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Committee: |
Regulatory Planning Committee
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Date: |
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Report by: |
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title of Report |
Traffic Regulation Order – Prohibition of Driving - Junction Road, St Leonards
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Purpose of Report |
To consider the objections received in response to the formal consultation on the draft Traffic Regulation Order for the Prohibition of Driving on Junction Road, St Leonards |
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Contact Officer:
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Derek Ireland Tel: 01273 482257 |
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Local Member:
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Councillor Peter Pragnell |
RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Committee is recommended to:
1. Not uphold the objections to the draft order as set out in Appendix 1 of this report
2. Recommend to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport that the Traffic Regulation Order be made as advertised.
1.1. The proposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) seeks to prohibit motorised vehicles from driving along the length of Junction Road between its existing junction with The Ridge West (A2100), southwards for a distance of 103 metres.
1.2. The requirement to close Junction Road to vehiclular traffic forms part of the approved plans for the Queensway Gateway Road, permitted by Hastings Borough Council under planning application HS/FA/14/00832. This closure of Junction Road was also requested by the County Council, as Highway Authority, when commenting upon the aforementioned application.
1.3. Access for vehicles would be prevented through physical works at both its northern and southern ends. Cycle and pedestrian connectivity will remain in place and access will be allowed for maintenance vehicles through the introduction of a retractable bollard located from the south.
1.4. This Order, if approved would not come into effect until the Queensway Gateway Road scheme has been successfully connected with the A21.
1.5.In August 2021, the draft TRO was advertised in the local press, statutory bodies were notified and notices were placed on and in the locality of Junction Road. A copy of the proposed draft TRO is included in Appendix 2 of this report.
1.6.During the formal consultation period 4 items of correspondence were received. These include 3 objections and 1 request for additional information.
2.1. Each item of correspondence has been considered individually and a summary of the objections and officer comments are included in Appendix 1. Full copies are available in the Members’ Room
2.2. Having considered the objections it is not deemed that they provide sufficient grounds to warrant the modification or withdrawal of the proposal, and the proposal would provide for the most efficient use of the public highway following the opening of the Queensway Gateway Road. It is considered that these objections should not be upheld.
2.3. The Queensway Gateway Road will provide a significant local connection between the A21 (Sedlescombe Road North) and Coombe Valley Way via Queensway, and as a consequence it is considered an appropriate route for vehicles wishing to travel from The Ridge West and the A21.
2.4. The proposed route will allow a smoother free-flow of traffic between The Ridge West and the A21 as existing turning movements into and out of Junction Road will be prohibited resulting in more reliable journey times for this section of the road network.
2.5. The Prohibition of Driving into Junction Road will reduce unnecessary slowing, stopping and braking of vehicles, which could present a highway safety issue and increase the potential for rear end shunt collisions.
2.6. The prevention of vehicles using Junction Road was proposed as part of the wider scheme relating to the Queensway Gateway Road. The prohibition of driving order will provide the appropriate mechanism for preventing motorised vehicles from utilising Junction Road.
2.7. By 2025, traffic growth and limited junction capacity in the existing network would mean that delays and their variability would significantly increase at the existing priority junctions at either end of Junction Road. The proposed routeing, although longer, would perform substantially better than the existing routeing, including for buses currently travelling in either direction on Junction Road.
2.8. It is recognised that some of the objections are seeking additional measures, or significant variations to the advertised restriction. Additional restrictions cannot be introduced by means of an amendment to this Order without further consultation. It is only possible to consider whether the advertised proposals should be implemented, or not. Although minor modifications can be allowed in responding to objections received, at this stage it is not permissible to redesign the proposal to include additional restrictions, as this may adversely impact residents or road users without them being made aware of the changes.
3. Conclusion and reasons for approval
3.1. The closure of Junction Road forms part of the overall delivery of the Queensway Gateway Road, which was granted planning permission by Hastings Borough Council and has been partly implemented over the last two to three years. This scheme is expected to improve journey times and road safety in this area, as well as reducing congestion.
3.2. The Committee is recommended, for the reasons set out in section 2 and Appendix 1 of this report, not to uphold the objections to the draft Traffic Regulation Order and to recommend to the Director of Communities, Economy & Transport that the Order be made as advertised.
1. One objection was received from a bus company that currently operates services that utilise Junction Road regarding the increased journey length that would result from the closure of Junction Road for buses.
1.1. Two bus routes currently use Junction Road; Route 2 (Tenterden to Hastings town centre via Conquest Hospital) and Route 101 (Rye to Conquest Hospital via Hastings Town Centre and Silverhill).
1.2. A transport modal has been used to assess both the current and proposed layout on bus journey times including increased traffic flows over the coming years. Current journey times are based on data from the bus operator.
1.3. The modelling shows that the proposed route would take longer than the existing route for all Route 2/101 buses on average, but (in most cases) less time when delays at Junction Road are at their maximum, at all times of day, based on 2019 journey times. Under normal queing conditions, northbound services would experience increased journeys times of between 0.6 and 2.0 minutes, while increased journey times of between 1.2 to 1.5 minutes are likely for southbound buses. Under maximum queuing conditions timesavings would be 0.5 to 1.9 minutes northbound and 0.1 – 0.5 minutes southbound. The only excemption is the northbound AM peak where increased delays would be around 1.1 minutes.
1.4. It also shows that by 2025, under normal queuing conditions the proposed route would take less time than the existing route at all times of day, other than in the average PM peak for buses travelling south to the A21 on Route 101 and there is only one bus that makes this journey. Timesavings for nouthbound buses would be between 0.8 and 3.0 minutes, and for southbound services it would be between 0.6 and 3.3 minutes quicker, apart from the 101 service mentioned above which would take around 35 seconds longer. Under maximimum queuing all services would be quicker. The timesaving would be 4.5 to 7.8 minutes northbound and 2.0 to 3.6 minutes southbound.
1.5. By 2025 the proposed routeing would improve journey times compared to continuing use of the existing route using Junction Road, and would be more consistent with less variability as junction delays would form a very small component of journey times on the proposed route.
1.7. Having considered the objection, officers are satisfied that there are not sufficient grounds for the proposal to be withdrawn.
Recommendation: To not uphold the objection and install the proposal as advertised.
Recommendation: To not uphold the objections and install the proposal as advertised.
Appendix 2 – Copy of the Draft Order as Advertised
EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984
The East Sussex (A2100 Junction Road, St. Leonards on Sea)
(Prohibition of Driving) Order 202*
East Sussex County Council, in exercise of their powers under Sections 1(1), 2(1) to (3) and 4(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ("the Act"), as amended, and of all other enabling powers, after consultation with the Chief Officer of Police in accordance with Part III of Schedule 9 to the Act and Traffic Management Act 2004, hereby make the following Order:-
1. Save as provided in Article 2 of this Order, no person shall except upon the direction or with the permission of a police constable in uniform, cause or permit any motor vehicle to enter or proceed in that length of road specified in the Schedule to this Order.
2. Nothing in Article 1 of this Order shall render it unlawful to cause or permit any vehicle to enter or proceed in that length of road referred to in that Article for so long as may be necessary to enable:-
(a) the vehicle, if it cannot conveniently be used for such purpose in any other road, to be used in connection with any of the following operations, namely -
(i) building, industrial or demolition operations;
(ii) the removal of any obstruction to traffic;
(iii) the maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of the said lengths of roads; or
(iv) the laying, erection, alteration or repair in, or in land adjacent to, the said lengths of roads of any sewer or of any main, pipe or apparatus for the supply of gas, water or electricity or of any telecommunications system as defined in the Telecommunications Act 1984;
(b) the vehicle, if it cannot conveniently be used for such purpose in any other road, to be used in the service of a local authority or a water authority in pursuance of statutory powers or duties;
(c) the vehicle to be used for emergency services purposes.
3. The Council is satisfied that for avoiding danger to persons or other traffic using the length of road referred to in the Schedule to this Order or for preventing the likelihood of any such danger arising it is requisite that Section 3(1) of the Act should not apply to this Order.
SCHEDULE
PROHIBITON OF DRIVING
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Junction Road |
from its junction with The Ridge West, southwards for a distance of 103 metres.
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THE COMMON SEAL of EAST SUSSEX )
COUNTY COUNCIL was affixed hereto )
on the day of xxx two thousand )
and xx xxx in the presence of: - )
Authorised Signatory
H & T Ctte. 2.4.74 - para 4.2 joint report of Director of Legal & Community Services & County Engineer - para 4.