SANDLEHEATH TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE
26.8.24
INTRODUCTION
You may have thought that Sandleheath Traffic Action (STA) has been rather quiet of late and are wondering what might be going on, so here’s an update to keep you in the picture.
Following our two useful public meetings earlier in the year, the STA Team has been hard at work on developing our Sandleheath Traffic Management Plan (TMP).
MEETING WITH HCC SAFER ROADS AND PARKING In early July, we submitted a draft TMP to Hampshire County Council (HCC), based on our current plans for the village, which benefitted from the valuable input of many of our residents. On 23 July, we held a most useful and productive meeting at the HCC offices in Winchester to discuss our proposals and obtain some professional advice. HCC attendance was:
• Mandy Ware - Assistant Highway Manager, Safer Roads and Parking.
• Peter Goodchild - Team Leader, Safer Roads Traffic West.
• Daniel Hutchings - Principal Engineer, Safer Roads Team Traffic and Casualty Reduction.
HCC noted our proposals and had many practical suggestions.
It was agreed that STA would make a formal application to HCC so that our project could be considered, accompanied by a concise version of the TMP that HCC can use as a working document to make a Community Funded Initiative (CFI) plan for our village.
The CFI is aimed at providing minor highway and transport improvements that are of a high value to a community, but are not led by a road casualty reduction need. In other words; they approve and provide, we pay.
HCC APPLICATION
We submitted the application on 04 August and HCC is now at work examining and developing our ideas. The application includes not only HCC CFI tasks, but also what we are describing as some Locally Undertaken Measures (LUM): tasks adjacent to the highway that complement the CFI measures. HCC will not take these on, but Sandleheath Parish Council (SPC) will complete them using private contractors. These tasks include:
• The parking bay adjacent to the allotments.
• The re-siting of our village bus stop away from the Crossroads.
• Our ‘Heart of the Village’ design for the Elms Close ‘Green’.
• A pedestrian ‘trod path’ along the side of the Common.
• The four village Marker Points.
It is important to note that the villagisation concept that we are using to manage traffic in Sandleheath requires both CFI and LUM measures be in place. Without them all, the subliminal effect we are using to influence driver behaviour will be considerably reduced.
Currently, we are busy obtaining estimates for the LUM tasks whilst we await the HCC response. HCC will: • Prepare an overarching CFI plan with outline costings. Some of the measures we have submitted may have to be adjusted once HCC has scrutinised them. • Scrutinise and authorise the LUM tasks we have requested and these may also require amendment depending on HCC direction. We will hear the outcome and have re-worked our plan by late September.
Thereafter, we will submit the final version of the TMP to New Forest District Council (NFDC) in October, applying for the requisite funding so that we are able to put the plan into effect. We should hear the result by March 2025. At that stage we will place details of the plan we have submitted to NFDC on this website.
We hope that NFDC will be able to fund our entire TMP this year from residual Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds that it holds. HCC will then make a full design plan, we will instruct our chosen TUM contractors and we will be able to commence work, possibly early next year.
What is the Sandleheath Traffic Action Plan?
A plan to manage vehicle movement in Sandleheath
THE ISSUE
The volume of traffic passing through Sandleheath is growing, and with large housing developments planned or applied for in our area, notably in Alderholt and Fordingbridge, it will increase in future.
Our rural village is becoming a busy place.
Unfortunately, many vehicles that use our roads exceed the 30 mph speed limit
Speeding endangers our safety, makes our lives unpleasant and harms our rural environment.
THE PROJECT
At a Village Meeting in April called by Sandleheath Parish Council, some 60 of our residents agreed that they are annoyed by speeding in our village and wanted action taken to deter it. Accordingly, the Council has formed a new sub-group, Sandleheath Traffic Action with the express purpose of resolving the problem. The team consists of Sandleheath residents: Duncan Bailey, Simon Freeman, Lindsey Malcom, Mike Richardson and Cllr Tom Ward.
The team has the following mission:
To deliver an innovative Sandleheath Traffic Action (STA) plan, to promote road safety, enhance the quality of life and preserve the environment in Sandleheath.
There are two key objectives:
- To reduce speeding.
- To manage traffic density – maintaining a steady, calm flow of vehicles through the village.
THE STRATEGY
Traffic density and speeding are characteristics of the modern world. Recently new models for controlling them have emerged that do not just rely on measures to obstruct vehicles, but allow residents and commercial companies to go about their business. This is a concept called ‘Villagisation’.
As well as considering practical traffic calming measures, the Sandleheath Traffic Action team will examine how we can enhance our surroundings to transform Sandleheath into a recognisable residential space, with clearly marked entry points and a well-defined village centre. Thereby, we will seek to increase driver vigilance and generate driver respect, prompting reduced speed and cautious driving.
We want to present our village as an acknowledged living space, not just a convenient through-route.
Villagisation will have two beneficial outcomes. We will:
- Promote Sandleheath as a safe, attractive residential space - a good place to live.
- Enhance our sense of community.
It’s your plan
This is a project for all of us in Sandleheath. We seek to create a plan that incorporates your views and opinions, and which benefits from the input of everyone in our community: individuals, interest groups and commercial companies.
The Sandleheath Traffic Action plan will not be feasible unless it has the firm support of the majority.
As well as the planning team, we will establish groups of stakeholder representatives, both internal from within our village, and external – the towns and villages around us where the traffic comes from. Stakeholders will represent the views and opinions of their friends and neighbours, contributing immense value to the overall scheme as it develops. From time to time, we will invite the whole village to contribute.
Contact
We hope to get a broad range of views and comments, and would be pleased to hear from our residents at any time. If you want to communicate with Sandleheath Traffic Action team, you can email them at:
sandleheath.ta@btinternet.com. You can also write to them:
Sandleheath Traffic Action
c/o Sandleheath Village Hall, St Aldhelm’s,
Main Road, Sandleheath,
FORDINGBRIDGE, Hampshire SP6 1TD
Your personal details will be kept secure, not passed to a third party, and will be subject to the Sandleheath Parish Council’s Data Protection Policy.
We look forward to hearing from you.
