Council Report Attachment: 1. Planning Committee, Agenda Item 5.6, 5 December 2006

C O U N C I L R E P O R T Agenda Item 5.5

19 December 2006

ALFRED PLACE, MELBOURNE – PROPOSED EXTENSION OF INTERMITTENT CLOSURE

Committee Planning

Presenter Cr Ng

Purpose

1. To approve the proposed extension to the intermittent closure of Alfred Place, Melbourne from 11am – 3pm to 11am – 11pm Monday to Sunday.

Recommendation

2. That Council:

2.1. approve the extension to the intermittent closure of Alfred Place, Melbourne to vehicular traffic from 11am to 3pm to 11am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday as shown on plan number 8P2196; and

2.2. notify in writing the person who has lodged a submission of the decision and reason/s for the decision.

P L A N N I N G C O M M I T T E E R E P O R T Agenda Item 5.6 5 December 2006

ALFRED PLACE, MELBOURNE – PROPOSED EXTENSION TO INTERMITTENT CLOSURE

Division Assets & Services

Presenter Haig Poulson, Principal Engineer Traffic Engineering

Purpose

1. To recommend to Council that the proposed extension to the intermittent closure of Alfred Place, Melbourne from 11am – 3pm to 11am – 11pm Monday to Sunday be approved.

Recommendation from Management

2. That the Planning Committee recommend that Council:

2.1. approve the extension to the intermittent closure of Alfred Place, Melbourne to vehicular traffic from 11am to 3pm to 11am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday as shown on plan number 8P2196 (Attachment 1); and

2.2. notify in writing the person who has lodged a submission of the decision and reason/s for the decision.

Key Issues

3. The Submissions Committee, at its meeting held on 1 November 2006 having considered the written submission and noting that the submitter did not wish to be heard in support of their submission, recommended that Council, via the Planning Committee:

3.1. proceed with the proposed extension of the intermittent closure hours of Alfred Place, Melbourne from 11am-3pm to 11am-11pm Monday to Sunday by placing and maintaining obstructions or barriers to restrict the passage or access of vehicles to Alfred Place, Melbourne for the following reasons:

3.1.1. improved pedestrian safety;

3.1.2. improved pedestrian connectivity;

3.1.3. improved safety of café patrons; and

3.1.4. to enhance the attraction of Melbourne to all visitors; and

3.2. notify in writing the person who has lodged a submission of the decision and the reasons for the decision.

4. The proposal to extend the intermittent closure hours of Alfred Place to operate from 11am to 3pm to 11am to 11pm Monday to Sunday, as illustrated on the attached plan 8P2196, as Attachment 1, involves the amendment to signage and installation of removable bollards at the Little Collins Street end of Alfred Place during this period.

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5. Recent morning and evening surveys confirmed the high pedestrian volumes crossing and accessing Alfred Place. Approximately 300-400 pedestrians/hour travelled along Little Collins Street across Alfred Place, 120-180 pedestrians/hour travelled north/south along Alfred Place, and 50-80 pedestrians/hour crossed Alfred Place between the two Stamford Plaza Hotel’s buildings. During the same period only 7-13 vehicles/hour entered Alfred Place.

6. Alfred Place is a laneway under Council’s care and management. Under the Local Government Act 1989 (“the Act”), the Council is required to publish a public notice (Attachment 2) and receive any written submissions on the proposal within fourteen (14) days of the date of the public notice. However it was also considered prudent to send notices pertaining to the proposal to the owner/occupiers of the properties abutting Alfred Place (Attachment 3).

7. Council received one (1) submission on the proposal, which is summarised in Attachment 4. A copy of the submission is attached in Attachment 5. The main issue raised is that of security for high profile diplomats or visitors to the British Consulate which is located in Collins Street. Due to the lack of short term parking abutting their premises, the nearest pick up/set down area is in Alfred Place. The extension to the intermittent closure will require their visitors to walk a longer distance to their office, thus exposing them to a greater security risk or threat.

8. The ongoing opening of businesses in the Southern Cross Development will also result in increased numbers of pedestrians using Little Collins Street and Alfred Place. Given the low vehicle usage of the lane, this area should be made more pedestrian friendly.

Time Frame

9. Subject to the successful completion of all legal procedures, it is anticipated that the extension to the intermittent closure of Alfred Place will be completed in January 2007.

Relation to Council Policy

10. The closure is in line with Strategic direction 3.6 of City Plan 2010 to:

“enhance and develop areas of open and public space throughout the City where people can safely gather, meet and interact”.

11. The proposed intermittent closure of Alfred Place to vehicular traffic is also in line with Section 3 of Council’s Transport Strategy 2020:

“Council will provide an effective, safe and engaging environment for pedestrians…”

12. The proposal is in line with Section 1.4 of Council’s Road Safety Plan 2005-2006:

“to create a significantly safer street environment for vulnerable road users”.

Consultation

13. Section 207A of the Act provides for submissions under Section 223 of the Act in regard to the exercise of Council powers to block or restrict the passage or access of vehicles on a road by placing and maintaining any permanent barrier or other obstruction on the road. In accordance with the Act, a public notice outlining the proposal was advertised in the ‘The Age’ newspaper on Thursday, 21 September 2006 and letters have been forwarded to stakeholders and owners and occupiers of properties deemed to be affected (Attachment 3).

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Attachments: 1. Plan No 8P2196 2. Copy of “The Age” advertisement 3. Copy of “Letter to the residents and owners” 4. Summary of submission 5. Copy of Submission

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Government Relations

14. As required by the Act, Council has considered the VicRoads’ report on this proposal. VicRoads advises that no objection is offered to the proposal.

Finance

15. The overall project cost has been estimated at $100 which is for the amendment to the times on the existing signage. These works will be funded from Council’s Parking and Traffic Works 06ES721 budget. There are no additional operating costs associated with the extension of the operating times.

Legal

16. The proposal constitutes a proposal to place a permanent obstruction or barrier for the purposes of clause 9 of Schedule 11 of the Act. The report accurately identifies the statutory requirements of the Act.

Sustainability

17. The proposal to extend the intermittent closure of Alfred Place is designed to enhance the attraction of Melbourne to all visitors.

18. The extended closure of the lane would lead to increased safety for café patrons and pedestrians.

Background

19. Alfred Place operates as a one-way flow from Little Collins Street to Collins Street in a north-south direction and is situated in the block between Russell and Exhibition Streets. The width of Alfred Place varies over its length. The northern and southern ends are 3.0 metres and 3.5 metres wide respectively, while the mid-block width is 5.0 metres. The wider mid-block roadway provides an indented parking area which is currently designated as a Loading Zone.

20. Alfred Place is currently closed to vehicular traffic between 11am and 3pm, Monday to Sunday

21. Land use abutting Alfred Place comprises the Stamford Plaza Hotel, (including ground floor retails businesses) restaurants, cafes and the side boundaries of properties abutting the north side of Collins Street.

22. The City of Melbourne has received correspondence from the:

22.1. Stamford Plaza Hotel requesting that Council extend the intermittent closure hours to operate 11am to 11pm Monday to Sunday; and

22.2. the proprietors of the Comme restaurant at 7 Alfred Place, on behalf of neighbouring traders and property, requesting that the intermittent closure be extended to operate between 11am to midnight Monday to Sunday, to improve pedestrian amenity and safety.

23. Given the Stamford Plaza Hotel’s desire to have the extended closure hours terminate at 11pm and the associated difficulties for Council in managing a midnight closure i.e. availability of authorised officers to remove the closure, it is proposed to have the extended closure of the Alfred Place operate from 11am to 11pm Monday to Sunday.

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Attachment 4 Agenda Item 4.2

Submissions Committee 1 November 2006

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SUMMARY OF SUBMISSION ON THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF INTERMITTENT CLOSURE OF ALFRED PLACE, MELBOURNE

NAME ORGANISATION NATURE OF SUBMISSION COMMENTS 1 Mr Phil Mudie

Vice Consul British Consulate – General Melbourne

Objects to the proposal

• Concern over security for officials as parking is not available in front of 90 Collins Street due to the new tram stop and cannot have visitors including ministers of state walking openly along the street.

• Very often there is a build up

of traffic along Lt Collins Street and in event of an incident, Alfred Place offers an alternative route of departure from the area for the Consul General.

• This is largely a security issue and not a traffic issue. However, a loading

zone area is provided in Collins Street immediately west of Alfred Place where consular vehicles can momentarily stop and pick up/set down. In addition, it is understood that the building at 90 Collins Street provides underground parking off Pink Alley. This would seem to be a more secure area to drop off/pick up passengers.

• In such instances a Consul vehicle can temporarily stop at the corner of Collins Street and Alfred Place in the No Stopping area and pick up the Consul General or other visitors as they exit the front of the building. While this is not an ideal arrangement, in the case of an incident this is a suitable alternative as a vehicle stopped in this area would not obstruct motorists exiting Alfred Place (as the lane is technically closed) or traffic along Collins Street. In extreme situations the Consul vehicle can also reverse into Alfred Place to pick up its passengers. It should also be noted that an intermittent closure already exists under these conditions.

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NAME ORGANISATION NATURE OF SUBMISSION COMMENTS 1 Mr Phil Mudie

Vice Consul British Consulate – General Melbourne

Objects to the proposal

• Lt Collins Street can get congested and for those who want to avoid the traffic lights at the junction of Lt Collins Street and Russell St, Alfred Place offers an alternative.

• All occupants of 90 Collins Street that have deliveries will be affected by the extended closure of Alfred Place. As the delivery bay for the building is in Pink Alley, it gets rather crowded as it also caters for the Stamford Hotel and Doc Martens Pub. At present, Couriers can deliver in Alfred Place and the closure would put extra pressure on the already depleted parking spaces in Collins Street.

• Council does not support the use of narrow lanes which generate and are used

by large pedestrian numbers as a short cut to avoid traffic signals.

• The loading dock off Pink Alley is the most appropriate location for deliveries to be undertaken for 90 Collins Street. However, there are other loading zones and short term parking areas in Lt Collins Street in the vicinity of Pink Alley and Alfred Place that can be used for such purposes. As indicated above a loading zone is also provided in Collins Street immediately west of Alfred Place.

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Agenda Item 5.6 Planning Committee

5 December 2006

FINANCE ATTACHMENT

ALFRED PLACE, MELBOURNE – PROPOSED EXTENSION TO INTERMITTENT CLOSURE

The overall project cost has been estimated at $100 which is for the amendment to the times on the existing signage. These works will be funded from Council’s Parking and Traffic Works 06ES721 budget. There are no additional operating costs associated with the extension of the operating times.

Joe Groher Manager Financial Services

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Agenda Item 5.6 Planning Committee

14 November 2006

LEGAL ATTACHMENT

ALFRED PLACE, MELBOURNE – PROPOSED EXTENSION TO INTERMITTENT CLOSURE

Alfred Place is a public road under the care and management of the Council and a public highway within the meaning of the Local Government Act 1989 (“the Act”). The proposed intermittent closure constitutes a road closure and necessitates the implementation of the road closure under clause 9 of Schedule 11 of the Act.

Schedules 10 and 11 of the Act prescribe various powers a Council can exercise in respect to roads and traffic on roads.

Section 207A of the Act provides that in some cases where a Council proposes to exercise a power in schedule 10 or 11, it must first carry out a statutory submission process under section 223 of the Act. This proposal for intermittent closure of Alfred Place is such a proposal. The report details that the public notice and submissions procedures were complied with in accordance with the Act.

Clause 9 of Schedule 11 of the Act also stipulates that Council must not exercise the road closure power unless is has considered a report from the Roads Corporation concerning the exercise of the power. This report also details that such a report from VicRoads has been considered.

Kim Wood Manager Legal Services

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