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Report to:
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Lead Member for
Transport and Environment
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Date of
meeting:
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16 December
2024
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By:
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Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Petition –
traffic management in Maplehurst Road, Hastings
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Purpose:
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To consider and
respond to the petition received from local residents requesting
the closure of Maplehurst Road in Hastings at its junction with the
A21/A28 Westfield Road junction or the introduction of access only
restrictions and appropriate enforcement measures.
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Lead Member is
recommended to advise the petitioners that:
(1)
following the
opening of the Queensway Gateway Road, a programme of post-opening
monitoring will be undertaken for a period of up to 12 months to
assess any changes to traffic movements in and around the vicinity
of the Queensway Gateway Road scheme; and
(2)
the outcomes of the
monitoring will be used to determine whether any further measures
are required, including in Maplehurst Road, to mitigate any
identified impacts.
1. Background
Information
1.1
A petition containing 70
signatures was submitted by Councillor Pragnell to the Chairman at
the Full Council meeting on 8 October 2024 requesting the closure
of Maplehurst Road in Hastings at its junction with the A21/A28
Westfield Road junction or the introduction of access only
restrictions and appropriate enforcement measures.
1.2
The principal issues raised in the
petition include the safety of vulnerable road users (people
walking and ‘wheeling’ – (i.e. people using
mobility scooters and wheelchairs), especially children and older
people; the volume of traffic using the road; ability for residents
to access their driveways; and the unfair burden being placed on
this part of the road network.
1.3
The petition also puts forward a
number of suggested solutions in response to these issues.
These include the closure of the Maplehurst Road junction with the
A21/A28 or restricting the road to access only via enforcement
using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. Since receipt of
the petition, the County Council has also received correspondence
from local residents and stakeholders both in support and against
the petition request. Those correspondents in favour of the
petition are generally residents of Maplehurst Road whilst those
not supporting the petition are other residents from outside the
locality.
1.4
Standing Orders provide that where
the Chairman considers it appropriate, petitions are considered by
the relevant Committee or Lead Member and a spokesperson for the
petitioners is invited to address the Committee. The Chairman has
referred this petition to the Lead Member for Transport and
Environment. A copy of the petition is available in the
Members’ Room.
2. Supporting
Information
Maplehurst
Road
2.1
As part of the A2100, Maplehurst
Road in the north of Hastings is approximately 230 metres long and
historically is part of the A28 to Westfield. At its northern
extent, Maplehurst Road has a T-junction with the A28 Westfield
Road, and is also near the junction of the A21 and A28. At its
southern extent, there is a T-junction arrangement with the B2093
The Ridge, Maplehurst Road, alongside Maplehurst Close, Maplehurst
Rise and Maple Heights (all cul-de-sacs), is predominantly
residential apart from The Harrow Inn at the junction between The
Ridge and Maplehurst Road. It is also a key route for
emergency services, especially ambulances that need to access the
Conquest Hospital on The Ridge from the A21 north of Hastings and
the A28. A plan showing Maplehurst Road in context is at Appendix
1.
2.2
Maplehurst Road is subject to a
30mph speed limit and is already traffic calmed with a number of
raised tables (speed humps with a long flat section that are
generally used at junctions and can also improve crossing
facilities for pedestrians) along its length – on the entry
and exit from its junction with The Ridge as well as across the
extent of the junction with Maplehurst Close. There is also a
raised table on the entry and exit from Maplehurst Road’s
junction with the A28 which also includes a 6 foot 6 inches
‘except for access’ signed width restriction for
traffic travelling southbound (towards The Ridge).
Issues raised in
Petition
2.3
The petition raises concerns about
road safety on Maplehurst Road. There have been no collisions
on Maplehurst Road in the last 5 years (from 1 October 2021 to 30
September 2024). Over the same time period, there have been 2
slight collisions on the A21 south of the junction with the A28 as
well as a fatal collision at the A21/A28 junction.
2.4
The County Council has a statutory
responsibility to investigate personal injury crashes on the
county’s roads and put measures in place to prevent future
crashes, and the Council takes this responsibility very seriously.
With limited resources available, road safety interventions are
directed at locations in the county with the most personal injury
crashes, as this produces the greatest effect on casualty
reduction. In order to fulfil this responsibility, the Council
develops an annual road safety programme and in this year’s
programme has identified 24 sites with 4 or more personal injury
crashes over a 3-year assessment period. Maplehurst Road, or
it’s junctions at either end, have not been identified as
priorities for part of this programme.
2.5
The petition highlight’s
concerns about the level of traffic using Maplehurst Road and the
unfair burden being placed on this part of the road network.
Traffic surveys as part of the County Council’s routine base
transport monitoring programme were undertaken at the A28 Westfield
Road and The Ridge junctions in September 2019 and 2021. Given the
2021 surveys were undertaken at a time when traffic flows were
still being affected by the Covid pandemic, the 2019 surveys
provide a more robust assessment of traffic using Maplehurst
Road.
2.6
As shown in the tables below,
there were 7,548 traffic movements between 7am and 7pm into and out
of Maplehurst Road at its junction with The Ridge and 7,325
movements at the A28 junction during the same time
period.
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The Ridge/Maplehurst
Road junction traffic flow (7am to 7pm) – September
2019
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Total flow
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Flow towards
junction
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Flow away from
junction
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A2100 Maplehurst Road
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7,548
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4,513
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3,035
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B2093 The Ridge (west of
junction)
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17,296
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7,239
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10,057
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B2093 The Ridge (east of
junction)
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20,180
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10,760
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9,420
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A21/A28/Maplehurst
Road junction traffic flow (7am to 7pm) – September
2019
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Total flow
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Flow towards
junction
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Flow away from
junction
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A2100 Maplehurst Road
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7,325
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2,932
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4,393
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A21 North
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14,257
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7,203
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7,054
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A21 South
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16,917
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8,987
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7,930
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A28
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8,565
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4,410
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4,155
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2.7
In comparison, as set out in the
table below, other roads in the vicinity including The Ridge (which
has an annual average daily traffic (AADT) flow of between 17,770
and 22,300 vehicles), have higher levels of traffic flow than the
7,325 – 7,548 AADT on Maplehurst Road .
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Automatic Traffic
Counter site
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2023 AADT
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A2690 Queensway, just south of
Napier Rd
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18,481
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Queensway, between Combe Valley
Way & Churchwood Drive
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11,343
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A2100 The Ridge W, between
Queensway & Junction Rd
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22,299
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B2093 The Ridge, just east of
Conquest Hospital
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17,734
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A2100 Hastings Rd,
Telham
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12,277
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A28 Westfield Lane
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8,742
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A2101 St Helens Rd
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16,849
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Ivyhouse Lane
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2,464
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2.8
In relation to parking, the
residential properties on the western side of the road are mainly
terraced or semi-detached with some having off-road parking
directly outside their frontage whilst others park on-road, many of
which are parking half-on, half-off the adjacent footway. On the
eastern side of Maplehurst Road, various properties are set back
from the road with driveways and/or garages. Whilst the
petition highlights that residents are not able to access their
driveways due to other vehicles using the road and drivers being
discourteous. These issues can be experienced on any road
with residential properties off or adjacent to the highway across
the country. However, all road users should accord with the
Highway Code which aims to promote safety on the road, whilst also
supporting a healthy, sustainable and efficient transport
system. Rule 147 of the Highway Code advises that all road
users being careful of and considerate towards all other types of
users whilst Rule 151 advises that in slow moving traffic, drivers
should allow access into and from side roads (and by implication
this would include driveways), as blocking these will add to
congestion.
Queensway Gateway
Road
2.9
In October 2014, Sea Change Sussex
(SCS), as the scheme promoter, submitted a planning application to
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) for the Queensway Gateway Road
(QGR), linking Queensway and the A21. Ahead of submitting the
planning application, SCS undertook engagement with Maplehurst Road
residents on potential traffic management options for the road due
to the potential impact the opening of the Queensway Gateway Road
would have on traffic flows in the locality and particularly on
Maplehurst Road. HBC’s Planning Committee approved the
planning application in February 2015 with a condition that
modifications to the northern end of Maplehurst Road to control
traffic behaviour be introduced. However, following a judicial
review the HBC’s original planning decision on the
application was quashed.
2.10
Consequently, HBC’s Planning
Committee reconsidered the application in December 2015 and the
scheme was granted planning permission in January 2016. Whilst the
application’s Transport Assessment and December 2015 Planning
Committee report continued to discuss the potential closure of
Maplehurst Road being modelled and assessed, this was not secured
by a planning condition in the January 2016 (and extant) planning
permission granted by HBC. Therefore, there is no planning
requirement to introduce modifications or traffic management
measures on Maplehurst Road.
2.11
Following the grant of planning
permission, SCS have taken forward the phased construction of the
Queensway Gateway Road over several years using Local Growth
funding secured through the South East Local Enterprise
Partnership. The road from a new roundabout on Queensway through to
the western extent of Whitworth Road has been completed in various
phases between July 2016 and July 2019. However, the
construction of the remaining phase through to a proposed new
roundabout on the A21 remained outstanding.
2.12
With the need for third party land
to construct the roundabout on the A21, an alternative scheme,
which still delivers improvements to traffic flows in the locality,
has been developed which comprises utilising the existing alignment
of Whitworth Road and, with localised widening of the road,
introducing traffic signals at the existing A21 Junction
Road/Whitworth Road junction. To complete the final phase of the
road, a funding contribution of £2.5m was secured through the
Hastings and Bexhill Levelling Up Partnerships, with the
transference of responsibility to complete the scheme now resting
with the County Council and not SCS, the original scheme
promoter.
2.13
Construction of the final phase of
the QGR commenced in September 2024. The traffic management during
construction includes the closure of the northern end of Maplehurst
Road at its junction with the A28 with southbound access only
available for emergency vehicles. This is a temporary measure
during the construction and has been implemented through a
Temporary Traffic Regulation Order. Upon completion of the scheme
these temporary traffic management measures will be removed, and
two-way traffic movements reintroduced on Maplehurst Road. Traffic
flow data is being collected on Maplehurst Road during this
temporary closure.
Response to
petition
2.14
The completion of the final
section of the QGR will involve the closure of the existing
junction between The Ridge and Junction Road and Junction Road with
Whitworth Road. As with any new and major road infrastructure
project, such as the completion of the Bexhill Hastings Link Road
in 2015 and the Queensway Gateway Road, there will be a natural
settling period as traffic flows and movements adjust to the
revised network layout.
2.15
Whilst the County Council can
undertake transport modelling to assess what these potential
changes in transport movements might be, post-opening monitoring
needs to be undertaken to understand what actual changes take
place. To allow for traffic to settle back to ‘normal’,
regular post-opening monitoring can take up to 12
months.
2.16
Therefore, once the QGR is open to
traffic, the County Council will undertake post-opening monitoring
of the impacts on traffic flows in the area, including on
Maplehurst Road. This will be through its existing network of
automatic traffic counters that will collect data on the volume of
traffic flow on the roads in the vicinity as well as replicating
turning count surveys at the Maplehurst Road junctions with the
A21/A28 and The Ridge, as well as other junctions. This will enable
a comparison analysis with previous traffic survey data and help to
understand if there are any impacts on traffic movements arising
from the QGR. The outcome of this post-opening monitoring would
then be used to determine whether there is a need to consider
further measures in the vicinity of the QGR, including in
Maplehurst Road.
2.17
In undertaking the post opening
monitoring, the Council will also consider the potential wider
impact that introducing any traffic management measures or
restrictions in Maplehurst Road would have, including how this
could affect access to and from the communities along the A28 into
Hastings as well as emergency services that need to access The
Ridge corridor, and especially the Conquest Hospital.
3. Conclusion
and Reasons for Recommendations
3.1
Maplehurst Road is part of the
A2100, and links to the A28 Westfield Road at its northern extent
and B2093 The Ridge at its southern extent. It is predominantly
residential with a 30mph speed limit, existing traffic calming in
situ and a 6 foot 6 inches ‘except for access’ width
restriction for traffic travelling southbound (towards The Ridge).
It carries between 7,325 and 7,548 vehicles (7am and 7pm), which is
lower in comparison to other roads in the vicinity, with a mix of
on and off-street parking and has a good safety record with no
collisions in the last three years.
3.2
Planning permission was given by
Hastings Borough Council in January 2016 to Sea Change Sussex, the
original scheme promoter, to construct the Queensway Gateway Road.
This extant permission does not include a planning condition for
the introduction of traffic management measures on Maplehurst Road.
Whilst the majority of the Queensway Gateway Road has been
constructed, the final phase from Whitworth Road through to the A21
has remained outstanding. External funding of £2.5m has been
secured through the Hastings and Rother Levelling Up
Partnership’s to contribute towards the completion of the
scheme, with the County Council now taking responsibility to
construct this final phase.
3.3
Construction of this final phase
of the Queensway Gateway Road started in September 2024
with the road intended to be open
in early 2025. As part of
the traffic management associated with the construction, temporary
measures have been put in place to restrict access to Maplehurst
Road at the northern end and its junction with the A28 with
southbound access only available for emergency vehicles. These
temporary traffic management measures, implemented under a
temporary traffic regulation order, will be removed.
3.4
Once the Queensway Gateway Road is
opened to traffic, there will be a natural settling period as
traffic flows and movements adjust to the revised network layout
including the closure of both ends of Junction Road. It is
recommended that the petitioners are advised that, a programme of
post-opening monitoring will be undertaken for a period of up to 12
months to assess any changes to traffic movements in and around the
vicinity of the Queensway Gateway Road.
3.5
It is also recommended that the
petitioners are advised that the outcomes of the monitoring would
be used to determine whether any further measures are required,
including in Maplehurst Road, to mitigate any identified impacts
which will also need to take account of the wider impacts of access
for communities along the A28 into Hastings as well as emergency
services, especially to the Conquest Hospital. Should the County
Council consider that there is a case for introducing further
measures on Maplehurst Road, there will be an opportunity for
residents to comment on any such proposals as they are
developed.
RUPERT
CLUBB
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer: Jon
Wheeler
Tel. No. 01273 482212
Email: Jon.Wheeler@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor
Pragnell
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
None