Item 13(I)Chywoone Hill Newlyn Bridge Traffic and Pedestrian Safety
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Item 13 (i) PENZANCE COUNCIL – 19 JULY 2021REPORT FOR DECISION CHYWOONE HILL/NEWLYN BRIDGE TRAFFIC CONGESTION & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY TASK & FINISH GROUP Recommendation That Penzance Council resolves to: (i) request Councillor Marrington (as division member for Newlyn & Mousehole on Cornwall Council) to take the Task & Finish Group proposals to Cornwall Highways and report back to the next meeting of Full Council. (ii) support the formation of a Healthy Streets Newlyn group to deliver measures to alleviate traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety. Background The Task & Finish (T&F) Group was set up by a resolution of the Planning Committee on 9 June 2021 under min. no. 22(b). The purpose of the T&F group is to identify simple, easily deliverable measures in order to alleviate the traffic congestion situation on Chywoone Hill and Newlyn Bridge without requiring significant expenditure or infrastructure work. It was also resolved at the 9 June Planning Committee Meeting that the T&F Group would report back directly to the Full Council meeting on 19 July 2021 with a recommendation. The report draws on: - feedback from local residents (for example, in the Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire of May 2019 and in public comments on the recent planning application for affordable housing on a site at the top of Chywoone Hill), and - on-the-spot observation by Group members, including an onsite meeting held in Newlyn on 30 June 2021. Cllr Stephen Reynolds Planning Committee Chair 9 July 2021 1 Item 13 (i) Chywoone Hill/Newlyn Bridge Traffic Congestion & Pedestrian Safety Task & Finish Group Report The T&F Group identified three areas to focus on: 1. Reducing the volume of through traffic 2. Reducing the number of large vehicles 3. Protecting pedestrians better And two types of measures: ➢ Quick-fix, ultra low-cost solutions with no need for a Traffic Regulation Order, public consultation or infrastructure works ➢ Longer-term solutions that would need a Traffic Regulation Order, public consultation or infrastructure works, or further representations/consultations These can be summarised as follows: Quick fix: ➢ Remove Porthcurno as a destination from the signage at the bottom of Chywoone Hill ➢ Remove Newlyn as a destination from the signage at Sparnon (SW of St Buryan) ➢ Declassify the B3315 to a “C” road ➢ Install an “Unsuitable for HGVs” sign at the bottom of Chywoone Hill ➢ Use signage to promote alternative pedestrian routes from Chywoone Hill to Newlyn Longer-term: ➢ Liaise with bus operators to reinstate “Hoppa” type buses in place of double-deckers ➢ Widen or install pavements at danger points for pedestrians on Chywoone Hill ➢ Install buildouts at either end of parking-permitted areas with signs indicating priority ➢ Install safe pedestrian crossing points around Newlyn Bridge and by the Trinity Centre ➢ Widen and raise the pavement on New Road opposite Jelberts ice cream parlour The following pages give more detail on these suggestions. The Group also discussed the possibility of creating a car park on Cornwall Council owned land in Newlyn Coombe with a pedestrian route into the centre. However, as this would require major infrastructure work, it falls outside the remit of the Group which was “to consider simple, easily-deliverable measures”. 2 Item 13 (i) 1. Reducing the volume of through traffic The B3315 up Chywoone Hill is not a suitable through route for traffic heading towards Porthcurno and beyond. There is no reason why traffic for anywhere beyond Lamorna should use Chywoone Hill rather than taking the A30 to Catchall and picking up the B3283. There are some potential quick fixes here that could help. a) Change the signage at Newlyn Bridge and at Sparnon (B3283/B3315 junction SW of St Buryan) At Newlyn Bridge, Chywoone Hill is signposted to Porthcurno, Lamorna & Paul: This sign could be altered by removing Porthcurno (and adding it to the Penzance/Lands End sign), and by adding the words “Local traffic only”. This is particularly relevant now that Porthcurno has become such a “magnet” destination. For example, the “MyLondon” website is currently carrying a feature entitled “The beautiful sandy beach you can drive to from London that looks like it should be in the Caribbean”, which advises readers to “Head onto the M25, before joining the M4. Then join the M5 and take exit 31 on to the A30. After that, follow signs to Penzance and then Porthcurno Beach.” So taking Porthcurno off the sign pointing up Chywoone Hill could make a difference. And at Sparnon, coming from Porthcurno, the B3315 is signed to Newlyn, Mousehole and Lamorna: Here too, Newlyn could be replaced on the signpost with the words “Local traffic only”. This simple measure would cost almost nothing. While there would be no physical deterrent to through traffic, there would be some effect as drivers followed the revised signage. 3 Item 13 (i) b) Declassify the B3315 to a “C” road This is another low-cost option, which Cornwall Council has the power to implement. DfT guidance says that “road classification should be set to reflect the ways in which a community links to the wider world. It can also take into account the traffic management goals and road categorisation approach of the local highway authority”. The classifications look like this: • an A road will generally be among the widest, most direct roads in an area, and will be of the greatest significance to through traffic • a B road will still be of significance to traffic (including through traffic), but less so than an A road • a classified unnumbered road will be of lower significance and be of primarily local importance, but will perform a more important function than an unclassified road • an unclassified road will generally have very low significance to traffic and be of only very local importance. Based on this, there is a strong case for declassifying the B3315 (Newlyn to Sparnon) from a B road to a “classified unnumbered road” (otherwise known as a “C” road). Chywoone Hill does not meet the criterion of “significance to through traffic”, but rather is “of primarily local importance”. This change could be implemented by Cornwall Council, and does not require consultation. It could provide a deterrent to use of Chywoone Hill by traffic, because it would lead to alterations not just in physical signage but also in online mapping tools and satnav systems. There is a precedent in that New Road was formerly the A3077 but was declassified to a “C” road to deter through traffic. (NB This would also require the existing B3283 from Catchall to Sparnon to be renumbered as the B3315, to avoid the same road bearing two different numbers either side of Sparnon.) 2. Reducing the number of large vehicles Our observations (and comments from residents) suggest that one of the main problems on Chywoone Hill comes from large vehicles (tractors, double-decker buses and trucks) negotiating the pinch points. Changes to signage and declassification may reroute some of this traffic, but much of it is local and has no option but to use the hill. But there are some things that might help. 4 Item 13 (i) a) “Unsuitable for HGVs” sign at the bottom of Chywoone Hill This is another quick-fix, low-cost measure that could have some effect. To quote a report submitted to Leicestershire County Council on this issue: • ‘Unsuitable’ may be due to limited width due to parked vehicles, or possibly a sharp bend with walls either side of the road such that a long or articulated vehicle may struggle to negotiate the hazard. • Although signed as ‘unsuitable’, it may be that in certain instances or at certain times of the day a vehicle may be able to safely negotiate the road and, indeed, this may be necessary in order to carry out deliveries, for example. • As the signing is advisory, there is no recourse to the law if an HGV tries to negotiate the road. That said, the signs are generally considered effective most of the time. Chywoone Hill clearly meets that definition of “unsuitable”. Cornwall Council has the power to place such a sign and it could have some effect. Cornwall Council could also be asked to contact suppliers of HGV satnavs to update their systems to this effect. An alternative would be to place a weight restriction on the road “except for access”. But this would require a Traffic Regulation Order, which can be time-consuming and expensive. b) Replace double decker buses with “Hoppa” type shuttle buses A number of residents have commented that the situation on Chywoone Hill wasn’t as bad when the old “Hoppa” buses operated. The “Coaster” open-top double-deckers run up and down the hill (often virtually empty) on the Lands End-Penzance route, when they could take the easier route via Catchall. Instead, compact shuttle buses could operate as far as the top of the hill (with some services extended in order to maintain the service as far as Lamorna turn). We recommend liaising with Cornwall Council and the bus operators to explore this possibility for next year’s schedules. 5 Item 13 (i) 3. Protecting pedestrians better a) Eliminating danger points on Chywoone Hill The pavements on Chywoone Hill are in some places non-existent (red on the attached maps), and in others so narrow as to be completely unfit for purpose (orange on the attached maps). These are high risk points for pedestrians, especially when heavy traffic is passing. They are also a strong disincentive for pedestrians using the hill at all, and hence reverting to their cars. These danger points are marked on the maps as A to F. In each case, we need to consider installing a pavement (where there is none) or widening the pavement (where it’s too narrow).