Meeting documents

Application No. W.04/02 (detailed)

Construction of a 6.1m wide road, 400m long linking Welch Way and Burford Road/Mill Street, Witney including footways and a cycleway, provision of access to three adjacent areas of land for redevelopment which include housing, recreational, community and employment uses (not part of this planning application), closure of eastern end of Dark Lane to vehicular traffic, traffic light controlled junctions, street lighting and landscaping, corridor of land between Welch Way and junction of Dark Lane with Burford Road/Mill Street, Witney, Oxon

Development and site plan (see attached plan):

On 20 May 2002 the Planning & Regulation Committee deferred consideration of this application pending investigation into the provision of a cycleway on the eastern side of the proposed road following concerns which had been expressed about the safety of providing a shared pedestrian/cycleway.

On 1 July 2002 the Planning & Regulation Committee supported a scheme which replaced the shared pedestrian/cycleway with ‘on carriageway’ cycle lanes on each side of the road and authorised the Assistant Director of Environmental Services (Land Use Planning) to approve the amended application subject to a 21 day consultation period on the alteration, consulting the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson for the third Political Party if any objections were received. (Note: for ease of reference the earlier reports to those meetings are attached).

Consultation was carried out and objections to the proposed ‘on carriageway’ cycle lanes were received. However, these have not yet been reported to the Committeebecause there was a likelihood of more changes being necessary. These changes could be required because of the need to accommodate traffic management measures to deal with changed traffic flows caused by the new road.

A variety of traffic management measures to deal with these traffic flows have been consulted on. The one that was supported by the majority of residents was to keep open the Dark Lane/West End Link (WEL) junction, but to close Dark Lane about half way down its length. This would allow some 40 houses in Dark Lane to use the junction. The measures also included the closure of Moor Avenue at its southern end with the inclusion of a ‘bus only’ gate.

The Dark Lane/WEL junction was planned to be closed in the original application because it was considered that its position if open, with a high level of turning traffic so close to the WEL/Burford Road would result in congestion and a risk of accidents. The closure of Dark Lane at its mid point would mean that only some 40 houses would use the junction, which it is considered can accommodate the level of traffic generated by these houses. Oxfordshire County Council’s Traffic Implementation Committee has supported this option.

The road closures do not form part of this planning application and do not need planning consent.

The consequence of these traffic management schemes would be that the junction of Dark Lane with the WEL would now be open to traffic. This would be a change from the original application which asked for the eastern end of Dark Lane to be closed

Therefore, the Committee are now being asked to consider the following changes to the application:

(II) the changes to on carriageway cycle lanes.

Development and site plan (continued):

Comments received on the cycle lane alterations were as follows:

4. South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust and Oxfordshire Mental Health Care NHS Trust – proposed cycle route should link into the adjacent Health Centre access – there should be cycle access from the proposed car park to the north of the site.

Assistant Director’s Comments:

Dark Lane Resident ((ii)) - the proposed on carriageway cycle lanes are not materially affected by the proposed traffic management measures.

West Oxfordshire District Council ((iii)) - there are two not three cycle ways in the area, (the WEL cycle provision is only one cycle way) and it is the council’s policy to encourage cycling. There would be no noticeable increase in the width of the road as a result of the on carriageway cycle lanes and there would be fewer signs than with a shared pedestrian/cycleway. It is the Council’s policy to segregate pedestrians from cyclists to avoid conflict by providing for cyclists to use ‘on carriageway’ cycle lanes.

South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust and Oxfordshire Mental Health Care NHS Trust ((iv)) - arrangements will be made to allow cyclists to access the adjacent Health Centre if the application is approved. The car park to the north will be managed by West Oxfordshire District Council and it will be for the Trusts to negotiate access to it with the District Council.

The change to the application to allow the Dark Lane/WEL junction to be open is currently being consulted on, but the consultation period will not be completed before the date of the Committee. No comments have yet been received. Any replies received will be reported at the meeting.

Because the consultation process will not be complete before the date of the meeting I suggest that if the Committee wish to support the amended application, they again authorise me to approve the application subject to:

1. consideration of the results of consultation;

3. the conditions outlined in the recommendation.

The Committee should note that the previously suggested condition 8 which said that ‘the closure of the eastern end of Dark Lane should not be implemented until an appropriate Traffic Regulation Order has been secured’ is omitted from the recommendation. This is because planning conditions should not duplicate the requirements of other Acts.

Assistant Director’s Comments (continued):

Also, condition 9 which states that ‘traffic management measures in Moor Avenue to be implemented before road is opened to traffic’ is recommended to be changed to ‘the West End link road shall not be open to through traffic until appropriate traffic management measures in Dark Lane and Moor Avenue, which are to be first approved by the Assistant Director (Land Use Planning), have been introduced.

This change would allow flexibility if the road is finished before the Traffic Regulation Orders are complete. The condition would allow the road to be opened using temporary closure or traffic light controls.

Recommendation:

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to authorise the Assistant Director of Environmental Services (Land Use Planning) to approve amended Application W.04/02 subject to:

(a) consideration of the results of consultation;

100. the following conditions:

(i) detailed compliance (amended drawings)

(ii) detailed duration limit – 5 years

3. the junction of the WEL and Dark Lane shall not be closed to vehicular traffic
4. landscaping scheme, including all means of enclosure
5. protect trees during construction works
6. detailed scheme for surface water drainage works
7. design of connections to existing and proposed footpath/cycleway networks
8. details of lighting design
9. the West End link road shall not be open to through traffic until appropriate traffic management measures in Dark Lane and Moor Avenue, which are first to be approved by the Assistant Director (Land Use Planning) have been introduced.
10. Archaeological watching brief during period of construction.

(Note: Conditions iii – vii to be dealt with in consultation with WODC).

Annex 1 (download as .doc file)

Annex 2 (download as .doc file)

Contact Officer: John Hamilton Tel: Oxford 815584

Return to TOP