Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/035

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Interim Director for Community Operations (CMDE11).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation to extend the 40mph speed limit on the northbound carriageway of the A41 on the approach to its roundabout junction with Vendee Drive and also to introduce a 50mph speed limit to the south of the extended 40mph put forward following a review of the recent accident history and specifically at the A41 roundabout junction with Vendee Drive, where there has been a significant record of injury accidents involving northbound vehicles on the A41 travelling at excessive speed and, if approved, would be funded by the Road Safety budget within the County Council’s Capital programme.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the extension of the 40mph speed limit and introduction of a 50mph speed limit on the A41 as advertised.

Approved

Noting:

·      that there would be a comprehensive review of this area including the Vendee Drive roundabout to include further developments proposed for that area and that this decision had been a specific response to a number of serious traffic incidents including 3 fatalities to achieve an immediate safety gain;

·      officers to ensure future engagement with local stakeholders regarding the ongoing review.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE11) responses received to a statutory consultation to extend the 40mph speed limit on the northbound carriageway of the A41 on the approach to its roundabout junction with Vendee Drive and also to introduce a 50mph speed limit to the south of the extended 40mph put forward following a review of the recent accident history and specifically at the A41 roundabout junction with Vendee Drive, where there had been a significant record of injury accidents involving northbound vehicles on the A41 travelling at excessive speed.

Tim Hibbert (Wendlebury PC)advised thatWendlebury was a small village of 180 households with no street lighting, or pavements and was a vibrant community that tried to maintain a quality of rural life. It was vital that the current physical containment of the village was understood. The M40 to the West, the A41 to the North and the Chiltern Railway line to the South.  Junction 9 fell within the parish boundary as well as part of the A41. The remainder of the A41 fell within the parameters of Chesterton Parish Council, the neighbouring Parish.  To set the context in relation to the proposed speed reductions in this report the A41 and Bicester itself were already experiencing operational stress and a number of serious collisions and fatalities had been reported at the A41/Vendee Drive junction and on the A41 near Wendlebury in recent years. Both Junctions 9 and 10 of the M40 were already operating at capacity and when accidents occurred, significant queueing and rat running occurred on surrounding roads. Wendlebury suffered from severe ‘rat running’ through the village from traffic being diverted to avoid Junction 9. For safety reasons, the Parish Council, supported by OCC had introduced a speed limit of 20 mph. There were a number of major commercial developments as part of Cherwell Local Plan Policy Bicester 10, not only on the A41, but particularly adjacent to the Vendee Drive roundabout. The Parish Council was particularly concerned with the real impact of traffic congestion from these developments as they would inevitably generate a significant amount of extra travel.

Their concerns over the proposals centred on an absence of appropriate data which prevented the PC being in a position to make a judgement. A further concern was there was no information to show that the impact of developments around the Vendee Drive roundabout had been considered, or the impact of Tritax Symmetry warehouse proposals. To what extent had the traffic from the future developments been taken into account? Enforcement options were also critical, to help us make a judgement it would have been helpful to see this data as well. Had a cost benefit analysis been carried out? In August 2018, there was a fatal accident on the A41 by the pedestrian crossing at Wendlebury. The Inquest concluded that death was caused by excessive speed. Following that accident, OCC were to look at proposals for a bridge crossing, funded by a third party. To date there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30