Councillors will provide an update on community issues and progress on Area Board working groups. This will include:
a. Skate board park working group
b. Cycle network working group
c. Highways working group
d. Turn off the lights update.
Minutes:
Councillors provided an update on community issues and progress on Calne Area Board working groups.
a. Councillor Marshall explained that the skate board park working group had a meeting with experts to look at designs and costings.
b. Councillor Berry provided an update on the cycle network. The cycle path at Prince Charles Drive had been completed and dual use cycle path signs were in place at White Horse Way. There had been no movement yet on the Quemerford to Cherhill path or the Beversbrook Way path. The Calne Area Transport project to survey the town was underway and Councillor Berry would be arranging the next working group meeting shortly. Please contact Councillor Berry, on 01666 577765 or chuck.berry@wiltshire.gov.uk, if you would like to become involved in the working group.
c. Councillor Crisp reported on the highways working group. This group had met with Wiltshire Council officers since the last Area Board meeting in order to progress the use of the Calne Area Board highways budget of £12,465 in the current financial year.
Mark Stansby, Senior Traffic Management Engineer, had delivered an assessment of the top five priority areas identified by Community Area residents and prioritised by the working group. These were:
1. A3102 Hilmarton, pedestrian crossing
2. CurzonStreet/Wood Street, signing review
3. A4 Studley Crossroads, pedestrian crossing/lighting
4. A3102 Goatacre, pedestrian crossing
5. A4 Quemerford/Lake View, pedestrian crossing.
On the basis of the assessment, the working group asked the Area Board to endorse its recommendations regarding progressing schemes in the 2011/12 financial year.
Questions and comments raised from the floor included:
· Curzon Street traffic was caused by the decisions of local people in their vehicles
· Estimated costings were high
· Concern over the use of the consultant Mouchel
Decision
Councillor Thomson requested a breakdown of estimated costings from the highways team.
Decision
The Area Board would endorse the recommendations of the highways working group, as below:
1. Commission a topographical survey at Hilmarton and ask HAGGIS to carry out pedestrian count (estimated cost £2,500).
2. Implement a new signing scheme to relieve Curzon Street (estimated cost £6,500).
3. Prepare lighting scheme for pedestrian refuges at Studley (estimated cost £1,500).
4. Request HAGGIS to carry out pedestrian count at Goatacre (no cost).
5. Complete feasibility study/pedestrian counts at Quemerford/Lake View (estimated cost £2,000).
The total cost to the Area Board would therefore be £12,500.
This included £6,000 of survey work, which was more than the working group would like, but surveys were required before alterations to the highways could be made. It was due to the generous offer of HAGGIS that Calne was able to keep these costs much lower than in most areas. The recommendations secured one complete project, new signage to attempt to reduce the Curzon Street congestion, and the necessary preparation for three others, which the group would hope to progress in future years. This would begin to address the highest priority road safety and traffic issues in the Community Area that residents had brought before the Area Board.
d. Jane Vaughan, the Community Area Manager, gave an update on the turn out the lights project. Three priority sites for the project had been identified at the last Area Board meeting; from Quemerford to Cherhill, from Greenacres Way to Beversbrook Road and on the A4 through Calne. Jane was waiting for confirmation that the sites were able to be part of the scheme. She had also received information that suggested there may be the opportunity to implement additional sites and Cherhill Parish Council and Yatesbury had expressed an interest in the project. The Parish Council and the Partnership were asked to work with the Area Board to undertake a simple survey of both places, to make sure that residents were happy to be included.