Residents in Whiteley, Burridge, Curbridge, Swanwick and Park Gate will this month be surveyed on running a trial opening of the Yew Tree Drive bus link.
The bus route between Yew Tree Drive and Botley Road with the bollards in place
Hampshire County Council will be sending the survey to all homes and businesses in those villages asking for views on whether there should be a six-month trial opening of the link between Botley Road and Yew Tree Drive.
After judging the responses Hampshire County Council, which is responsible for highways, will decide whether to proceed with the trial opening.
If the county council does decide to go ahead it will have to apply for planning permission from Fareham Borough Council, probably in March, with the trial to run from June to November.
When the bus link was opened to all traffic for three weeks last July traffic monitoring showed an 18 per cent increase in traffic using Botley Road to the north (1,600 vehicles), 20 per cent more traffic using Botley Road to the south (1,700 vehicles), and seven per cent more traffic using Swanwick Lane (300 vehicles).
There was an 11 per cent drop in traffic using Whiteley Way (2,500 vehicles).
The route has remained closed because of a 25-year-old policy that said the road could only be opened on the completion of Whiteley Way.
Sarisbury ward councillor for Fareham, Sean Woodward, whose ward includes Swanwick, Burridge and the majority of Whiteley residents said now was the right time for the survey.
“I believe it is appropriate, given the age of the policy in our local plan and the fact that it does not appear possible to deliver the completion of Whiteley Way any time soon, to consult affected residents and businesses on whether they would wish to see a six-month trial opening of the bus gate to fully assess the effect on the area.
“If residents approve the trial and it receives planning consent from Fareham Borough Council then the trial would take place from June to November 2013.
“This would give time not only for the planning process but also to get mitigation measures in place if they are required before rather than after the trial.”
Some of the traffic calming measures that might be considered are:
- Speed reduction measures on key roads, e.g. 20mph limit on Yew Tree Drive and a downgrading of Botley Road from A status to a B road enabling better traffic calming measures.
- Heavy Goods vehicle restrictions and enforcement on Yew Tree Drive and Swanwick Lane.
- Pedestrian crossing improvements, for example on Yew Tree Drive
- Traffic calming measures on Botley Road, Swanwick Lane and Yew Tree Drive including flashing speed signs.
- Junction capacity/safety improvements
- Review of on-street parking
Cllr Woodward, who is also a Hampshire County Councillor for the area, added: “The effects of the opening of the revamped Whiteley shopping centre will also be taken into account because it is due for completion in May.
“I encourage all residents and businesses to engage in this consultation so that we get a complete rather than partial view of opinion.
“Petitions and protests are all very well but individual written responses carry far more weight with decision makers. The final outcome however will be based on highway safety issues rather than issues of convenience.”
Responses to the survey can be submitted either on paper or online using a unique reference number for each property.
History of access routes to Whiteley
The controversial link road has remained closed to all traffic except buses because of a 25-year-old policy that said Yew Tree Drive could be opened up only once Whiteley Way had been completed through to Botley Road.
The policy was introduced into the previous Whiteley Local Plan to protect the villages of Burridge, Curbridge, Swanwick and Park Gate from large amounts of traffic from the 3,000 houses in the Whiteley development.
The expectation at that time was that Whiteley Way would be completed in tandem with the remaining development of Whiteley which is now complete.
However, problems with acquiring the land for the link road meant it was not finished.
The only way it is likely to be finished now is if a further development of another 3,000 houses in North Whiteley goes ahead – but that is at least five years away.
Rookery Avenue cannot be opened for traffic because the owners of the land will not release it without getting planning permission for housing in the countryside nearby.