Parish Seeks Views of A6 Road Users on Highways Concerns Over New Village Development
4th of August, 2020
GARSTANG ROAD, BARTON: PROPOSED
68no RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT – Land South of Station Lane,off Garstang Road
SAFETY CONCERNS FOR VEHICLES, CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS
On 11 June 2020 Preston City Council’s Planning Commitee considered a report submitted by planning officers which summarised responses/comments submitted in relation to a proposal for 68 no affordable dwellings and associated works on Land Off Garstang Road, South of Station Lane, Barton. The Parish Council and many local parishioners expressed their concerns to City Council on several matters relating to the application which were dismissed, and the development was approved by City Councilllors.
The purpose of this note is to make road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians, aware of the developer’s proposals ahead of the County Council entering into a Highways Agreement with the developer. One area of great concern is the proposed new junction which will provide access to the development on the length of A6 between the south of St Michael’s Place and Station Lane. Traffic emerging and turning into the new access will be a new complicating factor which could result in accidents. A rigorous safety audit should be undertaken by LCC Highways of the proposed design.
The developer’s Transport Statement and all other supporting information attached to application number 06/2020/0167 is available to view at Preston City Councils Planning Page and available to download from the Neighbourhood Plan page of our website.
The top plan shows the location of the site access and the lengths of the A6 either side, whilst the bottom plan gives more detail of the proposed new junction.
The top plan indicates the developer’s proposal which show that approximately 100 metres south of the site access northbound cyclists on the A6 would be “taken off on-road cycle lane” onto the proposed 3 metre wide shared footway/cycleway to be provided on the A6 development frontage. Immediately north of this point Dragon’s Teeth markings would be laid on the A6, for a distance of 40 metres, to a “proposed uncontrolled crossing with splitter island”. Dragon’s Teeth are triangular road markings perpendicular to the edge of the carriageway. There are 17 pairs of markings, the nearside marking on the first pair starts 100 mm from the carriageway edge and extends 600mm into the road whilst on the last pair the nearside marking extends 1000mm. These will provide a distraction to cyclists as they pass over the markings and affect traction on the uphill gradient.
North-bound cyclists coming off the A6 would then travel about 90 metes on the shared footway/cycleway before crossing the site access road where no indication of priority is given. This could cause accidents in the mouth of the site access road.
After crossing the site access road cyclists would travel a short distance on the shared 3 metre wide footway/cycleway and then be required to rejoin the A6 (no details given). This would be adjacent to the northern end of the second “proposed uncontrolled crossing with splitter island”.
At the northern point of the developer’s frontage there is no footway on the west side of the A6 and the verge width is 1.7 metres. The developer’s bottom plan shows a length of proposed footway to tie into the existing footway adjacent to 625 Garstang Road but no dimensions are given. LCC Highways has drawn this to the attention of the City Council who in turn has requested that a Condition is placed on the development such that the new length of footway on the bottom plan between A and B is 2 metres wide, the same as that on the proposed development. This will involve some land acquisition.
Comments from road users, particularly cyclists, are invited on the road safety aspects of these development proposals so that they can be taken into account and the Parish Council would be grateful if you could send your comments for the attention of :
David Allen, Highways and Transport Department, Lancashire County Council, PO Box 1001, County Hall, Preston, PR1 0LD or email to: developeras@ lancashire.gov.uk
Please also copy your comments to Melissa Thorpe, Clerk to Barton Parish Council, 87 Forest Grove, Barton, Preston PR3 5AY or email to: clerk@barton-pc.org.uk