Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Spatial Strategy

16 September 2003

Project Appraisal: A323 Ash Road/North Lane, Ash Road/Blackwater Way, Ash Road/Lower Farnham Road/Lower Newport Road - Proposed Traffic Signals and Pedestrian Facilities, Aldershot

Report of the Director of Environment

Item 4

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - SPATIAL STRATEGY

PROJECT APPRAISAL

(Externally Funded)

PROJECT:

A323 ASH ROAD/NORTH LANE, ASH ROAD/BLACKWATER WAY, ASH ROAD/LOWER FARNHAM ROAD/LOWER NEWPORT ROAD - PROPOSED TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, ALDERSHOT

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

SEPTEMBER 2003

COMPLETION DATE:

DECEMBER 2003

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2003/04

7.

Scheme

A323 Ash Road/North Lane, Ash Road/Blackwater Way, Ash Road/Lower Farnham Road/Lower Newport Road, Aldershot - traffic signals and pedestrian facilities.

7.1

Introduction

Planning approval for the Fairview Homes Willows Development, near Willow Way, Aldershot, was granted by Rushmoor Borough Council subject to the completion of an S106 agreement for the improvement of the transport infrastructure. Access to the development is to be via Blackwater Way which connects to Ash Road. To mitigate the effects of the development along Ash Road it is proposed to install traffic signals with pedestrian facilities at the junction with North Lane and traffic signals at Blackwater Way. It is also proposed to install additional pedestrian facilities at the existing traffic signal junction at Ash Road with Lower Farnham Road and Lower Newport Road.

7.2

Details

Ash Road/North Lane junction:

Currently this junction operates as a priority junction with a banned right turn movement from North Lane into Ash Road. However, there are often long queues of traffic waiting to turn right into North Lane. It is proposed to install traffic signals at the junction to regulate traffic movements, improve junction safety and reduce the effects of right turning traffic queuing along Ash Road towards the interchange with the A331. Currently the junction has no formal pedestrian facilities. To improve pedestrian accessibility, a staggered Puffin signal-controlled crossing is proposed within the junction across Ash Road to the west of North Lane. This crossing would be capable of being converted to allow for cycle use in the future. The banned right turn movement from North Lane would be retained.

Ash Road/Blackwater Way junction:

A priority junction exists at this location with banned right turn movements both into and out of Blackwater Way. It is proposed to introduce traffic signals at the junction to regulate traffic flows between Ash Road and Blackwater Way. The junction layout is to be altered to enable all movements out of Blackwater Way. The right turn movement from Ash Road into Blackwater Way is to remain prohibited. Traffic wishing to access Blackwater Way will use the existing roundabout to the east to make the right turn manoeuvre and then turn left into Blackwater Way.

A323 Ash Road/Lower Farnham Road/Lower Newport Road junction:

A four arm traffic signal junction exists at this location, which includes a controlled pedestrian facility across Lower Newport Road and uncontrolled facilities across Ash Road to the west of Lower Newport Road/Lower Farnham Road and across Lower Farnham Road. The right turn movement from Ash Road into Lower Farnham Road is prohibited to all vehicles, except buses, and this Traffic Regulation Order is to be retained. A new controlled Puffin pedestrian facility is proposed within the junction across Ash Road to replace the existing uncontrolled facility, and the existing controlled pedestrian crossing on Lower Newport Road is to be upgraded to a Puffin facility.

Given the close proximity of the traffic signal junctions it is proposed that they be connected to Hampshire County Council's Urban Traffic Control system in Winchester using dedicated telephone lines. This will enable the junctions to operate under Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) control to improve coordination between the junctions and to reduce delays.

7.3

Standards

The scheme has been designed to national and County Council standards. The design has been safety audited.

7.4

Statutory Procedures and Consultation

There are no statutory requirements.

A public exhibition was undertaken by Rushmoor Borough Council in January 2003 to gauge the opinion of residents to the proposals. Where appropriate the views expressed have been incorporated within the proposed scheme.

7.5

Policy Considerations

The proposals are consistent with the policy aims and objectives of the North East Hampshire Transport Strategy. In addition to the traffic management improvements, existing on-road cycle facilities have been retained and pedestrians particularly will benefit from the facilities proposed. The County Council aims to encourage modal shift from the private car to other, more sustainable forms of transport, especially for short journeys and school trips. This scheme will help to achieve this.

7.6

Environmental Impacts

There are no significant environmental impacts associated with this proposal.

7.7

Land Requirement

No land acquisition required. All works to be confined within existing highway limits.

7.8

Alternative Arrangements

Taking no action would not meet with the objective of improving the local highway network to cope with the anticipated increase in traffic flows and pedestrian movements associated with the new residential development.

This proposal gives consideration to the potential impact of the planned redevelopment of Aldershot military town for civilian use (Project Connaught). To date no detailed transport assessment is available for the proposal, therefore potential effects have not been incorporated.

7.9

Local Member's View

The local Members, Councillors Roberts and Kimber, are aware of the scheme and support the proposal.

7.10

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The provisions of this Act have no impact on this proposal.

7.11

Sustainability

The suggested junction improvements and alterations will include on-crossing detection to assist less mobile pedestrians and tactile devices on pushbuttons to assist visually impaired pedestrians. The improved facilities for pedestrians at these junctions will help to encourage a modal shift away from the use of the private car in keeping with Hampshire County Council and national transport policies.

8.

Financial Arrangements

The full cost of the scheme is to be met by Rushmoor Borough Council.

8.1

Expenditure

£'000

Funds Available

£'000

Design Fee

13

Rushmoor Borough Council (through developer funding)

240

Supervision

5

Project Works

222

Land

Nil

____

____

Total

240

Total

240

____

____

8.2

Revenue Implications

£'000

% Variation to Committee's budget

Net increase in

current expenditure

12.0

0.014

Capital Charge

15.0

0.016

____

____

Total Expenditure

13.5

0.046

____

____

8.3

Maintenance Implications

The proposal will add two further traffic signal controlled junctions to the number of installations currently maintained by the authority incurring maintenance costs, for the lifetime of the junctions, expected to be in the region of £4,500 per annum. In addition, the proposal to connect the junctions to the authority's urban traffic control (UTC) system, will incur rental charges for the necessary British Telecom circuits. Some savings are possible by taking advantage of the services available through the Hampshire Private Services Network (HPSN) but these costs are still likely to be in excess of £6,000 per annum. These ongoing costs will need to be met from the County Council's revenue budget.

It is proposed to provide skid resistant surfacing on all the approaches to the traffic signals. This material is expensive to repair, £0.80 per square metre, needing replacement on average every 10 years.

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

SP/PR 5262

Environment Department

ITS Group, Monument House