Lyndhurst Bypass Review Autumn 2007 - New Forest District Council Response

The Hampshire County Council Environment & Transportation Select Committee has initiated a scrutiny review of the case for Hampshire County Council prioritising a bypass for the village of Lyndhurst in the New Forest. Link to HCC web site http://www3.hants.gov.uk/scrutiny/scrutiny-committees/environment-transportation/cx-policyunitlyndhurstbypass.htm ). The closing date for responses is 12 October. 

HCC are seeking evidence to

· Assess the current level of traffic problems in Lyndhurst

· Investigate the potential solutions to these problems

· Examine whether a bypass would be a viable and deliverable option

1. Current level of traffic problems in Lyndhurst

From HCC's own information these problems are, at times, severe. During summer months in particular there are lengthy traffic queues in and around Lyndhurst.

This combined with the canyon effect of buildings in the High Street (between the school and the traffic lights at the junction of the A35/A337) results in air pollution (specifically nitrogen dioxide) in the centre of Lyndhurst being above Government set objectives. As a result a statutory Air Quality Management Area has been declared. HCC, as the local highway authority is under an obligation to tackle this congestion and the Air Quality issues have been integrated within the current Local Transport Plan.

The severe congestion is detrimental to those communities that need to access the strategic road network and make local journeys via Lyndhurst. The Coastal Towns belt (Lymington-New Milton) is particularly disadvantaged by the lack of a reliable link to the north and beyond (via A31) as well as Southampton and the East (via A35). This has a detrimental impact on the economic vitality of this area. The road network to the West via Christchurch is not a suitable alternative. To illustrate the scale of the problem there are typically 6 buses on the Lymington-Southampton 56 bus route and in the summer it is not unusual for all 6 busses to be stuck in traffic in and around Lyndhurst.

The District Council's emerging Core Planning Strategy includes the following:

Access to the southern coastal towns

Access to the Lymington and New Milton area (total population 49,000 including neighbouring villages from the north is either by the B3054 across open Forest or by the A337 (north), most of which runs through the National Park and can be subject to serious and unpredictable delays in the summer months particularly at Lyndhurst. On the other hand both towns have a good rail service and good internal links for pedestrians and cyclists.

The draft New Forest Sustainable Community Strategy, which has been the subject of expensive community and stakeholder involvement, includes the following references to Lyndhurst's traffic problems:

Congestion is of particular concern along .......A35 and A337 in the Lyndhurst area.

Through traffic generated from outside the District is a significant factor......

Lyndhurst's traffic problems are resulting in poor air quality (see below), increased costs for local businesses in the Coastal Towns' area that need to move goods through Lyndhurst to access the strategic road network and frequent delays to local bus services. As the main roads get increasingly congested drivers increasingly use unsuitable alternatives in an attempt to reduce journey times. HCC have undertaken assessments and pilot studies and it is hoped that this will result in favoured options being identified that will improve air quality and/or reduce congestion.

High traffic related air pollution (nitrogen dioxide) levels have resulted in statutory air quality management areas being declared for Totton (Junction Road area) and Lyndhurst High Street.

The following priorities and have been identified

· Reduce congestion on the A35 and A337 in the Lyndhurst area.

· Improve air quality so as to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels in Lyndhurst centre

2. Potential solutions to these problems

A previous consultant's study commissioned by HCC (and possibly others) concluded that Lyndhurst's traffic problems would only be properly addressed by a by-pass. It suggested that access to the Coastal Towns area via the A337 through Lyndhurst should be catered for and should have precedence over east-west movements along the A35 (since this study the introduction of the "High Street" lorry restrictions means that, in theory, (because experience suggests that this restriction is not always complied with) southbound lorry movements via the A35 between Colbury and Lyndhurst are necessary for lorry access to the Coastal Towns).

As an interim measure it identified a "basket of measures" as an alternative to a by-pass. Some of these recommendations were introduced but measures to give precedence to A337 northbound traffic were generally not acted upon.

Previous contacts with English Nature (Natural England their successor) and experience with the Dibden Bay proposals indicated that an "appropriate assessment would be required for any by-pass proposal

The geometry of the signalised A337/A35 junction in the centre of Lyndhurst does not allow the unrestricted eastbound traffic on the A35 to turn into the A337 northbound. The congestion would be substantially reduced if the junction was improved to allow this (apart form when controlled pedestrian signals indicate that pedestrians can cross the road). However it would require the demolition of one or more adjacent buildings. An "in village" solution would address most if not all the concerns of the Forest interest groups and not impact on any areas of national or international environmental importance but would impact on the immediate built environment. There would be strong local opposition to such a proposal but it is nevertheless an option that should be considered. Indeed this is one of the options forwarded in the draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) which has been produced by the New Forest District Council consultation with the HCC Transport Planners and others. It is currently out for consultation.

The draft AQAP includes a number of other traffic management options (including the by-pass) which are aimed at reducing the nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the village. Any potential solution to the transport problems should also target the AQ issues and in particular the need to maintain free flowing traffic conditions through the village centre, particularly in the top end of the High Street, and reduce heavy goods vehicle movements.

3. Would a bypass be a viable and deliverable option?

The A337 and A35 in the Lyndhurst area are not part of the strategic road network. HCC's Local Transport Plan (Figure 3.46) indicates that they are not "more than local importance". As a consequence it will be difficult to maintain that the traffic problems in the Lyndhurst area are more than of regional significance.

Any significant proposal that has a significant effect on a site of European significance requires an "Appropriate Assessment" under the Habitats Regulations. Lyndhurst is surrounded by Sites or Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation, RAMSAR sites and Special Protection Areas. It is unlikely that a by-pass will not have a significant effect on at least one of the above sites. That being the case whoever is promoting the by-pass would need to show that there are both:

· No alternative solutions

· The by-pass should be carried out for reasons of imperative reasons of overriding public interest (understood that this refers to National interest).

Given the by-pass is not addressing problems on the strategic road network this last requirement will be a significant obstacle to a by-pass.

Funding for a by-pass will need to be agreed at a regional level. The Regional Transport programme is committed to 2016 or thereabouts. At present the Region gives priority to proposals that are linked to facilitating development and modal shift. A Lyndhurst by-pass does not fit very well with these criteria.

Any by-pass route would need to maintain free flowing traffic conditions through the village centre, particularly in the top end of the High Street, and reduce HGV movements in order to have a positive impact on AQ. If a by-pass is favoured then it needs to be seen as a long term solution and interim AQ solutions need to be pursued.

4. Conclusion

A by-pass has the potential to address Lyndhurst's traffic problems but having regard to the environmental constraints is regrettably not deliverable. The focus should therefore be on alternative options.

(Signed) Cllr Chris Treleaven, Planning and Transportation Portfolio Holder

for New Forest District Council

For further information please contact:

Nick Hunt

Principal Engineer (Transportation)

New Forest District Council

Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9ZG

[email protected]

023 8028 5916 (Lymington Town Hall)