Lead Member for Transport and Environment |
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Date of Meeting: |
14 March 2022 |
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By: |
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport |
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Title: |
Devonshire Road/Havelock Road/Cornwallis Terrace/Station Approach crossroads, Hastings - Pedestrian crossing improvements |
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Purpose: |
To consider the results of the stakeholder consultation / public information exercise and seek approval to progress the Devonshire Road/Havelock Road/Cornwallis Terrace/Station Approach scheme to detailed design and construction in 22/23
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RECOMMENDATION: The Lead Member is recommended to:
(1) Note the responses to the stakeholder consultation and public information exercise set out in this report;
(2) Approve the proposed changes, as set out in Appendix 1, to the pedestrian crossing facilities at the crossroads of Station Approach/Devonshire Road/Havelock Road/Cornwallis Terrace to improve pedestrian accessibility from Hastings station to the town centre; and
(3) Agree that the Devonshire Road/Havelock Road/Cornwallis Terrace/Station Approach scheme be taken forward to detailed design and construction in 2022/23
1. Background Information
1.1 The Hastings and Bexhill Movement and Access Package (BHMAP) comprises a package of pedestrian, cycle and public transport improvement schemes across Bexhill, Hastings and St Leonards which is being funded by the Local Growth Fund, secured through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP). The objectives of the BHMAP are to:
· Support economic growth by reducing traffic congestion and improving safety
· Support accessibility and enhance social inclusion with access to improved integrated
public transport provision and infrastructure
· Improve health and wellbeing by supporting connectivity between key services, enabling an
increase in cycling and walking for everyday journeys
· Support greater inward investment, particularly the growing cultural and tourism sectors
within the town centres, by improving the physical environment and enhancing permeability
· Ensure integration of the programme with related key infrastructure projects being delivered to support future sustainable growth and smart mobility
1.2 A key element of this package is focussed on various improvements to movement and access between the railway station, the town centre and the seafront in Hastings; this includes the pedestrian connectivity across the Station Approach/Devonshire Road/Havelock Road/Cornwallis Terrace crossroads.
2. Supporting Information
2.1 The crossroads is located directly outside Hastings train station, at the northern end of Havelock Road. To the east is Devonshire Road, Middle Street and Station Road and to the west is Cornwallis Terrace. The town centre with its retail and leisure premises as well as the seafront is located south of the crossroads.
2.2 The crossroads are currently signalised with crossing facilities for pedestrians. The eastern arm offers a central island with barriers, providing a staggered crossing route. The southern, western and northern arms offer straight-across routes for pedestrians. Located east of the crossroads, on Devonshire Road between Middle Street and Station Road, is an existing pedestrian crossing. This crossing is push button controlled, has a central island and offers a staggered route across the road.
Proposed layout
2.3 The proposed scheme is to improve the layout of the crossroads and the crossings for pedestrians. The west crossing over Cornwallis Terrace will be widened to accommodate the high volume of pedestrians using it. The east crossing will also be widened, and the staggered island removed to create a straight-across route. Kerbing at each arm of the crossroads will be adjusted and footways widened to bring the straight-across crossings within recommended widths. The crossing between Middle Street and Station Road will have its island reconstructed to offer a straight-across route. A plan of the proposals can be found in Appendix 1.
2.4 A new signal phase is proposed at the crossroads, to allow pedestrians to achieve their straight-ahead crossing in a single movement. Traffic modelling has been undertaken to determine the impact of the proposal on traffic using the crossroads. This predicts all arms of the junction will continue working within capacity during the weekday am peak, interpeak and pm peak, and on Saturdays as far ahead as 2040. Additional queuing during the afternoon peak is anticipated on the Havelock Road approach by 2028 (a delay of up to 13 seconds to clear the queue), but this is all within the junction capacity.
2.5. The proposals aim to improve accessibility to the seafront especially for more vulnerable user groups. The design of the scheme has considered equalities characteristics and an Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been carried out for the proposals. The EQIA was reviewed and updated after the stakeholder engagement and public information letter exercises, ensuring any issues raised were addressed.
2.6 The detailed design and construction cost of the scheme is estimated at £294,000. The scheme would be funded through the Local Growth Fund allocation for the Hastings and Bexhill Movement and Access Package. Ongoing maintenance costs will be included in the Council’s future maintenance programme.
Stakeholder consultation and public information exercise
2.7 Details of the proposals were sent to over 30 stakeholders in September 2021 via email for their views. A list of stakeholders is at Appendix 2 and included the local County Councillor, Hastings Borough Councillors, County and Hastings Borough Council officers, the emergency services, the bus operator, walking, cycling and disability groups, transport and business groups and the Environment Agency. The email to stakeholders is at Appendix 3.
2.8 Several stakeholder responses were received with no objections to the proposed scheme. There were several requests for additional facilities or alternative aesthetic designs. This included the removal of redundant street furniture and refreshment of signs, the accommodation of a future, proposed cycleway and related infrastructure and the inclusion of an access for pedestrians linking Station Approach to the raised plaza area outside the health centre.
2.9 The safest crossing type for this junction is a pedestrian phase within the signalised junction, which will hold the traffic for pedestrians to cross the carriageway. There is no existing cycle route passing through this crossing. However, the pedestrian crossing across Cornwallis Terrace has been designed to a width of 4m which will allow it to be upgraded to a toucan crossing in the future to accommodate cycles, if required. Consideration will be given to the type of street furniture that will be implemented during the detailed design stage. More details on the stakeholder comments received and the responses is at Appendix 4.
2.10 In terms of information distribution, 200 letters with plans were hand delivered to residents and businesses in the surrounding area on 25 November 2021. A copy of the letter and plan is at Appendix 5. Three responses were received in response to the information letter delivery as follows:
· concern about the disturbance such construction work would have on the area, the interaction of the new crossing with the front door of their property and how the new crossings would delay pedestrians on their way
· queries regarding some of the design details and observations on areas within the vicinity but are considered to be outside the scope of this scheme by the design team
· queries about the type and location of road signs
2.9 A summary of the three comments received and our responses are at Appendix 6.
3. Conclusion and Reason for Recommendation
3.1 Improvements to the pedestrian crossing facilities at the Devonshire Road crossroads and crossing outside Hastings station will improve accessibility between the station and East Sussex College Hastings campus with the town centre and seafront. This will encourage more active travel, contributing towards the County Council’s commitment of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the Government’s decarbonising transport agenda.
3.2 No objections have been received to the proposals following the stakeholder consultation and public information letter exercise although requests for additional provisions have been received which will be considered and incorporated where possible as part of the detailed design. It is therefore recommended the scheme progresses to detailed design and construction for delivery through the 2022/23 capital programme of local transport improvements utilising Local Growth funding allocated to the Hastings and Bexhill Movement and Access Package.
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
Contact Officer: Alex Thompson
Tel No. 07746 285591
Email: Alex.Thompson1@Jacobs.com
LOCAL MEMBERS
Councillor Godfrey Daniel
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
None