Mr. Tony Bronk
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Written Statement from Mr T. Bronk (an individual) further to representation response number 027090277 objecting to the Eastleigh Borough Council draft Local Plan 1. My representation stated I was unsure whether the matters I raised fall within the category of Legal and Compliance. 2. My Representation stated I was opposed to the following parts of the draft Local Plan in respect of sustainability and infrastructure: DM3; and in respect of Transport: Policy S6 (do you support or object to this policy on the new Allbrook, Bishopstoke and Fair Oak link road); and Policy S12 (do you support or object to this policy on transport infrastructure). I have identified that Matters 2 and 5 and issues therein are particularly relevant to my question whether the draft Local Plan has taken: “proper account of its impact on existing infrastructure” and whether in respect of all journeys arising because of the proposed developments Eastleigh Borough Council can be “reasonably satisfied those movements can be accommodated”. My Statement My representation challenged whether the proposed new Link Road including realignment of Highbridge Road (B3335) by Allbrook railway bridge was a reasonable mitigant to the increase of traffic that will be generated by the proposed new development. I provide the following information to show the inadequacies of the existing transport infrastructure and therefore to emphasise my continuing concern about Issue 2.5: “What reasonable alternatives have been considered to avoid these effects [negative or minor negative] and if they are avoidable, is the Plan justified?” The further documents issued in support of the draft Local Plan (such as SGO022 and TRA014a) confirm the inability of Allbrook bridge to accommodate large HGVs and double deck busses. The consequence is that all large HGVs travelling north and west from the proposed development sites must therefore travel on the existing road network, in particular the B3354 though Colden Common and after the Highbridge Road junction the B3335 through Twyford. I provide below the following additional information to emphasise the negative effects; to support my contention that they are avoidable by locating development at other more suitable sites and therefore that the Plan is not justified. Physical constraints on the B3335 Physical constraints exist on the B3335 Twyford High Street near the Park Lane and Queen Street road junctions. In particular, the bend on that section of road cannot currently accommodate two HGVs passing so any increase in the number of such vehicles will exacerbate the existing problem. I provide annotated maps below and photographs in Appendix A that show traffic queueing to the north and the dangers to pedestrians when traffic is moving in a southerly direction. Please also note that there is an absence of a usable pavement on the west side of the High Street at that location. Children walking to the Junior School from properties to the south of Queen Street must therefore cross the High Street to access the pavement on the east side and then cross again soon after the bend. Neither crossing is assisted although two Pelican crossings exist to the north of the intersection of the High Street by Hazeley Road and Finches Lane. In response to concerns raised by residents at the Colden Common Annual Parish Assembly about HGVs travelling through Colden Common (and on to Twyford) Hampshire County Council provided the response at Appendix B stating that no weight or other limitations were possible on the B3335 or B3354. Further information is at Appendix D. Map of a section of Twyford High Street – Please note the scale Narrow High Street B3335 and bend causes wide or long vehicles to cross the road carriageway markings No pavement Road crossings with traffic lights Narrow High Street and bend where pavement is absent on the west side of the High Street Unadopted road without a pavement is a poor alternative as an access route to the north of the village (to prevent crossing the road without assisted crossings) Increasing numbers of traffic movements Besides carrying all northbound large HGVs the B3354 and B3335 will also carry many other vehicles for access to Winchester and the M3 and A34 (and A303 for westbound journeys). Twyford Parish Council has purchased a Speed Limit Monitoring device that provides an hourly breakdown of the number of traffic movements and its speed. Unfortunately it has not yet been installed just before the Park Lane junction but data will be available prior to the scheduled hearings. Colden Common Parish Council published data from its monitoring device during the period 1st to 14th February 2019: “A staggering 97603 vehicles were picked up by the radar travelling Northbound during this period. Midweek an average of 15,515 North bound traffic movements take place each day.” The published data shows weekday average volume between 7.00am and 8.00am was 1869, equating to 31 per minute or one every 2 seconds; and an average speed of 29.8mph. Data from another location on the B3354 between 15th February and 26th was reported as follows: “Midweek traffic volumes are in excess of 10,000 cars per day.” Some concerns have been raised about the variance which might be attributed to the equipment used, or the school half term or problems with the M3 causing traffic to use alternative routes. Although the Inspector will have been provided with other traffic data and projections the Inspector is asked to note the above data and the challenge currently faced by school children seeking to cross the Main Road without the benefit of a Pelican Crossing. The addition of more traffic from the proposed development will add to congestion and whilst some lowering of average speed may be a consequence this will not be sufficient to assist persons seeking to cross the road or for vehicles emerging from driveways and side roads to join it. The risk of accidents therefore increases as does pollution. A consequence of congestion is also lost time, as shown below. Impact of congestion on child safety As a newly elected District Councillor I recently sought an explanation from Hampshire County Council for cancelling use of a bus stop at Twyford Moors for students travelling to the Westgate School in Winchester. My children used to catch the bus at that stop at 7.50am. The stop is set back from the Main Road (which at that location has a 50mph limit) and has a bus shelter. Now children must walk along Main Road to beyond the junction with Highbridge Road and cross the Main Road where the speed is also 50mph but the stop is not set back. Also they must contend with traffic accelerating from the junction. The bus now starts from that location, leaving at 7.30am. The map below shows the locations involved. “Safe” bus stop accessible via Pelican Crossing, requiring walk of 0.88miles along unlit road and with poor pavements and large puddles Starting bus stop for The Westgate School Start time 7.30am Former bus stop for The Westgate School. Will not be used because of delay caused by congestion on Main Road. Map to show the nature of congestion and delays on a normal morning (the date of submission of this statement) The blue location dot shows the approximate location of the Twyford Moors bus stop and that heavy congestion does exist shortly before that stop and on towards Winchester. Map to show the nature of congestion and delay on the morning of another day. Hampshire County Council has said the Twyford Moors stop cannot now be used because the bus would need to travel into Colden Common and the time incurred along Main Road (from the New Road junction) to the current bus stop would take too long. The full correspondence is at Appendix C. If this shows the current adverse effect of rising traffic volumes and the willingness of the County Council to increase the risk to children by cancelling use of the Twyford Moors bus stop, what further negative impact will arise if the proposed development is approved? How much worse will congestion (and attendant pollution), and lost time become? The studies prepared for the Local Plan pay insufficient attention to the impact on residents of Winchester City Council. In this context, please note that whilst cars might use the new route of the link road to Allington to reach the M3 to travel north, this will not occur unless and until the final phase is completed. Therefore the B3354 and B3335 will face to full impact of development for many years before any mitigation occurs. Traffic speed and accident risk Residents living on Main Road are concerned about the speed of traffic and risk of accidents (several serious accidents are recorded on CrashMap – see below). Besides the above history of recorded accidents there is local information available concerning unrecorded accidents, two this year on Main Road each involved three vehicles and another on Twyford High Street near the Park Lane junction involved two. Hampshire County Council does not recognise data concerning accidents that do not result in personal injury (or accounts of near misses). Furthermore the County Council does not accept requests by parish councils to reduce speed limits (stating they had previously been invited to make requests so HCC is satisfied no further changes are needed). The current Hampshire County Council policy is reproduced at Appendix D. Pavements and Cycleways The above (and the appendices) I hope reflect the major concerns that exist in Colden Common and Twyford about the current road infrastructure. Residents are further dismayed at the poor condition of pavements adjacent to Main Road (see Appendix A) and the absence of any safe cycle routes from Colden Common and Twyford to Winchester and its new Sport and Leisure Centre (scheduled to open next year).