Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Environment

10 December 2002

Project Appraisal: St Michael's Road Area, Basingstoke - Traffic Calming

Report of the Director of Environment

Item 10

Contact: Richard Hague, tel 01962 857807

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That the attached Project Appraisal for the proposed traffic calming scheme in the St Michael's Road area of Basingstoke at an estimated cost of £100,000 be approved.

(ii) That an Order be made under Sections 82(2), 83(2) and 84(1) and (2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the effect of which will be to implement the associated 20 miles per hour zone and for the construction of the road humps as advertised.

2. Reason

2.1 To provide a self-enforcing low speed regime to improve conditions and maintain safety for all road users, in particular the young and elderly pedestrians who require access to the local schools, shops and community facilities.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Other options such as coloured road surfacing, signing and lining, gateways and small build-outs were investigated, but these measures alone were considered insufficient to maintain consistent control of vehicle speeds.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT

PROJECT APPRAISAL

(Externally Funded)

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10 DECEMBER 2002

_____________________________________________

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PROJECT:

ST MICHAEL'S ROAD AREA, BASINGSTOKE - TRAFFIC CALMING

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COMMENCEMENT DATE:	DECEMBER 2002
COMPLETION DATE:	MARCH 2003

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2002/03

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7.	Scheme

7.1	Introduction In June 2001 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's Cabinet considered a report recommending that funding be allocated by the Borough to two traffic calming schemes in Basingstoke. In conjunction with the County Council and the Police, Borough Council officers closely examined residential areas within the town centre. The objective was to determine where local facilities, such as schools, shops, churches and residential homes for the elderly or disabled people, were concentrated and where there would be a high level of pedestrian activity particularly during the school day. The identified areas were then considered for treatment in order to benefit vulnerable road users in particular. St Michael's Road was identified as an area which suffered locally from the element of through traffic which interacted with movements to and from the local community facilities. It was agreed with Borough Council and Police officers that this would be a high priority and road humps would need to be introduced to achieve an appropriate speed regime.

7.2	Details The proposals for the St Michael's Road area comprise a series of speed cushions (75 millimetres in height), with road narrowings and traffic islands located approximately every 75 metres between the junctions of Pinkerton Road/Brackley Way and St Michael's Road/St Peter's Road. Raised tables (also 75 millimetres in height) are proposed at the junctions of Pinkerton Road/St Michael's Road and St Michael's Road/Culver Road. Gateway features incorporating enhanced signing/lining and coloured road surfacing are also proposed at the entry points to the zone. It is proposed that since the road hump scheme is designed to achieve speeds in the region of 20 miles per hour (mph) it would be appropriate to reinforce the effect of the scheme by a 20 mph zone. The proposals are shown on attached location plans.

7.3	Standards The design conforms to the relevant regulation and technical advice of the Department for Transport (DfT) as well as County Council policies and advice. It has been subjected to the safety audit process.

7.4	Statutory Procedures and Consultation The proposals for the St Michael's Road area were displayed at the public exhibitions held outside Park View School and at the Shera Hall on 17 and 19 July 2001 respectively. Majority support was given to the introduction of the 20 mph zone and for the physical features which were to be employed. Following the second public exhibition, the Borough Council agreed to fund the implementation of the proposals from its Capital Programme. A single letter of objection was received following the formal advertisement of the 20 mph zone and the proposal to construct the speed cushions and raised junction tables (see attached appendix). This objection related to the principle of using speed cushions and junction tables rather than the implementation of the 20 mph zone. In order to maintain 20 mph within a zone it is required, as a general rule, that traffic calming measures are constructed. The works proposed thus accord with DfT advice. The emergency services and bus company have also been consulted and do not object to the proposals. The public consultation exercises confirm majority support for the proposed 20 mph zone and road humps scheme for the St Michael's Road area. All of the issues raised during the public exhibitions and statutory advertisement have been investigated and, where appropriate, the proposals have been amended to overcome them. The results of the consultations were reported to the Borough Council's Cabinet Member in September 2002 who agreed the recommendations to implement the 20 mph zone and road hump scheme for the St Michael's Road area and reaffirmed funding from the Borough's Capital Programme.

7.5	Policy Considerations The proposals are consistent with the aims set out in the Hampshire Local Transport Plan 2001-2006 for the Basingstoke Environmental Strategy for Transport. The traffic calming scheme is aimed at maintaining an effective speed reduction to assist with the safety of all road users, particularly the more vulnerable elderly and child pedestrians.

7.6	Environmental Impacts There will be minimal environmental impact from the proposal. The scheme will also provide an overall benefit creating a safer environment for all road users. During construction any excessive noise and disturbance will be kept to a minimum.

7.7	Land Requirement No land acquisition required. All works to be confined within existing public highway limits.
7.8	Alternative Arrangements No suitable alternatives.

7.9	Local Member's View Throughout the consultation process Councillor Jo Kelly was in agreement with the scheme.

7.10	Crime and Disorder Act 1998 The provisions of this Act have no impact on this proposal.

7.11	Sustainability The scheme will maintain an effective enhanced local environment by sustaining a lower speed regime, thus reducing the effects of severance created by vehicular traffic, allowing easier pedestrian access and crossing movements and promoting safety for all road users.

8.	Financial Arrangements
8.1	Expenditure	£'000	Funds Available	£'000

	Design Fee }		Borough Council	100
	Supervision }	100	Capital Programme
	Project Works }
	Land	Nil
		____		____
	Total	100	Total	100
		____		____

8.2	Revenue Implications	£'000	% Variation to Committee's budget

	Net increase in current expenditure	1		0.003
	Capital Charge	Nil		Nil
		____		____
	Total Expenditure	1		0.003
		____		____

8.3	Maintenance Implications There will be minimal revenue implications from this proposal and these will be taken into account in the setting of the annual base budget.


Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.	Published works.

2.	Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

Traffic Management Liaison File (Basingstoke and Deane) - St Michael's Road

Environment Department

Sheridan House

7628/RH

APPENDIX


	Objections		Officer's Comments
1.	(i)	Motorists attention will be diverted to the physical calming measures and they will not notice a child running into the road.	It has been established nationally and locally that traffic calming devices help to slow traffic and increase driver awareness.
	(ii)	Will reduce emergency services response times.	The majority of the devices are speed cushions, so designed to allow larger vehicles to straddle the raised area and reduce the impact. The emergency services have been consulted and did not raise objection to the scheme.
	(iii)	Further physical measures will create more potential hazards.	As (i).
	(iv)	Waste of taxpayers money.	The measures have been well published and received majority support to progress with the scheme.
	(v)	Increase journey time.	The difference in journey time along the 680 metres of St Michael's Road is negligible between the existing speed limit of 30 mph and the proposed 20 mph.
	(vi)	Professional drivers are affected by traffic calming measures and this leads to a growing unwillingness to undertake this kind of work. This is reflected in the vacancies now available in this field of work.	Buses are generally not affected by the majority of the devices used on this scheme as they are speed cushions. The bus companies have been consulted and did not raise objections. Taxis are more likely to be picking up/setting down fares in this area rather than passing through. There are also alternative routes available.

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