Members of the public have the opportunity to speak at this meeting.  Anyone wishing to present a petition or speak on this item is required to register with the Democratic Services Section by noon on Friday 6 March 2015.  Questions that have not been submitted by this deadline will not be accepted.  Only two people will be allowed to speak on each item and each person is limited to asking two questions.  Each speaker will have a maximum of three minutes to speak.

Petitions, questions and statements will only be accepted if they are in relation to an item being considered at this meeting.

Mrs Kerry Capes spoke in relation to the Draft Swale Transportation Strategy.  She advised that residents from the Great Easthall Estate were required to cross Tonge Road to access Lansdowne School; it was a dangerous road which crossed into the national speed limit and she called for urgent improvements to the pedestrian route from Great Easthall across Tonge Road. She submitted a petition to the Chairman with 467 signatures from residents of Great Easthall which “called upon the Swale JTB to ensure that plans to provide a safe crossing on Tonge Road from Easton Drive to Peel Drive are carried out as a matter of urgency, with improvements to the approaching footpaths carried out at the same time.  Both are provided for by the s.106 agreement with the developers for Great Easthall.” 

Mr Andrew Lees spoke in relation to the proposed amendments to waiting restrictions in South Road, Faversham.  He objected to the proposal for double yellow lines and requested that officers consider an alternative proposal to relax the parking restrictions further up South Road from 5pm to 10am, as the restrictions were currently pushing drivers further down the road to park.  He also suggested the removal of permit parking in Tanners Street.

Mr Ozgur Ozel spoke in relation to the proposed amendments to waiting restrictions in Preston Street, Faversham.  He explained that he owned a restaurant and take-away business in Preston Street and the current waiting restrictions were having a severe adverse impact on his business.  He referred to a petition signed by 220 people supporting the changes to the waiting restriction times and noted that Faversham Town Council supported the proposed changes.

Town Councillor Mick Gates from Faversham Town Council spoke in relation to the proposed amendments to waiting restrictions in Preston Street, Faversham.  He reported that Faversham Town Council strongly supported the proposed changes to the waiting restriction times and that only one objection had been received.  He considered that there were a number of well-established businesses in Preston Street and the Council needed to support local businesses and promote the local economy.

Mrs Helen Knell spoke in relation to the Eastchurch to Leysdown Cycle Route.  She advised that she was a member of the Lower Road Campaign Group, supported by CTC the national cycling charity, which campaigned for safe cycle routes on Sheppey.  She considered that the report from Sustrans was impressive and detailed, but she outlined proposals for an alternative, less ambitious plan which could be delivered within a reasonable timeframe and was less expensive. She outlined an alternative route from Warden Bay Road into Warden, Beach Approach, Thornhill Road, leading into Donkey Lane and linking to Warden Road and Plough Road north of Eastchurch.  The proposal would require the surfacing of Donkey Lane, which could then be used as an alternative route for emergency services, but gated to prevent the road being used as a rat-run.  She suggested that any financial savings could be used to provide safe cycle and pedestrian routes across other parts of Sheppey.