Traffic Team Efforts to Improve Crossing of the A606
A Traffic Team was set up at the request of two residents, Carolyn Nevitte and Ben Lashbrooke. Parish Councillor Pat Ovington was charged by LPC to set up this Traffic Team. Whilst a few other people were involved right at the start, the Traffic Team became just these three people.
The key steps taken over the past 2+ years are as follows – some of the associated documents can be found in this section of the LPC website.
- Nov 2017: Proposal written to seek RCC’s approval for a number of improvements (please refer to The Proposal)
- Sept 2018: Proposal considered at RCC Highways Dept meeting
- Dec 2018: Feasibility Study carried out by RCC ( please refer to RCC Response, Feasibility Study) and report sent to LPC – effectively saying
- a. no to any crossing,
- b. yes to road markings
- c. yes to cutting back some hedges.
- d. Yes to temporary extension (with cones) to existing crossing point at Burley Rd junction to test whether that would help
- e. Yes to hatched area at Burley Rd. and A606 junction to push cars wider when turning from Burley Rd towards Oakham
- Jan 2019: Traffic Team challenged this report - to no avail.
- Jan – June 2019: RCC carried out the improvements they promised
- Cut back vegetation
- Red patches on road to slow traffic
- Renewed white road markings
- Lowered the pavement near Well St/A606 for easier wheelchair/pram crossing
- Extended the crossing of the A606 at the Burley Rd Junction with bollards
- After 6 month trial, the crossing was permanently extended (slightly less than was tested with the bollards)
- Sept 2019: Traffic Team contacted RCC asking to revisit the Traffic Situation
- 14th Oct 2019: Meeting at Langham Village Hall and on site with
- Traffic Team
- Cllr Lucy Stephenson (Head of Highways)
- Cllr Oliver Hemsley
- Robyn Green (Highways)
- ANO who was fleetingly working in Highways as Robyn’s boss and has now left
- RCC agreed the following
- Objective Traffic measurements – traffic volume and speed, and pedestrian use of crossing at Burley Rd
- Subjective measurement using a questionnaire to ascertain how many residents DO NOT cross the road due to the danger it represents
- RCC repeated that the two options for helping Ranksborough residents cross the road were not financially feasible
- To create a pavement from Ranksborough to Cold Overton Road is not possible without rebuilding and strengthening the bridge over the brook
- To create a pelican Crossing needs a certain width of pavement on the opposite side of the road – which is not available.
- Dec 2019: Robyn Green of RCC sent out a questionnaire to selected residents of Langham – at the suggestion by Oliver Hemsley, this questionnaire was sent to all residents of Langham . Deadline for responses 17th Jan 2020
- LPC have done all they can through the hard work of the Traffic Team. It is now up to residents to take the time to answer the survey!