Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT

ITEM 6

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

ALTON TOWN CENTRE ACCESSIBILITY - PHASE III

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

JANUARY 2007

COMPLETION DATE:

MARCH 2007

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2006/07

1.

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

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at 2006

(at 2006

Prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

Nil

Nil

Construction

) 295

) 295

Fees

)

)

295

295

Less developers/

other contributions

26

26

269

269

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Capital programme (as above)

269

(b) Other

269

2.

From other resources

(a) Developer contribution

26

(b)

(c)

TOTAL

295

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

5

0.005

Capital charges

28

0.022

TOTAL net expenditure

33

0.027

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

The scheme will promote safer access to pedestrians and other road users in Alton.

This scheme follows on from the two previous project appraisals for Alton Accessibility which were approved on 8 November 2005 and 18 January 2006. The improvements have been identified from a package of accessibility measures for Alton emanating from the strategic objectives from the Local Transport Plan. The measures include pedestrian improvements in the town that have been identified through consultation as being significant in terms of the positive effect they will have on pedestrian access. A package of measures was identified to contribute towards alleviating pedestrian severance problems and developed through a street audit in October 2004 by a group of local representatives and scheme stakeholders.

The two previous Project Appraisals covered the following:

(i) A339 Whitedown Lane pedestrian improvements;

(ii) street lighting along the currently unlit footpath adjacent to the rail line between Paper Mill Lane and Ashdell Road;

(iii) minor footway enhancements and dropped kerbs in Ackender Road, Lenten Street and Edward Road;

(iv) Normandy Street/Orchard Road roundabout pedestrian improvements;

(v) Mill Lane Cross Roads signing improvements; and

(vi) general vehicle direction signing in Alton phase I.

Works included in this project are:

(i) providing pedestrian and cycle signing throughout the town;

(ii) providing general vehicle direction signing in Alton phase II;

(iii) installing a pedestrian refuge island on Vicarage Hill and a build-out with dropped kerbs in Church Street;

(iv) improving the road layout at the Rail Station Car Park entrance; and

(v) providing a new footway with priority traffic signing under the rail bridge in Ashdell Road/Lower Turk Street.

2.5

2.6

Targets and Outcomes

The scheme is designed to meet the Local Transport Plan (LTP) objectives:

(i) improve accessibility to services; and

(ii) promote safety.

The scheme elements and design result from a community street audit held in October 2004 which involved representatives from East Hampshire District Council, The Alton Society, the Alton Community Centre and Hampshire Constabulary. The results of the previous public consultation exercises were also considered. The success of the completed scheme works will be assessed by seeking the views of these interested parties together with Alton Town Council and comments collected from the public.

3.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County Network and Policies

3.1

The proposal is consistent with County Council policies by providing new infrastructure to facilitate improved pedestrian and vehicle access and safety in and around Alton. The scheme will also help local people feel safe in their own communities by providing safer pedestrian areas on the highway. This will help to ensure that Hampshire continues to be a place where people of all backgrounds want to live, work and visit by improving the infrastructure to make this area more accessible.

Details of Scheme and Design Standards

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

3.10

3.11

3.12

The scheme comprises the following work.

Pedestrian and cycle signing

Some 50 locations with pedestrian and cycle signs have been reviewed to ensure that the route strategy and clarity of destinations is improved to enable pedestrians and cyclists to find their way around in Alton and to the local facilities. This work will include new sign assemblies as well as improvements to existing signs in Alton.

General vehicle direction signing in Alton phase II

This second phase of vehicle direction signing follows on from the phase I signing work that was completed in September 2006. It follows the strategy established for Alton to provide both visitors and local people with directions to find routes in and out of Alton together with nearby amenities and attractions. This will involve some 20 sign locations around the town to be either improved or replaced with up to date road signs showing general directions, facilities and tourist attractions.

Vicarage Hill pedestrian refuge island and build-out with dropped kerbs in Church Street

Church Street and Vicarage Hill link the town centre `Bank' and Vicarage Hill car park areas (159 spaces) and the County Library at the south to Alton College, Amery Hill Secondary School, St Lawrence Primary School and St Lawrence Church to the north. The amount of pedestrian movement and vehicle traffic in this busy roundabout area is significant and much of it is related to the local facilities. Alton College has a roll of 1,550 day students and 1,400 adult services students. Amery Hill School has a roll of 989 children and St Lawrence Primary School has 188. The County Library has about 580 visitors each day. At the top of Vicarage Hill, near its junction with Church Street, site visits have recorded 340 vehicles passing and 38 pedestrians crossing Vicarage Hill at this vicinity in just one hour.

A pedestrian refuge island in Vicarage Hill and an adjacent footway build-out with dropped kerbs in Church Street is proposed to provide safe and convenient crossing areas at the roundabout near the established crossing desire lines. These improvements will concentrate the pedestrian movements to cross the roads at localised and familiar areas which will help drivers on where to expect pedestrians. The nearby Treloar College at Holybourne has a roll of 174 students with physical needs and their visits to Alton can be made easier with the benefit of road crossing areas that are suitable for wheelchairs.

Improvements to the road layout at the Rail Station Car Park entrance

The car park area at Alton Station, off Paper Mill Lane, has spaces for over 200 vehicles and is mostly full during weekdays. A recent survey showed a total of 875 vehicles per day use the station access. The rail station accommodates some 35 trains per day on the Waterloo line and has its own dedicated bus stop. A pedestrian count taken at the entrance to the car park has shown that 215 pedestrians per day cross at the vehicle access to visit the station.

The existing station car park access layout consists of a left slip vehicle entrance off Papermill Lane with a conventional `in out tee' junction alongside and a pedestrian refuge area between. There is also a dedicated cycle lane. The proposed improvement will remove the left slip lane and replace it by enlarging the refuge island to accommodate more pedestrians and thus provide them with less vehicle conflict and greater comfort on their journey to the station. The `in out tee' junction will remain for vehicle use as at present.

A new footway with priority traffic signing under the rail bridge in Ashdell Road/Lower Turk Street

Lower Turk Street joins with Ashdell Road and passes east/west under the narrow rail bridge. Both approaches to the bridge have footways on either side of the road. At the bridge, which is for two-way traffic, there is only enough space for a single narrow footway on the southern side. As the town facilities are to the north of this area most of the pedestrians need to cross the road and use the southern footway to safely pass under the bridge and avoid conflict with vehicles. Coors Brewers are located just to the west of the bridge and generate some 40 articulated Heavy Goods Vehicle visits each day.

A six month trial has been in place here which involves a temporary additional footway to the north and a temporary footway widening to the south. Surveys have shown that 5,800 vehicles per day use this road at speeds of 38 miles per hour whilst some 100 pedestrians per day pass under the bridge. Due to the temporary footways having reduced the carriageway width, a restriction has been provided with a priority one-way system for vehicles to pass under the bridge.

The scheme proposal is to formalise the one-way priority traffic system and provide permanent footways of adequate width either side of the road under the bridge.

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

Environmental Impact

3.13

This scheme will have no adverse effect on the environment.

Land Requirements

3.14

No land acquisition required. Most of the works will be confined within existing public highway limits. The entrance area to the Rail Station car park is partly owned by Network Rail. Permission has been obtained from Network Rail to modify the entrance layout.

Statutory Procedures

3.15

A temporary road closure order is required to complete the improvement works under the rail bridge in Ashdell Road/Lower Turk Street.

Public Consultation

3.16

3.17

3.18

3.19

A public consultation exercise on transport issues and proposals took place in November 2003. This prioritised a number of key transport issues raised by residents and stakeholders.

A community street audit in October 2004, which involved representatives from East Hampshire District Council, The Alton Society, the Alton Community Centre and Hampshire Constabulary, used the results of the previous public consultation exercises as a basis for preliminary design solutions. The records of these events were used as the basis for design work.

In October 2005 a technical note describing the aims of the new signing strategy, plus the plan for delivering it, was issued to, and supported by, the key stakeholders.

Alton Town Council has been consulted and is in general support of the scheme proposals. Coors Brewers is in support of the rail bridge footway and priority working in Ashdell Road/Lower Turk Street.

Local Member's View

3.20

The local Member, Councillor Ludlow, supports the scheme.

Impact Assessments

3.21

This scheme will improve accessibility for all to services and amenities in and around Alton. Assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered in the development of this scheme, which is not expected to compromise equalities in terms of race and gender but to improve accessibility for all. The dropped crossing areas will have flush and tactile surfaces to assist the mobility and visually impaired.

Maintenance Implications

3.22

The maintenance implications are limited as the scheme comprises minor modifications to the existing highway infrastructure. 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

3.23

The provisions of the Act have no impact upon this proposal.

Sustainability

3.24

By improving accessibility this scheme encourages walking and cycling to and from local amenities as an alternative mode of transport.

4.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

4.1

The option to do nothing was rejected as these improvements support safer access for all.

LINK(S) TO CORPORATE STRATEGY

Yes

No

Hampshire safer and more secure for all

_

Maximising well-being

Enhancing our quality of place

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

Alton Accessibility File C.J004669

Environment Department

Room 415