WITH Warrington Council seeking public feedback on traffic calming ideas on Gainsborough Road, residents group, Scrap the Central 6 Street Plans, is recommending the plans are scrapped and replaced with effective measures instead.
David Marshall, from the residents group, said: “Following on from the blocking of Grange Avenue we have another potential issue as Warrington Borough Council propose creating six chicanes down Gainsborough Road. It will make travel down the road difficult for residents and the wider community.
He said|: “The Council has admitted in their public documents that there will be less street parking for residents, traffic jams outside houses, increases in noise as traffic breaks and accelerates, a potential increase pollution and costs of maintenance. They also admit there can be an increase in the speed of cars to beat oncoming traffic and less effective at reducing speeds outside of busy periods. The Council highlight that the chicanes may discourage through traffic -which experience tells us will lead to jams around approach roads as they did in Latchford.”
“The Council has confirmed that the new Centre Park bridge has seen traffic on Gainsborough Road drop by 8% with the average speed travelled at 30mph. Our advice and experience says to reject the chicanes and ask for pedestrian crossings, explore a 20mph limit and ban HGVs.”
The public survey closes this coming Mondayon 24th July and can be found here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/wbcgainsboroughroad/
A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “These proposals have been put forward in response to concerns raised by residents around traffic speeds on Gainsborough Road. We are running this consultation to give people a choice over whether they want traffic calming measures on the road or if they would prefer to see the money spent elsewhere.
“As has been made clear since the start of this consultation, we are seeking people’s feedback on whether they would like chicanes to be implemented along Gainsborough Road, or if their preference would be for the available funding to be dedicated to other transport related measures, such as pedestrian crossing points and bus stop infrastructure.
“Centre Park Link has been hugely beneficial for Warrington – but from the outset, we’ve been committed to listening to feedback from residents about the impact of the scheme on the Gainsborough Road area. This consultation is part of these ongoing discussions, and is providing the opportunity for us to present the traffic data to local people and get their views on potential traffic calming for the area. We are, of course, happy to look at other measures if the consultation leads us in this direction.”
At the launch of the consultation Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for transportation, highways and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “Centre Park Link has been hugely beneficial for Warrington – but from the outset, we’ve been committed to listening to feedback from residents about the impact of the scheme on the Gainsborough Road area. This consultation is part of these ongoing discussions.
“Having begun these discussions in 2020, further consultation was delayed, in part by Covid and waiting for traffic flows to stabilise again.
“However, now that traffic levels have settled we are once again in a position to present the traffic data and get local people’s views on potential traffic calming for the area.
“If you’d like to have your say, please take part in our online survey or pop along to one of our drop-in sessions.”
The consultation closes on Monday 24 July. For more information, please contact the project team at [email protected]. Further details on the Centre Park Link scheme can be found at warrington.gov.uk/centreparklink
Photos show what the chicanes might look like, the plans, possible new jams as cars try to avoid the chicanes (in red) and the official council notices.
Residents invited to have a say on Gainsborough Road traffic calming plans
2 Comments
Typical WBC, create more problems, noise and pollution and shift the problem elsewhere. WBC had chance to create a road to take traffic across town which woul have relieved congestion, noise and pollution back in the 80s.
The main issue which seems to be overlooked by Warrington BC, is the fact they have turned the junction of Chester Rd and Gainsborough Rd into a death trap. Warrington BC are full of how they’re listening and wish to know peoples views and thoughts but it stops there. No action to sort out the complete mess they have created through nothing but their own stupidity