Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Spatial Strategy

16 September 2003

Traffic Regulation Order and Traffic Calming Scheme - Romsey Town Centre Enhancement - The Hundred and Latimer Street

Report of the Director of Environment

Item 2

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

File 17/B3398/3/100

Administration

Environment Department

Room 311 Ashburton Court West

File 17/B3398/3/200

Design

Environment Department

Room 311 Ashburton Court West

Road

Side

Length Restricted

The Hundred (B3398)

Both sides

Between a point 53 metres east of its junction with Market Place (i.e. from the western boundary of No. 10 The Hundred) and a point 24 metres east of that point.

Road

Side

Length Restricted

The Hundred (B3398)

Both sides

Between its junction with Market Place (i.e. from the western boundary of No. 10 The Hundred) and a point 11 metres east thereof.

North

Between a point 35 metres south east of its junction with the east side of The Hundred and a point 11 metres west of the boundary with No. 100 The Hundred, excluding the length specified in c) below.

South

Between the eastern boundary of No. 35 The Hundred and a point 13.5 metres west of its junction with The Harrage, excluding existing parking places.

Latimer Street (C451)

Both sides

Between its junction with the south side of Lortemore Place and its junction with Station Road.

Station Road

(C451/unclassified)

North

Between a point 53 metres north east of its junction with Portersbridge Street (i.e. 1 metre west of the western boundary of No. 2 Station Road) and its north eastern point of termination (at the south western end of Canal Walk), excluding existing parking places.

South

Between its junction with the eastern side of Orchard Lane and its north eastern point of termination (at the south western end of Canal Walk), excluding existing parking places.

Road

Side

Length

The Hundred (B3398)

North

Between a point 42 metres south east of its junction with the east side of The Hundred and a point 27 metres south east of that point.

Road

Side

Length Restricted

The Hundred (B3398)

Both sides

Between a point 11 metres east of its junction with Market Place (i.e. from the western boundary of No. 10 The Hundred) and a point 42 metres east of that point.

North

Between a point 17 metres west of the junction of the main route of The Hundred and its northern spur and a point 37 metres east of that point (i.e. 3 metres west of the boundary between Nos. 40 and 42 The Hundred).

South

Between a point 3 metres west of the boundary between Nos. 21 and 23 The Hundred and the eastern boundary of No. 35 The Hundred.

Latimer Street (C451)

Both sides

Between its junction with The Hundred/Love Lane and its junction with the south side of Lortemore Place, excluding those lengths specified in e) below.

Station Road

(C451/unclassified)

North

Between its junction with Portersbridge Street and a point 53 metres north east thereof.

South

Between its junction with Portersbridge Street and its junction with the west side of Orchard Lane.

Road

Side

Length

The Hundred (B3398)

North

Between a point 10 metres south east of its junction with the east side of The Hundred and a point 18 metres south east of that point.

Latimer Street (C451)

West

(i) Between a point 4 metres north of the southern boundary of No. 32 The Hundred and a point 11 metres north of that point.

(ii) Between a point 25 metres south of its junction with the south side of Lortemore Place and a point 6 metres south of that point.

Road

Side

Length

The Hundred (B3398)

North East

Between a point 28 metres south east of its junction with the east side of The Hundred and a point 7 metres south east of that point.

Description of Road

Direction

(i) Latimer Street from its junction with the south side of Lortemore Place to its junction with The Hundred (northern spur)/Love Lane.

North to South

(ii) The Hundred (northern spur) from its junction with Latimer Street/Love Lane to its junction with The Hundred (main route).

North to South

(iii) Love Lane from a point 10 metres east of its junction with The Hundred (northern spur)/ Latimer Street to that junction.

East to West

OBJECTOR / SUPPORTER

OBJECTION /

COMMENTS

OFFICER'S COMMENTS

1. Freight Transport Association

Hermes House

St John's Road

Tunbridge Wells

Kent

TN4 9UZ

i) What problems have been identified resulting in the need for these proposals?

i) The proposed enhancement scheme has been progressed following a study jointly commissioned by the County Council and Test Valley Borough Council from Colin Buchanan and Partners (1998), entitled the Romsey Movement and Access Study (RMAS), which was subject to public consultation. The study looked at ways of improving the environment of Romsey against a background of new development, increasing car ownership and traffic levels, taking into consideration potential retail and housing developments in and around the town. The study included recommendations to reduce car usage in Romsey by encouraging walking and cycling within the town, slowing vehicles and discouraging, but not banning, traffic from the town centre.

Test Valley Borough Council commissioned a strategy on future retail need in Romsey from Colliers, Erdman and Lewis (1998). That strategy identified the potential for additional convenience and comparison goods within the town. Existing planning permissions, including the new Bradbeers and Waitrose stores (currently under construction), will provide for need up to 2011, and therefore no additional sites have been identified within the initial draft of the Test Valley Local Plan (2003). In terms of deliveries, it is unlikely that there would be an increase arising from future development.

After careful consideration of the feedback from two public exhibitions on the more detailed proposals, approval has been granted for the above scheme to proceed, subject to statutory and regulatory procedures.

The proposed Traffic Regulations Orders are required to enable the objectives of the scheme to be achieved and for the scheme to operate as proposed, whilst maintaining access for through traffic and create areas specifically for loading and unloading of goods.

ii) What assessment has been made of the impact of the ban on industry or businesses, i.e. retail outlets in the area?

ii) The RMAS considered the predicted retail and industrial development within the current local plan. The current proposals have been prepared in accordance with the study's recommendations.

For this scheme a detailed survey has been undertaken to establish the frequency and size of vehicles used for deliveries to businesses within this area of the town. The results of the survey indicate that the majority of these businesses receive deliveries between Monday and Friday, during normal working hours. Of these, many are made using vans of `Transit' size, or similar. The remainder are made using rigid lorries of various sizes, with five premises served by articulated vehicle. All bar one of the premises that are served by articulated vehicle, receive their deliveries in the evening or early morning outside peak traffic times. Articulated servicing to Boots is undertaken from the rear and New Look, currently serviced at the front deliveries could also be rear serviced. By maintaining access for through traffic and providing designated areas for loading / unloading, it is not envisaged that deliveries will be adversely affected.

iii) There appears to be only a couple of loading bays in an area where there are substantial retail outlets. What research has been carried out on HGV activity to ensure this is sufficient?

iii) Refer to paragraph (ii), above.

Delivery areas are to be created within The Hundred (a one-way street), which have been designed to accommodate an articulated vehicle parked on either side of the carriageway, with room for a second articulated vehicle to pass. Over-runable tapers are to be provided on the approaches and departures to the delivery areas to allow vehicles to pass a parked delivery vehicle. It is proposed to make these `No waiting' areas, to permit loading / unloading, but preclude general parking. They are to be delineated by appropriate road markings and restriction plates. To prove the design, vehicular swept path assessments have been undertaken.

Additional loading / unloading bays are to be created in The Hundred, just east of its junction with Latimer Street, and at two locations within Latimer Street itself. These areas are to be clearly marked `Loading only', using both regulatory signing and the appropriate carriageway markings. To accommodate articulated delivery vehicles to Romsey Home Hardware, the proposed buildout on the approach to the loading bay is to be constructed as an over-runable area to enable easier access. Two premises in Latimer Street, namely Judges Bar and Peppercorn Natural Foods have a forecourt which enables smaller deliveries to take place off-road. There is also rear

(iii, continued)

access to the White Horse Hotel (which fronts Market Place), BHM Electrical (shown as Dimplex Centre on the plans to be displayed) and Wills Music, which are used for some of their deliveries / collections.

Currently there is a high level of illegal on-street parking between 8.00am and 6.00pm within this area of the town. These parked vehicles not only cause hold ups for through traffic, but also prevent delivery vehicles from stopping. This problem is to be addressed by Test Valley Borough Council with the introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement, which is currently programmed for implementation later this year. Through the provision of loading / unloading areas and the establishment of more effective parking enforcement, it is anticipated that instances of disruption to deliveries will be minimised.

iv) Our main concern is with commercial activity and the possible disruption caused to the efficient and flexible delivery of goods to any premises that do not have off street loading and unloading facilities. I wonder whether this has been taken into account when the restriction was proposed?

iv) As mentioned in ii, above, a detailed survey of deliveries has been undertaken to establish the delivery patterns of the various premises within the area of the scheme, and whether or not they have the ability for `off street' loading / unloading. Based on the results obtained it is considered that the provision for loading / unloading will be sufficient to cope with the anticipated deliveries as advised. However, it is accepted that on occasion, as currently occurs, space for loading / unloading may be unavailable.

2. Mr I Brodie

Chapel Mead

Stanbridge Earls

Romsey

Hampshire

i) objects most strongly to the so called `traffic calming' measures proposed for Latimer Street and The Hundred. As a frequent user of this area, both as a driver and more frequently as a pedestrian, I cannot imagine why you consider any calming is necessary?

Further, I have to say that as a driver that humps in the road of the kind are a pure irritation that leads to less regard for other road users.

i) One objective of the proposed scheme is to reduce the speed of vehicular traffic passing through this area of the town. This is to be achieved by the introduction of self-enforcing humped traffic calming features, a raised junction and by the narrowing of the carriageways. Crossing points are to be incorporated into the features to assist the safe passage of pedestrians across the narrowed roads. The features have been designed and located to enable vehicles to continue to pass through the town centre, with the minimum of discomfort for drivers, at speeds which will afford drivers and pedestrians additional time to react to potential conflict. The proposals should also encourage greater and more efficient use of the existing and proposed off-street car parking facilities, promote walking as a means of access to the town centre, and as a result, reduce the volume of vehicular traffic within the town.

It is appreciated that traffic calming features are a source of irritation to some road users. However, the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users is considered paramount.

ii) I object to the proposed one way system in Latimer Street and Love Lane. At present these roads give vital alternative routes for local traffic in particular, when, as so often happens in Romsey, one or more of the main roads become blocked. Again I question why you think this is necessary?

ii) The existing footways within the town centre, particularly those in Latimer Street, are very narrow. In order to create wider footways to accommodate the increased volume of pedestrian traffic generated by the new Waitrose food store, it is proposed that they be widened. To achieve wider footways it will be necessary to narrow the existing carriageway. The remaining carriageway will be of insufficient width to accommodate two-way traffic and is therefore to become one way. Information obtained from traffic counts suggests that approximately two-thirds of traffic using Latimer Street travels south. Therefore, to cause the least inconvenience to road users, the section of Latimer Street from Lortemore Place to The Hundred should operate one way in a southerly direction.

The extensions to the footways at the junction of The Hundred and Latimer Street will effectively create an extension to Latimer Street. As this section of carriageway will be one-way, it will not possible to permit access for northbound traffic up to the junction with Love Lane, without severely compromising the schemes proposals to create greater space for pedestrians and their safety. The volume of traffic wishing to undertake this manoeuvre is considered to be low. In addition, the left turn from Latimer Street into Love Lane would be very acute, and unachievable by the majority of vehicles. It has therefore been decided that, on operational and safety grounds, that access to Love Lane be prevented at this location.

Whilst Latimer Street and Love Lane may provide `alternative routes for local traffic', it is considered that the recommended signed route should be used. Improvements are currently underway to change the existing priority junctions on the A3057 at Alma Road / Winchester Road / The Hundred and Alma Road / Malmesbury Road/ /Station Road, the signed north / south route through the town, as part of the Waitrose food store development. The traffic signals are anticipated to provide improvements to the operation of this route and as a result, reduce the volume of traffic that currently passes through the town centre

and the reliance on alternative routes within the town.