Signalised access junction on Redfields Lane

On 23 May 2014 an application ref. 14/01223/FUL was made by Barton Wilmore under instruction from Martin Grant Homes to apply for a change to the proposed access to the proposed Watery Lane / Albany Farm development from a roundabout to a traffic-light controlled junction (‘signalised junction’).  This was offered as a ‘full’ and separate planning application which the planning authority (Hart District Council) treated as a stand-alone planning application as the matter of the Albany Farm / Watery Lane development has not yet been determined.

This did not seem to offer great advantages over a roundabout and had several disadvantages. A number of objections were raised including a statement from Hampshire County Council that the siting of a signal junction in this location (in isolation) is unacceptable to the Highway Authority.

On 24 July the planning committee refused the application on two grounds as follows:

1. 1. The proposed signalised junction is unnecessary and would have a harmful urbanising effect on the character of the countryside. The application therefore fails to comply with saved policies GEN1, RUR2, RUR3 of the Hart District Local Plan and the guidance in the NPPF.
   2. The proposal involves development that cannot be reconciled with the NPPF in that the proposed access arrangement would unnecessarily impede traffic flows and would result in an unacceptable impact on the road safety and operation of the local transport network contrary to the NPPF and saved policy T14 of
   3. the Hart District Local Plan.

This application is now determined (refused) and closed unless the applicant appeals.

Information and Guidance on the Application

Here is some information which we provided as a guide on how to make another response on the Hart District Council website regarding the Signalised access/traffic lights junction in Redfields Lane.

Your personal comments, photos on the traffic issues are crucial at this stage so please respond with your own experiences on the traffic in this area. Personalised responses are essential as it will carry more weight if we all act independently and in our own words.

WHAT TO DO

1) Click here to view the application and login

2) Enter your comments, with as much objective supporting evidence as you can provide. Please contact FACE-IT if you need help with this – we have lots of useful information that can help support your case. Please contact FACE-IT via email: action@faceit-group.org

 

If you are unable to login to the planning application system you can email planningadmin@hart.gov.uk with your response. Comments can be made on an attached sheet with the reference number (14/01223/FUL)

Critical issues and objections to this application

Consider how another roundabout or traffic lights will affect this area:

1. St Nicholas School is already congested, especially at peak times.  This would cause huge disruption, with traffic backed up to and beyond the Redfields roundabout

2. Redfields Industrial Estate is growing, lots of traffic passes in and out of this area

3. Redfields stables the commercial units, more traffic on a regular basis

4. Blue Prior nursing home, the childrens nursery, office blocks and more development for another 73 assisted living homes, would cause increased traffic movement from carers, visitors, healthcare etc and from the nursery, parents dropping off /collecting and the staff driving to work.

5. Redfields/Zebon Copse roundabout – already quite a dangerous roundabout as there is already constant traffic from all directions and it is getting busier by the day.

6. The Gables, due for development of 49 houses and Stillers Farm application, would cause more issues coming from Ewshot etc.

7. The pinch point where the children cross the road is a very dangerous spot, with or without a lollipop lady. It is extremely busy, with extremely fast & noisy traffic despite the traffic calming measures.

8. Wyvern Junction with Aldershot Road is another very busy junction and with a dangerous viewpoint.

9. Traffic Lights to Sandy Lane Crookham Park – the school traffic merging with Aldershot Road is already a very busy area and will only get worse with another 300 home owners with their cars/vehicles.

10. The traffic will also be increased by people driving to the new Sainsburys at Crookham Park, causing regular congestion at the end of Sandy Lane throughout the day. The amount of children crossing these roads will increase once the new school is complete.

11. Pyestock – undoubtedly there will be an increase in traffic from Pyestock, workers, visitors, deliveries and the odd lorry driver whose Sat Nav has gone on the blink!

12. The routes that people WILL take from this area will be:

1. 1. • Over the Historic Malthouse Bridge into Crookham Village
      • Coxheath Road over the Canal bridge
      • Brandon Road, through Zebon Copse Estate. This was designed to discourage through traffic and there are many pinch points and speed bumps, rumble strips throughout. Surely this can not be suitable for another 600 plus more cars, more than twice a day and the extra roundabout/traffic lights will cause a total stop start for quite a stretch along the Aldershot Road and Redfields Lane.

13. The traffic generated by the potential Watery Lane Development would cause a huge amount of pollution in an already traffic heavy area.

14. The proposed GP surgery and pharmacy would generate a huge amount of additional movements from early morning until much later in the day, almost every day, traffic from staff, patients, doctors, deliveries etc. How much more traffic could this generate?

Above are just rough guides as to what you could say in your response.