Agenda item

To approve the minutes of a previous meeting as a correct record. The only issue relating to the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy.

Mr Howard Mackenzie, Friends of Cornford Lane had registered to speak which included the following:

-       It was suggested that a fair balance on the discussion on Cornford Lane/Halls Hole Road was not included in the minutes and it was requested the following be comments be added:

o   ‘Nobody in their right mind would use Cornford Lane to save even 10 minutes as evidenced by their depiction of the lane like a mad max movie.”

o   ‘I completely agree with all who have spoken that a working party is a good idea and should include those adjacent to the road and those affected by changes’.

o   ‘We know what the problems are, I would support some sort of traffic restriction that makes it virtually impossible for HGV’s and even commercial vans to use this route. As soon as lockdown comes off, traffic wants to get back to previous levels.  We cannot attack motorists, we must carry on supporting motorists.’

o   ‘ I am aware the congestion has been bad here for a long time.’

o   ‘The matter generated the largest email response I have ever received. The Reynolds Lane closure approved through the Emergency Active Travel Scheme was probably an analogous situation.  Traffic that uses rat runs doesn’t evaporate, the same cars appear further up the road, challenging the notion that restrictions on rat runs causes car Armageddon on the main arterial routes.’

o   ‘It’s a rush hour problem and I have some empathy with residents.  If we set this precedent setting up a working group, every other lobbying group will want one as well.’

o   ‘We currently have no plans to revisit, but will of course await any information that comes forward.’

o   ‘We have had two work parties previously on the JTB.  Work parties are very, very beneficial.  Parishes and KALC would be very supportive to a working party.’

o   ‘It is understood that officers said they could not prioritise this matter so Councillors Hamilton and Rankin should be able to sort out the Terms of Reference for the working group without officers. I would be amazed if a working group didn’t include residents’.

o   ‘This long standing lobby group, a very well-resourced eloquent persuasive and armed with an impressive address book, which is why they are here.’

o   ‘I go back to 2014 on this one when as the present Leader, Alan McDermott will attest, and the past Leader, David Jukes, we had a nasty surprise when we only found out about a potential closure of Cornford Lane through the back door.  It was almost ad hoc and to say that we were incandescent without being consulted on this would be understated.  In Pembury when I put this out to the wider populous they were equally incandescent that they were not aware of the closure’.

-       It was stated that some of the comments were directed at individuals rather than facts. 

-       The statement referring to the closure of Cornford Lane was challenged by numerous Council records that clearly evidenced that Councillors representing Pembury were involved throughout the preceding 8 months prior to the closure. 

Members made the following comments:

-       It was noted that the minutes were not a verbatim record of every comment made during the discussion. 

-       The minutes should be fair reflection of what was discussed and it was suggested that several of the supporting comments for action to be taken and for a working group to be set up were omitted. 

-       Amendments to the minutes could only be proposed by Members of the JTB. 

-       There was an objection to the minutes being an accurate record and a vote was therefore taken.

-       No amendments to the minutes of the 25 January 2021 were proposed.

A vote to approve the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 25 January 2021 was requested by the Chair of the JTB:

Agreed:7

Against:1

Abstain:1

RESOLVED – The minutes of the meeting dated 25 January 2021 be approved as a correct record.