Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - SPATIAL STRATEGY

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

CHARLTON ROAD, FOXCOTTE ROAD, FOXCOTTE LANE, HATHERDEN ROAD, ANDOVER - TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

NOVEMBER 2004

COMPLETION DATE:

FEBRUARY 2005

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2004/05

1.

FINANCE (Client Department, Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services [Estates Practice] and County Treasurer)

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at July '04

(at July '04

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

nil

nil

Construction

384

384

Fees

80

80

464

464*

Less developers/

other contributions

464

464*

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Capital programme (as above)

464*

(b) Other

2.

From other resources

(a)

(b)

(c)

TOTAL

464*

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £nil

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

Capital charges

5

0.006

47

0.041

TOTAL net expenditure

52

0.047

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

The C33 Foxcotte Lane, Foxcotte Road and C13 Charlton Road, Hatherden Lane provide routes into Andover from the west and north-west for local traffic from the rural parishes. The C13 and C33 are primarily rural lanes until they enter the built-up area of the town when they become residential in character with footways and street lighting. A location plan is attached.

The scheme aims to reduce non-local through traffic, particularly on Foxcotte Road, by 5% and traffic speeds, improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, including vulnerable groups attending the hospital and local medical centres, and improve routes to school.

It aims to discourage the use of unsuitable rural and residential roads by non-local through traffic and to redirect traffic onto the more strategic alternative routes available. From the west strategic traffic into Andover is directed to use the A342 Weyhill Road, and from the north it is directed to use the A343 Newbury Road.

The 2004 12 hour two-way traffic flows are as follows:

Penton Mewsey - village 3,200 vehicles;

Foxcotte Road east of Foxcotte Lane 3,900 vehicles;

Hatherden Road, north of Foxcotte Road 3,300 vehicles;

Charlton Road south of Goch Way roundabout 7,000 vehicles.

The scheme aims to reduce vehicle speeds by 20% through the implementation of a series of speed reducing features. In the following 30mph areas vehicle speed observations indicate the 85%ile values of:

Eastbound Westbound

Penton Mewsey - village 42.5 43.4

Foxcotte Road east of Foxcotte Lane 44.3 44.3

Northbound Southbound

Hatherden Road north of Foxcotte Road 39.2 36

Charlton Road south of Goch Way roundabout 39.5 39.2

The scheme aims to reduce accident levels by 10% and to improve safety, particularly at junctions, to assist vulnerable road users, including children walking and cycling to school and patients attending the local medical centres and hospital.

There were 19 (18 slight, 1 serious and 0 fatal) accidents in the period from June 2001 to May 2004.

3.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County Network and Policies

The traffic management scheme for Charlton Road, Foxcotte Road, Foxcotte Lane and Hatherden Road has been developed as part of and in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Andover Transport Strategy (ATS).

The Hampshire Local Transport Plan 2001-2006 (LTP) includes the scheme in the five year programme as one of a package of measures for Andover aimed at demand management.

Both the LTP and the ATS were prepared in accordance with national, regional and county-wide policy guidance.

Details of Scheme and Design Standards

The scheme generally adheres to both national and Hampshire County Council design standards. The proposed new roundabout at the Foxcotte Road/Foxcotte Lane junction is a departure from standards.

The scheme has had a detailed design (Stage 2) safety audit.

General arrangement plans (drawing numbers: 17/C13/2/200P to 208P) will be displayed at the meeting.

The traffic management measures consist of:

(i) Penton Mewsey/Penton Grafton - gateway features with new village signs at the location of the existing speed limits; carriageway narrowings and areas of surface treatment to reduce speed through the village centre; restructuring of the existing lay-by in village centre with `grasscell'; and new raised kerb adjacent to carriageway and modifications to kerblines and footway construction to improve provision for pedestrians.

(ii) Foxcotte Road and Foxcotte Lane - gateway feature including a new village sign at the location of existing speed limit; proposed new roundabout at the Foxcotte Road/Foxcotte Lane junction with advanced warning signs and buff anti-skid surface treatment, to facilitate better regulation of turning movements and reduce speeds; new street lighting at the new roundabout and replacement street lighting between Mercia Avenue and the footpath to the sports and leisure centre to improve the lighting to current standards; priority build-outs east of Mercia Avenue and adjacent to the sports and leisure centre, combined with anti-skid surfacing and illuminated advance warning signs to maintain speed reduction constraints; and widening of the existing `grasscell' parking area by one metre to improve safety for pedestrians walking from cars to the sports and leisure centre.

Design standards for roundabouts indicate that for an inscribed circle diameter (ICD) of less than 28 metres a mini-roundabout with an over-runnable central island is appropriate. At the new roundabout at Foxcotte Road/Foxcotte Lane highway boundary constraints restrict the ICD to 22 metres. The roundabout is a key speed reducing feature within the scheme and needs to be highly visible to approaching motorists. As such it was not considered appropriate for a totally over-runnable roundabout to be provided. The design proposes a four metre solid central island with chevron signing and a one metre over-run area which has been designed to accommodate appropriate tracked turning movements for large vehicles. Advanced signing, new lighting, carriageway markings and anti-skid surface treatment are included.

(iii) Hatherden Road - traffic speed reducing features include: a village gateway feature at the location of the existing speed limit; four carriageway pinch-points using edge lining to maintain five metre carriageway width; junction modifications and buff surface treatment.

(iv) Charlton Village - junction modifications at Foxcotte Road and Sunnyside Close to improve deflection and provision for pedestrians in the village centre. Kerb-lines to be altered to enable new footway construction. Revisions to directional signing to provide a consistent routing strategy.

(v) Charlton Road south of Goch Way - on-road cycle route markings between Goch Way and Harroway Road to tie-in with safer routes to Harroway School. Carriageway narrowings to include three pinch-points, with red-coloured surfacing using edge lining to reduce carriageway to five metres and three pinch-points which will physically reduce the carriageway to 5.5 metres with dropped kerbs, bollards and red-coloured surfacing to reduce traffic speeds. The existing bus lay-by outside the hospital will be abandoned to enable the running carriageway to be widened to three metres each way and to accommodate a two metre central pedestrian refuge, accompanied by red-coloured surface treatment. The refuge will tie-in with the pedestrian desire line between the hospital and shops opposite and will assist vulnerable road users in this location. The existing bus stop opposite the hospital will be relocated to tie-in with new pedestrian refuge, and a new bus shelter will be provided to complement the existing shelter opposite. A sum of £7,500 has been agreed with Test Valley Borough Council to provide a 15 year maintenance for the bus shelter.

Finance

A 2004/05 Capital Programme allocation of £400,000 was approved by the Executive Member for Environment in January 2004. The allocation was set at the conceptual design stage and consequently the estimate at that time was only `indicative' of the likely outturn cost. Following consultation and the development of the project through detailed design, a detailed estimate for the scheme has been produced, allowing for safety and lighting measures. The detailed estimate for the outturn cost for this project is £464,000.

Environmental Impact

The existing lay-by at Penton Mewsey will be replaced with grasscell and a new bench will be installed to enhance the environment in the village.

The construction of the new roundabout at Foxcotte Road/Foxcotte Lane will result in new carriageway construction to replace approximately 21 square metres of existing verge. One small tree will be removed on the southern side of the new roundabout. New lighting at the roundabout has been designed to minimise light intrusion into this previously unlit rural area.

A small section of highway verge will be removed to accommodate the new bus shelter on Charlton Road opposite the hospital.

The scheme will enhance cycle facilities and in particular will help encourage cycling to school with the associated environmental and health benefits as added value. The scheme will also enhance accessibility and safety for pedestrians using the outdoor sports and leisure facilities.

Land Requirements

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

Statutory Procedures

All relevant statutory requirements have been satisfied for this scheme.

Public Consultation

The original consultation showed general support for the scheme. Following analysis of responses, further design work was undertaken and modifications made to the original scheme concept. Further consultation was then undertaken on the amended scheme in spring 2003 with parish councils and interest groups, including the hospital, police and ambulance station.

Local Members' View

The consultation stages and development of the scheme have been fully reported to the former Andover Transportation Strategy Members' Panel.

The scheme has full support from local Members Councillors Mrs West and Pierce.

Equalities

The scheme design includes dropped kerb informal pedestrian crossing points at build-outs, pinch-points and junction improvements, with appropriate tactile paving for the visually impaired.

The provision of the central refuge crossing point adjacent to the hospital and realignment of the bus stop nearer to the crossing point will assist pedestrians wishing to get to the hospital and is a significant improvement for the disabled.

The enhancement of facilities for pedestrians adjacent to the Charlton sports and leisure centre, to include dropped kerbs and tactile paving, will assist crossing movements and provide a safer environment for people with disabilities.

Maintenance Implications

The revenue implications of this proposal will be taken into account in the setting of the annual base budget.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

No areas of concern have been reported or have been identified within this scheme. The provisions of this Act have no impact upon this proposal.

Sustainability

The scheme will assist and encourage cycling and walking as environmentally sustainable forms of transport. It will also encourage the use of the bus to get to the hospital.

4.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

Further to the initial consultation in 2000 and more focused consultations with interested parties in 2003, a local desire to enhance the initial scheme and to reduce traffic speeds further was identified. As such, half carriageway width build-outs were included into the scheme along Hatherden Road and also Charlton Road south of Goch Way. Further to detailed design work, assessments of traffic flows, safety audit advice and experience on schemes elsewhere in the county, the half carriageway build-outs are no longer considered appropriate and have been replaced with carriageway narrowings and pinch-points.

As part of the consultation it was requested that a controlled crossing facility be provided in the vicinity of the hospital. A number of options were considered and ruled out for technical and safety reasons. It is now proposed that a central refuge will be provided as an informal crossing point and speed reducing feature, which has been sited to meet safety requirements and to tie-in with the desire line from the hospital to the shops opposite and bus stops, and to avoid the need for third party land and tree loss.

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

None.