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ITEM EX23

EXECUTIVE – 23 JULY 2002

ELM TREE WALK, SHIPPON – TRAFFIC CALMING

Report by Director of Environmental Services.

Introduction

1. Saint Helen Without Parish Council and my local Traffic Team are concerned at the extent to which rat-running traffic uses Elm Tree Walk to avoid the Barrow Road/Faringdon Road junction. This report details the Parish Council’s proposals to introduce traffic calming measures to Elm Tree Walk at no cost to the County Council.

Background

2. On 12 February 1998 the Highways & Road Safety Sub-Committee considered a report on the Parish Council’s wish to introduce traffic calming measures by preventing traffic entering Elm Tree Walk from Barrow Road. The Sub-Committee recommended, and the Environmental Committee subsequently agreed, to authorise an agency arrangement with the Parish Council to enable them to commission the legal and consultative traffic order work, and the design and construction of the associated physical works, at no cost to the County Council, subject to approval of the detailed design by the Director of Environmental Services; and to the outcome of consultation being referred to the County Council for determination.
3. The Parish Council appointed the County Council’s term consultants, Babtie Group Ltd, to progress the traffic calming scheme. It has evolved from a proposed turning ban to the proposed single traffic calming build-out shown on Babtie Drawing No. 0000011/B3203.

Consultation Responses

4. Babtie Group Ltd carried out a consultation exercise, as detailed in their Consultation Report dated March 2002 (a copy of which is in the Members’ Resource Centre). Two residents raised concerns at the proposal, the Vale of White Horse District Council has no objection to the proposal and Thames Valley Police now have no objection.
5. The two residents’ concerns are summarised as:

1. the scheme is not necessary,
2. the scheme is of no benefit to the residents,
3. there is potential that waiting vehicles will block residents’ accesses.
   
   
6. The purpose of the traffic calming scheme is to deter excessive speed through the area and to deter any additional through traffic that may occur once the Marcham Bypass or Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy construction commence.
7. Residents will benefit from reduced traffic speeds and traffic entering Elm Tree Walk from Rookery Close will be able to have good visibility of oncoming traffic.
8. To discourage blocking of residents’ accesses continuous white road markings (access protection markings) will be placed across each access. The volume of traffic through the area is low during the majority of the day and it is highly unlikely that the build-out would cause congestion.

Environmental Implications

9. The proposed traffic calming scheme for Elm Tree Walk, Shippon, will improve road safety by reducing vehicle speeds, particularly during the morning peak travel period.

Financial and Staff Implications

10. The proposed traffic calming would be implemented at no cost to the County Council. There are no staffing implications.

Conclusions

11. There is a good case for this scheme, which is well supported locally and is funded by the Parish Council. To enable the Parish Council to commission the work required for implementation it will be necessary to review the previous agency authorisation, which lapsed on the adoption of the new political management structure in November last year.

RECOMMENDATIONS

12. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to authorise arrangements for the exercise by St Helen Without Parish Council of the Council’s powers as local highway authority and local traffic authority so far as necessary to construct the physical traffic calming works specified in the report, at no cost to the County Council, subject to approval of the detailed design by the Director of Environmental Services.