Itchen Valley News
A Raft of Speed Limits
Thirty limits are causing confusion - say some drivers - does it catch you out? Are you getting in the habit of 30 yet?
Please put your Choose 30 sticker over the 40 one- Jackie will be dropping more through your doors this month as the 40's that are left on bins are preventing the Enforcement team from taking action on speeding vehicles.
I am getting into the 30 habit now - soon it will become as automatic as the forty used to be.
Itchen Stoke's new 30 limit seems to make sense to most drivers but I have requests for the remainder of the B3047 to be 40mph - at the Farm Shop and Princes Mead school.
Others say they have been overtaken.
The whole road is under consideration in the A and B road review, due to complete by the end of 2009. The facts are that speed kills and more people are killed on rural roads than urban ones. The dreadful accident record of three local deaths since Christmas bears testament to that fact. Please let me know how you are getting on with the new limits:
- Does it make you feel safer or more vulnerable?
- Are you being overtaken?
- Are you more confident to walk along the road now?
Graces Farm
The new surface will be done this Summer
The accidents at Christmas caused a great deal of concern as well as damage to the properties.
I asked for a friction test on the road: it is agreed that the surface is slightly below par, so it will resurfaced this Summer
Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Following a query from Vernon Tottle about the lights at this site, Martin Tod and I arranged a visit to the Laboratory on the Northington Road, Itchen Abbas.
We heard about the work of the Laboratory and discussed the lights!
The lights first- although they had previously said that they wouldn't do anything, our arguments were listened to and the Director (who manages a number of sites across the South) had taken the trouble to visit the site out of hours to see the problems.
He agreed to reduce the building lights with low energy bulbs, and to see what could be done to reduce the intensity and direction of the lights on poles. He also said he could include more timers and movement sensitive fittings. We hope to see improvements by the Autumn.
The work done there is fascinating- the Laboratory does not have any live animals there, but acts rather like a Pathology lab at the hospital- taking in tests from Vets around the area, and carrying out the analysis. Whilst they are identifying endemic diseases (ones already in the UK) they are always on the look out for Exotic diseases (ones that are in other countries) and zootropc diseases (ones that can be contracted by or a potential threat for humans) It was a fascinating afternoon, and just shows that meeting up, rather than just grumbling can (hopefully) lead to mutually achievable solutions.
Like Vernon, I was fascinated by the miles of plastic and I would love to see a maize maze there!
Cars in hedges
Cars continue to plough into the gardens despite speed reduction at Easton Corner. Jackie met residents and asked the Police to log all incidents after a third car skidded. Jackie asked HCC to take action, who have carried out a skid test to see if it needs resurfacing - not normally done at this stage but we don’t want to wait until we have another death here. Picture with ruined hedge.
Lunways Inn site
Representatives from the Gospel Hall Trust are holding a meeting at Itchen Abbas Village Hall at 7.30pm on Friday 13th February to show possible designs so you say which you prefer. All welcome.
Itchen Valley footway for the B3047
Drawings were prepared and Permission was actually granted in the 1970's - but the plan was never carried out. Do you want to see a path in the parts of Itchen Abbas and Martyr Worthy that currently don't have them? ie:Rectory to Little Hayes Lane and Shelley Close to Chilland? Or do you think it should stay as it is?
Steve Gapper, chair of the Parish Council is tackling three sections - the narrow sections, the long section from Station Hill to Chilland and the Rectory Lane to Little Hayes Lane sections. A meeting with residents was held in December. Jackie arranged for WCC Senior Forward Planning Officer to attend the February Parish Council to query the effects that a path could have on planning issues.
If you do want a path, have you seen one elsewhere that you like particularly?
Let me know what you think.
Tel/text:07973 696085 downhouseporter@btinternet.com
The new speed limits
So, at last, the new speed limits are in place. But what a dreadful mess getting there! ‘’Choose 30’’ took on a new meaning as the road signs were painted in but the sign posts remained stubbornly at 40mph.
After waiting to see what happened, as promised dates passed by, I chased up the County Council, and lo and behold signs were completed by Friday October 31st.
But all is not well
Some signs are in the wrong position and will need to be moved. The Traffic Regulation orders give positions, as agreed with the Parish Council and on the consultation papers, but there is approx a 10 metre leeway so that the sign can be appropriately placed. There is evidence that this hasn’t been done in every case.
I will see if the Martyr Worthy signs can be moved to better position, and the yellow backed sign can be replaced. As I recall, it was agreed the signs would be the speed only.
Some people have complained that there are too many signs now. Unfortunately the ‘Manual for streets’ states there should be signs or street lights (but not both) and so, unfortunately for the present, extra signs are the price for a 30mph limit.
I raised the problem of these additional signs at an initial meeting, asking why couldn’t we have markings on the road like the New Forest?
HCC officer assured me that the situation would be reviewed if and when the National Park came into force. I await the ruling with interest.
Good news for the cottages - 40mph at last should make accidents less likely.
