Contact: Jonathan Crabb, ext 6047 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the County Council not pursue a west-to-east flyover at the A27, Quay Street, Fareham, and support the removal of restrictions on development within Policy T7 of the Fareham Borough Local Plan Review (June 2000) and Policy T14 of the Hampshire County Structure Plan.

2. Reason

2.1 A scheme to build a west-to-east flyover at Quay Street Junction was rejected on safety, economic and environmental grounds. The formal restriction on development to protect a future west-to-east flyover is no longer required. The Borough Council is considering a retail planning application which conflicts with this restriction and has asked the County Council to agree to its removal.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Not to agree to the removal of the restriction.

3.2 In total, 11 schemes have been identified to improve capacity at the Quay Street junction. However, many have been rejected due to environmental impacts, the limited long-term benefit, the cost of construction and potential land take. Indeed, many are now redundant due to the increase in flows since the proposals were put forward.

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

7. Introduction

7.1 The County Council has received a request from Fareham Borough Council to remove the restriction on development for the west to east flyover for the Quay Street junction within the Fareham Borough Local Plan Review. Details on the Quay Street junction is provided at Policy T14 of the Hampshire County Structure Plan and Policy T7 of the Borough Local Plan respectively.

7.2 The safeguarding is indicated by an asterisk on the proposals map. The specific area of safeguarding has not been formally identified through the development plan.

7.3 Also contained within Policy T7, land is safeguarded for measures which will improve and maintain the effectiveness of the Strategic Road Network at the Quay Street roundabout, Fareham.

8. Atkins Report - Fareham-Gosport Peninsula Accessibility Study

8.1 In early 2000 Atkins, the County Council's consultant, was commissioned to develop an overall integrated transport strategy for the Fareham-Gosport peninsula, which was reported to an informal meeting of South East Hampshire Transport Strategy County Council and Fareham and Gosport District Council representatives on 22 November 2001. The study undertook:

(i) a broad overview of the existing transport network;

(ii) an assessment of future conditions;

(iii) a review of all previously proposed transport schemes and evaluation of potential new schemes;

(iv) the development of a preferred strategy and package of measures; and

(v) the production of a recommended strategy and proposed implementation plan.

8.2 The consultants reviewed and undertook a sifting process of previously-considered schemes, and evaluated potential new schemes to identify a realistic and achievable programme that could be considered for implementation. A key aim of the study was to discount those schemes considered to be no longer appropriate or deliverable.

8.3 The consultants recommended a package of proposals as the overall strategy, which were set out in that report. The study examined improvements at Quay Street roundabout but concluded that they would not provide any significant increase in capacity and most would require extensive land take. Also, capacity constraints on the M27 and at

junction 11 would be likely to reduce the benefits of such improvements in the longer term. In particular, the existing proposal for a flyover was closely examined but was rejected on safety, economic and environmental grounds.

8.4 The report recommended that the options proposed to modify the Quay Street roundabout not be investigated further at that time. The recommendation goes on to advise that provision of a west-to-east flyover at the Quay Street roundabout be rejected. The resolution recommended instead that safety improvement options for the roundabout be investigated, taking into account the relevant issues including planning, environmental and transportation considerations.

8.5 The proposed release of restriction on development would not prejudice the existing proposals for capacity improvements, for a signalised junction, as set out in the Atkins report, as it does not require land outside of the existing highway boundary.

8.6 The Fareham-Gosport Peninsula Accessibility Study was considered at Fareham Borough Council's Planning and Transportation Committee on 20 November 2001. The committee resolved:

(a) that the findings of the Fareham-Gosport Accessibility Study be welcomed and Hampshire County Council be requested to:

(i) carry out the supplementary studies referred to in the Study report as a matter of priority;

(ii) carry out the feasibility, design and implementation of the Stubbington Bypass as soon as possible taking into account the relevant issues including planning, environmental, transportation and funding arrangements for its provision, and the effects upon existing roads in Titchfield and the Western Wards and the need for improved cycleway provision for the whole Study area;

(iii) reject the provision of an west to east flyover at the Quay Street roundabout and consider instead safety improvement options for the roundabout as soon as possible taking into account the relevant issues including planning, environmental and transportation considerations.

(b) that the South East Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel be advised of the above when it meets to consider the matter on 22 November 2001.

8.7 Further to this report, on 12 December 2001 the Executive Member for Environment resolved the following:

(i) That the proposals set out in the Fareham-Gosport Peninsula Accessibility Study, including the Stubbington Bypass, be developed and prepared for implementation.

(ii) That Fareham Borough Council be requested to take into account the proposed Stubbington Bypass in the preparation of its Local Plan Review.

(iii) That Options for modifying Quay Street roundabout be not pursued at this time."

9. Highways Improvement Schemes

9.1 Over many years, a total of 11 schemes have been identified which proposed to improve capacity at the Quay Street junction. However, many were rejected due to environmental impacts, cost of construction and land take. Indeed, many are now redundant due to the increase in flows since the proposals were put forward.

9.2 Of the remaining suitable schemes there are two that would be directly affected by the removal of the restriction on development for the flyover. These are the Free Flow proposal from the Mott MacDonald report (May 1994) and the Husband & Co Two Way fly over scheme (1989).

Mott MacDonald Free Flow Scheme

9.3 This proposal was the most ambitious in terms of land required to implement. The scheme retained the use of the Quay Street Roundabout as part of a large gyratory system. Priority is given to the movements between the A27 Eastern Way and the A32 Quay Street. Movements from the other arms to the A32 are required to use a route which loops through a tunnel under Eastern Way, returning to the A32 Quay Street via Upper Wharf. This proposal would maintain all existing movements. However, there were a number additional issues that needed to be overcome before this proposal could be progressed, namely:

(i) impact upon the foundry site;

(ii) replacement of four of the existing railway arches (the railway viaduct is a listed structure);

(iii) rebuilding of part of the existing westbound flyover;

(iv) significant adverse environmental impacts;

(v) demolition of eight properties in Upper Wharf (a conservation area); and

(vi) encroachment on recreation ground.

Husband & Co Two Way Eastbound Flyover (A27)

9.4 The proposed flyover provided a link from A27 Western Way to A27 Eastern Way. The scheme would have a key benefit of reducing flows at the roundabout, leading to reduced delays.

9.5 The current land safeguarding detailed in the Structure Plan and the Fareham Borough Council Local Plan Review is intended to accommodate the layout of this proposal. The report's main concerns with regard to the proposal were based on the environmental impacts on the Kings Road area, the cost of land acquisition and the potential for conflict between weaving and merging vehicles from the A27 west-bound and A32 traffic.

10. Conclusion

10.1 The removal of restrictions on development that would prejudice the implementation of the A27 west-to-east flyover should be agreed, as the scheme was closely examined and has been rejected on safety, economic and environmental grounds. The safeguarding for the Quay Street roundabout, as set out in Policy T7, to improve and maintain the effectiveness of the Strategic Road Network will be maintained. It is considered that neither of the above two schemes should, however, be constructed and therefore the restriction on development should be deleted.

10.2 The opportunity for any of the other nine schemes to be taken forward will not be disadvantaged through the removal of the restriction on development, as they are wholly within the existing highway boundary.

10.3 The opportunities to make a major change in capacity at Quay Street are limited due to the capacity issues at junction 11 of the M27/A27. Any significant reconfiguration of the junction would require significant areas of land which may involve substantial areas of compulsory purchase or negotiation at a considerable cost.

8415/JC