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(a) |
To receive a question from Elizabeth Easterbrook-Hill
I represent a group of residents in Bishops Tawton, where the County Council are proposing to install an underpass to cross the A361 between the village and Bishops Tawton Road in Newport. The County Council had originally told us that, in their opinion, the work could be carried out under their permitted development rights and did not require planning consent. They have more recently advised that they are reconsidering this clearly incorrect view given the professional advice we have recently submitted to them.
The underpass proposal came about as a result of concerns raised by the Parish Council and local residents on the impact of the proposed Bishops Tawton Roundabout improvements on pedestrian safety (around 70 people a day currently cross the A361 on foot – most of these are at the start or end of the school day). We have expressed concerns to the County Council regarding the proposal on a number of points, the key ones are:
· That the underpass proposal should be given proper scrutiny and be dealt with as a planning application, rather than as permitted development. This would allow proper scrutiny by the police, local council and Environment Agency of the impact of the proposal on personal safety, environmental impact and impact on the local drainage network; · That an underpass is not the safest nor most economical solution to the problem of pedestrian safety (Toucan crossings have been considered suitable in at least two other crossings of the Link Road between Barnstaple and Bideford – at Roundswell and Heywood); · That the proposal is a huge waste of public money. We have been advised that an underpass would cost £2m. A Toucan crossing would be a fraction of the cost.
Can I ask that the District Council insist that the proposal is dealt with as a planning application and that you make sure that the proposals are subject to proper scrutiny with regards to safety, environmental harm and cost effectiveness?
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(b) |
To receive a question from Gareth Vaughan-Williams
Now that planning approval has been given for work to the Link Road, what measures will the Council take to make sure that the impacts of increased traffic on the local communities will be mitigated?
The County Council’s own studies predict that even with the Link Road widening and junction improvements in place, rush hour traffic on some of Barnstaple’s residential streets will increase by 30%. Some of these roads, like South Street and Bishops Tawton Road where I live, are not designed to cope with the amount of traffic they are already getting. Cars and lorries regularly mount the pavements, putting pedestrians lives at risk, parked cars are regularly damaged and residents’ houses vibrate every time a lorry goes by. Journeys on foot and by bicycle are suppressed and the quality of life of the whole neighbourhood is affected.
Increased volumes of traffic are bound to exacerbate these problems and to lead to more problems of rat running, increased risk to pedestrians and potential damage to listed buildings. I have tried bringing these matters to the attention of the County Council, but their response has been underwhelming. Can I ask that the District Council give the issue of increased traffic in Barnstaple’s residential streets the scrutiny it deserves? |