| 30th June, 2006 - About changes to
Cook's Shipyard Access Roads
These notes were taken immediately after the walk around the roads and have subsequently been reviewed by ECC Highways and Wivenhoe Town Councillors. The Town Council agreed they should be published in the hope they will assist the general public in understanding the changes which will soon be taking place. These changes have been planned for a long time. Some of them require a final step of public consultation like the closure of Queens Road at its junction with Valley Road. A formal notice has now published by ECC Highways and people have until the 24th July to lodge any objections. A copy of the formal notice is available by clicking here Notes of Meeting and Walk Around Cook’s Shipyard Access Road with ECC Highways on Wednesday 7th June 2006.
The meeting had been requested by the Town Council in
order to familiarise Town Cllrs with the latest facts concerning highway
works associated with the Cook’s Shipyard development. Vicky Presland and Paul Bradford advised the present situation as follows. Since the signing of the S106 in November 2004 and adoption by Cllr Richard Gower of a recommendation concerning Queens Road, ECC Highways had entered into a Section 278 agreement with Taylor Woodrow for the highway works envisaged under the S106 agreement. Road Traffic Orders were required for a number of the highway works viz making Queens Road a cul-de-sac and the entrance ‘square’ to the Cook’s development. Minor works like the tables and build-outs in Anchor Hill / East St. / Brook St. could proceed now the S278 was signed. The fact that Taylor Woodrow has purchasers for nearly all the Phase 1 properties but cannot conclude the sale of them until the highway works are implemented puts some pressure on ECC Highways. A consequence of Road Traffic Orders is the need for a 21 day public consultation period. Paul hoped this would start at the end of June as all the relevant orders had now been drafted. If any variance to a scheme were to take place it would only be in consequence to objections received in this consultation period and agreed by Cllr Rodney Bass as the ECC Portfolio Holder. The Colchester Area Highway Office would be responsible for drawing up a report containing details of the objections for Cllr Bass, Vicky Presland emphasized they would take care to ensure arguments for and against the various schemes were presented fairly. She mentioned she felt the view of the local ECC Cllr would be relevant to Cllr Bass in reaching his decisions on objections. Here follow notes concerning each highway works item: Junction Station Rd, High Street and Alma St. - Proposed 25mm raised table to encourage traffic coming down the High Street to turn right into Station Road. Table made of high quality natural smooth York sets. Sign to advise motorists entering into a Traffic Calmed Area. Raised pavement outside shops including Delicatessen - pavement at baby clothes shop end will be 6mm above road surface rising to standard 100 mm height by tearooms. Will be level with the bottom of the two steps at the Deli. Comes out approx one metre from front of the tea rooms to give pedestrian refuge area as well as encourage motorists to take a slightly wider angle when entering East St. Handrail to be installed to help people into tearooms (not enough space for a slope at reasonable angle). Pavement doesn’t protrude past corner with East Street. Note 1: Paul Bradford undertook to examine how to improve protection for the corner property on the south side of East Street that is regularly hit by vehicles. Vicky Presland suggested if this improvement couldn’t be paid for by TW under the Highway Works agreement it could be considered under an existing ECC Highway budget. Note 2: Re the litter bin outside the tearooms. If anyone could find an alternative location for it on Anchor Hill, and get permission, he would be willing to relocate it on Health and Safety grounds as outside premises where food is consumed. Note 3. Paul advised two bollards will be installed on the pavement by Valentinos. Build-outs in East Street - two build outs opposite each other to force traffic to the centre of the road. Kerb height 100m. Bollards at each end of south-side build-out. As highway constricted to single lane working, blue rectangular highway signs to be placed at each end recommended by Highway Safety audit. These will indicate priority for vehicles coming from Brook St. One illuminated sign on pole by fish and chip shop and the other, a non-illuminated on Nonsuch House. Junction with Alma Street / Black Buoy Hill - Nothing proposed Outside Alice’s Cottage - a build out to encourage cars into centre of road but kerb height at the apex of the corner will be almost flush with the road recognising that larger / longer vehicles will have difficulty avoiding cutting the corner. New footpath build-out between Contact Lens Centre and Business Centre - new footway in front of cottages with special kerb at rear of footway to prevent water shedding from highway into cottages. The Square (entrance to Cook’s Shipyard) - 85 mm raised table formed of York stone sets with tree in the centre. Side by old fire station to provide on-street parking (no designated spaces) for may be 4 cars. Area will be public highway maintainable at public expense. TW responsible though for any maintenance expenses first 2 years. Cook’s is a designated 20 zone (means street design such to keep average vehicle speed to 20 mph max). Entrance table will have 20 mph zone signs either side of it. Queens Road, junction with Valley Road - Road Traffic Order will propose blocking off junction of Queens Road with Valley Road with a raised table designed to sweep traffic from the top of Queens Road naturally into Valley Road. Bollards will allow emergency vehicles through, and also cyclists in central section. Table made from conservation-grade paving slabs. There will be a loss of 4 parking bays at top of Queens Road on south side. Cars will need to be prevented from parking in the turning bay opposite Paget Road as it will be needed as a turning head. Required especially for large vehicles as a refuse freighter. The disabled parking bay can be retained though. New double yellow lines will be necessary in Valley Rd and will extend 15m along from corner with Queens Road. It was acknowledged that Valley Road was congested with parked cars until approximately 9am, making it very difficult for lorries to negotiate this road, as TW construction vehicles have found. Paul Bradford advised key reasons why Highways had recommended permanent closure of Queens Road was the narrowness of the highway due to parked cars, lack of footway on one side and narrowness of the footway on the other side. A blue rectangular cul-de-sac sign will be required at its junction with Park Road. Park Road - Double yellow lines to be extended whole length between Rebow Road and Belle Vue Road. Street signs to Cooks Shipyard and Colne Barrier - new directional signs to be erected on Co-op Triangle pointing left into Belle Vue Road, then several more signs required to get vehicles to Cook’s Shipyard. If the signs are not required after 2 or more years, Paul Bradford thought it might be possible a case for their removal might be made. 2 x Passing bays in The
Avenue - a double yellow section to be placed outside the Methodist Church as a vehicle passing bay. Junction Belle Vue Road / High Street - extend double yellow lines from junction down the High Street to a point pass a driveway to improve driver sight line. This will cause the loss of two car parking spaces including the one across a resident’s driveway. The Folly - This is a byway with full public highway rights. It will have its present gravelled surfacing replaced by central section made of ‘tumble blocks’ suitable for cyclists and wheelchairs with gravel on either side of this 1.3m central section. Highways hope to embed gravel in a base material and so it won’t be loose and thus constituting a nuisance or danger. Paul Bradford confirmed ECC Highways would have maintenance responsibility for the new surface. Note: Concerns voiced about cyclists coming from The Folly and cycling onto the pedestrian area in front of Wet Dock and along to the riverbank footpath rather than using the highway and following the cycle route. Paul Bradford agreed to consider what could be done to discourage cyclists on pedestrian areas. 20mph Zoning. To conclude what everyone felt was a very useful morning, a discussion took place in the Town Council chamber about the possibility of widening the proposed Cook’s 20 mph zone to include adjacent roads in the Conservation Area. Paul Bradford advised the grounds on which a 20 mph zone might be considered. Two important factors are accident rate and environmental issues. The definition of a 20 mph zone means altering highway conditions so as to strongly encourage motorists to drive at a maximum of 20 mph. It seemed to those Wivenhoe people present, the purpose and benefit of a scheme could be a reduction in the number of highway signs required in the Conservation area. By putting 20 zone signs at just three junctions a 20 zone could be created in the heart of the Conservation area. The three junctions would be in West Street, at the proposed new table in the High Street, and the third at the end of Brook Street (or possibly to include Anglesea Road). It was already difficult for people to drive more than 20mph on any road in this zone, including roads like Alma Street and Hamilton Road, and therefore additional highway works highly unlikely to be required. Paul thought the two priority working signs in East Street might not be required if the road was within a 20 mph zone but this would need checking. The two 20 zone signs at the entrance ‘Square’ could be relocated to West St and further along Brook Street, and the traffic calming sign at the High Street replaced with a 20 zone sign. It seemed a study would be necessary to ensure average traffic speeds conformed to the requirements of a 20 mph zone and there would be an obvious cost to this. Vicky Presland suggested it might be difficult to get TW to agree to these changes. They were under no obligation to do so. It might be better to consider raising the issue at a later date, under Phase 3, when they are likely to want to make sufficient changes to the terms of the original outline planning application that would require a renegotiation of the Section 106 agreement. Vicky and Paul were requested by the people present to pick up the challenge of widening the Cooks 20 mph zone to include the heart of the Conservation area. The meeting concluded with the Wivenhoe people present expressing their thanks to Vicky Presland and Paul Bradford for the time and effort given at this morning and also for the considerable efforts they have being making to deal with all enquiries by Wivenhoe residents in recent months. Cllr Peter Hill / Wivenhoe Town Council / 7June 2006 Post Meeting Note: Subsequent to this meeting, Vicky Presland advised the Town Council she has allocated an officer to investigate the possibility, practicality, costs and benefits of creating a 20 mph zone in the heart of the Conservation area. |
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