Southern Area Development

The development of the Swindon Front Garden has been the subject of discussion for over 15 years, and it was always accepted that the access would be via a bridge over the railway linking the site to Swindon which would improve traffic circulation in Swindon, especially in Old Town and Kingshill. When the developers presented their planning application in 2002, the access route was changed to a tunnel under the M4 motorway to Hay Lane. This was the time when many people objected, together with local Parish Councils both in North Wiltshire and in Swindon, because the new route would increase traffic at the J16 roundabout by up to 9000 vehicles per day (the Front Garden development is for 4,500 houses) whereas the railbridge route would keep the local traffic in Swindon. The tunnel route would mean local journeys from the Front Garden having to use J16.

The railway bridge route was rejected by Swindon for environmental reasons and the fact that it was alleged that Network Rail would demand a ransom. Some two years later our eminent traffic consultant proved, with a ‘Proof of Evidence’, that these two reasons were not valid and SBC then accepted that a bridge was a viable alternative at the Local Inquiry on 13^th April 2005. It was then more than clear that at the original hearing of the Planning Application in July 2002, the Swindon Borough Councillors had been misled as they were told that there was no alternative to the tunnel under the M4.

DEMOCRACY

WCC AND SBC JOINT STRUCTURE PLAN

No proper democratic process has been followed in respect of this planning application. For example the road under the motorway was included in the Wiltshire and Swindon Joint Structure Plan and subsequently argued as being local and not strategic so therefore the matter could not be debated at the EiP (Examination in Public) even though there had been more objections to this road than to any other issue in the Structure Plan. Subsequently, after the EiP, the road was inserted in the Adopted Plan and when it came to adopting the plan, SBC and WCC included the road in the Structure Plan 2016.

SBC LOCAL PLAN The road was included in the Swindon Local Plan and SBC tried to prevent the matter being debated. There were many objections and we were  eventually allowed to raise the question at the Local Plan Inquiry. However, immediately after the Inquiry had been closed and before the local plan inspector could write his report, SBC signed the legal agreement for the Planning Application with the developers, leaving only the conditions outstanding.

WCC SCRUTINY TASK GROUP

The WCC Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted that the Council should be taken to Scrutiny to question how they had dealt with the application for the access road for the Front Garden development in their position as consultee. Para 32 of the Task Group Report states in relation to the tunnel that “ The file review undertaken by the Task Group did not show any written evidence of SBC being questioned on this matter, and it is the Task Group’s opinion that WCC, with its strategic responsibilities, failed to fully challenge this substantial change to the Swindon Local Plan “ WCC Cabinet accepted this Report from the Scrutiny Task Group.

At no time have WCC made any attempt to stop this tunnel in spite of overwhelming opposition by North Wiltshire residents. Instead their efforts seem to have been concentrated on full cooperation with Swindon

Implication of Tunnel Going Ahead

Climate Change We have our own climate change campaign here and the tunnel route would encourage longer local journeys as well as greater use of the motorway.

Safety This is not just an ordinary junction – it is a new access road from a motorway junction into a Principal Urban Area with feeder roads including a very busy A road and a busy rural lane where drivers will have quickly to adjust to very differing speeds and conditions e.g. from one direction, five directional signs will have to be observed in a short distance which will be highly distractional leading to a loss of concentration and potential danger. An important point is, quote, ‘At the 5 lane approach to the junction from the B4005, drivers entering the roundabout will be surprised to meet drivers heading into Hay Lane from an anti-clockwise direction off the southern part of the roundabout, i.e. from a totally unexpected direction.’ Even the Road Survey Audits findings express concern that drivers entering the southern section of the proposed new road layout are likely to be confused and this situation is a major cause of accident

Effect on Local Traffic

If the tunnel goes ahead, the local roads (already used as ratruns) will immediately suffer dramatically, especially Wootton Bassett High Street and Wharf Road because of the aim to increase the traffic flow at J16 and in addition because of the controlled holding back (throttles) at strategic points to try to keep J16 moving. This was reinforced by David Lear of Halcrow (WCC’s consultants) at the public meeting at Wootton Bassett on 31^st October 2006. Cllr Toby Sturgis (Cabinet Member WCC) said the effect on North Wiltshire’s local roads was ‘unacceptable’. However, at a subsequent Cabinet Meeting on 22^nd November, Cllr Sturgis ‘strongly urged’ that the layout for J16 should be accepted – why this ‘U turn’??.

Science Museum

The situation at J16 is going to be further complicated by the proposal that Hay Lane will be used as a bus route to the Science Museum which is likely to expect up to 600,000 visitors per annum. SBC and the Science Museum have signed up to the Urban Fringe Agreement which states that Hay Lane should not be widened.

Present Position – Condition 99

SBC

The Hay Lane/Croft Road link with a tunnel under the M4 is not a fait accompli because Condition 99 states ‘No dwellings shall be occupied until details of the proposed alterations at Junction 16, and improvements to the B4005 Hay Lane and Wharf Road have been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with the Highways Agency, WCC and SBC as highway authorities. Such details will need to ensure that the proposed alterations are safe and legible for all road users, and will need to incorporate specific features to facilitate use by public transport, pedestrians, vulnerable users and cyclists. These features shall be provided with appropriate street furniture, lighting, traffic signal control equipment, signage and road markings. Such works shall be provided with environmental mitigation measures as agreed with the Local Planning authority in consultation with the relevant Highway Authorities. For the avoidance of doubt, the details illustrated on the submitted plans shall not be taken as agreed and any amendments shall be carried out in accordance with the latest technical requirements as set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges or other standards and technical requirements considered appropriate by the Highways Agency.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety and to ensure that the operation of the junction is safe and not impaired by the additional traffic generated by the development.’  Condition 99 is clearly not discharged with current proposals and this view is endorsed by the Road Safety Audit and also by our eminent traffic consultant.

We are still awaiting the response from SBC as to how the Traffic Management Act 2004 relates to the proposals for J16.

WCC

The Lead Member (Cllr Toby Sturgis) amendment of May 2004 to Cllr Groom’s motion asking for WCC to ask the Secretary of State to call in the Front Garden application (the amendment defeated the motion) states:

‘This Council appoints an independent traffic consultant to evaluate the detailed design of the proposed improvements at Junction 16 (M4) to ensure the Southern Development does not materially increase the traffic through the Lydiards, Wootton Bassett and other villages as a result of capacity provision at Junction 16.

Secondly the consultant presents their findings to a public meeting in Wottoon Bassett to inform Members of this Council before they make a decision to recommend that the submitted scheme satisfies Coundition No 99 in the draft planning permission (or equivalent in the permission when granted) submitted to the Secretary of State.’

At the Wootton Bassett meeting on 31.10.06 some 200 members of the public were concerned to hear the Halcrows consultant explain that a new layout at Junction 16 to increase the traffic flow would shoot traffic onto the local roads and increase congestion in Wootton Bassett and the villages. Those coming from Wroughton would find it difficult to access Junction 16.

We have been unable to establish the reasons why WCC continue to support proposals for discharging Condition 99.

THE NEXT ROUND!

WCC are provisionally scheduled to make their final comment on Condition 99 at a Cabinet meeting on the 25^th September ‘provided enough information is forthcoming’.

Summary by: CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) and TLC (Transparency in Local Councils)