Agenda item

With reference to article 12 of the minute of the meeting of the former Policy and Strategy Committee of 9 June 2009, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure providing a detailed account of progress to date on strategic transportation projects.  These projects flowed from the development of the Regional Transport Strategy (RTS), which was produced by NESTRANS, and the Council’s own Local Transport Strategy (LTS).  

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       acknowledge and agree the content of the circulated report in relation to all the projects identified, including the programmes and key milestones outlined in it;

(b)       note and approve in principle the findings of the study into the use of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes and Large Vehicle (LV) Lanes;

(c)        agree that a medium length HOV lane be progressed as a trial as soon as the Western Peripheral Route and the A90 Park & Choose were in place, and that consideration be given to traffic signal detection of large vehicles heading southbound on Wellington Road (rather than a trial LV lane);

(d)       agree to the removal of Item 203 (work with the Dyce Transport Management Organisation (TMO) to introduce workplace parking charges at employment locations) from the Regional Transport Strategy Bus Action Plan, as requested by NESTRANS;

(e)       welcome and agree the content of the NESTRANS Delivery Plan with the exception of Item 203 (as above);

(f)         instruct officers to take the Delivery Plan into account in the future preparation of transportation related non-housing capital and revenue budgets;

(g)       acknowledge the work done to date on the future operation of Park and Ride;

(h)        instruct officers to continue to work with partners to identify the levels and standards of future Park and Ride services to be specified in a potential tender document, including the best method(s) of service delivery and procurement;

(i)         instruct officers to provide regular updates on the progress of the future operation of Park and Ride, including referral to the Finance and Resource Committee as soon as the detail of any financial implications had become known;

(j)         note the 2008 air quality monitoring results as detailed in the Updating and Screening Assessment report of July 2009, and instruct officers to continue to develop a new Air Quality Action Plan;  and

(k)        note the consultation response to the Aberdeenshire Council Draft Bus Information Strategy.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice-Convener, moved approval of these recommendations.

Councillor Allan moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Adam:-

that recommendations (d), (g), (h), (i), (j) and (k) be approved but that recommendation (a) be approved with the exclusion of the phrase “in relation to all of the projects identified”, recommendation (b) be approved with the exclusion of the phrase “and approve in principle” and recommendations (c), (e) and (f) be deleted.

On a division, there voted:-  for the motion (12) – the Convener;  Vice-Convener;  and Councillors Boulton, Clark, Corall, Cormack, Cormie, Dunbar, Farquharson, Jaffrey, Penny and Robertson;  for the amendment (3) – Councillors Adam, Allan and Crockett.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the terms of the motion.