Farnborough Growth Package – Lynchford Road Improvements Consultation Findings Report December 2018 1 Contents Introduction 4 Context 4 Consultation aims 4 Geographical scope of consultation 5 Summary of key findings 6 Responses to the consultation 8 Who responded? 8 Location of respondents 9 Respondents experience of travelling around North Camp 10 Modes of transport used to travel around North Camp 10 Frequency of travel through or around North Camp 10 Reason for travel through or around North Camp 11 Respondents’ feedback on the proposed Lynchford Road improvements 13 Overall agreement with the proposed improvements to Lynchford Road 13 Reasons that respondents only agreed with ‘some’ aspects of the proposed improvement scheme at Lynchford Road 14 Reasons that respondents disagreed with all aspects of the proposed improvement scheme for Lynchford Road 19 Respondents’ views on delivering against the objectives 22 Respondents’ views on specific elements of the proposed improvements to Lynchford Road 23 Queen’s Roundabout and Alexandra Road 23 St. Albans Roundabout and North Camp village 24 Peabody Road 25 Proposed improvements to open space 26 Further comments on the proposed improvements to Lynchford Road 27 Potential impact of the proposed improvement scheme to Lynchford Road 30 The perceived impact of the proposed scheme on the local area 30 The perceived impact of the proposed scheme on respondents or organisations, groups or businesses 33 Unstructured Responses 36 Appendices 38 Appendix 1 – Research approach 38 Appendix 2 – Interpreting the data 39 Appendix 3 – Consultation Response Form 40 2 Appendix 4 – List of organisations or groups who responded to the consultation 50 Appendix 5 – Consultation participant profile 51 Appendix 6 – Coded responses to open questions 52 Appendix 7 – Data tables 60 3 Introduction Context The County Council has provisionally secured £6.7 million of Local Growth Deal funding from the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership for improvements to Farnborough, plus £2 million of local contributions, giving a total package of £8.7 million for highways improvements. An initial consultation on proposals to improve congestion and accommodate increasing travel demands in Farnborough and the wider Blackwater Valley area was undertaken between Tuesday 28 November 2017 and Tuesday 23 January 2018. The results of the exercise included a recommendation to undertake further consultation on a preferred design of the A3011 Lynchford Road at North Camp Village which took place between Monday 1 October 2018 and Monday 12 November 2018. This report summarises the consultation findings. Consultation aims The consultation was an opportunity for local residents and businesses to provide their views on the proposed improvement scheme to Lynchford Road. The consultation sought to understand: • the extent to which residents and the public support the County Council’s proposed scheme • the level of support or opposition to specific components of the scheme • how the scheme may impact people who travel in and around North Camp Village • alternative options that could be considered. 4 Geographical scope of consultation The below map shows the location of the proposed improvements: Queens St Alban’s Roundabout Roundabout 5 Summary of key findings In Phase One of the Lynchford Road consultation, 43% of respondents agreed with the principle of improvements, whilst 27% disagreed and 30% were unsure. In Phase Two, the response was similarly mixed. The majority of respondents (55%) supported the County Council’s preferred option for making improvements to Lynchford Road. Of these 16% agreed with ‘all aspects’ of it and a further 39% agreed with some aspects. This compares to 36% of respondents who ‘did not agree with any aspects’ of the scheme. Those in favour of the scheme recognised its potential to ease congestion – particularly during peak hours and when major events were held in the area. Some also noted that the scheme could improve safety for those that walk or cycle. The possible closure of Old Lynchford Road from St. Albans Roundabout and at Southampton Street near Queens Roundabout was the main reason that respondents did not agree with all aspects of the proposed scheme. Respondents were concerned that the closure could create unnecessary disruption to those that live in the area, and that both routes currently offer relief to congestion at peak hours. Respondents that disagreed with all aspects of the scheme were likely to do so because of the perceived impact it may have on the safety of children. Many respondents cited how the proximity of the proposed road widening by The Wavell School could create a potentially unsafe crossing. Of the 24 specific elements of the proposed improvement scheme, those that received the most support were: • improving the pedestrian and cycle route over Alexandra Road • introducing a two-way cycle path linking to Old Lynchford Road • enhancing the pedestrian space west of Camp Road • introducing two lanes Eastbound/ two lanes Westbound on Lynchford Road past Lille Barracks. For the first three elements, support well outweighed opposition, whilst the fourth received similar levels of support and opposition. The elements that were least well supported were: • the option of introducing a complete closure of access between Old Lynchford Road and St. Albans roundabout • the option of closing Old Lynchford Road - west of Southampton Street (by the Holiday Inn) to provide more cycle and pedestrian space • widening of Alexandra Road southbound to two lanes approaching the roundabout • widening of the Wavell School crossing to two lanes in both directions but with more given time to pedestrians. 6 For these specific elements of the scheme, at least half of respondents disagreed with the proposed improvements, and the proportion of those that did so was significantly higher than those who agreed. It should be noted that the potential closure of Old Lynchford Road at Southampton Street near Queens Roundabout is not part of the preferred scheme. 7 Responses to the consultation Who responded? There were 334 responses to the consultation questionnaire, which breaks down as follows: • 246 responses were submitted through the online Response Form • 88 were submitted via the paper Response Form. Of these responses, 320 were from individuals and nine were from organisations or groups. There were also nine separate unstructured responses that were received within the consultation period; these responses are also included in this report. The majority (87%) of responses were from local residents. 1% 3% Local resident Who are you? 7% (Base: 328) Member of the public Elected Member Organisation, group, business or school 87% A detailed participant profile is provided in Appendix 5. 8 Location of respondents The map (below) shows the distribution of respondents by postcode. The highest concentration of respondents were from North Camp; however, responses were received from across Farnborough and a smaller proportion came from Aldershot. (Base: 229) Legend Number of respondents 9 Respondents experience of travelling around North Camp Modes of transport used to travel around North Camp Respondents represented a broad range of travel modes, with almost all having experience of travelling around North Camp by motorised transport, and many having walked or cycled around the area. Around one in five respondents had used public transport. Mode of transport by respondents 90% (base: 332, multi-choice) 65% 29% 18% 5% 3% 0% Car On foot Bicycle Public Motorcyclist HGV or van Other transport Frequency of travel through or around North Camp Travel issues, particularly those experienced by car users, were likely 1% to be well known by the majority of 3% respondents, with 71% of 71% respondents travelling through North 9% Camp on five or more days during an average week. A further 17% indicated that they 17% travel through the area on three to four days per week. How many days in an average week do you travel in North Camp Village? (base 334) 5 days or more 3 to 4 days 1 to 2 days Less than once a week Never 10 Reason for travel through or around North Camp The majority of respondents said that the main reason they travelled in and around the area was that they lived in North Camp (65%). Many respondents also travelled to visit shops in the area (59%). One in three respondents said that they went to North Camp for leisure, whilst an additional one in four travelled to North Camp to access local services such as health care, job centres or council offices. For what reason(s) do you come into or travel around Lynchford Road? (base 332, multi-choice) I live in North Camp Village 65% Shopping 59% For leisure 33% To access local services 26% Work in the North Camp area 18% Study nearby/ school run 15% Work in Farnborough, travel via North 13% Camp Commute via Farnborough via North 10% Camp Other 12% 11 Respondents that travelled through North Camp Village because they live in the area were more likely to make these journeys during the weekends, but also made journeys during the weekday at between 7:00-9:00 or 15:30-18:30. The least popular time to travel was between 12:00-14:00 during the week day. Respondents that made journeys to access retail areas were, similarly, most likely to make these journeys over the weekend, but around half also used the area to shop during the week – including during the evening peak. The most popular time to visit leisure facilities, such as restaurants and bars, was outside of peak hours – either during the week or at weekends. Respondents that travelled to North Camp to access local services such as health care, day centres or council services, were likely to make these journeys at any time except peak hours on weekday mornings (7:00-9:00). 12 Respondents’ feedback on the proposed Lynchford Road improvements Overall agreement with the proposed improvements to Lynchford Road Respondents were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the proposed improvement scheme for Lynchford Road.