ITEM TD10
TRANSPORT DECISIONS COMMITTEE – 4 OCTOBER 2007
HENLEY INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY – TOWN CENTRE SCHEME- TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDERS
Report by Head of Transport
Introduction
1. Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and Henley Town Council have worked in partnership to develop an Integrated Transport Strategy for Henley-on-Thames.
2. Consultation on the town centre scheme was undertaken in September 2005 and authority to proceed with the scheme was granted by Cabinet on 20 December 2005.
3. In order to carry out the work revisions were required to the existing waiting restrictions in Henley and therefore a consultation process on the draft Traffic Regulation Order for Bell Street parking restrictions was carried out at the end of July 2007. This report details the proposed changes, the objections received with officer comments and seeks a decision on how to proceed.
Need for new Traffic Regulation Orders
4. The principle of the traffic management proposals to the town centre is to regulate the volume of traffic passing through the town centre by creating traffic flow controlling points (or ‘gateways’) at the junctions on Henley Bridge and Reading Road/Station Road and also requires making Duke Street one-way northbound.
5. With the implementation of the traffic management proposals there is scope to enhance the pedestrian environment on the Duke Street and Bell Street corridor. This can be achieved by widening, where possible, the existing narrow footways to aid movement in particular of wheelchair users, people with mobility aids and parents with push chairs.
6. As part of this environmental improvement ‘No Loading’ and ‘No Waiting at any time’ restrictions are proposed to protect the route from stationary vehicles and dedicated loading areas are provided to service shop frontages. A plan of the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (drawing number TPI/3/244) is attached at Annex 1 (download as .doc file).
Consultation
7. Formal consultation was carried out between 17 July and 27 August 2007 by public notice in the local press, street notices and letters to statutory consultees, interested groups and residents/proprietors in the vicinity of Bell Street. Full details of the Traffic Regulation Orders, Statement of Reasons and Public Notice of the proposals were available to view at Henley Town Hall and at County Hall, Oxford for the duration of the consultation period.
8. A total of 6 responses were received from Henley Town Council, Thames Valley Police, Bus Users UK, 2 from businesses in Bell Street and 1 from a resident of Bell Street.
9. A summary of the responses along with officer comment is set out at Annex 2 (download as .doc file).. Copies of all correspondence are available in the Members’ Resource Centre.
Officer Comments
10. The comments received mainly objected to the location of the loading bays and the detrimental impact this would have on access for loading heavy items, the disadvantage to businesses caused by large vehicles parking outside shop frontages and the added problem of pollution and noise. There was also a request from Henley Town Council for cycle parking bays to be included in the scheme.
11. The northern end of the one way section of Bell Street still contains two lanes one for straight on and one for right turning traffic. It may be possible, outside the peak hours (7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. 6.30 p.m.), to allow loading activities on the western side of the road at this location. This would improve access for loading for the businesses at this position and reduce the numbers of vehicles using the two loading bays in Bell Street.
12. The location of the loading bays had been determined by the need to accommodate turning movements of large vehicles at the junctions and to provide the width necessary for safe operation of the loading bay. One bay has been provided to serve each side of the road but while this might not suit all frontagers, the flow of traffic will be controlled on the route and with Bell Street being one way this should generate sufficient gaps to allow safe crossing of the road.
13. Cycle parking in Bell Street or its vicinity would require amendments to the design and a separate consultation process. It may be possible to accommodate town centre cycle parking into the environmental scheme, subject to funding, at a later stage.
How the Project Supports LTP2 Objectives
14. The second Local Transport Plan identified Henley-on-Thames as a location that suffers from congestion, air quality problems and a poor street environment and has been included in the County Council’s programme of works, as set out in the Oxfordshire Local Transport Plan 2006-2011.
Financial Implications (including Revenue)
15. The cost estimate for the County Council’s Traffic Management and Environmental Improvement scheme is £1598K based on a ‘like for like’ use of materials. The traffic management elements have already been implemented. The environmental elements of the scheme are programmed to be implemented over financial years 2007/08 and 2008/09. A Project Appraisal H180 was approved in December 2006 and costs associated with the Traffic Regulation Order have been included in this budget. Current cost estimates are on target within the budget estimate.
Conclusion
16. The concerns raised during the consultation can be mitigated by the reduction in no loading times near the northern end of Bell Street. This is a lesser restriction than advertised and is not a significant change to the traffic regulation order, which would disadvantage others and the proposed change to the order can be made with Committee approval. The proposed restrictions will support the safe operation of the traffic management proposals for the centre of Henley. A plan of the proposed amendments to the advertised Traffic Regulation Order (drawing number D&I/A3/0023) is attached at Annex 3 (download as .doc file)..
RECOMMENDATION
17. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve an amendment to the Henley-on-Thames Traffic Regulation Order 1983 as revised to secure parking restrictions in Bell Street as set out in this report and as shown on drawing number D&I/A3/0023.
STEVE HOWELL Head of Transport Environment & Economy
Background papers: Consultation documentation
Contact Officer: Mark Bostock, Tel 01865 815877
September 2007
|