Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT: SOUTH HAMPSHIRE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ITEM 3

PROJECT APPRAISAL

(Externally Funded)

PROJECT:

HARESTOCK CORNER, WINCHESTER

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

OCTOBER 2005

COMPLETION DATE:

NOVEMBER 2005

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2005/06

7.

Scheme

7.1

Introduction

The recently completed housing development on Salters Lane, Winchester has resulted in a contribution being received from the developer which could be used "towards improvements to benefit pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transport in Stockbridge Road, including the Harestock Corner junction".

Accordingly this proposal aims to improve road crossing opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists, and improve speed management on Stockbridge Road, through the provision of pedestrian refuges and traffic management enhancements.

The occupation of the housing development on Salters Lane has resulted in an increase in both pedestrian and vehicle movements. Pedestrians wishing to access local amenities in Littleton and Weeke, including schoolchildren who attend both Harestock Primary School and Henry Beaufort Secondary School, must all cross Stockbridge Road. The current design of footways at the junction invites pedestrians to cross the road within the road junction area. There are currently no formal pedestrian crossing facilities along Stockbridge Road in the vicinity of the development, except near its junction with Stoney Lane some 800 metres away.

7.2

Details

The scheme comprises:

(i) providing new pedestrian refuges at the south-east side of the Harestock Corner junction and at the north-west wide of the junction of Stockbridge Road with Salters Acres. Buff coloured anti-skid surfacing will be included at the approaches to the refuge;

(ii) diverting the footway along Salters Lane so that pedestrians are directed towards the new refuge rather than the junction area. The `old' area of footway at the mouth of the junction will be grassed over;

(iii) creating a `gateway' feature at the point at which the 60 miles per hour (mph) speed limit changes to 40 mph. The `gateway' would consist of new signs, combining the speed limit sign on a yellow backing board and a `Welcome to Winchester' sign. The new sign would be completed by a blank lower portion to contribute to the visual narrowing of the carriageway and hence lower speeds;

(iv) providing a new ghost island at the junction of Littleton Road with Stockbridge Road, with red surface colouring, will be added to allow right turning vehicles coming out of Winchester to pull over slightly towards the centre of the road and hence be more visible to traffic behind - especially if a queue forms behind the right-turning vehicle;

(v) providing anti-skid surfacing on Stockbridge Road at the mouth of the junction, to mitigate for the types of vehicle accidents recorded at the junction in the past three years;

(vi) upgrading the street lighting heads at the junction, to improve the standard of lighting and hence increase visibility for both vehicles and pedestrians;

(vii) creating a new footpath/cycleway link into Burnett Close from the pedestrian refuge crossing point mentioned in (i) above. This link is to be combined with the diversion of a 10 metre length of public footpath which runs from Harestock Primary School to the Harestock Corner junction. This will direct pedestrians to the new pedestrian refuge and discourage pedestrians from crossing in the road junction area;

(viii) adding a new `yellow box' junction on Stockbridge Road across the mouth of the junction with Harestock Road/Salters Lane. This is to prevent vehicles which are waiting behind buses servicing the bus stops immediately to the south-east of the junction from blocking turning movements into and out of Harestock Road; and

(ix) constructing two over-runnable central islands between Woodpeckers Drive and the Stoney Lane junction. The islands will have a slightly raised profile so that any vehicles passing over them will be aware that they are off the main carriageway. These will visually narrow the carriageway and contribute to maintaining lower vehicle speeds throughout the 40 mph speed limit zone.

A location plan is attached and a detailed plan will be displayed at the meeting.

7.3

Targets and Outcomes

The Harestock Corner junction is in the semi-rural `buffer zone' between the urban area of Winchester which begins at the Stoney Lane junction and the rural road network. The section of Stockbridge Road covered by this scheme is all within a 40 mph limit. Stockbridge Road is a major arterial route into Winchester and hence produces a large volume of traffic (approximately 8,700 vehicles in the 12-hour peak - surveyed March 2004) through the Harestock Corner junction. For drivers travelling out of Winchester, the start of the national speed limit zone is very soon after the Harestock Corner junction and hence drivers are beginning to accelerate towards 60 mph. In the other direction, ie towards Winchester, drivers are not respecting the 40 mph limit until a point past the Harestock Corner junction. This behaviour has been quantified by speed surveys undertaken in March 2004, the results of which are shown below.

Surveyed 85%ile speeds along Stockbridge Road:

_ 45.6 mph approximately 100 metres north-west of the Harestock Corner junction;

_ 45.1 mph at the junction with Salters Acres;

_ 43.1 mph at the junction with Woodpeckers Drive;

_ 35.9 mph at a point approximately 200 metres north-west of the site of the former Chimneys public house.

The variation in speeds at the first survey point is over twice that of those at the final survey point, ie the furthest into the 40 mph limit and nearest to the start of the urban area of Winchester.

The proposals aim to achieve a reduction in speed along Stockbridge Road between the Littleton Road junction and Stoney Lane of 4 mph and hence achieve compliance with the 40 mph limit.

The proposals also aim to increase accessibility to local amenities and public transport by providing pedestrians with an improved means of crossing Stockbridge Road.

There have been five recorded personal injury accidents at the junction in the same period, resulting in five casualties with slight injuries. Wet and dark conditions were recorded as contributory factors.

The accident records for the junction show five multi-factored, random vehicle accidents over the past five years, with no single highway design feature being the principal cause of the accidents and no pedestrians involved. However, this scheme will address, to a degree, some of the contributory factors highlighted by the accident records and will thus reduce the likelihood of repetition of such accidents in the future. By providing pedestrian crossing and speed calming features, the scheme will also contribute to national casualty reduction targets.

7.4

Standards

The design conforms to current National and County Council standards, and the proposals have been subjected to a detailed design stage safety audit. A pre-opening stage safety audit will also be undertaken upon completion of the works.

7.5

Statutory Procedures and Consultation

Although public consultation was not mandatory for this scheme, public exhibitions were held at two locations in proximity to the Harestock Corner junction to determine the level of support for each of the scheme's key ingredients. At each exhibition feedback forms were distributed to the attendees, with 11 yes/no questions. The summary of the 150 feedback forms returned is shown in the attached appendix. It can be seen from the results that the majority of respondees support the scheme proposals as presented at the exhibition.

In addition to the public consultations, a working group was established, which included local County Councillors, City Councillors from each of the local Wards (St Barnabas and Littleton and Harestock), together with representatives from the local Parish Councils and the Cyclists Touring Club. The working group met before each key phase of development to ensure the aspirations of the scheme were suitable for the needs of both the local people and users of the junction.

As the scheme involves the diversion of an existing right of way, a statutory process of consultation has been started. The remaining elements of the scheme are not dependent on the right of way and hence, due to the approximate six months required for the consultation process, these elements will be constructed first. The only additional work required to divert the right of way is the building of a fence. Therefore no economies of scale with the main works tender will be forfeited as a result.

7.6

Policy Considerations

This decision supports Local Transport Plan strategy objectives by improving accessibility and safety for pedestrian and cyclist safety and increasing compliance with the current speed limit.

7.7

Environmental Impacts

There is no direct environmental impact from this proposal as it is constructed within existing highway limits. The provision of the proposals will help to promote sustainable travel modes such as walking and cycling.

7.8

Land Requirement

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

7.9

Alternative Arrangements

Five other options were considered for the junction, including roundabouts, a double mini-roundabout, a traffic signal controlled junction and signal controlled pedestrian crossing. These were rejected in favour of the final scheme for several reasons, including safety, land requirements, environmental impacts, the felling of mature trees and the requirement to maintain the semi-rural nature of the junction.

The members of the working group requested that a signal controlled pedestrian crossing be installed to assist pedestrians to cross Stockbridge Road. A PV² survey was carried out in January 2004 but the results were substantially below the threshold for controlled crossing provision.

7.10

Local Members' View

The local Members, Councillors Phrynette Dickens and Charlotte Bailey, support the proposals.

7.11

Impact Assessments

The scheme is intended to enhance safety and accessibility at the junction, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. An assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered in the development of this scheme; it is not expected to compromise equalities in terms of race and gender, but improve accessibility for all.

7.12

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The improved lighting will have a positive impact on the reduction of crime and the fear of crime. The remainder of the proposals are not expected to support this Act.

7.13

Sustainability

This scheme promotes walking, cycling and the use of public transport as an alternative mode of transport for all, which will improve air quality by encouraging people not to rely on motor vehicle use for their journeys.

Recycled materials will be used for the construction of the scheme wherever practicable.

8.

Financial Arrangements

8.1

Expenditure

£'000

Funds Available

£'000

Design Fee

27

Developer Funding

83

Supervision

2

Project Works

54

Land

Nil

____

____

Total

83

Total

83

____

____

8.2

Revenue Implications

£'000

% Variation to Committee's budget

Net increase in

current expenditure

1

0.001

Capital Charge

8

0.007

____

____

Total Expenditure

9

0.008

____

____

8.3

Maintenance Implications

The revenue implications of this scheme 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

Harestock Corner Scheme File

Environment Department

Room 415