Vale of Glamorgan Council
Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
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Agenda Item No. 4

 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

 

Welsh Church Act Estate Committee: 8th January 2018

 

Report of the Head of Finance

 

Lane to the Rear of Church Road, Cadoxton

 

Purpose of the Report

  1. To provide Committee with an update further to previous reports and discussions in relation to this matter and to seek an approval from Committee to move forward with the costed options as set out in the report for progressing with a long term solution for future maintenance and management of this lane.

Recommendations

  1. That Committee consider the costed options presented by the Council's Highways Department and approve the recommendations contained with this report;
  2. That Committee authorise the Head of Finance to instruct the Council's Highways Department to progress with the recommended options.

Reasons for the Recommendations

  1. To keep update Committee following previous reports on this matter.
  2. To allow work on the preferred option to progress without delay.

Background

  1. The lane to the rear of Church Road Cadoxton is owned by the Welsh Church Act Estate Committee at the location highlighted in the plan at Appendix A.
  2. The lane is located to the rear of houses along Church Road and abuts and in third party ownership at Bastian Close.
  3. In recent years residents have made complaints to Council officers and Committee via the previous Chairman in relation to the overgrown nature of the land and the fly tipped rubbish accumulating in the land. Committee are referred to several previous reports on this matter, more recently the report of 23rd January 2017.
  4. The land has been cleared of rubbish on a number of occasions over the past few years and more recently, a new block wall has been erected on the boundary to Bastian Close in order to deter fly tipped material from being deposited from the Bastian Close side of the lane. Whilst this wall assisted in part, there has continued to be a number of complaints concerning the state of the land and fly tipped material continues to be a problem.
  5. The land was cleared of rubbish again last year, however a longer term solution for the management and maintenance of the lane is required as previously reported to Committee.

Relevant Issues and Options

  1. The Council's Highways Design Group developed proposed design options which were presented previously to Committee:

Option 1 - Raise the level of the Wall to the rear car parking area (Bastian Close).

Option 2 - The Installation of an access gate (Alley Gates were deemed an unviable option as the costs would be prohibitive) in order to prevent unauthorised access to the lane.

Option 3 - A proposed footway construction for lane and rear access.

  1. At the last meeting it was agreed by Committee that without doing all three options together the area would still be vulnerable. It was agreed that all three plans be approved subject to full costings of the proposals being sought and presented to Committee for final ratification.
  2. The Council's Highway Engineer has now provided costed options which he will present to Committee, however the cost implications are also set out under resource implications in paragraph 10.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

  1. The estimated cost of the proposed works is circa £30,000. These costs can be funded from the Welsh Church Act Estate reserves.

Sustainability and Climate Change Implications

  1. None directly related to this report.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

  1. The Committee have a duty to manage lands and property held by them in accordance with the Scheme of Trust and with Charity Law.

Crime and Disorder Implications

  1. It is hoped that progressing with the recommendations contained within this report will reduce fly tipping and other anti-social behaviour on the Trust's land.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

  1. There are no equal opportunity implications associated with this report.

Corporate/Service Objectives

  1. The sole concern of the Committee is to act in the best interest of the Trust.

Policy Framework and Budget

  1. Not applicable.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

  1. Since Members of this Committee are acting as Committee Members independent of other Council resolutions, no further consultation has taken place.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

  1. Not applicable.

Background Papers

None.

Contact Officer

Lorna Cross, Operational Manager Property

Officers Consulted

Principal Lawyer, Property and Contract Team (Legal)

Principal Accountant

Highway Engineer

Responsible Officer:

Carys Lord, Head of Finance