Hampshire County Council
Planning and Transportation Committee Item *
16 November 1998
Former Park Gate Bypass
Report of the Chief Executive
Contact: Mr M. Sherwood - ext. 7332
1. Background
1.1. At its meeting on 18 May 1998 the Committee considered a
detailed report by the County Surveyor on the former Park Gate
Bypass and resolved as follows:-
"(i) That the County Surveyor and the County Planning Officer
in
conjunction with officers of Fareham Borough Council,
consult with
Borough and County Members and jointly examine the
arguments for
the continuing requirement for the Park Gate Bypass and
produce a
report for submission to the Planning and Transportation
Committee
.............................................."
1.2. Following preliminary officer discussions, an ad hoc panel of
Planning and Transportation Committee Members comprising
Councillors Estlin, Cole, Langdon, and Wiggins together with
Mrs Allbright and Felicity Hindson as local Members, met with
representatives of Fareham Borough Council on 7 October.
2. Meeting with Fareham Borough Council - 7 October 1998
2.1. A discussion paper prepared by the County Surveyor for the
meeting is attached as Appendix 1. Councillor Estlin, the
Chairman, circulated a detailed set of draft recommendations
which represented his own preferred course of action as a local
County Councillor. The central elements of these
recommendations were the reinstatement of the eastern section
of the Bypass (either in its original form or a reduced version
thereof) and the safeguarding of the land requirement, and the
safeguarding of the land associated with the western section
pending clarification of major issues such as the overall
development brief for the Coldeast Hospital site and South
Hampshire Rapid Transit proposals.
2.2. There was general support from the Borough Council
representatives for Councillor Estlin's proposals. They
considered that the present traffic situation at Park Gate was
unacceptable and that other potential developments such as
Coldeast (if it went ahead on the scale suggested by
developers) would only serve to exacerbate the problem.
Similarly, the position with regard to the construction of
Whiteley Way, with its potential for easing congestion,
remained uncertain. Accordingly, in all the circumstances, the
Borough Council regretted the County Council's decisions to
abandon the Bypass (which they regarded as premature) and,
subsequently, to object to the retention of the safeguarding of
the route in the Fareham Borough Local Plan. In addition - and
contrary to the County view - some of the Borough Council
Members felt that there might be scope for a reasonable level
of developer contributions in connection with the building of
the Bypass. As things stood therefore the Borough Council
remained firmly of the view that the Bypass was needed to
increase road capacity in the area.
2.3. The County Surveyor considered it difficult to reconcile the
building of the Bypass with current local and national
policies. He also advised that if a route was to be
safeguarded, it had to be with a genuine intention of building
the road within the current development plan period. If this
was not the intention, and the safeguarding was a "contingency"
arrangement only then this was contrary to planning guidance.
It was also emphasised that a blight situation could result
with possible compensation consequences.
2.4. At the conclusion of the discussion, a consensus of the Members
present was reached as follows:-
"That the County Council's Planning and Transportation
Committee be informed that the informal Hampshire County
Council/Fareham Borough Council Joint Members meeting arranged
to consider issues relating to the former Park Gate Bypass:
(i) considers that the eastern section of the Bypass should
be reinstated, either in its original form or in a
lesser form, and that the land requirement be
safeguarded, the rationale being
(a) to allow the increasing volume of traffic from the
north, including for the time being traffic
destined for the Whiteley
Factory Shopping Centre, to avoid the Park Gate
shopping complex centred on Botley Road
and Middle Road;
(b) to allow local traffic access to a possible park
and ride interchange facility (train/LRT,
bus, car, cycle) adjacent to
Swanwick Station;
(c) to allow Botley Road between Duncan Road and
Middle Road to be pedestrianised at a future date
and that the introduction of such a scheme will
also prevent traffic from the east heading in a
northerly direction from using Hunts Pond Road/Botley Road
as a "rat run" to avoid Segensworth Roundabout.
(ii) suggests that with regard to the western section of the
former Park Gate Bypass the future requirement is
dependent on the agreement of an
overall development brief for the Coldeast Hospital site
and consideration of the South Hampshire Rapid
Transit proposals, and a possible branch to the Lockswood
Centre, and that in view of the uncertainties
the associated land should be safeguarded at least until 31
December 2000.
(iii) considers that the wording incorporating the pre-inquiry
changes (para. 11.56 of the Fareham Local Plan
Review) is consistent with the above recommendations."
2.5. In noting these recommendations for submission to this
Committee, the County Surveyor advised the meeting that the
most sensible course of action would be to await the Local Plan
Inquiry Inspector's recommendations, expected in September
1999, before undertaking any further review of this matter.
Recommendation
That consideration of any further review of the County Council's
position as regards the former Park Gate Bypass should await the
Public Inquiry Inspector's recommendations on the Fareham Borough
Local Plan Review.
8AR94098
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