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ITEM TIC11

TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE –
6 DECEMBER 2002

BAYWORTH, SUNNINGWELL TO ABINGDON CYCLE ROUTE

Report by Director of Environmental Services

1. This report details proposals to improve cycling and walking facilities between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon. These proposals were the subject of a public exhibition in Sunningwell on 8 August this year. It also summarises the views of those who attended (using the results of the exhibition questionnaire survey). On the basis of the significant support for one of the options presented at the exhibition, the Committee is asked to approve the commencement of detailed design work based on the scheme.

Background

2. Sunningwell Parish Council has lobbied for a footway/cycleway link between the two villages of Bayworth and Sunningwell for many years. A recently compiled petition arranged by the Parish Council (see paragraph 13) shows that local support for this link is still very strong. The bridleway link between Sunningwell and Abingdon along Pen Lane would provide a useful traffic free walking and cycling route and could be improved at a relatively low cost.

Policy Context

3. The Oxfordshire Structure Plan includes a series of policies designed to reduce people's reliance on the car and to increase the level of cycling and walking. The Local Transport Plan (LTP) also seeks to promote cycling and has a number of objectives reflecting this. The LTP cycle scheme programme is seeking to implement the County Council's transport policies by reducing the growth in car journeys across Oxfordshire. This is to be achieved by encouraging people to cycle to work, shops or school instead of using a car. The County Council’s policies are set within the context of the Government’s National Cycling Strategy adopted in 1996.

The need for cycling and walking facilities between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon

4. The route between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon has been assessed using the County Council's cycle scheme assessment criteria. This helps to identify the schemes which have the greatest potential for increasing the number of cycling trips. The route has been identified for further investigation because it has scored above average using assessment criteria which look at such issues as convenience of the potential route, existing road conditions, destinations to be served and likely levels of use (see Annex 1).

Likely Levels of Use

5. In 1991, approximately 60 people from the Bayworth/Sunningwell area drove by car to work in Abingdon every day. In 2002 the figure is likely to be higher than this. Even a modest 10% shift from car commuting to cycle journeys to Abingdon would result in approximately 6 new cyclists to add to the 13 who in 1991 undertook the journey to work by bicycle. In addition, data from the Education Department indicates that there are around 17 children who live in Bayworth and Sunningwell who travel to secondary school in Abingdon. The new link between Bayworth and Sunningwell and surface improvements to the existing bridleway link to Abingdon would mean that these children could make the journey to school by bicycle. This would help reduce the traffic congestion in Abingdon associated with the school run. The link between Bayworth and Sunningwell would be useful for residents of Bayworth who want to visit the social facilities that are in Sunningwell (see Annex 1, bullet 3). A modest 10% shift of Bayworth residents choosing to make the journey to Sunningwell on foot or bicycle would result in approximately 16 new journeys between the two settlements. Questionnaire results from the public exhibition indicate that people would additionally use the new/improved cycle route for a variety of reasons such as: leisure purposes, shopping and for visiting friends and relatives. For all these reasons, the proposed scheme would potentially have a significant number of users (approximately 60 daily at least).

The Proposals

6. The scheme can be split into two sections. The first section provides a new link between the villages of Bayworth and Sunningwell and the second improves the route between Sunningwell and Abingdon using the existing bridleway along Pen Lane (see plan attached in Annex 2) (download as .doc file). The engineering consultants Babtie carried out a feasibility study for the whole route and identified three different options for how a footway/cycleway could be provided between Bayworth and Sunningwell. They also identified that there is scope for improving the existing surface along the Pen Lane bridleway to make it significantly more attractive to cyclists (plans showing the proposals are in the Members' Resource Centre). The proposals were displayed at the public exhibition and are briefly described in Annex 3. A more detailed description is available in the Members’ Resource Centre.

Scheme Costs

7. For the section between Bayworth and Sunningwell the estimated cost of Options 1, 2, and 3 is between £100k - £129k depending on the type of footway construction. The County Council’s term highway maintenance contractor would construct this element of the scheme. The cost of improving and repairing the existing bridleway surface between Sunningwell and Abingdon is estimated to be £15k. These bridleway works could be carried out by Countryside Services who are experienced in undertaking surface improvements to rural rights of way and making sure these are sensitive to their surroundings. A refuge crossing across Dunmore Road (at the southern end of the bridleway) would cost approximately £21k. This includes local road widening of the existing carriageway.

The Exhibition

8. The exhibition was held on 8 August between 2 - 8pm in Sunningwell Village Hall. All households in Bayworth and Sunningwell were notified of the exhibition by a combination of leaflets (delivered door to door), a notice in the community newsletter and several notices displayed in the local area. The exhibition gave background to the cycle route proposals as well as displaying plans showing the options for the new/improved cycling facilities. A questionnaire was produced to gauge the level of support for the proposals in general and each of the design options in particular. There was opportunity on the questionnaires for those attending the exhibition to make additional comments. Present at the exhibition were County Council officers and representatives of the consultant Babtie.
9. Eighty-five people attended the exhibition and a total of seventy-five questionnaires were completed and returned. The completed questionnaires are in the Members' Resource Centre. Of those who completed questionnaires:

• 88% expressed general support for the principle of improving cycling and walking facilities between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon;
• 80% approved of the proposals presented at the exhibition for cycling and walking between Bayworth and Sunningwell; and
• 81% approved of the proposals presented at the exhibition for cycling and walking along Pen Lane.

10. Of the sixty people who approved of the proposals presented at the exhibition between Bayworth and Sunningwell, 95% indicated a preference for a particular option, 55% voted for Option 1, 33% for Option 2 and 7% for Option 3.
11. Of the thirty-one people who said they currently cycle between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon, 77% said they would cycle more often if their preferred option for the route were built. Of the sixty people who said they currently walk between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon, 57% said they would walk more often if their preferred option for the route were built. Of the people who do not currently cycle or walk, 26% said they would start to cycle or walk if the improvements were introduced.
12. Additional comments were made on forty-five of the seventy-five completed questionnaires. Five of these were general comments about the proposals, giving additional support. Thirty comments were more specific relating to the two sections of the route. Some people were concerned about the environmental impact of the new link between Bayworth and Sunningwell and requested that the rural character of the area be retained. Others raised concerns about the possible misuse of Pen Lane by motorbikes/cars if the surface was improved and requested that any surface improvements were in keeping with the existing environment. Several people were concerned about the speed at which traffic currently travelled through the villages and suggested that speed restrictions were largely ignored. Some requested that the derestricted speed limit along Quarry Road between Bayworth and Sunningwell be reduced. Others said that Sunningwell Road is very busy at certain times of the day when used as a cut through to Boars Hill. The remaining comments were other ideas for further/alternative extensions to the route including the possibility of a link to Wootton. All comments have been recorded and where appropriate will be taken into account if detailed design work on the cycle route takes place.

Parish Council, County Councillor and MP views

13. Sunningwell Parish Council has written expressing support for the scheme. Their preference for the link between Bayworth and Sunningwell is Option 1. The parishioners of Bayworth are also in strong support of the scheme. In a recently compiled petition arranged by the Parish Council, 74% of Bayworth residents expressed support for Option 1. The Vice Chair-man of the Parish Council has also written expressing support for the scheme and has suggested that the Parish Council, as a token of appreciation, make a small financial contribution towards the cost of the link between Bayworth and Sunningwell. Abingdon North County Councillor, Alan Bryden, has also expressed support for the scheme and favours an off road link between the two villages. Evan Harris, Member of Parliament for the area, is also in support of the scheme although he has not specified a preferred option.

Officer Comments

14. The response to the proposals on display at the exhibition was very positive – 88% of those who completed questionnaires supported the need to improve cycling and walking facilities between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon. In addition, Sunningwell Parish Council, a local Councillor and the local Member of Parliament have all expressed support.
15. Option 1 was the most popular route on display at the exhibition for the link between Bayworth and Sunningwell. This was also the most popular option of 74% of Bayworth residents who signed a petition asking for the pedestrian/cycle path. In addition, responses from the Parish Council and a local Councillor reinforce the support for Option 1. It is on the basis of this support that the Committee is therefore being recommended to approve more detailed design work based on Option 1 and to authorise progress on detailed design work on improvements to the existing bridleway between Sunningwell and Abingdon.
16. In response to comments raised at the exhibition, the detailed design process will address the need to ensure that the environmental impacts of constructing a link between Bayworth and Sunningwell are kept to a minimum. The concerns expressed about the speed limit on Quarry Road and surface improvements to the existing bridleway encouraging unwanted use by motorbikes/cars would also need to be addressed in the design process.

Environmental Implications

17. Detailed design work will address any need for changes to existing highway verge and associated planting. The overall impact of the scheme will, of course, have environmental benefits in the sense that it will have the potential to reduce car use between Bayworth, Sunningwell and Abingdon.

Financial and Staff Implications

18. It is estimated that implementation of Option 1 between Bayworth and Sunningwell will cost approximately £100k. Improvements to the bridleway section have been estimated at £15k. However there is still a little uncertainty about the scale of the work needed on this stretch. This will be clarified during detailed design. The cost of a pedestrian refuge island on the Dunmore Road has been estimated at £21k. Funding for this refuge and the new link between Bayworth and Sunningwell would be from the Single Capital Pot, subject to the scheme being included in the Capital Programme for 2003/2004. Funding for the bridleway improvements will be from the 2002/2003 Rapid Response budget.
19. Further investigation of Option 1 and associated design work would be undertaken by the County Council's engineering consultant, Babtie, and Project Management would be carried out by Environmental Services' Traffic Engineering Section within current staffing levels.

RECOMMENDATIONS

20. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the results of the questionnaire survey as showing significant support for the scheme;
2. approve Option 1 for the section between Bayworth and Sunningwell, for the reasons set out in the report, together with the new refuge crossing on Dunmore Road, as a basis for detailed design; and
3. authorise the Director of Environmental Services to implement the scheme subject to it being included in a future capital programme.

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Background papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Rachel Nixon Tel: Oxford 815784

November 2002

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