall. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. A petition has been lodged with the Council which meets the Guidelines as:- the matter has been raised with the Council prior to submission and relates to issues that affect the community the number of petitioners exceeds the minimum limit of 50 3.2. A petition was previously raised in respect of similar matters in November 2021, and reported to this Committee on 16 February 2022. Following consideration of that matter, this Committee agreed that the matter be referred to Police Scotland for them to survey and monitor the issue and report back to the Council and that the Lead Petitioner be updated once feedback had been received from Police Scotland. 4. Petition Details 4.1. The petition requests traffic calming measures to address speeding at Peel Road and Railway Bridge, Thorntonhall, along with road surface repairs. The statement by the lead petitioner states that:- “In November 2021 Residents of Thorntonhall raised an e-petition relating to the risks to safety posed by traffic passing through the village on Peel Road. There were two main issues:- 1. Vehicle speeds through the village regularly exceed the 30mph limit 2 3
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2. The mini-roundabouts at the junctions with Baroness Drive and Frederick Boulevard where motorists either drive over them or take the wrong (anti- clockwise) route around them. The latter behaviour is also often associated with speeding Since 2021 Peel Road has seen a further increase in the traffic volumes due to the new developments in Jackton and it is now being used as a "Rat Run" route to Busby, the Carmunnock bypass and the new housing estates in Jackton, which ironically have traffic calming measures installed. Speeding along the road has also increased and further issues have arisen:- 3. Speed warning signs are ignored 4. Road traffic and wildlife accidents have occurred at the Waterfoot Road Junction with Peel Rd 5. RTA’s, and close misses involving Pedestrians, have occurred on the crest of the Peel Road railway bridge, on the faster straights and on the mini roundabouts. 6. The road surfaces have deteriorated considerably forcing road users to travel down the centre or even closer to the sides of the carriageway. We are therefore petitioning South Lanarkshire Council to act upon this petition and introduce road calming measures as well as repairing, the road surfaces before the current road conditions result in a serious injuries or deaths.” 5. Support for Petition 5.1. The petition contains 118 names broken down as follows:- 11 names from Jackton 85 names from Thorntonhall 19 names from East Kilbride 3 names from other location in Scotland 6. Comments from Roads and Transportation Services 6.1. As further background on the terms of the petition, Roads and Transportation Services have provided the following comments:- Roads and Transportation Services provided a response to the previous Petition raised in November 2021 as detailed in the Petitions Committee Report dated 16 February 2022. Roads and Transportation Services remain satisfied that the response to the Petition remains valid and that there has not been any material changes to affect this position. By way of background and as noted in the Petitions Committee Report dated 16 February 2022, when considering the introduction of road safety improvements, such as junction alterations and traffic calming measures, which have been requested by the petitioners, South Lanarkshire Council has a responsibility to allocate available resources in a manner that contributes to a reduction in the number of deaths and injuries resulting from road accidents across the entirety of the Council area. This is achieved through partnership working with other organisations, including Police Scotland and the Scottish Government, and with other Council services to deliver a combination of education, enforcement and engineering measures. 4
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To ensure the highest rate of return on any engineering measures, the Council produces a list of priority sites or routes for potential treatment on an annual basis. These are the locations where the introduction of engineering measures is anticipated to have the greatest impact on casualty reduction. The primary criterion by which a site or route is included in this list is its recent accident history. Locations where 3 or more injury accidents have occurred in the previous 3 years or routes that have an injury accident rate greater than the national average for the type of route are prioritised. Experience has shown that the most likely locations for an accident to occur are those in which a number of accidents with similar contributory factors have occurred in the recent past. We can advise that Peel Road has not been included in this year’s list of sites for potential treatment. While we note concerns regarding this particular location, we trust the petitioners will understand the Council’s approach is based on our responsibility to maximise a reduction in casualty figures across the whole of South Lanarkshire. We would further advise that this approach has succeeded in significantly reducing road casualties across the Council area, in line with exacting targets set by the Scottish Government. 1) Vehicle speeds through the village regularly exceed the 30 mph limit The detection and prosecution of speeding drivers is the responsibility of the Police. Should inappropriate driving practices continue at this location, then Police Scotland can be contacted by telephoning their 101-helpline number for non-emergency enquiries. Alternatively, concerns to the police can be submitted in writing by using the web link:- https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/contact/ We have liaised further with Police Scotland and they have advised that since 2022 only 1 Traffic Fixed Penalty Notice has been issued on Peel Road and this was not for speeding. 2) The mini-roundabouts at the junctions with Baroness Drive and Frederick Boulevard where motorists either drive over them or take the wrong (anti- clockwise) route around them. The latter behaviour is also often associated with speeding. The mini roundabout junctions of Peel Road/Baroness Drive and Frederick Boulevard have been assessed in terms of their geometry and layout signing and lighting. This concludes that they comply with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) in terms of geometry and layout. In the case of signing and road markings they also comply with Traffic Signs, Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) and Traffic Signs Manual (TSM). We are satisfied that the current level of features are adequate to convey to drivers what the speed limit is and to adjust their speed accordingly and forewarning drivers of the presence of the mini roundabout. In terms of driver behaviour, it has been noted that some drivers choose to negotiate the Peel Road/Baroness Drive and Frederick Boulevard junctions in an irresponsible manner by either driving on the opposing side or over the domed central island. As this behaviour is a moving traffic offence, the responsibility for this matter lies with Police Scotland to enforce. Similarly, drivers who exceed the speed limit are also committing an offence, enforceable by the Police. 5
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Since 2021 Peel Road has seen a further increase in the traffic volumes due to the new developments in Jackton and it is now being used as a "Rat Run" route to Busby, the Carmunnock bypass and the new housing estates in Jackton, which ironically have traffic calming measures installed. Speeding along the road has also increased and further issues have arisen: In the case of increased traffic volume on Peel Road as a consequence of the East Kilbride Community Growth Area (EKCGA). By way of background as part of the development management process, any developer with a development proposal of generally 100 units or more is required to prepare and submit a Transport Assessment (TA) to the Council for approval as part of their planning application. The TA is prepared in accordance with Transport Assessment Guidance published by Transport Scotland and considers a number of aspects including traffic impact and mitigation, trip generation and modal split travel plans and sustainability. The approved Transport Assessment for the East Kilbride Community Growth Area predicted traffic increases on Eaglesham Road and Redwood Drive as a result of this development. To account for an anticipated increase in traffic on these routes, several junction improvements are planned for the local area, including the junctions of A726 (GSO)/Redwood Drive, Eaglesham Road/ Greenhills Road and A726 (Queensway)/Eaglesham Road. Peel Road was not identified in this TA as a route likely to be subject to a significant increase in traffic. Notwithstanding the above, please be advised that a traffic survey was undertaken in June 2022. Data extracted from the survey undertaken reveals that there is an average weekday total of 120 vehicles travelling northbound and 170 vehicles travelling southbound during the morning peak and an average of 267 vehicles travelling northbound and 153 vehicles travelling southbound during the evening peak. For a standard single carriageway road with frontage access and side road, with a width similar to that of Peel Road, we would estimate an operational capacity of 750 vehicles per hour in each direction. Taking all the above into consideration we are satisfied that Peel Road is not experiencing a inappropriate increase in usage associated with EKCGA and is operating with sufficient capacity and will continue to operate within its operational capacity for some time to come. We will continue to monitor this. Notwithstanding the above, there will always be a small proportion of drivers who will continue to use alternative routes where they consider it to be quicker. We are satisfied, however, that the extent of 30mph restrictions within Jackton and Thorntonhall, traffic calming, flashing vehicle activated signs, presence of on street parking, 30mph roundels and mini roundabouts dissuade the majority of motorists who may consider Peel Road as an alternative. In terms of traffic calming which forms part of new housing estates in Jackton. By way of background all new residential developments and their associated roads require planning consent, and this process includes a review of the road layout. Roads and Transportation, who are a consultee in the planning process undertake this review. Any new road also requires a Roads Construction Consent (RCC) from the Council as the Roads Authority which ensures the road is designed and constructed to the correct specification. During both of these processes all aspects of the road are examined including the road geometry. Various guidance documents are referred to during this process, including the National Roads Development Guide and Designing Streets. 6
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In the case of Peel Road, as mentioned above, the Transport Assessment Scoping Study did not identify Peel Road as a route likely to be subject to a significant increase in traffic as a detrimental impact of EKCGA. By virtue of this, Peel Road never necessitated the need for the introduction of traffic calming measures to mitigate any increase in traffic volume which is corroborated by data extracted from the traffic volume survey undertaken in June 2022. 3) Speed warning signs are ignored In terms of existing features on Peel Road, Traffic entering Thorntonhall from the north encounter 30mph gateway entrance features in the form of two 30mph speed limit signs, a 30mph roundel and dragon’s teeth road markings. This is followed by a flashing vehicle activated ‘Your Speed Is’ sign which is then followed by a flashing vehicle activated 30mph sign with supplementary ‘SLOW DOWN’ text. Traffic entering Thorntonhall from the south encounter gateway entrance features in the form of two 30mph signs, a 30mph roundel and dragon’s teeth which is then followed by a flashing vehicle activated ‘Your Speed Is’ sign. Taking the above into consideration we are satisfied that the current level of features is adequate to convey to drivers what the speed limit is and to adjust their speed accordingly. As noted above, we have liaised further with Police Scotland and they have advised that since 2022 only 1 Traffic Fixed Penalty Notice has been issued on Peel Road and this was not for speeding. 4) Road traffic and wildlife accidents have occurred at the Waterfoot Road Junction with Peel Rd A review of the Police accident database reveals that there have been no reported injury related accidents within the most recent 3-year assessment period up to the end of January 2025 for the priority junction of Waterfoot Road/Peel Road. Moreover, further interrogation of the police accident database reveals that there have been no reported injury related accidents at this junction for which data is available since January 2006. In terms of wildlife accidents, please be advised that the Police accident database does not record wildlife accidents unless they have been a contributory factor associated with a recorded injury related accident. Taking all of the above into consideration we are not minded to provide any road safety measures such as wild animals warning signage. 5) RTAs, and close misses involving pedestrians, have occurred on the crest of the Peel Road railway bridge, on the faster straights and on the mini roundabouts. A review of the Police accident database reveals that there have been no reported injury related accidents within the most recent 3-year assessment period up to the end of January 2025 within vicinity of Peel Road railway bridge. Moreover, further interrogation of the Police accident database reveals that there have been no reported injury related accidents at this bridge for which data is available since January 2006. 7
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For clarity, the Police accident database records only injury related accidents. Near misses are inherently subjective, as individuals’ perceptions of what constitutes a near miss can vary significantly. By virtue, without objective evidence or consistent reporting, it is challenging to substantiate or quantify these incidents. 6) The road surfaces have deteriorated considerably forcing road users to travel down the centre or even closer to the sides of the carriageway. With regards Peel Road, we are aware of its condition. Peel Road from Hayhill Road to the railway bridge will be included in the 2025/2026 carriageway resurfacing programme. In the meantime, we monitor the road condition during routine and ad hoc inspections and repairs are instructed when required. 7. Options open to the Committee 7.1. In terms of the approved guidance, the Petitions Committee can:- agree that the issues raised deserve further action and agree to refer the petition to another Council Committee, officer or other organisation with recommendations agree that the issue raised does not merit further action refer back to the Resource with recommendations for further action 8. Employee Implications 8.1 There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 9. Financial Implications 9.1. There are no financial implications at this time. 10. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 10.1 There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 11. Other Implications 11.1 There are no implications for risk in terms of the information contained in this report. 12. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 12.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 12.2. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in the report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) 14 April 2025 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent 8
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Previous References None List of Background Papers Petition Requesting Safety Measures at Peel Road, Thorntonhall - Report to Petitions Committee - 16 February 2022 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Carol Lyon, Administration Officer Ext: 5652 (Tel: 01698 455652) E-mail: carol.lyon@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 9
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24 to 31 1 to 6 RAVENSCOURT GATE BISHOPS 32 to 39 5 1 AVENUE GILMOUR 75 77 3 73 FB 7a East Birkwood 17 15 W ELLKNOW E AVENUE 11 89 Birkwood Ballinluig 93 Tank 18 Gables Beechwood Silverwood ESS El Sub Sta Balancing BEECHWOOD LEA Club Pond 16 to 29 Sta 47 ESS Ard Ceann Brae Ppg Sta 10 Lawn Tennis Tennis Courts ThorntonhallEsk House 3 Woodmont Braehead Farmhouse The Sheddons 2 WILLIAM GRANGE 7 2b 16 38 Ppg 1 to 15 3 4 Track 45 2 1 5 6 4 42 2 13 50 BARON COURT 4 7 4 2 White Gables Bealach Mor Balnakiel 49 5 15 ARDBEG LANE 12 13 20 11 2 24 28 25 33 2 6 BOW MORE CRESCENT 5 1 48 Leafield 2A Beechwood Grange 5 Taits Thornton 19 15 11 2 House Ceard The Rannoch The Neuk BRAEHEAD RD 51 Beechwood LB 63 BISHOPS PARK Cottage Bishops Tulachard West Deyne Barn High Tredayne The Lea GP PEEL ROAD Thornton Park Homelands Burncroft CRESCENT OSBORNE MP 0.5 Thorntonhall (Station) 8 Track W ELLKNOW E ROAD WELLKNOWE PLACE Cottage Fieldway BISHOPS GATE 7 5 11 1 Rosemere Cottage 9 1 Track PARK 1565 Cottage 1 16 2 7 to 19 1 6 BRAEHEAD ROAD 46 7 7 5 Gleniffer Thorntonhall PARK DRIVE 11 PLACE CAOL COURT 1 17 Path 1 36 2 2 1 8 34 Laigh Braehead Durrour 59 Bowfell El Sub Sta Track Ppg Sta 47 Tank CS Track MP 4.25 SP WATERFOOT ROAD PEEL ROAD PEEL ROAD BARONESS DRIVE BARONESS DRIVE FREDERICK BOULEVARD PEEL ROAD PEEL ROAD PEEL ROAD ORIGINAL DRAWING SIZE A4 DATESUFFIX Title B A TENDER PRELIM REVISION RECORD CONT Colin Park M.Sc., C.Eng., MCIHT FICE Head of Roads, Transportation and Fleet Services COMMUNITY AND ENTERPRISE RESOURCES SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Drawing No. Appvd By: Chk'd By: Drawn By: Scale: SUFFIXINIT D C DATE REVISION Date: INIT © Crown copyright and database right 2025. OS AC0000815808 Thorntonhall area plan NTS JT JP April 2025 2 11
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