Submission to Nottinghamshire Council regarding suggested highways improvements in Kimberley – Swingate and Maws Lane areas
Wednesday 24 August 2016
This letter – at the Word document (and also shown below) – represents a culmination of extensive consultation with residents over a significant period of time (and their subsequent feedback). It asks Nottinghamshire County Council to take a serious long term look at the traffic problems in Kimberley and urges a detailed plan to be drawn up looking at various proposals for improvement.
A Word document can be found in full by clicking on:
Nottinghamshire County Council v002
The text of the letter is also shown below:
Nottinghamshire County Council
FAO – Mrs Steph Walford
Senior Improvements Officer
Via East Midlands Ltd
Major Projects & Improvements
County Hall
West Bridgford
NOTTINGHAM
NG2 7QP 24 August 2016
Dear Steph
Request for consideration of suggested improvements for traffic flow and pedestrian safety
Swingate, Kimberley & Maws Lane area Kimberley
(Swingate & Hardy Street Action Plans)
I have pleasure in submitting papers for your detailed consideration with relation to community consultation exercises that have been undertaken in Kimberley during 2016.
I hope that we can work together with partners to produce some imaginative and long term benefits for local people and therefore address long standing traffic problems in this part of Broxtowe.
Many thanks for your time and assistance in this matter, and would be happy to meet up to discuss in more this in more detail.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
I look forward to receiving your response.
Best regards
Richard
Richard S Robinson
Labour Councillor – Kimberley
Broxtowe Borough Councillor
4 Peacock Drive
Eastwood
Nottingham
NG16 3HW
0775 1970 640
@drummerrich1
Background
In my January 2016 newsletter https://richardsrobinson.org.uk/2016/01/broxtowe-news-update-information-service-main-edition-january-2016/ I produced a report as follows:
This report emanated as a result of discussions with residents of two separate areas of Kimberley – Hardy Street/Maws Lane and Swingate, during 2015.
I subsequently held two consultation meetings on Wednesday 27 January 2016 and
Saturday 30 January 2016 to discuss with members of the public the suggestions contained in the above report.
As a result of the public consultations – a number of detailed suggestions for improvement came forward from local residents – these are contained within my March newsletter:
https://richardsrobinson.org.uk/2016/03/broxtowe-news-update-information-service-march-2016/
Extracts from this are shown below:
With regards to Hardy Street area a number of residents requested that consideration be given to making Maws Lane and Hardy Street a one-way system. Particular issues were raised about traffic congestion in and around Hardy Street and also poor visibility at the Eastwood Road/Maws Lane Junction.
Additionally, I was presented with a petition regarding the possible loss of two car parking spaces on Eastwood Road Kimberley, close to the Maws Lane junction. The feedback from local residents was that taking two car spaces away would only be a short-term solution and would not resolve the wider issue that needs to be addressed; that of the traffic congestion in and around the Maws Lane junction, and that a more comprehensive solution was required.
- Make Maws Lane and Hardy Street a one -way system: traffic would flow up Maws Lane and down Hardy Street. It is envisaged that having this arrangement in place would reduce the congestion at the Maws Lane junction, and make traffic flow better overall. This would also have the added benefit of potentially keeping the two parking spaces that were at risk.I have also designed a special survey about the suggested one-way system, which you can access here:
- Traffic exiting Greens Lane
- This is a summary of points raised by local residents at the January public meeting concerning the Swingate area of Kimberley:
- https://richardsrobinson.org.uk/2016/03/consultation-on-making-maws-lane-and-hardy-street-kimberley-one-way/
- Traffic needs to be able to exit Greens Lane more quickly; this would relieve congestion – this could be achieved by having traffic lights at the bottom of Greens Lane to replace the mini roundabout.
- Make a wider exit at the bottom of Greens Lane having a left and right turning lane – this would enable traffic to exit Greens Lane more quickly – this would involve taking some of the flowerbed away on the left of Greens Lane.
- Pedestrian crossing too close to mini roundabout at bottom of Greens Lane.
- Bus stops on Greens Lane – opposite each other, also bus timing point on Greens Lane – contributes to congestion – could timing point be moved to Knowle Lane?
- Construct lay-bys for buses on Greens Lane to relieve congestion – Sainsbury’s to contribute to cost. Acknowledged this would take space from car parks in both precinct and Sainsbury’s.
High Street
- Possible escape road for Swingate residents from Sainsbury’s car park routed through old telephone exchange on High Street, Swingate. This would avoid need for Swingate residents to turn onto Greens Lane when exiting Sainsbury’s car park.
- Cherubs Day Nursery – problem caused by vehicles exiting onto blind corner – suggested these vehicles could exit via road through old telephone exchange (see above).
Suggestions relating to both areas
- 20mph limit through centre of Kimberley from Broomhill Rd to Nine Corners (Hardy Street)
- 20mph limit along Maws Lane, Cliff Boulevard and Hardy Street.
This is a summary of points raised by local residents at the January public meeting concerning the Maws Lane area of Kimberley
Findings from survey – and individual feedback from constituents:
As a result of the public survey https://richardsrobinson.org.uk/2016/03/consultation-on-making-maws-lane-and-hardy-street-kimberley-one-way/
http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/do-kimberley-folk-want-one-way-system-1-7850776
the following results have been compiled as follows:
Consultation on Proposals to make Maws Lane/ Hardy Street One-Way:-
Summary of individual email responses on proposals (see Appendix 1):
Number of email respondents who agree with proposal 24
Number of email respondents who disagree with proposal 19
Summary of results from online consultation on proposals (see Appendix 1):
Number of online respondents who agree with proposal 38
Number of online respondents who disagree with proposal 41
Undecided 9
Associated issues
I presented a petition to Broxtowe Borough Council on 2nd March this year urging that Broxtowe work with the County Council to look at the longer term traffic problems in and around Eastwood Road/Maws Lane junction. I understand that this petition subsequently was presented to the County Council and was referred to the appropriate committee for consideration.
I have seen correspondence from the County Council during the past couple of weeks from Crash Investigator Phil Gow – and have a site meeting on Thursday 25 August 2016 to discuss the proposals to remove car parking spaces on the Eastwood Road/Maws Lane junction.
Recommendations
My recommendation is that the County Council look seriously at the long-term traffic issues affecting Kimberley, and in particular address the problems that have been highlighted in both the Swingate and Hardy Street areas. The problems identified are long-standing issues that will not go away and will only increase in intensity as increasing numbers of houses are built locally.
The feeling of many local residents for example concerning Maws Lane is that purely taking away two car parking spaces will simply act as a ‘sticking plaster’ over many more significant problems.
I have, for example, at the request of local residents, asked the County Council to relocate the bus stop in this area that causes much annoyance to both pedestrians and drivers alike.
Clearly there are divided opinions on making Maws Lane one-way. I would like to specifically request that detailed transport plan be drawn that considers the advantages and disadvantages of a one-way system on Maws Lane and also identifies the indicative costs.
I would specifically like to request that the County Council undertake a separate study of the Swingate area – to consider the problems on the corner of Greens Lane and High Street near the Cherubs Day Nursery. There are tangible suggestions that local residents have mentioned for improvement here – for example changing the egress for drivers coming out of the Nursery.
Appendix 1
Consultation on Proposals to make Maws Lane/ Hardy Street one-way
Responses received April/May 2016
Number of respondents 45
Respondents’ addresses (not given by everyone):
Maws Lane 7
Hardy Street 6
Beverley Drive 4
Eastwood Road 3
Edinboro Row 2
Kempton Close 1
Haydock Close 1
Truman St 1
Jubilee St 1
Town View 1
Number of respondents who agree with proposal 24
Number of respondents who disagree with proposal 19
Respondents who make observations but do not express an opinion 2
Maws Lane residents:
Number of respondents who agree with proposal 5
Number of respondents who disagree with proposal 2
Hardy Street residents:
Number of respondents who agree with proposal 2
Number of respondents who disagree with proposal 4
The parking places at the bottom of Maws Lane:
- Specifically mentioned by 12 people,
- 6 people think they should be removed ,
- 3 people think they should stay,
- 2 people think a one-way system isn’t justified to save parking places,
- 1 person thinks parking does restrict view of right turners.
Reasons for agreeing with one-way system
- Removes confusion over right of way on Maws Lane; some people don’t understand it,
- Avoids aggressive road rage incidents on Maws Lane,
- Avoids dangerous right turn at bottom of Maws Lane,
- Removes dangerous bend on Hardy Street about halfway up by Parkham Road,
- It would improve traffic flow,
- Retains parking places outside shops on Eastwood Road.
Some people express agreement but do have reservations about it.
Objections raised
- Wider road network needs to be taken into consideration e.g. Newdigate Street which is considered worse than Maws Lane; residents feel that proposals would displace traffic onto Newdigate Street,
- Reduces options for Hardy Street residents to avoid congestion as they would be forced to use Maws Lane or Newdigate Street to access Watnall/ Hucknall area,
- Hardy Street would become a main road with increased traffic flow and speed causing concern for school children’s safety; traffic calming measures would be needed. Apparently the brewery avoided using top part of Hardy Street as a courtesy to the school,
- Issues surrounding parking – inconsiderate parking, school parking. Parking problems on Hardy Street would not be solved by one-way system. Haydock Close already used as school carpark and possibly this would be made worse.
Other concerns raised and opinions expressed
- Lorries are using Maws Lane/Cliff Blvd as access from Watnall/Hucknall to IKEA island – is a weight limit in place and is it enforced?
- Large volume of traffic using Eastwood Road instead of the by-pass,
- Excessive speed of traffic on Eastwood Road – dangerous for pedestrians,
- Position of bus stop and pedestrian crossing is very close to exit of Maws Lane onto Eastwood Road, this makes situation worse; feeling is these could be moved nearer Premier shop/Gilthill,
- Mini roundabout would be needed at the bottom of Hardy Street (Nine Corners) as this is another difficult right turn,
- Impact of the new housing on Hardy Street and Brewery site not considered,
- Unknown effect of the Golden Guinea becoming a Co-op shop,
- Proposals could affect Truman St and Jubilee St – could increase traffic on these roads,
- Concern re impact on bus provision for elderly residents,
- Concern re emergency vehicles access if one-way system introduced, would it cause delay?
- What would happen to Brewery Street?
- Occasional flash flooding on Eastwood Road by Church Hill has caused diversion up Hardy Street and down Maws Lane; this would not be possible if new system in place,
- If Parkham Road is part of solution – it is un-adopted and no one knows who owns it,
- Things are better left alone; narrow streets just have to be accepted.
Other solutions suggested relating to Maws Lane
- Traffic lights to control traffic on Maws Lane instead of Give Way,
- STOP sign at top of Maws Lane instead of Give Way which drivers ignore, also improve painted lines to prevent confusion over who has Right of Way,
- Make Maws Lane exit onto Eastwood Road left turn only,
- Mini roundabout at Maws lane exit,
- Alternative one-way system suggested: Jubilee Street one-way up and Maws Lane one-way down; takes Hardy Street out of the equation,
- Build new road on derelict land behind Maws Lane (which used to be builders yard) to relieve Maws Lane problem,
- No parking outside shops at Maws Lane junction or restrict parking to 30 mins.
- Make parking on Maws Lane residents only,
- Maws Lane parking impossible as Council refuses to drop kerbs and allow front gardens to be used for parking.
Other suggestions and concerns
- 20 mph speed limit needed
- Pedestrian crossing on Cliff Blvd by Hardy Street; this is needed by school children
- Widen Cliff Blvd and take out speed bumps and chicane
- Cliff Blvd problems are worse; rearrange parking to be diagonal rather than horizontal to create more spaces. Take away some grass verges on Cliff Blvd to make more spaces
- Build new road from Watnall to IKEA island
- Poor street lighting on Maws Lane
- Difficulty getting to IKEA as a pedestrian due to traffic/ traffic issues at IKEA island
- Concerns about more housing
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This document has also been sent to Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire Authority for their comments
