Cllr S.Ford Report - July06            

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The Wivenhoe Encyclopedia

Dear Philip Thomson, 

I am writing to you as Colchester Borough Councillor for Wivenhoe Quay Ward.  My Ward includes all of the Parking and other Traffic restrictions being promoted as part of the redevelopment of the former Cook’s Shipyard Site.

I also write as someone who lives in Valley road which is directly affected by the proposed T.R.Os.  

To support my arguments I will make reference to The Adopted Review Colchester Borough Local Plan March 2004.  (Herewith refered to as Plan)  I  also held 5 meetings with residents directly affected by the proposed T.R.Os.   Each meeting was for 2 hours.  2 meetings were held in March 2006 (15^th and 18^th) and 3 meetings were  held in July 2006. (14^th, 15^th and18th)  Before the meetings in March I sent out approx. 190 letters and before the meetings in July I sent out approx. 350 letters.  31 residents attended the July meetings and approx. 35 attended the meetings in March.  There was some overlap in that some people who came to the March meetings also came to the July meetings.  On the 12^th of March I held a telephone surgery for 8 hours.  I received 20 phone calls and 6 residents visited my house.  The general views of these various meetings are included in this e-mail.  Once again there was overlap between those who phoned and those who attended the meetings.  

1. Loss of Parking Spaces.    

On Friday the 14^th of July I walked around those roads affected by the proposed T.R.Os.  I conservatively estimate that Lower Wivenhoe will lose 22 Parking Spaces.(Appendix 1)  Lower Wivenhoe already has problems with car parking    Plan T9a page 137 argues that  reducing car parking spaces is to be done by promoting methods of transport other than cars.  However there is no mention that this is to be achieved by denying parking spaces in the first place.

With reference to  Plan 9a page 137

         “phased improvements in public transport services”

Wivenhoe public transport has not improved.  Fares for adults and children have dramatically increased in the last 19 months.  Average time for  Bus journies to Colchester has increased.  I personally featured on the front page of a local newsparer (Evening Gazette June 2005) explaining why it was impossible or difficult for the elderly, the infirm or for young mothers/fathers to use Wivenhoe Train station.  There are severe problems getting on and off the train going to London .  Plan 11.3b page125.

The loss of parking spaces and its inconvenience to the residents/businesses and community services is easy to understand.  Cars will have to move on and park somewhere else. 

2        Traffic Calming Park Road Plan 11.3k page 126

Turning right into Park Road from Belle Vue Road there are No Waiting At Any Time (Herewith referred to as Nowait) signage on  the left side leading to Valley Road .  On the right  side there are Nowait signs and 6 car parking spaces leading to Rebow Road .  From Belle Vue Road to Valley Road the road declines quickly and as you turn left into Valley Road the road is very precipitous indeed.  The car parking spaces at present are a calming measure.  I cannot emphasise enough my concerns about this.  Some vehicles will pick up speed imperceptibly and  go into Valley Road   at a speed greater than they anticipate.  Young children use this route to go Millfield’s Primary and Junior School and older children use this route to get contracted buses and coaches to The Colne Community School. Plan 11.20—11.21—11.22 pages 129/130 under Safe Routes to School.

Apart from my concerns for the safety of children these new arrangements will be a concern for adults. Plan T7a page134.

3        Traffic Calming  Park Hotel/High Street .

Turning left into High Street from Belle Vue Road there is Nowait signage for approx 10 metres.  There are 2 parking spaces beyond this that the new T.R.Os. are going to take away.  At present the parking spaces are a traffic calming measure.  Vehicles coming down The Avenue can pick up speed imperceptibly because the road has an incline. Plan 11.3k page 126.  This site is on a very complex junction with 5 roads converging on it. There is also a zebra crossing.  The 2 parking spaces help to keep a driver’s concentration when negotiating the junction whether turning right into Belle Vue Road or turning left into The High Street.

There is a local Hairdressing Business---H2o which is 4 car parking spaces away and it may lose customers if they are unable to park close to the Hairdressing Salon.

4        Methodist Church   The Avenue  Plan 8.4a page 89---11.3g page125---CF3 page 92

The Methodist Church in Wivenhoe is over 100 years old.  It is a vibrant community in its own right.  It has a playgroup which has Ofsted inspections.  Parents may have problems dropping off children at the playgroup.  The Church has Church business including  Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals. The Nowait signage to be introduced will make life difficult for the Church.  Senior Citizens and people with temporary/permanent disabilities use the Church.  Nowait signage outside the Church will mean they will be dropped off a little distance from the Church and have further to walk.

5        Anglesea Road/Queens Road/Valley Road   Plan 11.20—11.21 pages129/130---11.3k pages126.

Nowait signage at the Queens Road/Valley Road junction will be introduced.  The traffic calming measures of parked cars will be taken away.  Under the T.ROs. Queens Srteet will be cut off.  Cars coming down Queens road from Anglesea Road (which is precipitous)  will “rat run” into Valley Road .

6        “Cutting Off Queens Road just below junction with Valley Road ---PlanT7g page125---11.3h page 125---11.44 page135.

This is the most controversial T.R.O. being introduced.  Planning consent for Cook’s Shipyard was granted in 2002 to Lexden Restorations.  It was partly given as a result of a Traffic Flow Impact Survey undertaken by Lexden Restorations which assumed that there were 3 access routes to the High Street. Residents respectfully fail to understand why Queens Road is being “cut off.” Lower Wivenhoe has car problems already.  To cut off a road in general means that cars must   go elsewhere. To “cut off” Queens Road when there are 86 units being built at Cook’s Shipyard and when Queens Road is 1 of only 3 roads to give access to the High Street  seems unreasonable or as some of the residents who attended my meetings said  “it is unfair” 

There are many young  families who live in and around Valley Road and they are concerned about the increase in traffic vis a vis their children’s safety.

Drivers in Lower Wivenhoe use Queens Road in both directions to access different areas in Wivenhoe.

The Geography of Queens Road is unsuitable for lorries .  Residents must fear property damage, subsidence and feel insecure about there physical well-being.  It is however, able to take cars.  Signage, denying access to lorries at the entrance to Queens Road from the High Street would, I suggest, be a compromise that would please most residents in Lower Wivenhoe .  I think this would be preferable because it stops lorries entering Queens Road .  If Queens Road has a cut off near Valley Road lorries would not know this until they arrived at the cut off.  They would then have to reverse

With reference to The Essex Guide for Residential Development.  The general assumption for new housing development is the principle of Permeability which is of the opinion that it is fairer in general to have as many possible routes  for Pedestrian and Vehicles in order to share out disruption.

Thank you for listening to my views and the views of the residents of Wivenhoe.

Councillor Steve Ford

Last updated:
06 August 2006