Minutes of a Public Meeting held on 11^th July 2007

regarding Traffic and Parking in Leigh on Mendip

As a result of replies to the Parish Plan questionnaire, a public meeting was convened at the Memorial Hall on 11^th July 2007 to look into negative comments surrounding traffic and parking in the Parish.

At a poorly attended meeting it was agreed that the most pressing areas arising from the questionnaire were:-

i) Parking and speeding around the school/Island Cottage area.

ii) Speeding traffic generally but particularly between The Old Malt House and the eastern entrance to Park Hayes.

iii) The number of incidents between vehicles trying to pass at the extremely narrow part at Townsend.

iv) The speed of traffic passing farms on the Old Wells Road.

v) The speed of buses passing through the village.

Suggestions for improvement were discussed. Central to all discussion was the very real probability that one person's complaint was another person's cure. However, the following proposals were made:-

i) The Parish Council, through the Board of Governors liaison member work to raise awareness amongst pupils and parents of the potential hazards around the school area and the steps that can be taken to minimise them. County Council Highways Dept to be approached with a view to implementing their own policy with regard to 20 mile per hour speed limits outside schools. Dialogue to continue with the proprietor of the Motor Repair Co. to maintain customer parking at the lowest possible level.

ii) Parish Council to liase with the relevant department(s) with a view to regularly displaying temporary equipment displaying the speed of approaching vehicles. To investigate the possibility of speed limit restriction repeater signs in areas affected by speeding traffic. This idea was not supported 100%.

iii) Parish Council Highways rep to investigate the possibilities of re-shaping the approach to the narrow part outside Townsend House.

iv) Parish Council to request Highways Dept to install warning signs as necessary to advise motorists of potential hazards from farm machinery etc.

v) Parish Council to write to First Bus advising them of complaints of speeding buses.

It should be noted that items ii) to iv) potentially have a financial cost attached to them.

Frank Higgins

Parish Counciller