Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT: SOUTH HAMPSHIRE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

ITEM 4

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

OTTERBOURNE TO THORNDEN CYCLE ROUTE

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

OCTOBER 2005

COMPLETION DATE:

DECEMBER 2005

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

1.

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

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at 2005

(at 2005

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

Nil

Nil

Construction

134.5

134.5

Fees

20.5

20.5

155.0

155.0

Less developers/

100.0

100.0

other contributions

55.0

55.0

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Safer Routes to School Programme

2004/05 and 2005/06

55.0

(b) not yet identified

40.0

95.0

2.

From other resources

(a) Eastleigh Borough developer

contributions

60.0

(b)

(c)

TOTAL

155.0

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

2

0.002

Capital charges

15

0.0013

TOTAL net expenditure

17

0.0015

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

2.1

2.2

2.3

This scheme creates a shared-use, off-road cycle route from Otterbourne to Thornden School in Chandlers Ford. It forms an important link in the wider cycling network around Eastleigh and will allow students of Thornden School to cycle from Otterbourne village to the school away from traffic. The proposal will link directly with the Otterbourne phase two traffic calming/cycling scheme that was completed in 2002. It will also link to National Cycle Route number 23. An amendment of £30,000 to the Capital Programme will be required to allow implementation of the section from Otterbourne to Winchester Road. This could be added to the Safer Routes to School programme or the adjustment made elsewhere.

Thornden Secondary School, which has 1,300 students, completed its Safer Routes to School (SRTS) travel plan in May 2002. The plan identified cycle routes as a high priority. It includes a target of a 20% reduction in vehicular journeys to/from the school in the next five years (to 2007). Currently there are no off-road cycle facilities serving the school and so existing users must either cycle on Winchester Road, with its 40 miles per hour (mph) limit, or use the footway. The 85%ile speed of traffic along this stretch was measured at 47 mph northbound and 42 mph southbound in March 2003. Winchester Road is a main route from Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford to Winchester and the M3 and hence carries a high volume of traffic (910 vehicles between 8 am and 9 am, 930 vehicles between 3 pm and 4 pm - surveyed in March 2003). Adjacent to the school is the Nuffield Hospital, which adds to the volume of traffic along Winchester Road. The Nuffield Hospital has contributed £60,000 (held by Eastleigh Borough Council) towards pedestrian/cycle facilities along Winchester Road. There have been no recorded personal injury accidents in the vicinity of the proposed cycle route in the past three years.

There are several school buses serving Thornden School. These buses pick-up/alight pupils from the deceleration lane for the turning to the school's main entrance. At the end of the school day, pupils waiting to board these buses block the footway outside the entrance to the school. This raises concerns for pedestrian safety and would prevent the current footway from being suitable for cyclists. Thornden School has installed cycle parking to encourage greater use of cycles, but without a cycle route to the school, numbers are not expected to sufficiently meet the aspirations of the school's travel plan.

2.4

2.5

Targets and Outcomes

The proposal aims to increase the percentage of pupils cycling to school (rather than being driven) from the Otterbourne direction by 20% over the period to 2007 (in line with the Thornden School travel plan). SRTS surveys of cycle use levels after scheme completion will determine whether this target has been met.

It also aims to reduce traffic speeds on Winchester Road between the M3 overbridge and Hiltingbury Road by 3 mph as a result of narrowing the carriageway to construct the cycle route. This will be determined by assessing traffic speeds after scheme completion.

3.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County Network and Policies

3.1

This scheme provides an alternative mode of transport to the car for parents of schoolchildren that is perceived as being suitably safe and hence contributes towards the key priority objective of the Corporate Strategy `tackling congestion in targeted urban areas'. The cycle facilities provided by the this scheme are off-road and hence will contribute to `Building Strong and Safe Communities' which includes national targets for accident reduction - 50% reduction in Killed or Seriously injured accidents involving children by the year 2011.

Details of Scheme and Design Standards

3.2

3.3

3.4

The Otterbourne to Thornden School cycle route begins at Otterbourne Common, where it connects to the traffic calming/cycle route scheme completed in November 2002, and runs off-road, across the M3 overbridge and along Winchester Road to Thornden School. The scheme comprises:

(i) widening of the existing footway on the east side of Winchester Road into the carriageway to provide a 2 metre wide off-road shared use, two-way cycle route with a 0.5 metre kerbed separation verge demarked by a white line on the eastern side of Winchester Road between the Hocombe Road roundabout and the entrance to Thornden School. Existing drainage gulleys will be moved in line with widening of the footway. The cycle route will terminate inside the school grounds to allow cycling up to the cycle parking area that has already been installed at the school. Due to the widening of the footway to convert it to a cycle route, portions of the kerbing on the opposite side of the road will need to be realigned to maintain a constant carriageway width of 6 metres. Current carriageway width is approximately 6.5 metres. It is a longer-term aspiration to reduce the speed limit along this section of Winchester Road to 30 mph. The reduction in carriageway width achieved by this scheme will help to reduce speeds, which will complement this aspiration. If the speed limit is reduced to 30 mph, the 0.5 metre separation zone can be easily removed to create a 2.5 metre wide off-road shared-use cycle route;

(ii) crossing points for the cycle route in the form of `table top' road hump features in the entrance roads to the Nuffield Hospital and Thornden School;

(iii) the existing crash barriers at the entrance to the Nuffield Hospital will be reduced in length so as not to obstruct the cycle path;

(iv) the bus shelter on the eastern side of Winchester Road between the entrances to Thornden School and the Nuffield Hospital will be relocated to the rear of the existing footway, on land owned by the Nuffield Hospital, to make room for the cycle route;

(v) the traffic deflection island on the Winchester Road arm of the roundabout at its junction with Hocombe Road will be enlarged and have new drop kerbs installed to improve pedestrian crossing facilities;

(vi) the cycle route will use the M3 overbridge, which requires no modification, except for the raising of one sign to allow the minimum 2.4 metres height for cycle use;

(vii) new staggered barriers will be positioned at the start of the ramp down towards the pedestrian underpass under the road on the east side of the M3 overbridge to prevent excessive cycle speeds and thus reduce the potential for collision with pedestrians using the underpass;

(viii) widening of the footpath to 3 metres into the grass verge between the pedestrian underpass and the top of Otterbourne Common;

(ix) widening of the carriageway and increase in the radius of the north corner of the junction of Otterbourne Hill and Boyatt Lane to accommodate the turning of larger vehicles into Boyatt Lane. Provision of a 2.1 metres wide refuge for cyclists and pedestrians with illuminated bollards in the mouth of the junction; and

(x) relocation of the bus shelter on Otterbourne Hill abutting Otterbourne Common forwards to the front edge of the footway to accommodate a new 3 metres wide footway to the rear.

The scheme will require an area of common land from Otterbourne Common and hence construction of a small section of the scheme adjacent to the common is subject to the compulsory purchase of the required common land being completed. It is expected that this process will take one year to complete from September 2005.

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

Environmental Impact

3.5

For the section of scheme around Otterbourne Common, which is predominantly semi-rural in nature, some of the new features will have a slight urbanising visual effect. The section from the M3 overbridge to Thornden School is already urban in nature and this scheme is unlikely to increase the visual perception of the area.

Land Requirements

3.6

No land acquisition is required, however relocation of the bus shelter onto land owned by the Nuffield Hospital necessitates dedication to the highway. Land negotiations have been undertaken by the County Council's Estates Practice and the dedication has been agreed in principle. This will be formalised before completion of the works.

Statutory Procedures

3.7

3.8

The raised speed table features proposed for the entrances to the Nuffield Hospital and Thornden School require public notices under the Road Hump Regulations. This has been completed and no objections have been received.

The sections of footway identified on the scheme drawings for shared-use by pedestrians and cyclists will be so converted by approval of this Project Appraisal, using powers provided under Section 65 of the Highways Act 1980.

Public Consultation

3.9

No public consultation has been required or undertaken. The stakeholders, namely Eastleigh Borough Council, the Nuffield Hospital, Otterbourne Parish Council, the Cyclists Touring Club, emergency services and the Head of Thornden School, have been consulted at key stages and support the scheme.

Local Member's View

3.10

The local Member, Councillor Davidovitz, supports the proposal.

Impact Assessments

3.11

This scheme is intended to provide a cycle facility to enable cycling to Thornden School from Otterbourne for all. 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 to improve accessibility for all.

Maintenance Implications

3.12

The maintenance implications of this scheme are limited as the scheme is to be constructed on the existing highway. A detailed assessment has been undertaken and the minor maintenance implications will be taken into account when setting the annual base budget for maintenance.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

3.13

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

Sustainability

3.14

3.15

The scheme promotes cycling as an alternative mode of transport for schoolchildren through the provision of a facility suitable for cycling and walking. This will encourage more sustainable transport modes, such as walking and cycling.

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

4.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

4.1

An option was to locate the route on the western (opposite) side of the road where there is more space. This was rejected as cyclists and pedestrians would have to cross the road twice to access the school, potentially with the need for a Toucan crossing outside the school. The route on the western side of Winchester Road would have also meant crossing many vehicular accesses to private houses, many of which have high hedges generating conflict points for vehicles and cyclists. Another factor contributing to the rejection of this option was the cost of relocating Utilities, which was estimated at an additional £35,000.

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

Otterbourne to Thornden Cycles Phase

Environment Department

Room 415