Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/124

Contact: Tim Shickle, Group Manager – Traffic & Road Safety Tel: 07920 591545/Lee Turner, Principal Officer – Traffic Schemes Tel: 07917 072678

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CMDHM7).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce a 40mph speed limit at B4001 New Road and Pulpit Hill, Childrey. Funding for consultation on the proposals has been provided by the local member County Councillor Yvonne Constance through the ‘Councillor Priority Fund’ and, should the speed limit proceed to implementation, funding for that element of the work will be provided by the County Council. The proposals would help facilitate walking and cycling on the outskirts of Childrey village and safe movement of traffic including equestrians.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposed introduction of a 40mph speed limit as advertised.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDHM7) responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce a 40mph speed limit on the B4001 New Road and Pulpit Hill, Childrey to help facilitate walking and cycling on the outskirts of Childrey village and safe movement of traffic including for equestrians. Funding for the consultation itself on the proposals had been provided by the local member County Councillor Yvonne Constance through the ‘Councillor Priority Fund’ with implementation funded by the County Council.

Dr Clare Collier spoke in support of the proposals. With 3 stable yards plus a number of other domestic horse owners on New Road there were potentially over 60 horses living within a 2 mile length. Today there were 40 horses living on this road, so it’s a very dense population. Furthermore, the Vale of White Horse District Council had recently granted planning permission for a new equestrian training facility at Freethorne Stud which would further increase numbers of horses on the road. There are 6 footpaths and bridleways along the road but no footway along its length. Verges were mostly unmown other than the statutory 2 cuts per year making them useless for pedestrians and resulting in people walking on the road especially when walking between footpaths on the designated Childrey Circular Walk. It was a popular cycle route because of the recently laid new surface on a long down-hill sweep (albeit with a number of areas of subsidence) but only 15 feet wide at various points on the 5 blind bends. It provided access to 5 farms (in addition to the stables listed above) all of which used large slow moving agricultural machinery. There were also a large number of earth-moving lorries travelling from the quarries on the B417 who used this route as a cut through. It was regularly (including today) used as a diversion route when other local roads were closed. All of this resulted in high traffic volumes and a recent traffic survey had shown that many of these (>8%) were exceeding 60 mph current limit which meant that Cyclists, Pedestrians and Horse riders were extremely likely to encounter at least 1 vehicle passing them and frequently vehicles coming in both directions at speed on blind corners. Reducing the speed limit to 40mph from the current 60 would allow all users more time to spot dangerous situations and hopefully avoid a potentially fatal accident. She also asked if the County Council could look at improving current signing on this route some of which was obscured by vegetation and inconsistent messaging on another.

Thanking everyone for their comments and Councillor Constance for funding the consultation element the Cabinet Member for Highway management having regard to the information set out in the report before him confirmed his decision as follows:

to approve the proposed introduction of a 40mph speed limit on the B4001 New Road and Pulpit Hill, Childrey as advertised and ask officers to investigate the effectiveness of the current signing on this length of road.

Signed…………………………………………..

Cabinet Member for Highway Management

Date of signing…………………………………