That £85,000 be allocated from the strategic allocation for Healthy Mobility to provide a new controlled crossing on Torquay Road, Preston, to be funded from the Transport Capital Funding prior to March 2021.

To improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians in the district centre of Preston, in particular providing improved connectivity from the local bus stop, car park and residential areas, to the retail and medical facilities and to respond to the petition.  

Other options have been considered and discounted; primarily focused on alternative crossing styles.  This was not considered acceptable on safety grounds.

This decision will come into force immediately.

In September 2017 the Council approved a series of business cases which provisionally allocated the remainder of the funding from the Local Transport Plan Capital Programme into categories following completion of Strategic Business Cases.

One of the approved Strategic Business Cases covered ‘Healthy Mobility’.

This project relates to long standing requests to provide a more formalised pedestrian crossing on Torquay Road, Preston, Paignton to connect a pedestrian desire line between Preston Park Car Park and Bus Stops on one side with the shops and Medical Centre on the opposite side of the carriageway.

At the Council meeting held on 18 July 2019 the Council received and debated a petition requesting a zebra crossing opposite Preston Conservative Club and Pembroke Surgery.  The Council agreed:

“that the Interim Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture, be requested to consider a relevant business case for a pedestrian crossing on Torquay Road, Preston, along with other proposed schemes and in line with the previous Council decision (Minute 85/9/17) delegating any specific capital spend to the Interim Director of Place.  The Interim Director of Place to consider the business case within 3 months.”

The Business Case has now been reviewed by the Assistant Director of Planning and Transport and his decision is set out below.

None