A letter was issued to all Local Planning Authority CEOs dated 28th September 2018, and signed jointly by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry for Transport and the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, the subject of the letter being Shared Space Schemes. The letter asked Local Authorities to pause level surface schemes in areas with relatively large amounts of pedestrians and vehicular movements such as high streets and town centres.
1. What has Devon County Council (DCC) Highways’ response been to this letter i.e., have DCC Highways ensured that all shared space projects (excluding residential developments with very low levels of low-speed traffic) have been stopped in Mid Devon and Devon more generally since the issue of this letter?
We have searched our database of schemes implemented since 2019 and can find no evidence of any ‘shared space’ schemes having been delivered by Devon County Council, so this information is not held.
Regarding the Blundells Road scheme, DCC will ensure that this will be adhered to when the construction of the roundabout commences. As you can see on the approved drawings, all the upstands have been adjusted.
2. Do DCC Highways consider that a Poynton Style Shared Space Roundabout on Arterial Roads such as Blundells Road falls within the category of shared space projects which should be paused (stopped), and both for safety and discriminatory reasons. If not, then why not?
DCC believes that a Poynton Style Roundabout is not suitable for this location, and the requirements in the 20mph area for a Poynton Style Roundabout are unachievable, which means that at some point Redrow will need to redesign the Roundabout for a 30mph design.
3. In an email to Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) Planning Officers amongst others dated 26th October 2020 it is mentioned that a Level 1 Road Safety Audit has been done for each of the T Junctions connecting to Blundells Road, i.e. the T Junction connecting the A361 Linking Road to the north side and the Spur Road to the south side. Can you please provide copies of each of these Level 1 Safety Audit Reports?
The draft Road Safety Audits with accompanying document can be found on this Devon County Council webpage.
4. In your email of 26th October 2020 to MDDC Planning Officers you state the following ‘I can confirm DCC would accept the figure of housing prior to Poynton Style Roundabout being delivered be reduced to 150 homes’. Can you please confirm if DCC mean that 150 houses need to be built or occupied?
Occupied.
5. Can you please provide the full rational for DCC Highways to consider that 150 homes need to be either built or occupied before a Poynton Shared Space Roundabout can be put into use on Blundells Road? This given that only 9 houses plus a block of flats will front the new Linking Road on the northern approach to the roundabout; that only an additional 9 homes will eventually be built facing Blundells Road on the western approach to the roundabout. (As these are self-build homes the date of build and occupancy is a big unknown.) There will be no new homes built on the eastern approach to the roundabout. That all homes to be built on the south side of Blundells Road will not be visible from the Blundells Road roundabout or the Linking Road approach roads. For more information, please see the Redrow Development Plan.
The Traffic Policy Team suggested 150 homes, also to include the homes which frontage Blundells Road, will need to be in place prior to a 20mph speed limit can be actioned, and therefore before a Poynton Style Roundabout can be delivered, (although the fronting homes are not under Redrow Control).
6. At the Meeting of 22nd October 2020 DCC Highways ‘explained the reason why the Poynton Style roundabout cannot be constructed until 200 occupations’. Can you please advise what caused DDC Highways to change its position reducing the number from 200 to 150 homes?
As above and also in keeping with the numbers that Redrow are delivering.
7. When DCC Highways made the decision about the 200 or the reduced number of 150 homes to be occupied, were DDC Highways fully aware of the Redrow Development Plan, and the phasing of the development?
DCC was not aware of their phasing plan at that time
8. Given that Condition 12 of the Redrow Planning Application 14/00881/MOUT wording was decided at the meeting of 22nd October 2020 and wording which effectively now allows Redrow Homes not to construct roundabout until up to 200 houses are occupied. This after DCC Highways indicated that this was a requirement (see question 6), what is the DCC Highways position if the so-called Temporary T Junctions (Crossroads) remain in use for an indefinite period and certainly in excess of two years? This question is asked on the basis that the Redrow Homes planning application shows only 166 homes to be built. There is no evidence of any further land sales let alone any future development proposals coming forward in the short or perhaps medium term.
Under the Section 38 Agreement between DCC and Redrow, which DCC hold a full 100% Bond, Redrow are tied to timescales in which the works have to be completed to a satisfactory completion.
9. Why would Redrow Homes now build a roundabout at their cost and where there is now no apparent contractual reason for them to do so?
They are obligated to do so under Planning and Under the S38 Agreement.
10. Could you please make the drawings of the T junctions which were sent off to have a Stage 1 Safety Audit available.
This Devon County Council webpage shows the drawing which was sent off for a Stage 1 Safety Audit.
11. Can you advise when DCC Highways will conduct a Stage 2 Safety Audit on the T Junction construction drawings? Can you please make these drawings available?
These will be carried out under the S38/278 Agreement.
12. What prevents the Blundells Road speed limit being reduced from its current 40mph to 30mph this on construction of the T Junctions (crossroads) and until replaced by a roundabout.
DCC believes that this is a proposal.
13. Has the diameter of the roundabout been decided?
An agreed drawing has been submitted subject to the 20mph Policy.
14. Why would DCC agree to a Poynton Style Roundabout shared space roundabout over a more conventional raised island roundabout and with clearly defined pedestrian crossings?
DCC would prefer a more conventional roundabout.
15. Can you advise if DCC Highways have received the construction drawings for the full length of the Linking Road connecting the A361 to Blundells Road?
They have been received and Technically Approved under the S38/278 Agreement.
16. Can you please make these drawings, including any drawings showing road furniture and road signage, available? Construction work to build the Linking Road connecting to Blundells Road commenced 28th June 2021.
The relevant drawings can be found on this DCC webpage.