northlincs.gov.uk

2 (2) PROPOSED TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDER – BRIDGE LANE, HORKSTOW AND HOLMES LANE, WINTERTON – The Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director: Commercial submitted an urgent report to consider an objection lodged with respect to an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) and to make a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) at the cessation of the ETO if it was deemed to be serving its purpose. An urgent decision was required in order to meet the legal timescales for making the TRO at the cessation of the ETO.

In March 2017, North Lincolnshire Council implemented an ETO under section 9 of the Road Traffic Act 1984. The purpose of this was to stop or greatly reduce vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the vicinity of Horkstow Bridge by preventing offenders from gaining direct access to it in motor vehicles. The ETO was attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

The ETO would expire on 2 September 2018 and the TRO would begin as soon as the ETO lapsed.

Horkstow Bridge was in a remote location with no dwelling or other premises nearby. Policing the ETO was therefore problematic. Two robust metal gates were therefore installed, one across Holmes Lane and the other across Bridge Lane, at the start of either end of the length of road to which the ETO was applied. These included combination locks to allow legitimate users, such as the owners and occupiers of adjacent land to continue to gain access.

The consensus amongst all parties was that vandalism, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour had greatly reduced since the ETO began. Therefore, a TRO would ensure this improved situation continued. Without it, the gates would have to be removed and the problems would be likely to return.

One objection had been lodged since the ETO’s implementation. The objection detailing their grievances and the council’s response was attached at Appendix 2 and outlined in the report.

In response, the council would adjust the design of the Bridge Lane gate to make it easier to open, provide the emergency services with the combination code for the lock and ensure public bridleway access is maintained. Contrary to the grievances, the ETO was lawfully made and any prior consultations were conducted according to statutory requirements.

As well as allowing the council to maintain gates across Bridge Lane and Holmes Lane, a TRO had an additional deterrence effect in that contravention was a criminal offence.

Resolved – That the making of a TRO to run concurrent to the cessation of the present ETO, be approved.

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