I recently gave the following reply to a question from a resident of Whitchurch (the original question is shown beneath my answer) - I look forward to hearing from the resident as to the source of data quoted in the original question:
Hello (Resident)
May I refer you back to a post I made last year?
http://www.whitchurchandclere.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/path-between-whitchurch-and-laverstoke.html
and to my inTouch
(Whitchurch In Touch February 2013 )
"Infrastructure Project
The initial feasibility study has been completed. Our highways and our Countryside teams are looking at various low-cost right-of-way issues in the town, including looking at a footpath to Wells-in-the-Field."
I would be most interested to know your data source for saying the B3400 is one of the most dangerous roads in Hampshire - is the whole length of the B3400 or part of it referred to in that data? What does the data say in specific reference to cycling on B3400 between Whitchurch and Wells-in-the-Field?
Regards
Tom Thacker
Hampshire County Councillor,
Whitchurch and Clere Division
E-mail: tom.thacker@hants.gov.uk
From the Resident:
Hello Tom...
As you know it has been raised several times that to travel between Whitchurch and Overton by cycle or by foot is extremely dangerous and the route needs improvement. There are people who want to make that journey but don't because of the lack of safe infrastructure.
The Wells-in-the-Field section has no paved footpath and Rotten Hill is a well-known local blackspot.
I believe the B3400 is amongst the top three most 'dangerous' roads in Hampshire - a statement repeated at the recent Basingstoke Cabinet Meeting that dealt with the proposed housing increases for Whitchurch and Overton.
The present growth in those settlements, together with the forthcoming opening of the gin distillery with its anticipated 100,000 visitors a year and associated lorry movements, will make this road even less fit- for-purpose as regards cycling and walking.
You are aware of lobbying before from local people who presented a petition and I now urge you and Hampshire County Council to act before a cyclist (or pedestrian) is killed on that stretch of road.
Will you support a safe segregated cycle and pedestrian route from Whitchurch to Overton including the Wells-in-the-Field stretch? If that were implemented not only would it provide both a safer route for both local employment and tourism needs but could also enable a safer route right through to Basingstoke, possibly as part of a Sustrans scheme.
I look forward to your reply.
Best wishes, etc
(Resident)
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Monday, 18 March 2013
Hampshire Announces New Street Lights for Hurstboune Priors
Taken from Hampshire County Council's web-site
The new lighting in Hurstbourne Priors will see the replacement of approximately 17 lanterns.
The introduction of flexible lighting levels and white 'natural' lighting will result in:
Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Transport and Environment said:
"A lot of preparation and planning has gone into the Hurstbourne Priors Street Lighting programme and we will try to keep disruption to a minimum. This means coordinating works with other schemes and ensuring that work on key roads is planned to take place outside of rush hour periods.
"This long term investment will help to improve the county's energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions. As well as replacing older lighting columns which are coming to the end of their life, the new lamps will improve lighting levels on the ground, reduce light pollution at night and help make people feel safer in town centres and residential streets.
"The project is an excellent example of using some of the latest technology to save energy costs and carbon emissions well into the future."
Hampshire County Council's street lighting replacement programme will be arriving in Hurstbourne Priors in autumn 2013, improving the town's streetlights with the latest energy efficient equipment.
Much of the county's lighting stock is over 30 years old and needs replacing. As part of the improvement programme, 150,000 street lights, illuminated signs and bollards across Hampshire are being replaced or upgraded with the latest technology in energy saving lamps and dimming controls. Hampshire's new street lighting will also comply with Government targets for carbon reduction.The new lighting in Hurstbourne Priors will see the replacement of approximately 17 lanterns.
The introduction of flexible lighting levels and white 'natural' lighting will result in:
- Better lighting clarity
- Less light pollution due to the new lights pointing downwards
- Improved road safety
- Improved personal security
- A reduction in carbon
Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Transport and Environment said:
"A lot of preparation and planning has gone into the Hurstbourne Priors Street Lighting programme and we will try to keep disruption to a minimum. This means coordinating works with other schemes and ensuring that work on key roads is planned to take place outside of rush hour periods.
"This long term investment will help to improve the county's energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions. As well as replacing older lighting columns which are coming to the end of their life, the new lamps will improve lighting levels on the ground, reduce light pollution at night and help make people feel safer in town centres and residential streets.
"The project is an excellent example of using some of the latest technology to save energy costs and carbon emissions well into the future."
Friday, 4 January 2013
Whitchurch 20mph Pilot Consultation
Update
The official deadline is drawing near, but slightly later responses will still be considered, so get your views known, whether you live in the proposed zones, or not.
Questionnaires went out to Whitchurch residents of roads, where a 20 mph pilot is proposed.
I also encourage other residents, including those that don’t live in Whitchurch, who wish to express views, to email their observations to me or to traffic.management@hants.gov.uk, with the subject heading: WHITCHURCH 20mph.
All responses need to be in by 4th January 2013, but slightly later responses will still be included for consideration.
The consultation has started for the 20 mph pilot in Whitchurch and residents, where it is planned for the pilot to be implemented, are receiving questionnaires through their letter boxes.
Whitchurch has been chosen, as one of 10 Hampshire locations, for a 20mph Residential Roads Pilot in 2013.
The aim is to improve the quality of life in residential areas.
The pilot always was a Residential Streets Pilot, the roads leading to the square are only being considered for two reasons, 1) nobody travels through the centre at over 20 mph anyway; 2) it reduces the cost to the taxpayer in installation costs for the pilot by including them.
As a result of the differing views, both for and against a 20 mph pilot, I personally toured (at my request) Whitchurch with the highways team on the project. and they assessed the right places, based on consultation with me (as the democratically elected member) and their expert knowledge.
I am very keen that the people, who live in Whitchurch, have the chance to express their views on next year's 20 mph pilot and I encourage anyone that receives a questionnaire to respond.
This is a map of where the 20 mph zone is intended to be implemented:
Tom Thacker
Hampshire County Councillor, Whitchurch and Clere Division
E-mail: tom.thacker@hants.gov.uk
Monday, 31 December 2012
A34 slip road and Tufton junction
After a brief break for the Christmas and New Year, I'm posting my report of a meeting held for residents of Tufton by Mr Mike Stead, addressing the concerns about the danger of accidents posed at the junction by the A34 slip road and the lane known as Nun's Walk, on the South side of Whitchurch.
Mr Stead, opened the meeting and used presentation slides to show the junction in question and described his concerns and those of Tufton residents and what correspondence he had had with Hampshire, the Town Council and the Highways Agency (HA). Mr Stead then introduced me, as Hampshire County Councillor, and invited me to address the meeting.
I explained what Hampshire's approach is and how the County needs to work with the HA, as responsibility of the road falls between the two, with the junction itself under Hampshire's responsibility. I described the site visit I had undertaken with HA, Hampshire and Town Council representatives two weeks previously to look at a practical set of steps to provide a quick, short term solution.
The County has established a working relationship with the HA, which has agreed to see what it can do with the marking and clearing sight lines at the off slip road.
I had also asked the HA to look at whether red and white concrete barriers could be used to stop off-traffic crossing over into the oncoming traffic at the bend by the junction. The HA has explained it has very limited funds and that the slip road is near the bottom of the current priority list, based on recorded accident data and casualties for junctions along the A34.
I described how a solution to formalise the worn verge - under the overpass on the Tufton side - into a hard foot way is planned by Hampshire for completion in 2013.
During the Q&A session afterwards, there was some desire to put in a cycle path on the other side of the road and change the priority at the Tufton junction. I explained that changing the priority at the junction would not work if the main flow was required to give way, since regular users would tend to ignore the Give Way, and in effect make the junction more dangerous.
I also explained how a possible longer term solution to put in a footpath with cycle path is being investigated by Hampshire. I emphasised that my priority was to make the road safer for families and others who needed a safe path between the town and Tufton.
A continuous path on the left hand side of the road, when travelling to Tufton from Whitchurch, that may be wanted by recreational cyclists, (who would not want to have to stop and cross the road to access a cycle path), would be very costly as it would need to traverse both the on and off slip roads at Tufton. I explained that I could not support that kind of costly facilities to satisfy such recreational cyclists (or those who 'enjoy a burn', as I recall Mr Stead describing it).
The meeting adjourned with broad agreement that the solutions proposed by Hampshire were welcome, and a hope that the HA would be able to make the changes discussed.
The meeting also thanked Mr Stead for his hard work.
Mr Stead, opened the meeting and used presentation slides to show the junction in question and described his concerns and those of Tufton residents and what correspondence he had had with Hampshire, the Town Council and the Highways Agency (HA). Mr Stead then introduced me, as Hampshire County Councillor, and invited me to address the meeting.
I explained what Hampshire's approach is and how the County needs to work with the HA, as responsibility of the road falls between the two, with the junction itself under Hampshire's responsibility. I described the site visit I had undertaken with HA, Hampshire and Town Council representatives two weeks previously to look at a practical set of steps to provide a quick, short term solution.
The County has established a working relationship with the HA, which has agreed to see what it can do with the marking and clearing sight lines at the off slip road.
I had also asked the HA to look at whether red and white concrete barriers could be used to stop off-traffic crossing over into the oncoming traffic at the bend by the junction. The HA has explained it has very limited funds and that the slip road is near the bottom of the current priority list, based on recorded accident data and casualties for junctions along the A34.
I described how a solution to formalise the worn verge - under the overpass on the Tufton side - into a hard foot way is planned by Hampshire for completion in 2013.
During the Q&A session afterwards, there was some desire to put in a cycle path on the other side of the road and change the priority at the Tufton junction. I explained that changing the priority at the junction would not work if the main flow was required to give way, since regular users would tend to ignore the Give Way, and in effect make the junction more dangerous.
I also explained how a possible longer term solution to put in a footpath with cycle path is being investigated by Hampshire. I emphasised that my priority was to make the road safer for families and others who needed a safe path between the town and Tufton.
A continuous path on the left hand side of the road, when travelling to Tufton from Whitchurch, that may be wanted by recreational cyclists, (who would not want to have to stop and cross the road to access a cycle path), would be very costly as it would need to traverse both the on and off slip roads at Tufton. I explained that I could not support that kind of costly facilities to satisfy such recreational cyclists (or those who 'enjoy a burn', as I recall Mr Stead describing it).
The meeting adjourned with broad agreement that the solutions proposed by Hampshire were welcome, and a hope that the HA would be able to make the changes discussed.
The meeting also thanked Mr Stead for his hard work.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Prime Minister announces medals for Arctic convoys veterans
Great News
At Prime Minister's Questions today, David Cameron announced that heroes of the Second World War Arctic Convoy missions will receive medals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20783362
A campaign, led by MPs and veterans, including Whitchurch resident Roy Dykes, who served on board HMS Honeysuckle between 1941 and 1945, has finally secured this long overdue recognition of the great service to the nation given by those who served on the Atlantic convoys.
Roy is seen here talking in June this year about the campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3oEk8GdcWI
At Prime Minister's Questions today, David Cameron announced that heroes of the Second World War Arctic Convoy missions will receive medals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20783362
A campaign, led by MPs and veterans, including Whitchurch resident Roy Dykes, who served on board HMS Honeysuckle between 1941 and 1945, has finally secured this long overdue recognition of the great service to the nation given by those who served on the Atlantic convoys.
Roy is seen here talking in June this year about the campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3oEk8GdcWI
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Whitchurch 20 mph old
Update
I received requests from a couple of residents, who had yet to receive their consultation papers, if the consultation deadline could be extended. Initially; in the belief that the papers had gone out, I did not feel this to be necessary.
I have since found that the papers are only going out this week.
As the letters are being printed or have gone out, it is too late to change the official deadline. However, I have agreed with Hampshire Highways that the project team won't therefore be too strict on the deadline, so if any questionnaires are received a little late then they will be included as valid responses to the consultation.
The timescales Hampshire Highways has set itself for the 20 mph pilot project are nevertheless quite demanding, so the Highways Team needs to get the consultation done, but at the same time it is important that the residents understand that the scheme isn't being forced through.
The consultation element is important and Hampshire Highways has supplied pre-paid and addressed envelopes to all the questionnaires to get a good response.
It is my belief that everyone who wants to respond will still be able to do so within the current timescales, plus the leeway indicated.
End of Update
Original text
Whitchurch has been chosen, as one of 10 Hampshire locations, for a 20mph Residential Roads Pilot in 2013.
The aim is to improve the quality of life in residential areas.
I am very keen that the people, who live in Whitchurch, have the chance to express their views on next year's 20 mph pilot and I encourage anyone that receives a questionnaire to respond.
I also encourage other residents, including those that don’t live in Whitchurch, who wish to express views, to email their observations to me or to traffic.management@hants.gov.uk, with the subject heading: WHITCHURCH 20mph.
All responses need to be in by 4th January 2013.
Tom Thacker
Hampshire County Councillor, Whitchurch and Clere Division
E-mail: tom.thacker@hants.gov.uk
Thursday, 6 December 2012
20 mph Pilot in Whitchurch
Update
I received requests from a couple of residents, who had yet to receive their consultation papers, if the consultation deadline could be extended. Initially; in the belief that the papers had gone out, I did not feel this to be necessary.
I have since found that the papers are only going out this week.
As the letters are being printed or have gone out, it is too late to change the official deadline. However, I have agreed with Hampshire Highways that the project team won't therefore be too strict on the deadline, so if any questionnaires are received a little late then they will be included as valid responses to the consultation.
The timescales Hampshire Highways has set itself for the 20 mph pilot project are nevertheless quite demanding, so the Highways Team needs to get the consultation done, but at the same time it is important that the residents understand that the scheme isn't being forced through.
The consultation element is important and Hampshire Highways has supplied pre-paid and addressed envelopes to all the questionnaires to get a good response.
It is my belief that everyone who wants to respond will still be able to do so within the current timescales, plus the leeway indicated.
End of Update
Original text
As the letters are being printed or have gone out I think it is too late to change the official deadline. We won't however be too strict on the deadline so if any questionnaires are received later they can be included.
The timescales we have been set for the 20 pilot project are quite demanding so we need to get the consultation done but at the same time we don't want people to think we are forcing the scheme through. The consultation element is important and we have supplied pre-paid and addressed envelopes to all the questionnaires to get a good response. I think everyone who wants to respond will still be able to do so within the current timescales.
The consultation has started for the 20 mph pilot in Whitchurch and residents, where it is planned for the pilot to be implemented, are receiving questionnaires through their letter boxes.
Whitchurch has been chosen, as one of 10 Hampshire locations, for a 20mph Residential Roads Pilot in 2013.
The aim is to improve the quality of life in residential areas.
I am very keen that the people, who live in Whitchurch, have the chance to express their views on next year's 20 mph pilot and I encourage anyone that receives a questionnaire to respond.
I also encourage other residents, including those that don’t live in Whitchurch, who wish to express views, to email their observations to me or to traffic.management@hants.gov.uk, with the subject heading: WHITCHURCH 20mph.
All responses need to be in by 4th January 2013.
Tom Thacker
Hampshire County Councillor, Whitchurch and Clere Division
E-mail: tom.thacker@hants.gov.uk
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