Agenda item

To receive the following petitions:

a) To provide as soon as possible a pedestrian crossing on Chobham Road (A3046) between Horsell Rise and Brewery Road, at a point deemed appropriate by the Council.

b) To provide a permanent set of traffic lights both sides of the bridge on St John’s Hill Road

In accordance with Standing Order 65, Mrs Sara Rhydderch presented the following petition on behalf of local residents.  The petition received 426 signatures:

We the undersigned petition Surrey County Council to: 'provide as soon as possible a pedestrian crossing on Chobham Road (A3046) between Horsell Rise and Brewery Road, at a point deemed appropriate by the Council.'

Chobham Road has long been recognised as a dangerous road to cross.

• 1999 plan for pedestrian crossing between Brewery Road and Ferndale Road drawn up.
• 2001-2 delayed due to finances. 
• 2002-3 Local Transport Plan included scheme for construction in financial year.  Public consultation survey ordered. Carried over into 2003-4.  24/6/03 survey found 664 pedestrians crossed, including 136 children. 
• 22/10/03 Local Committee for Woking meeting deferred decision and requested further survey.
• 26/4/04 further survey presented to Local Committee with same recommendation to construct Pelican Crossing just south of Broomhall Road.
• 20/2/08 Petition signed by 50 residents presented unsuccessfully to Local Committee Woking meeting.

Scheme still an item on SCC’s “Integrated Transport Scheme”.  Further consultation to be undertaken during 2013/14 financial year, with construction in 2014-15 (supposedly). This petition aims to bring forward timescale and get crossing erected in 2013-4 financial year.

Mrs Rhydderch introduced the petition and explained that this is one of the main roads out of Woking.  It has curves and dips, and visibility is an issue.  Cars also speed.  Local school children, parents, the elderly, commuters and those wishing to access the local nurseries and Wheatsheaf Common recreation ground are all affected. The petitioners are aware that this has been discussed by the committee previously.  They feel that there is an accident waiting to happen, and if a crossing is provided, then more people may feel able to walk safely and therefore avoid using their car resulting in reduced congestion.

The Chairman invited members of the committee to ask questions of clarity:

·         The petitioner thought the ideal place for the crossing would be around Horsell Rise, but they would appreciate a consultation on the best location.

·         In addition to the people mentioned, the other communities affected by the petition include pupils from Woking High, those using the local dentist, people parking for town, members of Horsell Residents Association etc.

Paul Fishwick explained that he had met the petitioners on site and two possible locations for a crossing had been identified, and they would go out to consultation on these in the spring. The results would be brought back to the Local Committee meeting in summer 2013.

The Chairman thanked the petitioner for coming.

In accordance with Standing Order 65, Mr David Mearns presented the following petition on behalf of local residents.  The petition received 53 signatures:

We the undersigned all live in Firbank Lane/Firbank Drive, which are located immediately adjacent to the traffic lights on St John’s Hill Road. Accordingly, we are directly affected by the traffic flow scheme for the bridge.

We believe that the only safe and effective traffic flow scheme is traffic lights. The volume of traffic has increased considerably in recent years and this includes an increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles that we see using the route. This volume, combined with the speed of traffic, would make any priority signage scheme very dangerous.

Without traffic lights it will be very difficult for us to exit Firbank Lane/Firbank Drive safely. In particular, with a traffic priority scheme, drivers of vehicles approaching on the other side of the bridge will likely be concentrating on the bend ahead to see if any vehicles are approaching the bridge along the main road on the other side. Consequently, they may not see a car pulling out of Firbank Lane/Firbank Drive to the side.

We, the undersigned, therefore call on all parties concerned to retain traffic lights as the traffic flow scheme for the bridge and to provide a set of permanent, well maintained lights with suitably positioned vehicles detectors on both sides of the bridge to trigger the lights whenever a vehicle approaches the main road or from Firbank Lane/Firbank Drive.

Mr Mearns introduced the petition and explained that they believe that traffic lights are the only way of managing the traffic.  Before they were put in there were a number of near misses on the bridge, and since then the volume of traffic has increased, which would make the situation even worse.  The petitioners would also find it very difficult to exit their road if the traffic lights were removed.

The Chairman invited members of the committee to ask any questions of clarity. The following responses were noted:

·         The number of cars on road have increased considerably in last few years.

·         Children using the road attend Oaktree, Hermitage and Winston Churchill schools.

Zena Curry thanked the petitioner and explained that the member discussion would take place under item 8 of the agenda.  The options would look at addressing incursion onto the railway, road safety, drainage and the road surface.