BOROUGH OF POOLE
CANFORD CLIFFS AND PENN HILL AREA COMMITTEE
15 SEPTEMBER 2010
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
PENN HILL AVENUE, WOODSIDE ROAD, KINGSBRIDGE ROAD TRAFFIC
1Matter for Information
1.1.To update Members on recent changes in the Penn Hill Avenue Area.
- Information
2.1.The Government has developed and agreed with the Local Government Association four shared priorities for the delivery of transport strategy around which the Local Transport Plan (LTP) was structured. The four shared priorities are Congestion, Accessibility, Road Safety and Air Quality. Government funding is provided over the course of the LTP to implement schemes which deliver these objectives.
2.2.The Strategy for delivery under the heading of congestion includes a number of strands, with one of the main features being the improvement of traffic movement along several Prime Transport Corridors (PTC’s).
2.3.The first of the Prime Transport Corridors to be considered is the main route between Poole and Bournemouth Town Centres. The corridor concept looks at improvements not only on the main A35 but also on the parallel alternative routes of:
a)Ashley Road ( Sea View - Redlands roundabout )
b)Station Road – Penn Hill Avenue – Leicester Road – Lindsay Road
This is on the basis that improvement to parallel routes will enable better traffic flow along the corridor as a whole. Although this is a strategic policy, and therefore approved by the Transportation Advisory Group and Portfolio Holder, the strategy was reported to this Area Committee on14 June 2006 and 26 September 2007.
2.4.Penn Hill Avenue is a Classified Road and therefore one which is used for through traffic. Having said this it is also recognised as a residential street and therefore the predominant traffic flow on the Poole to Bournemouth 'corridor' will always be on along the Bournemouth Road / Ashley Road / Poole Road routes - this is where through traffic is sign-posted.
2.5.Improvements have already been implemented at the Lindsay Road/Leicester Road junction, Penn Hill junction and Station Road/Commercial Road junction.
2.6.These improvements have been complimented by the recent improvement at the Ashley Cross junction and further improvements are planned in due course at Bournemouth Road/Richmond Road/St Osmunds Road, along Ashley Road and also along Poole Road.
2.7.There have also been accessibility improvements in the area too. A new zebra crossing has been installed in Penn Hill Avenue near Spur Road and pedestrian facilities have been improved at the Penn Hill Junction as part of the new traffic signals. The cycle lanes in Penn Hill Avenue help cyclists to make more use of this route. Local traffic arrangements around North Lodge Road and Archway Road have also been of benefit to local people.
3.Kingsbridge Road Roundabout
3.1The roundabout was installed inMay 2001 to address concerns about the regular damage sustained to boundary walls when vehicles lost control on the bend. The roundabout introduces and element of speed reduction at this sharp bend, and the signage draws drivers’ attention to the junction. The road layout is actually very clear for westbound drivers, with a building and boundary wall directly in their line of sight, so it would be hard to justify introducing further signs.
3.2The maintenance requirements for this mini roundabout are no greater than other locations. While the railings were hit a few months ago, the last time was some 18 months prior to that - a situation which compares very favourably to that which existed before this mini roundabout was installed.
3.3There are adequate signs and road markings to show this operates as a roundabout. With the predominant flow being on two legs it is inevitable that the third leg (Highmoor Road ) has to be negotiated with caution but again this is not unusual.
3.4Whilst concerns have been expressed about the safety of the junction, a comparison of accident rates before and after the roundabout was installed indicate that it is no less safe than the original layout (2 injury accidents in the 9 years before the junction was changed and 2 injury accidents in the nine years since). Of the two personal injuries that have been reported to the Police since the roundabout was installed, one was a result of slipping on an oil spillage.
3.5Safety Schemes are most effective if they address an identifiable pattern of accidents and the trigger point for accident investigation is for 7 or more injury accidents in a 4 year period. There are currently 45 such sites in the Borough awaiting funding of improvement works. As this particular location does not meet this criterion it would therefore not be appropriate to consider any accident reduction measures. The Government’s recent mid-year cut in Road Safety funding makes it even more important to target funds at locations where this will lead to accident savings.
- Further suggestions from last meeting
4.1 The creation of a one way system along Penn Hill Avenue to deter through traffic would involve implications across a wide area and would run counter to the strategy of improving junctions along the route that has been implemented so far. One way restrictions would adversely impact local traffic movements and generally encourage higher vehicle speeds.
4.2 The unsuitability of this route for large lorries has been raised as an issue before. Traffic is not signed via this route (through traffic is signedvia Bournemouth and Poole Roads) and surveys indicate that the proportion using the route is actually very small (0.6%). A lorry ban would be relatively expensive to impose as illuminated signs would be needed at all the side roads, and advance warning signs on all the approaches. It would also be virtually unenforceable by the police, as it would have to exempt all service vehicles along the route and surrounding area.
4.3Concerns were raised that residents could not see when emerging from driveways on the southern side of Penn Hill Avenue. This was previously a problem at accesses on both sides of the road and sightlines could only be cleared by introducing further parking restrictions on the southern side of the road. There were strong objections to the loss of parking space when the restrictions were advertised on the northern side of Penn Hill Avenue and it would be difficult to justify imposing further restrictions on the southern side.
Julian McLaughlin
Head of Transportation Services
Name and Telephone Number of Officer Contact :
Steve Dean (01202) 262071