New Roads for Ore Valley
A planning application for new roads in the Ore Valley has been submitted by Sea Space, designed to give access to new homes and Ore station as the next part of the Millennium Community project.
The main part of the planning application is a new road network leading from Hughenden Road past the new college site behind Parker Road, connecting to Ore Station and continuing north to Fellows Road and Chiltern Drive. The application also includes plans for drains and services.
“The new roads will provide access to three important brownfield development sites: the former Ore Station sidings and the former Broomgrove power station, where houses will be built and the Parker Road industrial estate where the new further education college will be located”
says James Saunders, project manager for Sea Space.
“Ore Station currently has no access for vehicles at all, so the new road network will also allow cars, taxis and buses to get to the railway. This is important for local people and it will encourage students at the new college in Parker Road to use public transport.”
In June, Sea Space held a consultation at the Parker Road Construction College about the road proposals. Local residents were invited to view the plans, focusing on the priorities of traffic calming, junctions and access for vehicles and pedestrians, and were asked for their comments.
66% of people who completed a questionnaire said they did not use Ore Station at the moment, but nearly half (47%) would be more likely to use the station if there was bus, taxi and car access. Residents were also asked their preferences on traffic calming measures and speed limits, with 88% of respondents agreeing with a 20 mph limit on the new road.
The plans on display showed Fir Tree Road opened up to join the new road network, but the majority of respondents preferred Fir Tree Road to remain a cul-de-sac. In response to this, the plans have been revised to keep Fir Tree Road as a no-through road but with a new pedestrian and cycle link and access for emergency vehicles.
“We received feedback from local people who were concerned about an increase of traffic on Fir Tree Road. We discussed the option of not opening up the road to cars with the Council’s planners and we have been able to come up with a solution in response to residents’ concerns. We have revised our plans to incorporate this”
said James Saunders.
A decision on the planning application is expected early in the new year.
Tuesday, 30th October, 2007
