There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to a petition  received from Ms J Fulton in the following terms:

“Kilmacolm Road residents are petitioning to Renfrewshire Council for urgent consideration and implementation of new speed restrictions and safety measures. Our request covers the area from the traffic lights at the Houston Road junction, through to Strathgryffe Crescent upon leaving the village towards Kilmacolm. As you will read in my email, 21 households are asking the council for action, in addition to the GPs and Practice Manager at Ranfurly Drs Surgery who also represent approximately 6,500 patients and the Manager at Morar Care Home which houses 30 elderly residents.

Why?

In addition to the fact that there are many families with small children and pets who live along Kilmacolm Road, this is also a well-used school and nursery route, we have Morar Care Home for the elderly, Ranfurly Drs Surgery, bus stops — the list goes on. The central issue is acceleration — vehicles coming into the village from Kilmacolm are accelerating to get through the lights and in the opposite direction vehicles are accelerating through the lights to exit the village and travel at the national speed limit. Either way, the issue is very clearly excessive acceleration.

With the exception of the 30mph sign on entering from this side of the village, we have absolutely no other signage. Nothing to communicate to drivers that there are children playing; that there is a nursery and primary school around the corner; that this area also houses vulnerable people such as elderly people and those with disabilities. Let alone any traffic calming measures which forcibly slow vehicles down.

What you will read from the residents includes the devastating loss of many beloved pets killed on the road; serious damage to several properties from cars crashing at speed; severe noise pollution; countless near misses — and overall, a real sense of fear. Fear that if this is not addressed fully and urgently then it is only a matter of time before there is a human life lost on this road.

What is needed?

1. Signage
2. Traffic Calming Measures (driver feedback systems, speed bumps or cameras)
3. Railings

In addition to appropriate signage (to reflect school children, elderly & vulnerable people), we as a community are asking for traffic calming measures such as driver feedback systems, speed bumps or cameras. The road narrowing island on exiting the village is repeatedly destroyed due to speeding traffic, the evidence speaks for itself — it is clearly nowhere near enough.

We are also asking for the installation of railings along some stretches of the road. Not only does this account for the fact that toddlers and children use the pavements every day for school and nursery, but it also accounts for the many large vehicles regularly using the road such as farm vehicles, lorries and emergency vehicles (often travelling at high speed). It is one thing to live beside a busy road; but entirely another to be expected to live beside an unsafe road where people live in fear of it. The residents need Renfrewshire Council to make Kilmacolm Road safe again.”

The Board heard from the petitioner in support of her petition. 

The Board then heard from the Transportation & Development Manager who advised that a survey of Kilmacolm Road would be undertaken which would assess accident statistics, the speed of vehicles using the road, use types of the roadside buildings, pedestrian vulnerability and current traffic calming measures in place.  The results of the survey would produce a score used to determine whether action was necessary and a priority level in comparison with other areas identified for work. It was highlighted that prior to any traffic calming measures being implemented a period of community consultation would be undertaken.

Councillor Burns, seconded by Councillor Campbell, moved that the petition be referred to the Director of Environment & Infrastructure and the Infrastructure, Land & Environment Policy Board for further consideration. This was agreed unanimously.

DECIDED: That the petition be referred to the Director of Environment & Infrastructure and the Infrastructure, Land & Environment Policy Board for further consideration.