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ITEM TIC12

TRANSPORT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE –
27 NOVEMBER 2003

A POSSIBLE NEW FOOT/CYCLE BRIDGE CROSSING OF THE RIVER THAMES AT BABLOCK HYTHE

Report by the Assistant Director (Environment & Economy)

1. In February 2003, the Executive approved proposals for extensions to the Sustrans National Cycle Network (NCN) in Oxfordshire. Part of one of these was from Oxford to Witney, which would require a new crossing of the Thames, west of Cumnor. This report considers the possible locations for the necessary cycle/foot bridge and explains why Bablock Hythe would be most suitable. It also explains that there are a number of other reasons why a new bridge at Bablock Hythe would be beneficial to the area. Because of this a Bridge Working Group was set up comprising representatives of other interested organisations (Environment Agency, Thames Path National Trail, Sustrans, the two District Councils) to investigate the idea further. A consultation exercise involving all households in villages close to Bablock Hythe together with all local Councils and Councillors has resulted in a generally very positive response. The next step is for detailed proposals for a bridge to be drawn up to allow a planning application to be made, funding sources to be more fully investigated and land negotiations to be progressed.

Justification of a New Crossing of the Thames at Bablock Hythe

2. The need for a new foot/cycle bridge at Bablock Hythe was highlighted by Sustrans in their recent report on possible extensions to the NCN in Oxfordshire. The plan in Annex 1 (download as .doc file) shows the location of Bablock Hythe and the proposed route of the NCN. It has since become clear that there are a number of other benefits and policy reasons justifying the bridge in that location. These relate mainly to the significant improvements to the rural Rights of Way network that the bridge would bring about. More details of the justification for the bridge can be found in Annex 2.

Possible Alternative Locations for a New Thames Crossing

3. In coming to the view that a new crossing at Bablock Hythe would provide the benefits listed above, all possible alternative sites were considered. Some concerns have also been expressed by local people about the impact that a new crossing at Bablock Hythe would have (these will be discussed in more detail later in the report). This led to alternative locations for the new crossing being suggested. The plan in Annex 1 (download as .doc file) shows the two possible alternative locations. Annex 3 sets out the reasons why officers have come to the conclusion that Bablock Hythe is the most suitable location for the new crossing.

The Feasibility of a New Thames Crossing at Bablock Hythe

4. In order to assess whether it would be possible to construct a new crossing of the Thames at Bablock Hythe, a topographical survey of the site was carried out during the Spring of this year. This established that it would be feasible to build such a crossing in a single span, a possible location being just a few metres upstream of the line of the old ferry crossing.
5. Little work has been carried out on the design of the bridge other than to establish that its construction would be possible. However, a rough estimate of the construction costs has been made, suggesting a figure of approximately £500,000. There are a number of possible sources of funding for the bridge, such as the Aggregates Sustainability Levy Fund and the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. These and other sources would need to be investigated further.
6. Clearly, land will be needed on both sides of the river to accommodate the ramps and foundations for the bridge. It has been established that the land needed is outside of public highway although the exact details of land ownership are still being investigated. Initial approaches have been made to those believed to be the relevant landowners regarding the possibility of acquiring the necessary land for the bridge, although negotiations are still at an early stage.
7. Since starting work on investigating the possibility of a new crossing at Bablock Hythe, it has been established that the small amount of land that makes up the car parking area on the east bank of the Thames in that location is registered as Common Land. The construction of any part of the proposed bridge on any part of the land forming part of the registered common would not be legally allowed under Common Land legislation. However the legislation does contain provisions which would allow registered land to be exchanged with other land provided the Secretary of State consented. Clearly, if the principle of a new crossing of the Thames at Bablock Hythe is approved, further investigation of this particular issue will need to be carried out. If it is subsequently established that no part of the bridge can be located on the car parking area, its alignment would need to be altered to avoid the Common land.

Consultation on the Possible New Bridge at Bablock Hythe

8. Once it was established that the best location for the new bridge appeared to be at Bablock Hythe, a consultation leaflet was jointly produced by Environment & Economy and Sustrans. A copy of the leaflet is on deposit in the Members’ Resource Centre. It included brief details on the need for the bridge and the benefits of the crossing site being at Bablock Hythe. It also incorporated a questionnaire asking for people’s views of the proposed new crossing including whether or not they would use it if it was built. There was an opportunity to suggest alternative locations for the new crossing and a space for additional comments to be made.
9. The leaflet was distributed to 1816 households and businesses in an area close to the proposed new crossing point which included the villages of Cumnor, Eaton, Appleton, Stanton Harcourt, Standlake and Northmoor. (Further copies of the leaflet were distributed through Rights of Way user groups and other interested organisations). At the time of writing 623 out of the 1816 questionnaires had been returned representing a return rate of 34% – a very good return for a survey of this kind. The table at Annex 4 (download as .doc file) summarises the questionnaire responses including details of responses from individual villages. Copies of letters received in response to the questionnaire both for and against the bridge are on deposit in the Members’ Resource Centre.
10. Overall, 560 out of the 623 returns from the local area (90%) supported the proposal for a bridge at Bablock Hythe. One hundred and fifty one of the 560 who supported the bridge did so on the basis that there should be associated traffic restrictions in Eaton. 23% of all respondents used the space on the questionnaire for comments to express particularly strong support for the bridge. Only 63 (10%) responses did not support the bridge proposal. Sixteen of these were from people living in Eaton.
11. Only 25 (3.8% of responses within the distribution area) people said they thought the bridge should be built at an alternative location, 23 of these suggesting Skinners Bridge. Overall, therefore, it can be concluded that there is a great deal of support for the introduction of a new crossing of the Thames at Bablock Hythe. The specific concerns restricted mainly to people living in Eaton and elsewhere east of the Thames are considered in the following paragraphs.

Concerns about a Bridge at Bablock Hythe

Concerns of Eaton Residents

12. There have been some concerns expressed by a small number of people, many of whom live in Eaton. The nature of most of the concerns of Eaton residents are very similar and relate to the potential of the proposed bridge to generate additional motorised traffic through the village. Some of these concerns had been made known before the publication of the consultation leaflet. Therefore, to gauge the level of concern, the possibility of traffic restrictions in Eaton was included in the questionnaire.
13. Eaton is a small village situated on a no through road, the only traffic on which is accessing a small number of private residences beyond the village as well as the small parking area that exists where the road reaches the river. Consequently, traffic flows through the village are currently very low (average two-way flow over a 24 hour period in the second half of August was 109 vehicles).
14. The specific concerns are concentrated on the belief that the new bridge would increase the level of traffic through the village. Their fear is that people would drive to the river, park and then walk over the new bridge to reach the Ferryman Inn on the west bank. Other people might drive to the river to start country walks on the opposite side of the river. Some residents of Eaton have also suggested that the Ferryman Inn is a well known ‘bikers’ pub and that large numbers of motorbikes would ride through Eaton and push their bikes across the new bridge to access the pub.
15. The concern is that not only would there be an unacceptable increase in the level of traffic through Eaton but also that cars would park along the verges of Bablock Hythe Road potentially creating an obstruction where they do so. This could impact on the operation of the two farms in Eaton who access parts of their land along the road. As a result, some residents of Eaton who expressed concern suggested that either the bridge should not be built at all or, at the very least, all but access only traffic is stopped from driving through the village.
16. There is also some concern about the antisocial behaviour that could result from people leaving the Ferryman Inn late at night. It is alleged that the pub is a regular venue for late night discos, ‘raves’ and other events. Therefore it is felt that when word gets around on the east side of the river that the bridge exists, the frequency and scale of such disruptive events will increase due to the improved access, and that large numbers of people will drive through Eaton to get there.

Response to the Concerns of Eaton Residents

17. Any significant additional traffic travelling through Eaton would be undesirable in terms of altering the quiet nature of the village and potentially causing road safety concerns. If cars were to park on the roadside verges close to the river, this may compromise some of the farming operations that take place in that location as well as damaging the verges.
18. However, officers do not believe that the building of a bridge at Bablock Hythe would necessarily result in any significant additional traffic through Eaton. The two main reasons why people might drive down to the Thames through Eaton are:

To access the Ferryman Inn across the bridge

19. A traffic counter was placed on the road leading up to the Ferryman Inn and the two caravan parks on the west side of the river for two weeks in August and two weeks in September. This showed that during these periods, on average, only 9 vehicles travelled westbound between 10pm and 1am. It is fair to assume that these vehicles would be leaving the Ferryman rather than the caravan parks. These figures were recorded during what could be considered the peak season for a riverside pub (late summer), and are likely to be lower still during the colder months of the year.
20. Bearing in mind these very low traffic volumes, any traffic increase through Eaton as a result of the new bridge is highly unlikely to be of an order of magnitude that would cause any concern for people living there. In response to the concerns about motorbike traffic through Eaton, people living on the west side of the river are clear that the venue is not a ‘bikers’ pub. Given this, there is no reason why the construction of a new bridge would generate additional motorbike traffic.
21. As regards the late night discos, ‘raves’, and other events that locals fear would attract large amounts of traffic - the Ferryman Inn does not have a public entertainment license and so no such events are permitted. It is the understanding of officers that if such events did take place, the licensing authority would need to be contacted and the appropriate enforcement action taken.

To start a country walk from Bablock Hythe

22. A number of people already drive to the river to start country walks from the small parking area but it is not felt that the bridge would result in very many more people doing this. Large car parks, accessible by main roads, exist within a few kilometres of Bablock Hythe, at Newbridge and Farmoor reservoir. These offer more convenient access to the Thames Path than at Bablock Hythe via Eaton.
23. Whilst officers consider that very little additional traffic will be generated by the building of a new bridge at Bablock Hythe, it is understood that any significant levels of extra traffic could cause a nuisance to residents of Eaton and those carrying out farming operations in the area. Therefore, it is proposed that should the bridge be built, before and after monitoring of traffic through Eaton be undertaken. If there is found to be a significant increase in the amount of traffic, measures could be introduced to prevent parking anywhere close to the river except at the existing parking area (i.e. a maximum of around ten vehicles at any one time). This could be achieved relatively simply where necessary by implementing verge protection measures (for example logs, railway sleepers or large rocks) along Bablock Hythe Road approaching the river. This could be achieved without preventing access for large vehicles needed for local farming operations. The details of such measures would need to be worked-up in consultation with local residents and farmers.
24. Similar but fewer concerns about cars parking close to the west side of the river have been expressed, particularly relating to people wanting to start country walks from there. Whilst the parking area next to the Ferryman Inn is restricted to its patrons only, it is suggested that the parking situation on the road approaching the site would need to be monitored after the bridge is built and similar measures as on the east side introduced if necessary.

Views of Local Councils and Councillors

25. The idea of a possible new bridge at Bablock Hythe was explained to all local Councils and Councillors at an early stage of development and more recently when the consultation leaflet was distributed. In June, Craig Rossington attended a public meeting in Cumnor, arranged by the Parish Council, to discuss the issues involved. The notes of that meeting are on deposit in the Members’ Resource Centre with responses from the Councils and Councillors summarised at Annex 5. The general feeling was supportive conditional on all possible alternative sites being properly considered and concerns about additional traffic in Eaton adequately addressed.
26. The local member for Cumnor drew attention to the possibility that whilst a new crossing at Bablock Hythe could benefit cyclists, it could also disadvantage local residents. He also felt that some sort of feasibility study should be undertaken on alternative sites for the new bridge crossing. A consideration by officers of the alternatives is included at Annex 3.

Next Steps

27. If the principle of a bridge at Bablock Hythe is endorsed by the Committee, more work will need to be undertaken to take the scheme forward by County officers (in conjunction with other members of the Bridge Working Group). A detailed design and alignment of the bridge would be required allowing land negotiations to be progressed. The design process would establish more accurately how much the bridge is likely to cost which would enable funding sources to be more fully investigated.
28. The design work would also allow a planning application to be made which would give a further opportunity for the impacts of the bridge to be assessed and for local people to be formally consulted. Additional consents relating to building a bridge over a navigable watercourse and also creating a public right of way over the river would be needed.

Conclusion

29. The building of a new cycle/foot bridge across the Thames at Bablock Hythe would have a number of significant benefits to the people living in the local area and further afield and is supported by County Council policy, particularly relating to access to the countryside. The consultation exercise has indicated that there is significant support for the bridge in the local area. Whilst a relatively small number of concerns have been strongly expressed by some, it is considered that these can be dealt with through detailed traffic control measures if necessary. The Committee is therefore asked to authorise further work on the development of the bridge scheme including producing a detailed design which would allow a planning application to be made, funding sources investigated and land negotiations to progress.

Financial and Staff Implications

30. Work needed to progress the bridge proposals will require a certain amount of staff resources from various sections of the Environment & Economy Directorate but this could be encompassed within the current staffing levels. There would be certain tasks that could be carried out by Sustrans. As regards funding of the bridge itself, it is envisaged at this stage that the majority of the money would be raised from external sources. A small amount may be required from the Sustainable Transport Schemes budget and this will therefore be subject to inclusion in a future year’s capital programme.

Environmental Implications

31. Detailed design work will establish the exact size and extent of the bridge and therefore its impact on the surrounding area. The intention is to design the bridge in such a way as to be sympathetic with its surroundings and have as little impact on the environment as possible. The overall impact of the scheme will, of course, have environmental benefits in its promotion of walking and cycling for journeys between West Oxfordshire and the area east of the river including the Oxford area and vice versa.

RECOMMENDATIONS

32. The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the response to the consultation leaflet on a new foot/cycle bridge crossing of the Thames at Bablock Hythe as showing significant local support but also the need to consider and address, where appropriate, the specific concerns of residents of Eaton and therefore;
2. support in principle the need for a new crossing of the Thames and the choice of Bablock Hythe as the best location for such a crossing; and
3. give authority to officers to continue to progress the bridge proposals (in conjunction with other members of the Bridge Working Group) to allow a planning application to be made, other consents to be sought, sources of funding to be investigated, the investigation of Common Land issues and the acquisition of the necessary land to be negotiated.

RICHARD DIX
Assistant Director (Environment & Economy)

Background papers: Consultation leaflet

Contact Officer: Craig Rossington - Tel: Oxford 815575

November 2003

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