1

REPORT presented on behalf of over 1,180 constituents by the campaign team A Safer A507

A507 at Cottered boundary, heading west to , 15.9.16 Photo by Neville Chuck of Cottered

Petition Organiser: Alan Weston, Thatch Cottage, Cottered, Herts SG9 9PS [email protected]

PETITION REQUESTING HERTFORDSHIRE HIGHWAYS CABINET PANEL TO RECOMMEND RE-CLASSIFICATION OF THE A507 BETWEEN THE A1(M) JUNCTION 10 (BALDOCK SERVICES ROUNDABOUT) AND THE A10 () TO A ‘B’ ROAD, WITH A 7.5-TONNE WEIGHT LIMIT EXCEPT FOR LOCAL ACCESS 2 CONTENTS Page

PRESS LAUNCH 3

BACKGROUND 4

THE PROBLEMS

1 Baldock 5 2 Cumberlow Green 7 3 Cottered 8 4 Feeder road to - B1037 13 5 From Cottered to the A10 at Buntingford 16 6 Feeder road to Buntingford - B1038 17

THE SOLUTIONS

1 Solution summary 19 2 Benefits of these solutions 20 3 Facilitating the solutions 21

APPENDICES

1 Petition Method and Petition 22 2 Development Control Committee Meeting, 22 July 2015 23 3 A history of neglect of Cottered village 24 4 Specification for 7.5 tonne weight limit sign, c £700 each 25 3

‘I am pleased that local people are continuing to campaign for a safer A507. I have discussed the idea of trying to find a better and more workable solution for the road. It is wrong that it is treated as a major ‘A’ road when it is so winding and difficult to navigate. I hope that the Hertfordshire Highways will be able to look again at what the future is for this road.’

Sir Oliver Heald, QC MP, 15.10.16 4

BACKGROUND A SHORT HISTORY OF THE A507

The A507 through Hertfordshire stretches from the A1(M) at Baldock Services Station to the A10 at Buntingford. It was classified as an ‘A’ road probably in the 1920s, when the number of lorries was very small and the size of the vehicles was similar to a current transit van. The road is tortuous, sunken and narrow, tracing centuries-old farm tracks along right-angled field boundaries as it snakes across the countryside.

Increasing traffic levels on the A507 have been causing concern to the road’s residents and users for decades. Historical records of the Parish of Cottered and , which sits between these two market towns Baldock and Buntingford, evidence that villagers have campaigned on many occasions for improvements to the road, including pavements (which remain non-continuous), and having to fight repeatedly to control traffic speed (see the Appendix), often in the face of County Council attempts to increase the limit through the village.

A bypass has been on the cards for some 50 years but, always, the A507 has gone to the bottom of the queue when limited budget has been allocated.

THE CHANGING FACE OF NORTH

Hertfordshire’s Traffic and Transport Data Report forecasts that traffic in will increase by a greater percentage than any other Hertfordshire district—up 6.7% by 2021, and up 17% by 2031. There are no apparent plans to upgrade the A507 (eg with a bypass) to cope with this.

New housing developments have been hastily pushed through by developers, taking advantage of uncompleted District Plans in North Herts and East Herts. The impact of 3,000 extra houses in Baldock and 1,000 extra houses in Buntingford cannot be underestimated. The residents of North East Herts and the users of the A507 need protection from the inevitable impact of these developments on this ancient and vulnerable road.

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES ALREADY IN PLACE

The Council is taking significant strides to keep pace with the developments, and Councillor Ashley is currently consulting on the Transport Vision for Hertfordshire, looking ahead to 2050.

The A505 Baldock to Royston bypass was opened in 2006. Over £25m is being invested into the A602, and work has begun. There are plans to widen the A1(M), improve the A120 to bypass . Sir Oliver Heald’s campaign to improve safety on the A507 has contributed to the implementation of a number of measures in efforts to make this road less dangerous for those that use it.

The unstraightened A507 does not appear to feature in the Transport vision to 2050, and we infer from this that the road is rightly not seen as a significant route. It does not appear on the Primary Route Network, and is therefore not strategically required to carry HGVs.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS

Road improvements attract more traffic to the area. This is a positive for Hertfordshire—new business will continue to expand; more people will be able to travel more easily around this beautiful county.

But the building of the A505 teaches us a lesson. North Hertfordshire’s Baldock Bypass Before and After Study of 15.10.07 evidences that the building of the Baldock ‘bypass’ correlated with an increase in the traffic on the A507, and we will look at some of the reasons for this in a later chapter.

We believe that the Council has a duty to act in good time, and anticipate the likely further increase in HGV traffic that will impact on the unrestricted A507 when roads such as the Little Hadham bypass are completed. 5

1 BALDOCK

1.1 Shortcut to the A10 and the eastern ports

HGVs leave the A1 at Junction 10 and use the A507 as a short cut to reach the A10 and beyond. An increasing number of HGVs seeking a quick route from the M1 to the eastern ports take this route. Signs on the A507 even encourage them, by directing HGV drivers towards the M1, indicating this is an acceptable route.

The lack of restriction compounds the problem because Satellite Navigation Systems identify the A507 as an ‘A’ road suitable for HGVs. But with a ‘B’ classification SatNavs could be part of the solution. HGV cuts through Baldock to reach the A10. Photo: Andrew Thomson, 7.9.16

Sales specification for Mio Combo Satellite Navigation Systems

‘Mio Combo 5107 LM Truck automatically plans your routes based on details such as the vehicle’s dimensions, weight, load and vehicle type, helping you avoid dangers like weight limits, U-turns, low bridges, tunnels and roads with access restrictions…Routes are calculated based on your truck’s dimensions, weight load and vehicle type.’

1.2 Railway bridge

The railway bridge at the west of Baldock has a height of 4.4 metres. According to Network Rail it is struck by HGVs on average five times a year.

Every time it is struck all commuter trains are stopped whilst the situation is assessed. The costs of redressing the damage between 2003 and 2015 amounted to £750,000. Since then the additional cost of a protective barrier has been incurred.

Sir Oliver Heald QC MP has tried to get a restriction on the A507 North Road because the low bridge near the railway station is such a notorious accident spot. HGV strikes the railway bridge. Photo: Andy Graham, 11.8.16

‘As a professional lorry driver, the easiest way to stop this is to put a lorry ban or a 7.5-tonne weight limit on that road between the traffic lights and the services.’

Steve King, Facebook, 11.8.16 6

1.3 Traffic lights

SatNavs encourage HGVs to leave the A1(M) at Junction 10 and take the A507 through Baldock’s conservation area as a shortcut to get to the Baldock ‘bypass’ (A505).

HGV turns from the A507 on to the B656 to reach the Baldock ‘Bypass’. Photo: Andrew Thomson, 7.9.16

Having swung out to take the 90 degree bend through Baldock’s Conservation Area, they then enter the equally unsuitable B656 to finish their shortcut through this beautiful market town, in order to reach the Baldock ‘Bypass’.

Over 450 signatories from Baldock and contributed to this petition. Given more resources we would have had 5,000 signatories. Baldock petitioners were queuing on the pavement to sign. 7

2 CUMBERLOW GREEN

Cumberlow Green lies approximately four miles east of Baldock, on the A507. It is a hamlet comprising one waste recycling site (a farm) and a handful of houses.

The A507 at Cumberlow Green has a T-junction built into the road: lorries cannot safely get round the corner without swinging into the oncoming traffic.

HGV on the A507 navigates the T-junction at Cumberlow Green, to get to the next stretch of the A507 and continue west to Baldock. Photo: Andrew Thomson, 4.10.16 Having navigated the corner, oncoming lorries then find themselves on a stretch of the road on which the carriageways are too narrow for lorries to pass without breaching white lines and damaging verges.

The sign says it all.

Photo: Andrew Thomson, 4.10.16 8

3 COTTERED

There has been a settlement at Cottered since before the Domesday book. The Parish of Cottered and Throcking now comprises around 550 people. It has survived the plague; been a stopping-off place for pilgrims from to Norfolk for centuries; and is now divided by the HGV traffic that overwhelms its high street.

44-tonne road trains frequently use Cottered’s conservation area as a rat-tun to reach the A1(M) and M1 and beyond. These are not local lorries. They bring no benefit to North East Herts. Photo by Andrew Thomson: 20.3.15

The lack of any restriction means this highly inappropriate HGV behaviour is encouraged. Thirty-six listed buildings line the route of the A507 through Cottered. Their windows shake as lorries pass; the lime plaster falls off their ceilings and their walls. These buildings need protection, just as their residents do.

‘We moved to Cottered at the end of 2015 and are very concerned about the road... Since moving here I have had two very near misses with large HGV's. The most notable was with a Homebase lorry which was at least 2 ft over my side of the road on a bend. Had I not been at a point where I could drive up the verge I have no doubt me and my children would have been seriously injured or worse.

Part of the reason we moved to this lovely village was the large village green and playground however there have been many occasions (generally about 5.00pm) where we have simply returned home as we were unable to cross the road.

I also feel very vulnerable walking with 2 small children on the very narrow pavements.’

Laura Hunter, Cottered resident, 6.10.16 9

Though a small village, Cottered uniquely provides a venue for constituents across Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire Girlguiding has its County centre here.

So children from across Hertfordshire are frequently involved in day-hikes and night-hikes through the area.

Lorry parked on pavement on Cottered’s High Street, at the entrance to the County’s Girlguiding centre. The lorry had turned on to the A507 from the highly unsuitable B1037 (see next section), swung into the road, and then flashed its lights to force a pedestrian to make way for it on the pavement. Children are forced to cross the village’s roads in the face of this sort of HGV behaviour, simply to get to their school bus. Photo: Jenny Thomson, 7.10.16

Lorries dominate the village’s road and narrow pavements. HGVs drive over the pavements and treat them as part of the road. The pavements are much less than two feet wide in many places, and are not continuous through the village. Lorries mount the pavements many times a day in Cottered.

The overwhelming presence of HGVs makes Cottered hazardous to its residents. Parents cannot walk down the street safely with prams and pushchairs or toddlers. Elderly residents of Cottered tell us they are frightened to walk on the pavements because the windage created by a passing large lorry is a physical danger to their stability.

HGVs make your constituents vulnerable. Your County’s residents need your protection.

Over 80 signatories from Hertfordshire Girlguiding have contributed to the petition. They are reaching out to you from across the whole County of Hertfordshire 10

In addition to hosting the County’s Girlguiding groups, Cottered also attracts many even more vulnerable young people from across the County who use the village’s large Village Hall.

The Oasis 2 Academy for for young adults with learning/physical disabilities opened in 2014 and meets in the hall twice a week.

Several of those who regularly visit the village in this way are wheelchair users.

‘Our concerns have been the problems we encounter when out in the community and for the safety of our students. The difficulties are in:

Getting across such a busy road, with the volume of traffic which includes large heavy lorries, vans and cars, often going above the speed limit. To cross the road, which is particularly difficult for our wheelchair users, staff have to halt the traffic from both directions. This in itself is concerning, especially as the vehicles travel at speed and there are two bends, so we cannot always see what is coming.

In addition to this, the [foot]paths around the village are very narrow, which we have to walk in single file, and with the traffic moving at speed, and large lorries nearing the path it really concerns us. The narrow paths also cause difficulties for our wheelchair users. If one of our students lost their balance it does not bear thinking about,so we ensure staff are walking by the side of the road. This then brings an additional concern - the safety of our staff.

I do feel that reducing the road to a B status would at least make things safer and meaning quieter with the redirection of the large lorries and vans.’

Liz Sapsford Director of Oasis 2 Cottered Village Hall

Highways’ statistics show that nearly 450 lorries a day on average

pass along the A507 through the village of Cottered. Many of them are 44 tonnes in weight. Many are road trains. 11

‘Some years ago when my daughter Helen was probably two years old she attended the Playgroup then held at Cottered School (now the Guide Centre). One day I collected her from Playgroup and we started to walk home along the A507. After we had gone a short distance, she wanted me to unwrap a lollipop she had been given so we stopped on the pavement by the driveway down to Lower Farm. Whilst I was unwrapping the lollipop (and therefore not holding on to her) a HGV came past us and the air turbulence from it lifted Helen off her feet and put her down about 12 to 18 inches from where she had been standing – fortunately further away from the road! She appeared unaffected by this and was quite happy once she had her lollipop. I can’t say the same for myself, I dread to think what would have happened had the air turbulence pulled rather than pushed her on that narrow pavement, especially as a second HGV was following close behind.’

Kathryn Cassels, Cottered resident, 16.10.16

This is the blind corner of Cottered, where the road is 5.1 metres wide. On this occasion the wedged lorries caused a 20-minute delay. Photo: Neville Chuck, 5.8.16 12

At its narrowest point the A507 through Cottered is 5.1 metres wide.

Lorries get stuck on Cottered’s blind corner up to 5 or 6 times a day. It is unfair to HGV drivers to encourage them on to this road on the premise that this is an ‘A’ road, suitable for lorries. The HGVs in this picture are not even the largest the village experiences. Police time is wasted. Journeys are delayed; businesses lose income.

Even the most skilled of HGV drivers (and most are very good indeed) cannot safely navigate this road.

Cyclists and horse-riders are now very rarely seen on this road. The danger is too great.

Former pedestrians now drive from one end of the village to the other to avoid the danger, noise and vibration of having to navigate narrow, uneven pavements on foot in the face of 44-tonne road trains.

At the east end of Cottered there is a junction between a peaceful residential road called The Crescent/Peasecroft, and the A507. The roads that form the junction fail the requirements for modern roads on many counts, including stopping-sight distance, forward visibility and junction visibility. The residents of The Crescent/Peasecroft feel they cannot safely turn on to the A507 to get to work, and have asked the Parish Council to raise their concerns with Highways. But Hertfordshire’s Highways Department has recently responded to Cottered and Throcking Parish Council that this junction is ‘considered safe’.

Cottered’s residents are no longer safe living on the A507. Their community is split in two by the size and volume of the heavy traffic.

Cottered’s villagers are unable to use the pavements safely. Many now drive instead of walking, from one end of the village to the other. Photo by Andrew Thomson: January 2015

Nearly 300 signatories from the 550 parishioners of Cottered and Throcking contributed to this petition. At least one adult signed from almost every home in the parish. Given more resources we would have secured signatures from virtually all electors in the parish. 13

4 FEEDER ROAD TO WALKERN - B1037

The B1037 is an even narrower road than the A507 through Cottered, and it connects Cottered to , passing through the villages of Cromer and Walkern.

It is remarkable that even the B1037 is unprotected by a weight restriction.

The result is that HGVs frequently take a short cut from the A10, going west along the A507 through Cottered’s conservation area, to enter the B1037.

They then drive through the village of Cromer and the conservation area of Walkern, to get to Stevenage.

Walkern has only a single usable carriageway, with cars parked along one side of the road.

This is a regular occurrence. Walkern residents can no longer walk safely along their own high street. HGV entering the unrestricted B1037 from the A507 at Cottered, to take a shortcut to Stevenage. Photo: Andrew Thomson, 7.1.15

The incident on the left drew national attention in January 2016.

Following the incident, Councillor Douris announced Hertfordshire County Council was launching a campaign in February 2016.

The aim was to encourage lorry drivers to use only specialist truck satellite navigation equipment when driving in the county.

But the A507 and the B1037 remain unrestricted, and therefore Walkern’s high street remains clogged by HGVs who ignore Unsuitable for HGVs signs. 14

The listed buildings which line the Conservation Area in the High Street of Walkern are dwarfed by the HGVs that use the B1037 as a rat-run to cut through to Stevenage. Photo by Andrew Thomson, 6.3.15

Nearly 70 signatories from the small village of Walkern contributed to this petition.

Given more resources we would have secured many more signatures from this benighted village.

‘It is time for a safer A507 for drivers and pedestrians alike. Lorries have difficulties passing each other on the small and winding A507, and are a cause of concern for the whole community. Reconsideration of this road’s ‘A’ classification is long overdue.’ District Councillor Paul Kenealy, 17.10.16 15 16

5 FROM COTTERED TO THE A10 AT BUNTINGFORD

The final two miles of the A507 through Hertfordshire are the most dangerous. The road (here as in several other stretches) is tortuous, sunken and narrow. HGVs straddle the white lines in several places.

Between Cottered and Buntingford on the A507 there is a blind hill, followed by a narrow cutting with no escape route. There is no room for driver error. Photo: Andrew Thomson, 6.1.15

FOUR PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES near this narrow cutting, between 2011 and 2014, and 18 other accidents involving serious and other injuries. Many other accidents have followed.

Residents of Cottered and Buntingford staged a mock funeral march in a successful protest against an extra 29,000 lorry movements annually which a waste recycling plan application on the A507 between Cottered and Buntingford sought to create on local roads. Photo: Andrew Thomson, March 2015. Please see the Appendix for the views about the A507 expressed by Development Control Committee members at that time. 17

6 FEEDER ROAD TO BUNTINGFORD - B1038

HGV drivers who manage to navigate the hazards highlighted in earlier chapters are rewarded at the eastern end of the A507 by meeting the A10.

This provides them with a route to continue either north, or south towards London or in the direction of the A120, which will take them in the direction of the eastern ports.

But some HGV drivers go straight across the A10 roundabout at the A507 and use the conservation area of Buntingford as a short cut to go into rural Essex on the B1038.

This HGV was one of the many that leave the A507 from Cottered, cross the A10 roundabout and enter the B1038 at Buntingford.

In doing so they are taking a shortcut through the Conservation area of Buntingford to continue their journey beyond.

The tight corner in the centre of Buntingford forces HGVs to straddle both lanes.

Photos: Andrew Thomson, 19.9.16

Having navigated the tight corner, this HGV finds itself stuck, as it squeezes past parked cars and encounters an oncoming lorry in the opposite carriageway.

This behaviour is a frequent occurrence on the high street of Buntingford.

Former Buntingford Mayor Graham Bonner tells us he sought a weight restriction on the B1038 between the A10 and Buntingford to avoid this access, but was unsuccessful. We cannot imagine why such a straightforward measure for a short stretch of road, was considered not appropriate.

So Buntingford remains unprotected by a weight limit. 18

Over 150 signatories from the market town of Buntingford contributed to this petition. Given more resources we would have secured many more signatures from this town.

Though the town is now bypassed by the A10, residents tell us the lack of a weight restriction on the A507 contributes to the increasingly common sight of HGVs - now significantly bigger than before - appearing once again in the Conservation Area of Buntingford’s High Street.

The A507 has been closed for up to six consecutive weeks in recent years, and there was no discernible detrimental outcome for HGVs.

It is not fair to HGV drivers to direct their vehicles on to it.

‘A’ road classification is careless of the road’s users and the road’s residents.

‘A’ classification is without compassion for one of the final remaining semi-rural areas of the county.

In our view this ‘A’ road should be an embarrassment to the County. 19

1 SOLUTION SUMMARY

The obvious solutions, given the A507’s lack of appearance in the Transport Vision 2050, are:

● To downgrade the road in recognition of its decreasing importance in carrying heavy traffic as Hertfordshire’s future unfolds, and

● To impose a 7.5-tonne weight limit, except for local access.

These two measures will ensure heavy HGVs use the roads you are designing properly to take them.

We have demonstrated that acute problems are faced by the residents and users of the A507 through Hertfordshire. The problem is getting worse every year - your constituents testify to this.

Many local attempts have been made over the years by our MP, County Councillors, District Councillors, Parish Councillors and members of the public to address individual problems at local level.

But we believe this report constitutes the first united attempt from across North East Hertfordshire to solve all of the problems identified.

The solution is in the gift of the County Council, by the power recently devolved to you by Central Government. You have the authority to re-classify this road as a ‘B’ road and to apply weight limit of 7.5 tonnes, except for local access.

You are upgrading roads all around the A507, but there are no current plans for its improvement.

Enclosed as an Appendix is our proposal for the signage that would be needed to help educate diligent HGV drivers to take the roads that are suited to their vehicles.

This is a cheap solution. County budget should be assigned to protecting those who will be negatively impacted by the upcoming developments, for example by the significant increase in motor car traffic that will arise. Please pull out the map on the next page, to see our solution. 20

2 BENEFITS OF THIS SOLUTION

● Satellite navigation systems will direct HGV through-traffic on to wider, straighter and more appropriate roads ● Your constituents will feel safer when they drive, cycle, walk and ride along the road. Your duty of care is embodied in the Highways Act 1980. ● Cottered’s residents will once again be able to walk along their pavements. ● Driving experiences for HGV drivers and motor car drivers through Hertfordshire will be improved ● Emergency vehicles and lighter vehicles will be able to use the road more freely ● It will help to mitigate the negative experiences of residents of North Herts and East Herts arising out of multiple housing developments. (We’ve got to have the additional ‘light’ traffic, but there is no strategic need for us to have the heavy traffic as well.) ● Railway bridge strikes in Baldock will be avoided, to the benefit of commuters ● The constant need for repairs of the road caused by HGV damage will be significantly reduced ● Police time in dealing with traffic problems will be reduced ● The cost would be negligible in terms of road budgets ● Local businesses will benefit from the reduction on the road of unnecessary heavy through- traffic. ● The architectural heritage of several of your County’s conservation areas will be better protected ● The need and potential pressure for a bypass around the A507 would be alleviated for now ● Traffic-calming measures would be possible ● It would add further energy and direction to the search for the East-West route ● It’s consistent with your upgrading of many other roads all around ● It’s consistent with the rural conformation of the road ● Lack of space precludes our listing the many other benefits, such as greater safety for Baldock’s schoolchildren, etc ● The targets of the County’s Rural Transport Strategy include: q Reducing congestion q Enhancing accessibility q Increasing the number of walking and cycling trips q Reducing transport-related CO2 emissions and other pollution, and q Increasing road safety.

Reclassification with a weight limit will fulfil the aims of the Rural Transport Strategy. 21

3 FACILITATING THE SOLUTION

1 POLICE RESOURCES Hertfordshire’s Police may express concern about the resources necessary to manage the 7.5-tonne weight limit. Many of your constituents in Cottered are ready and willing to help with this. Just as members of the public are trained to monitor traffic speeds through threatened areas, your constituents can photograph the number plates of HGVs violating a weight limit. Cottered village is uniquely positioned to be able to do this. Virtually all traffic that goes through Cottered also goes through either Baldock or Walkern. Cottered has a history of working collaboratively with Highways to help to manage the road. In 2000 a Cottered campaign group raised sufficient funds to buy four electronic speed signs, in response to an offer from Highways to maintain the signs. In the same way Cottered will collaborate with Hertfordshire’s Police Force to manage the weight limit.

2 SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEMS SatNavs are part of the solution. HGV drivers’ Sat Navs, as they are upgraded, will warn them of the re-classification to ‘B’ road status and the 7.5-tonne weight limit except for access. Over time the level of HGV traffic of a ‘passing through’ nature will reduce significantly.

3 SIGNAGE We have seen excellent signage in other Counties which gives HGV drivers on primary routes due warning - sometimes many miles in advance - that adjoining roads are not navigable by HGVs because they have a weight limit. We recognise there is a cost to this, but no road building is necessary. In the context of road upgrades the cost is insignificant. We have an estimate of the initial costs of the signage we propose in the Appendix of LESS THAN £6,000.

4 TIMING This is a win-win solution. There is no need to wait Upgrades to the A120 (Little Hadham bypass) and other roads will if anything encourage greater volumes of traffic to travel though the County. The County can anticipate this by protecting the A507 before the increase occurs.

There is an acute problem. This is our solution. Does the County have a viable alternative? 22 APPENDIX 1

a. Petition Method

To evidence the concerns of North East Hertfordshire in particular, and of residents of the wider County, we have worked entirely without social media.

We have talked to people. We have walked the streets of Baldock, Buntingford, Letchworth, Cottered, Walkern, Throcking and other affected settlements, consulting with as many people as possible across the county, in all stages of life, to gain local views and signatures.

We have consulted:

· Sir Oliver Heald QC MP

· County Councillors Rose Cheswright, Michael Muir, Tony Hunter, Michael Weeks. Jim McNally and Ken Crofton.

· East Herts District Councillor Paul Kenealy.

· Parish Councillors of Cottered & Throcking, Walkern and .

· Parents and their children in Baldock, Cottered, Walkern and Buntingford.

· Elderly residents, wheelchair users and their carers who use Cottered’s facilities.

· Other residents of Baldock, Cottered, Buntingford, Walkern, Throcking and Rushden.

· Schools in Baldock, Buntingford and Ardeley, including Head Teachers, parents and pupils.

· Commuters who use the railway line between Baldock and London.

· Hertfordshire’s County Girlguiding Centre, which is based in Cottered.

· Commercial and retail businesses in the market towns of Baldock and Buntingford, and their customers.

· Farmers and HGV drivers who regularly use the A507.

· Motor car drivers who regularly use the A507.

· Walkers, cyclists and horse-riders who seek to use the A507.

We have observed, documented and researched:

We have studied and photographically captured HGV movements from the A1(M) to the A10, including lorry drivers’ use of ‘feeder’ roads from the A507 to access towns and villages such as Walkern and Buntingford, and to reach roads on the County’s Primary Road Network and beyond.

We have physically measured the width of the road and of the pavements in Cottered.

We have researched County and National documents on the strategy, design and classification of roads and we have consulted the Transport Vision for Hertfordshire, which outlines no plans for the A507. We have studied maps. We have researched the sizes of HGVs, the skills and concerns of their drivers, and SatNav guidance for HGVs. Please hear the voice of your constituents. 23 b. Petition

The unstraightened A507 through Hertfordshire from the A1(M) Junction 10 to the A10 is in many places tortuous, sunken and narrow. It traces several right-angled field boundaries established centuries ago. It was classified as an ‘A’ road probably in the 1920s.

It now departs from the national Highways Agency’s Highway Link Design (TD 9/93) for new roads on multiple counts, failing on stopping-sight distance, horizontal curvature, vertical curvature, forward visibility, overtaking-sight distance and junction visibility.

It is not on the County’s Primary Route Network and is therefore not strategically required to carry HGVs.

The road’s conformation is wholly inappropriate for modern HGVs but it is increasingly used by non-local vehicles up to 44 tonnes in weight, including road-trains. Some use it as a rat-run from the eastern ports to the M1, frustrating local drivers of cars and other vehicles and leading to dangerous overtaking.

Highways statistics show the A507 contains one of the most dangerous sections of road in the County. On the two miles of road between Buntingford and Cottered, from 2011 to 2014 there were four fatalities and 18 other accidents involving serious and other injuries. Many other accidents have followed since.

Skilled lorry drivers cannot navigate this road safely. The A507 is 5.1 metres wide at its narrowest point. Many times a day HGVs up to 2.55 metres wide (excluding their wing mirrors) mount the pavements of Cottered, to the danger of pedestrians. HGVs are forced to straddle white lines on several corners between Baldock and Cottered, frequently becoming stuck when they encounter oncoming lorries, damaging verges and hedges. Delays and stress in drivers’ journeys are incurred. Police time is expended.

The A505 link at Junction 9 of the A1(M) was intended to bypass Baldock. But this is ignored by many HGV drivers who take the A507 at Junction 10 as a shortcut to travel through Baldock’s conservation area and then turn on to the B656 to reach the A505.

Satellite Navigation Systems compound the problem by identifying the A507 as an ‘A’ road suitable for HGVs. North Hertfordshire’s Baldock Bypass Report Before and After Study 15/10/07 evidences that opening the A505 Baldock bypass correlated with an increase in traffic on the A507.

The targets of the County’s Rural Transport Strategy include reducing congestion, enhancing accessibility, increasing the number of walking and cycling trips, reducing transport-related CO2 emissions and increasing road safety.

But local residents feel unsafe on the pavements and are deterred from walking. Elderly people and wheelchair users are placed at significant risk from windage created by passing HGVs. Local children have to cross the road in the face of HGV traffic at rush hour, just to get to their school or catch their school bus. Cyclists feel increasingly denied the use of this rural road because of the heavy traffic.

The County is building and improving many more suitable routes for HGVs: the A505, A602, A1(M), A10, A414 and the upcoming Little Hadham bypass. These improved and new routes will attract an increased number of Hertfordshire journeys, including more vehicles on to the unstraightened A507.

In addition, housing developments for c.1,000 proposed new dwellings in Buntingford and c.3,500 in Baldock will significantly increase motor car use of the A507.

Re-classification can be achieved at very little cost. We ask the County to protect its local residents; to direct non-local HGV drivers along the many suitable routes through Hertfordshire; to fulfil the targets of its Rural Transport Strategy; and to apply its duty of care embodied in the Highways Act 1980.

Therefore the following signatories request Hertfordshire Highways Cabinet Panel to act now to recommend re- classification of the A507 between the A1(M) Junction 10 (Baldock Services roundabout) and the A10 (Buntingford) to a ‘B’ road, with a 7.5-tonne weight limit except for local access. 24 APPENDIX 2

Opinions from Councillor Members of the Development Control Committee Meeting, 22 July 2015

Caveat

Although this was a public meeting there was no official recording. With the prior agreement of the Chairman and the knowledge of the Committee members, the Safer A507 group therefore made its own amateur digital recording. The following comments have been accurately transcribed and are believed to be correctly attributed.

Councillor Ken Crofton

Lorry drivers will do as they choose…They will destroy the amenities of the local people. There are tiny little hamlets—particularly Cromer and Luffenhall…And of course we’ve heard about the dangerous [A507] road conditions—the huge numbers of fatalities and serious injuries. This is already a dangerous road and I strongly urge you to support your Planning Officer’s views.

Councillor Geoff Churchard

I drove along that road [the A507] and I was absolutely horrified—one of the most dangerous ‘A’ roads in the whole county. Stuck behind an HGV with cars trying to find a way through. Some very, very hairy corners. Even if you were driving sensibly you could easily collide with someone coming the other way. It’s totally unsuitable even for the existing use of the site, let alone anything else.

Councillor Pete Ruffles

Sustainability is relevant. Our duty is very much to protect the environment of that place. I am a historian…It’s our duty to protect the landscape. [We need to consider…] the unsuitability of the road access. EHDC has road concerns. Rose Cheswright has expressed concerns to me. [There are] concerns about the effect of the activity on those in neighbouring residential activities [and] environmental grounds for landscape protection.

Councillor Maureen Cook

One of my main concerns—I use that road a lot and I do know it quite well. [Refers to the lorries and the fact that the applicant’s survey of the HGV movements doesn’t take into account the impact of commercial traffic.]

Councillor John Lloyd

[Reported going to a funeral in Walkern and the significant difficulties he experienced in reaching it from Stevenage, by using the B1037.]

Councillor Terry Hone

Truck drivers [if unregulated] find ‘better’ ways to get to places.

Transcribed and summarised by Jenny Thomson 13.8.16 25 APPENDIX 3

A HISTORY OF NEGLECT OF COTTERED VILLAGE

Back issues of the parish magazine Cottered & Throcking News, which was first published in 1970, tell this sad story of the a continued lack of care for the safety and quality of life of residents of Hertfordshire:

February 1971

‘Thistley Vale culvert collapsed and traffic to and from Buntingford was diverted, the heavy lorries by way of Royston and Baldock…Unfortunately the County Council’s rescue team were too efficient and the A507 was restored to its noisy and dangerous self all too soon. It has been suggested that Cottered residents should ensure that the culvert’s ill health continues until we are bypassed.’

July 1971

‘Along the A507 road works have been in operation for some time. This no doubt is to protect the banks and for extra safety, but will also speed the traffic. This type of road works has already brought speeding traffic closer to this village…the village has already complained at the lack of compliance with the speed limit within the village, and a request has been made for a barrier outside the school for the protection of the children…Are our villages worth saving?’

August 1972

‘The Government asked County Councils to review their speed limits, and Hertfordshire are proposing that the speed limit through the village should be raised from 30 mph to 40 mph (justified so we are led to understand because there have been no fatal accidents in the village for many years). For what one might add—to save 24 seconds? A very strong protest, supported by what to most reasonable people is evidence that makes the whole proposal ridiculous, was registered by the Council.’

January 1974

‘The 30 mph speed limit in Cottered…is due to be reviewed next January…I will, at the Highways Committee, in January, do my best to see that the County’s recommendation is for keeping the limit at 30 mph.’

February 1974

‘Dear Sir. I now write to inform you that at a meeting of the Highways Committee of the County Council today, it was decided that the Department of the Environment should be informed that the Committee considered the existing 30 mph speed limit should be retained.’

May 1975

‘One piece of bad news is the further attempt by the Department of the Environment and the County Surveyor to turn the 30 mph speed limit on the A507 in Cottered into a 40 mph limit. Unfortunately this time the police seem to be in favour. I shall be taking this up with the Works Committee and asking the District Council to intercede with the County Council on your behalf.’

July 1975

‘The Department of the Environment have dropped the scheme to raise the speed limit through Cottered to 40 mph—and it will stay at 30 mph for at least another year. However, strong representation is now being made to ensure that this issue does not keep being raised every year…’

April 1976

‘All those lorries - Sainsbury’s, tankers, car transporters, container lorries, etc, I fear will still trundle through the village as always, even if the A507 isn’t an official lorry route.’

Hertfordshire makes much better provision for the protection of those living in its principal towns, than for the constituents of its rural villages and market towns.

Cottered and the other settlements on the A507 - including their children, their elderly people, their wheelchair users - deserve better protection from road hazards than the story told in this whole Report, and the historical records in appendix, evidence. 26 APPENDIX 3

SPECIFICATION FOR A 7.5-TONNE WEIGHT LIMIT SIGN, c. £700 EACH 27

PLEASE HEAR YOUR CONSTITUENTS!

THANK YOU