Petitions received 2023/24

Date received: 22 June 2023
Signatures received: 337
Name of petitioner: Olga G Glass

Petition response:

Dear Mrs Glass,

RE: Receipt of Petition – Road Safety in Burton

Firstly, I would say that it is fully understandable to me why you would have aspirations regarding the maintenance of your local road network, and I appreciate the time you have taken to contact the Council with your concerns.

Often our repairs can involve temporary works intended to make areas safe, whilst permanent repairs are carried out at a later time.

In order to keep the public highway safe, urgent and high priority defects around the county are resolved in a matter of days as we will always prioritise our resources to firstly tackle the problems on the network which pose the greatest risk.

However, this does unfortunately mean that lower priority issues are not always dealt with as quickly as we would prefer, and I am sorry if this has not been properly communicated to you earlier.

All road surfaces deteriorate due to use and weathering and severe weather conditions can accelerate the deterioration of roads.  Reactive maintenance work, which is aimed at keeping the roads safe, is identified by a comprehensive system of highway inspections that categorise each defect based on the risk it presents to the travelling public. 

If you remain concerned over any localised individual road defects in Burton upon Trent, these can be reported using the 'Report it' pages on our website at www.staffordshire.gov.uk or by using the My Staffs App.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Rayson
Community Highways Manager

Date received: 20 July 2023
Signatures received: 1175
Name of petitioner: Nigel Yates

Petition response:

Dear Mr Yates, 

RE: Receipt of Petition – Parking Charges at Greenway Bank Country Park 

I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding the request regarding the Parking Charges at Greenway Bank Country Park.  

Staffordshire County Council Cabinet agreed to extend car parking charges on the county council’s countryside estate in March 2019 as part of a range of financial sustainability measures at country parks.  A further Cabinet decision was made last year to retain the management of the countryside estate in-house and to focus on maximising the benefits the estate delivers to our communities across the Council’s strategic priorities – through nature recovery, supporting health and wellbeing and supporting local business opportunities.   

The countryside estate provides a great facility to support healthy outdoor activity and mental wellbeing and there has been a growth in use of countryside sites as a result. During the pandemic, countryside sites saw unprecedented levels of use. This is positive for health and wellbeing, but it does place pressure on the sites and their infrastructure.  Visitor use and impact on green spaces requires active management across the whole countryside estate and is not an issue restricted to Cannock Chase. To support healthy activity, and to be able to make that offer more inclusive for all residents, requires significant maintenance and improvement works on the sites, at a time when costs of materials have increased. 

The decision to introduce car park charges on the countryside estate therefore remains key to ensuring their sustainability. Monies generated are ring-fenced to enable the council to better maintain countryside car parking facilities and to invest surplus in the wider management of the sites. This includes works to enhance accessibility and enjoyment, and conservation work to benefit the environment.   

The council is very mindful of cost of living pressures for our residents and measures are in place to reduce the impacts. Car parking charges at new sites will be phased in with an initial voluntary period. An annual permit will also be available covering all sites – the current cost is £36 per annum – less than 10p per day – significantly reducing the cost for regular site users. Blue badge holders park for free.  

Before parking charges are brought in at any new sites, assessment work will be carried out through our Highways department to consider safety issues on adjacent highways which could arise from displacement parking.  This work will propose measures required to address these issues and there will be public and stakeholder consultation to ensure people can have their say. 

Yours sincerely, 

Sarah Bentley 
Head of Environment and Countryside

Date received: 6 September 2023
Signatures received: >5000
Name of petitioner: Kieran Newey

Petition response:

The petition has met the threshold to be discussed at a meeting of the County Council. 

View the agenda, minutes and webcast on our modern.gov webpages.

Date received: 12 October 2023
Signatures received: 38
Name of petitioner: Mrs Kathleen Wheatley

Petition response:

I refer to the petition signed by local residents regarding the request regarding the condition of Chancery Drive. I can advise you that receipt of the petition will be reported to County Councillor Philip Hewitt.

Firstly, I would say that it is fully understandable to me why you would have aspirations regarding the maintenance of your local road network and I appreciate the time you have taken to contact the Council with your concerns.

In order to keep the public highway safe, urgent and high priority defects around the county are resolved in a matter of days as we will always prioritise our resources to firstly tackle the problems on the network which pose the greatest risk.

However, this does unfortunately mean that lower priority issues are not always dealt with as quickly as we would prefer, and I am sorry if this has not been properly communicated to you previously.

All road surfaces deteriorate due to use and weathering and severe weather conditions can accelerate the deterioration of roads.  Reactive maintenance work, which is aimed at keeping the roads safe, is identified by a comprehensive system of highway inspections that categorise each defect based on the risk it presents to the travelling public. 

Chancery Drive is a concrete road which will be why the perceived condition would be different to other roads you may encounter in Staffordshire. Our engineers have a database of the concrete roads that we are responsible for throughout the County as these are maintained differently to other roads. This database is kept so we can keep track of the condition of the carriageway and ensure it is safe. At present The Council currently relies on routine inspections and maintenance to keep concrete roads safe such as ad-hoc pothole repairs.

As part of our continued aim to look at innovations in the construction industry we are in early dialogue with our principle resurfacing contractor regarding a new product that they would like to trial in Staffordshire that treats concrete roads. Multiple roads have been submitted to ascertain the feasibility of this treatment including Chancery Drive.

The long-term aim with this trial is to see if this product can become a further preventive treatment specifically for those difficult concrete roads that become overlooked when considered for surface dressing. If these trails are successful we can incorporate ad-hoc repairs of any previous treatments to a concrete constructed road and then apply this new product, but firstly we need to undertake the trial and review any outcomes. There is no date at present for when this trial will take place. In the interim pothole repairs have been undertaken on Chancery Drive to make the road safe.

Yours sincerely

Mark Keeling
Community Highways Manager

Date received: 25 October 2023
Signatures received: 12
Name of petitioner: Residents of Swinfen Broun Road

Petition response:

I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding parking on Swinfen Broun Road, Lichfield.

Thank you for detailing the particular concerns in relation to parking issues and for also proposing potential mitigations, such as the deployment of bespoke signage during local events. A multi-agency approach to issues relating to events will be beneficial and the local Highways team is currently in discussions with local County and District Councillors to offer support with any solutions already being explored by Lichfield District Council.

With regard to parking issues generated by the nearby school and other non-residents, details of the Council's responsibilities for enforcement, as well as answers to common concerns about parking, can be found under the highways section of our website: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/Parking-and-enforcement

The local Highways team have recently discussed the petition with County Councillor Colin Greatorex as part of his Divisional Highway Programme but there are very few appropriate solutions that do not involve permanent restrictions. Restrictions may not be supported by all residents as they would affect all visitors and carers and tradespersons for example, and they also usually involve significant costs to the Local Authority.

The local Community Highways Manager Garry Hunt would be happy to arrange an informal visit with the petition organiser to discuss the general issues here and potential solutions in greater detail. Garry can be contacted via garry.hunt@staffordshire.gov.uk.

Date received: 12 December 2023
Signatures received: 48
Name of petitioner: Mr Stephen Gough

Petition response:

RECEIPT OF PETITION – Repair and resurface the A519 between Mill Meece and Cotes Heath

I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding the request regarding repair and resurface the A519 between Mill Meece and Cotes Heath. I can advise that receipt of the petition will be reported to County Councillor Jeremy Pert.

Thank you for bringing your concerns regarding the condition of the A519 between Mill Meece and Cotes Heath to our attention through your petition. Our Asset Management Team have advised that the section of A519 in question, requires more than 12,000m² of carriageway reconstruction. Due to the scale of this work a structural maintenance scheme is required to repair the structure of the carriageway. There is no date at present for when this scheme will be carried out however I will share your petition with the team for awareness.

In the meantime, there are pothole repairs which are taking place from 4^th March to the 8^th March to get the road reopened as soon as possible. We understand the urgency of addressing the concerns raised by the community and assure you that we are actively working towards finding a solution to improve the condition of the A519 in the affected area.

Yours sincerely

Richard Rayson

Community Highways Manager

Date received: 10 October 2023
Signatures received: 4
Name of petitioner: Daniel Lee Maycock

Petition response:

RECEIPT OF PETITION – Improve road safety/traffic calming Overwoods Road

I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding the request regarding implementing traffic calming measures for Overwoods Road.

Staffordshire County Council has a statutory responsibility to study road collisions in its area and act as appropriate to reduce their numbers. 

Details of how we use objective data to make informed decisions about road safety improvements, as well as information on how these are funded, are available on our website at the following address: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/roadsafety/Issues.aspx

I can confirm that this matter has been recorded on the Divisional Highway Programme (DHP) for the local County Councillor. They may consider funding further investigation into your concerns in the future, if the matter is considered a Local Community Priority over other similarly sincere highway concerns within the division. We are unable to confirm if (and when) an issue will be prioritised nor are we able to inform individuals of the status of their reported issue on an ongoing basis.

In the meantime, your constituent may wish to consider the advice and guidance available on the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership website at www.staffssaferroads.co.uk which aims to provide support to tackle anti-social driving in our communities.

Thank you once again for your petition and for bringing this matter to our attention.

Yours sincerely

Garry Hunt

Community Highways Manager

Date received: 8 February 2024
Signatures received: 381
Name of petitioner: Lottie Mellor

Petition response: 

Thank you for your petition, regarding the prevention of building on Balls Field, Wolstanton. The County Council is required to manage its assets effectively and to dispose of those that are surplus to requirements. This land isn’t required now or in the future for council purposes. It was not donated to the council, rather it was purchased for school building from the same person in two parcels in 1923 and 1931.

In order to obtain best value for the disposal of property the council is obliged to obtain maximum value. In the specific case of the land referred to as Balls Field it was considered best value to dispose of the land for residential housing.

Consultations with the borough council indicated that the site would be suitable and a planning application was submitted. The planning officers report to committee indicated that the proposals were in line with the national and local planning policies.

The application process requires full consideration of all the potentially relevant ecological and environmental factors, some of which are mentioned in your petition. The details of all the surveys and considerations are contained in the planning application documentation available on the borough council’s website.

The planning process also included a biodiversity net gain assessment. This showed the proposals to not negatively affect habitats and biodiversity.

In terms of walking and leisure, site surveys indicated a number of informal paths with low levels of use. The proposals provide for a specific walking route with verges and tree planting to continue but also enhance the opportunities for walking across the site.

Therefore, the council is of the opinion that there is no loss of habitat or damage to ecology and that the proposals include for enhancements to walking provision and as such disposal for use as residential housing remains the best course of action in terms of the councils obligations.

Date received: 22 February 2024
Signatures received: 174
Name of petitioner: Paul Torrance

Dear Mr Torrence,

RECEIPT OF PETITION – Add Railings or Bollards for Pedestrian Safety to French Avenue / Allton Avenue Junction

I refer to the petition, signed by local residents regarding the request regarding implementing railings on French Avenue. I can advise you that receipt of the petition will be reported to County Councillor Alan White.

Implementing pedestrian guard rails or bollards on a junction can cost thousands of pounds and can involve several months of planning. Due to the scale of this work The Council does not have the resources to carry out these works through routine maintenance.

Community requests or concerns in relation to parking issues can be considered and investigated through the Divisional Highway Programme (DHP). The solution may not always be constructing guardrails however, the DHP can help to provide an indication of potential costs for future works or be used to gain public feedback through informal consultations. Each County Councillor is allocated a small annual fund to prioritise and deliver solutions to locally important issues. Delivery may include the construction of small engineering works or feasibility studies into potential solutions to the concerns raised.   

They may consider funding further investigation into your concerns in the future, if the matter is considered a Local Community Priority over other similarly sincere highway concerns within the division. We are unable to confirm if  an issue will be prioritised nor are we able to inform individuals of the status of their reported issue on an ongoing basis.

Thank you once again for your petition and for bringing this matter to our attention.

Yours sincerely

Garry Hunt

Community Highways Manager

Date received: 1 March 2024
Signatures received: 161
Name of petitioner: Vivien Wang

Petition response:

Petition closed with Staffordshire County Council, due to being a Parish Council issue.