Agenda item

TRO 43/2022 Shipwrights Way

Purpose of Report

This report considers the public response to the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for bus stop and waiting restrictions on High Street and Broad Street, Portsmouth.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

In relation to the proposals promoted under TRO 43/2021, it is recommended that the Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation:

 

1.    Approves to relocate the existing bus stop clearing on High Street, Old Portsmouth, 5 meters further north-eastwards.

 

2.    Approves to extend the no waiting at any time restrictions (double yellow lines) on Battery Row by 3.5 meters on both sides.

 

3.    Approves to update the waiting and parking restrictions in the Order to match those on-street, covering the following lengths of road: Broad Street, Battery Row and High Street, Old Portsmouth.

Minutes:

Michelle Love, Safer Travel Manager introduced the report.

 

Deputations

Mike Dobson gave a deputation on behalf of Friends of Old Portsmouth Association.

 

Deputations are not minuted but can be viewed at:

 

Traffic & Transportation Decision meeting, 8 December on Livestream

 

 

Members questions

In response to Members questions, officers clarified:

 

·         The delay in bringing the item was due to staff shortages within the team and the redistribution of workloads.  A period of time was needed for new officers to become acclimatised to their roles and learn the history and background of the issue.

 

·         Other crossing points in the area were considered and developed after the production of this report.  A consultation with the residents of Old Portsmouth had recently closed on options for a crossing point at the junction of Peacock Lane and the High Street.  Shipwrights Way is funded from a different funding stream to that of the crossing points.

 

·         The Shipwrights Way scheme is a cycling and walking historic route and a scenic tourist visitor attraction.  Recommendations for crossing points resulted from the Old Portsmouth Study which came for decision in 2021.  Both schemes have been considered within the whole area schematics.

 

·         The TRO was a measure to ensure that pedestrians have greater access to the Shipwrights Way route.  None of the work was in relation to speed reduction measures.  It was noted that a significant speeding problem was not found during the last speed survey between 1st and 7th May 2021.  

 

·         The route would be signposted in a complimentary manner in accordance with the rest of the route.

 

·         Engagement with ward councillors commenced in June 2021 and agreement for the scope of the consultation was decided to be a TRO.  These were advertised publicly and on the PCC website allowing opportunity for all consultees to make their responses.

·         The proposed design was for dropped kerbs with tactile paving.  If the decision was delayed to consider a raised table this may affect timescales and costs and could not be guaranteed to return to the next decision meeting.

 

There was a discussion about the public view submitted at Appendix B of the report which appeared to be from one resident but was on behalf of the Friends of Old Portsmouth Association, which represents 274 households and approximately 350 adults.  Councillors considered this was misleading to members and members of the public.  Officers advised this was to preserve the deputees anonymity.   Officers agreed to check this was the correct procedure and agreed to amend the report and republish if there was a mistake. 

 

Subsequent to the meeting it was confirmed that there were no issues in attributing the comments to the Friends of Old Portsmouth Association (FOOPA) and the updated Appendix B to the report is appended as Appendix 1 to these minutes.

 

 

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation:

1.    Approved to relocate the existing bus stop clearing on High Street, Old Portsmouth, 5 meters further north-eastwards.

2.    Approved to extend the no waiting at any time restrictions (double yellow lines) on Battery Row by 3.5 meters on both sides.

3.    Approved to update the waiting and parking restrictions in the Order to match those on-street, covering the following lengths of road: Broad Street, Battery Row and High Street, Old Portsmouth

 

 

Appendix 1

 

Appendix B: Public views submitted

 

Objection to proposal

1. The Friends of Old Portsmouth Association, Old Portsmouth (FOOPA)

 

FOOPA thanks PCC for the opportunity to comment on this TRO. Broadly, this is welcomed as an element of completing the Shipwrights' Way, however, we are limited in our ability to provide detailed comments because of the lack of engagement by PCC with the community in the preparation of these plans.

 

 

FOOPA objectives

  1. Complete the Shipwrights' Way long distance path that is sponsored by Hampshire County Council (HCC) and promote d by PCC.
  2. Provide a well-marked, continuous, attractive, accessible and safe route through Old Portsmouth to connect with the end of the Shipwrights' Way at Victory Gate at The Hard.
  3. Encourage sustainable leisure travel and eco-tourism.
  4. Respect the unique nature of this heritage area.

 

Background

 

Long overdue. HCC declared the 50 mile long distance Shipwrights' Way open in 2013. There were two gaps: one on Army land near Bordon and the other in Old Portsmouth. The Army completed their section in 2016 and it remains a matter of civic embarrassment that for 10 years PCC has lacked the will and/or ability to complete the Old Portsmouth section.

 

Lack of continuity. Over the years FOOPA committee members have participated in 4 or 5 onsite meetings with PCC officers to discuss the options for completion. Many options have been discussed considering road safety, convenience, conservation and cost; likely solutions have been suggested and then … no feedback. The frequent changes of project manager and the consequent lack of continuity have exacerbated the lack of ongoing communication.

 

Uncertainty about the precise route. HCC has published a map of the Shipwrights' Way with alternatives where it passes through Old Portsmouth at https://documents.hants.gov.uk/ccbs/countryside/shipwrightsway-section12.pdf Unfortunately, the Shipwrights' Way has never been signposted or waymarked in Old Portsmouth. Accordingly, it is difficult for visitors to follow the correct route. The map shows a route along the south side of Grand Parade and turns sharp left into High Street for a short distance before crossing High Street into White Hart Road.

 

 

FOOPA has discussed with PCC the option of routeing the Shipwrights' Way along Battery Row but as far as FOOPA knows, no decision has been made, although it is inferred in the Statement of Reasons. It would have been useful if the plan published for the TRO showed PCC's preferred Shipwrights' Way route because this would have helped us to evaluate the practicality of the plans.

 

 

 

Need for safe road crossings. Crossing High Street is potentially hazardous.

  1. There is a long history of calls for traffic calming measures in this location going back to a RTI in the early 20th century.
  2. A RTI on 18 April 2015 involved a LGV speeding around the bend and hitting an adolescent who was crossing the road.
  3. In January 2022 a hit-and-run driver killed a pedestrian crossing the road by the Duke of Buckingham pub. Although the police report has not yet been published, it is likely that a factor was driver speed being far higher than the speed limit - the mean free-flow speed in High Street on weekdays between 0600 and 0700 is 26 mph, well above the speed limit and also in excess of the police discretionary enforcement threshold of 24 mph. FOOPA has been campaigning for a zebra crossing in that location for over 8 years. It should not need the fatality of a Vulnerable Road User for the highway authority to react with retrospective road safety measures.

It is vital that the Shipwrights' Way plans include provision for safe crossing of the road in this location and the infrastructure complies with LTN 1/20. FOOPA welcomes the fact that PCC is seeking to reduce road dangers in this location but is not convinced that the published plan is the safest option. PCC is requested to share its internal notes and documents discussing the design options showing how PCC has balanced the various factors.

 

Lack of information on the design constraints used by PCC. We have studied the statement of reasons published on the PCC website. Nevertheless, this has generated additional questions. FOOPA has asked PCC to provide information on these points:

  1. What is PCC's assessment of the road safety issues at this location?
  2. What is the range of possible options and what criteria were used in finalising this design?
  3. What traffic calming measures were considered on the bend where High St and Broad Street meet?
  4. Can PCC provide a marked crossing/refuge so that pedestrians and cyclists (especially cyclists with tag-alongs) can cross safety in two stages?
  5. What conservation principles were applied, and what balance did the designer strike between road safety and heritage?
  6. What direction was given by PCC (e.g. Leader, cabinet members, directors, ward councillors, officers) about maintaining the number of on-street parking spaces?

 

 

FOOPA has yet to receive answers on these points, so it is difficult to provide fully informed comments on the design. The plan published contains some elements of what has been discussed with various officers but lacks others.

 

Need for safe pedestrian and cyclist crossings. PCC as the highway authority has a statutory duty under the Road Traffic Acts to provide for the safe movement of people and goods. FOOPA is keen to understand why PCC has selected this design and understand better how the design on the bend is expected to provide adequate safety for pedestrians and cyclists crossing from the Square Tower to White Hart Road. The drawings show that the footway will be built out and that white hatching will be moved slightly. However, paint doesn't constitute infrastructure! Instead of widening the footway, a better solution would be to provide a traffic island wide enough to accommodate the length of a tandem bicycle or an adult cycle towing a trailer for children. This idea has been suggested to PCC officers but the responses have been lukewarm, with comments such as 'it might mean losing some parking spaces' and 'we'd never get permission for illuminated bollards'.

 

Conservation and heritage. FOOPA is committed to preserving the heritage and history of Old Portsmouth. However, FOOPA also recognises that compromises sometimes have to be made when the need is great. Whilst the prospect of a new traffic island with illuminated bollards on this bend might be anathema to some residents because it would spoil the vista of the Square Tower, it is necessary to acknowledge that for many years the vista of the Square Tower has been sullied by cars being parked adjacent to the NW corner of the tower with seemingly no objections from residents or visitors.

 

PCC itself has been ready to overrule the finer principles of conservation in a heritage area in approving the construction of the massively tall BAR building and in sticking unsightly black plastic parking sensors onto the historic cobbles of Grand Parade. At the time a ward councillor casually relayed a candid comment from a senior PCC officer that 'parking revenue trumps conservation'. Has someone in PCC said:

  1. 'Conservation trumps road safety'? (even though Portsmouth has experienced the shocking death toll of 7 pedestrians killed by drivers / motorcyclists in 7 months), or
  2. 'The need not to lose parking spaces trumps road safety'? (even though PCC was content to lose 17 on-street parking spaces to accommodate the new university sports centre).

 

In conclusion, FOOPA is eager to discuss these plans with the current project manager for the Shipwrights' Way and earnestly hopes that he will remain in post long enough to work with the community to deliver the long-overdue completion of this crucial enhancements to Portsmouth's sustainability.

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: