Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/015

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704/Rebecca Crowe, Transport Planner (Infrastructure Locality – South & Vale) Tel: 07833 401067

Report by Corporate Director, Environment and Place (CMDE8).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation on the proposals outlined in the recommendation below.

The Cabinet Member for Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the following as advertised:

Chilton Road

a)           30mph Speed Limit – from its current terminal point, to the junction with Hagbourne Hill, replacing in the whole existing 40mph speed limit as a result.

b)            Banned Turning movements from Hagbourne Hill into Chilton Road from both directions, supported by No entry signs at the junction for vehicles approaching from the west.

c)           Traffic Calming Chicane (to be wide enough to accommodate non-standard cycles & wheelchairs) to be located on Chilton Road approx. 5 metres from Hagbourne Hill.

d)           Gate feature (with 1.5-metre-wide cycle bypass) to be located approx. 240 metres west of London Road.

e)           Raised table approximately 6 metres long, sited approximately 80 metres west of London Road

A417 London Road

f)            a Toucan Crossing (controlled crossing for use by pedestrians & pedal cycles) to be located on London Road approx. 12 metres South of Chilton Road

Station Road

g)           Raised table approximately 14.5 metres long, sited at its junction with London Road

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation on the provision traffic management measures, speed Limit and toucan crossing on Chilton Road, Station Road and A417 London Road, Upton.

Katie Napper a resident on the farm at the bottom of Hagbourne Hill.  The Harwell “bypass” and the increased vehicular access to the A34 at Chilton had already increased the volume of traffic which had now been exacerbated by the closure of Chilton Road.  The road was extremely busy even during lockdown n and she had no doubt that traffic, post lockdown, would increase further and a cursory inspection today showed significant damage to the edges of the road as evidence of an increasing volume of traffic using it.  Without the turn in and out of Chilton Road the traffic is moving faster and there had been two accidents, one a fatality, since lockdown started, where speed had undoubtedly been a contributory factor. The junction was not on the crest of the hill, and the road curved slightly too.  The junction was invisible to drivers coming from Chilton, until just 5 seconds away giving little time to spot pedestrians and make a decision about slowing or stopping.  Similarly, pedestrians are unable to clearly see oncoming traffic from the Chilton direction. Her main concern was for slower users, parents with pushchairs, kids on their own bikes – to whom Chilton Road would be an attractive option as it had such a smooth and easy-to-use surface. Upton already had the Lynchway, an ancient track, which crossed no roads, and allowed traffic-free access to both the Ridgeway and the Harwell Campus area & beyond, for cyclists and walkers.  Her three main objections were the movement of their large vehicles from Hagbourne Hill Farm onto the hill road at the junction in question as they were slow moving and the closure of the Chilton Road had removed the natural slowing of other traffic which had previously allowed relatively safe access to the hill road for large vehicles. Vehicles leaving their own farm premises to join the stream of traffic at peak times. Finally, they did not agree that this use of the junction at the top of Chilton Road was, as Sustrans suggests, “making walking, wheeling & cycling safer”, especially when a safe, traffic-free alternative already existed.   Consideration needed to be given to the safety of the junction at the top as with increasing volumes of traffic, that crossing wouldl become even more dangerous.

Janice Bridger re-inforced the request of British Horse Society that horse traffic was accommodated in this project. Removal of motor traffic from Chilton Road would attract use by horse riders to access the good equestrian rights of way network in the area and thus the project was welcomed but there was no mention of horse traffic in the plans. They had read the Council’s response to the Society’s representation and welcomed the statement that their requests would be looked at but they were concerned that the report gave reasons why horses could not be accommodated and they asked the council with the Society to work out how that could be done. By way of example they were puzzled about how the Council and Sustrans saw horse traffic using the junction between Station Road & Chilton Road. A signal controlled crossing was deemed necessary for walkers & cyclists but horse traffic seemed to have to made its own way presumably riding along the A417 between these 2 roads. This seemed unwise to them and would replicate the problem on the nearby A4185 where horses had not been accommodated at the signal-controlled crossing. Horses were lawful users of public roads and so any accidents here could surely lead to litigation if the needs of a legal user group had not been catered for. They had made many representations to the County Council on the needs of horse traffic in the county but the needs of the horse community it seemed were still not being recognised so the Society were now asking that a recommendation is made for horse traffic to be considered seriously.

Officers advised that the alternative to use Lynch Way had been looked at but as that involved a 25 to 30 minute extension for cyclists it had not been seen as an attractive option. They confirmed that Sustrans would be looking at provision of activated signing on Hagbourne Hill to raise awareness of agricultural vehicles and with regard to the points raised on behalf of the BHS they would also be looking at provision for horses crossing within the budget for the scheme and officers would work with them on that element.

The Cabinet Member for Environment recognised that this was a significant scheme which had received a great deal of support.  She thanked the speakers for their submissions and officers for preparing a carefully considered scheme which, although a Sustrans scheme sponsored scheme, met the County Council’s objectives to move away from reliance on motor vehicles. She noted that the Lynch Way presented a less attractive option and that the scheme would be subject to a safety audit. Therefore, having regard to the information in the report before her and the representations made to her at the meeting she confirmed her decision as follows:

to approve the following as advertised:

Chilton Road

a)           30mph Speed Limit – from its current terminal point, to the junction with Hagbourne Hill, replacing in the whole existing 40mph speed limit as a result.

b)            Banned Turning movements from Hagbourne Hill into Chilton Road from both directions, supported by No entry signs at the junction for vehicles approaching from the west.

c)            Traffic Calming Chicane (to be wide enough to accommodate non-standard cycles & wheelchairs) to be located on Chilton Road approx. 5 metres from Hagbourne Hill.

d)           Gate feature (with 1.5-metre-wide cycle bypass) to be located approx. 240 metres west of London Road.

e)           Raised table approximately 6 metres long, sited approximately 80 metres west of London Road

A417 London Road

f)             a Toucan Crossing (controlled crossing for use by pedestrians & pedal cycles) to be located on London Road approx. 12 metres South of Chilton Road

Station Road

g)           Raised table approximately 14.5 metres long, sited at its junction with London Road

h)            officers asked to secure a minimising of the light impact from the signals and streetlights at night through design and night dimming.

i)             officers asked to continue to work with Sustrans through the scheme design process to consider including crossing facilities for horse riders and improving safety for egress of farm vehicles and cyclists onto Hagbourne Hill.

Signed……………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing……………………………..