Presentation by John Bann, Cycling and Roadspace Transformation Manager, Nottingham City Council
Minutes:
John Bann, Cycling and Roadspace Transformation Manager, gave a presentation on the planned public realm improvement and traffic management scheme on Station Street, highlighting the following:
(a)
Nottingham Station is one of the main gateways to the city with
high levels of pedestrian footfall which is predicted to increase
substantially in the future. The current pedestrian facilities
along Station Street and Carrington Street are poor quality and
this proposed scheme would create an improved environment for
pedestrians and cyclists, and help to regenerate the
street;
(b)
pedestrianisation of the street fits
within the council’s aspiration to create high quality public
realm in the Nottingham City Centre Time and Place Plan, and also
fits with the heritage streetscape proposals planned for Carrington
Street. It should also encourage economic growth in the Southside
regeneration area and wider regeneration in the Creative
Quarter;
(c)
pedestrians will be given priority in Station Street, between Trent
Street and Carrington Street, however access will be maintained for
car parks and for servicing of businesses by permit;
(d)
the redeveloped space will include new trees, lighting and space
for pavement cafes and pop-up stalls;
(e)
the proposal for the taxi rank which is
currently in Station Street is to move the main rank to the second
floor of the station’s multi-storey car-park, whilst
maintaining a secondary rank by the side access to the station in
Station Street, with a feeder rank in Trent Street. The drop off
location will remain on Queens Road;
(f)
an alternative proposal has been put forward by taxi drivers and
their representatives which would continue the use of the whole of
Station Street as a taxi rank;
(g)
no vehicles will be permitted to enter Station Street from London
Road, creating a one-way gyratory system from Canal Street along
Trent Street and Station Street to London Road;
(h) there is an ambition to improve the public realm in Carrington Street in the future, but there are no firm plans at the moment to how this will look.
John gave the following responses in answer to questions from the Committee and members of the public:
(i)
pedestrianisation was chosen for Station
Street as it fits with the council’s City Centre Time and
Place plan to regenerate the area and provide a better environment
for those arriving at the station. Most UK cities now discourage
cars from city centre streets;
(j)
whilst the new location for the taxi rank in the multi-storey
carpark will be slightly further away than its current location,
there will be an all-weather, level route to taxis from platforms
which will be an improvement for the disabled and
elderly;
(k)
Trent Street is likely to become a more important route through to
the city centre and the lace market, with the development of the
skills hub on Canal Street;
(l)
a final decision on the location of the taxi rank has not yet been
made by the Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport , and
any alternative proposals will be taken into account before this is
made;
(m)the
length of taxi journeys from the station vary depending on
destination. For destinations to the south of the city journey
times will be reduced from the new taxi rank;
(n)
future plans for Carrington Street are
only ideas at the moment and no firm decision has been made. The
impact on bus routes and people with mobility issues will be taken
into account when these are finalised;
(o)
following discussions with disability
groups, the proposed scheme has been altered from a shared space to
include drop kerbs and tactile pavements along both sides of
Station Street. It is not felt that a pedestrian crossing is needed
at the junction of Station Street and Trent Street as the levels of
traffic will be low;
(p) the purpose of the scheme is not discourage traffic coming into the city as Station Street is currently closed at the Carrington Street end to traffic anyway.
RESOLVED to
(1)
thank John for the presentation;
(2)
note the Committee’s belief that there has been
insufficient assessment of the impact on arrival of train
passengers to find and reach the new taxi rank;
(3)
note the Committee’s belief that there is a lack
of weight of the argument for economic development compared to the
impact of the scheme on the taxi service;
(4) note the Committee’s concerns regarding the impact on bus routes following any future redevelopment of Carrington Street.