Agenda item

Laura Gosling, (Senior Transport Planner, Wiltshire Council) will give a presentation to discuss the initial designs for a Historic Core Zone in the centre of Bradford on Avon.

Laura Gosling, (Senior Transport Planner, Wiltshire Council), Chris Carter and Richard Crappsley, (Colin Buchanan) gave a presentation to discuss the initial designs for a Historic Core Zone in the centre of Bradford on Avon and to seek the Area Board’s approval for the preliminary design plans for a Historic Core Zone in Bradford on Avon.

Both the Town Council and Historic Core Zone Group (Priority for People) expressed their support for the scheme. The Historic Core Zone Group were preparing a leaflet to distribute across the Community Area with details of the scheme.

Questions raised from the floor included:

• Do the plans take into account access for the visually or mobility impaired?

Colin Buchanan responded that at present the visually impaired have to contend with narrow pavements and a lack of crossing points. These plans would greatly improve the pedestrian environment for them. The crossing by St Margaret’s Hall is retained in the plans.

• How much would the scheme cost to implement, and who would fund it.

Laura Gosling responded that the estimated cost of the scheme was £2.25 million. This could not be funded by the Wiltshire Council Transport Budget as this had just been reduced from £4 million to £3 million for the whole county. It was commented that the best course of action was to look to implement the project is small parts and to seek funding through a variety of sources of funding.

• Concern was raised about the removal of the crossing on Market Street and the difficulty in crossing at courtesy crossings.

• Any crossing near the Bradford on Avon lock needs careful consideration and some input from the boating community.

• Air quality should be considered to ensure that the new proposals do not make things worse. Laura Gosling confirmed that the highways department were working with the air quality team and that modelling would be carried out to ensure the scheme did not cause a further decline in air quality. 

The chairman requested that all the comments were taken on board by the design team.

Decision

That the Area Board notes the excellent work arising from the Taming the Traffic workshops, the Priority for People Groups and the Historic Core Zone processes and pays tribute to all participants.

The Area Board welcomes the 226 page Bradford on Avon Historic Core Zone Draft Final Report from Colin Buchanan and Partners, with preliminary designs for:

·        Improved pedestrian access and safety measures in central Bradford on Avon.

·        A less highway and more people orientated look-and-feel for the streets of central Bradford on Avon.

·        The maintenance of sufficient highway capacity to avoid the build up of additional general queuing in Bradford on Avon.

The Area Board:

·        Welcomes and endorses the preliminary design plans.

·        Recognises that each part of the plan will require detailed design and consultation.

·        Requests that Wiltshire Council Highways works the Area Board, Bradford Town Council, Priority for People and local residents and organisations to bring forward detailed plans for the progressive implementation of the proposals.