Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why are we doing this?
A. This is a unique opportunity to develop the centre of Leamington with a grant of up to £1 million from central government. Once the scheme is complete, the main shopping street will be a more pleasant and safer environment – somewhere that people will want to visit even more than at present.
Q. Is the accident record that bad?
A. Yes. In the 3 years from July 1999 to July 2002 there were 47 people injured in road traffic accidents between the Clarendon Avenue and the High Street junctions. This is an average of 15 injuries each year. Over half of the injuries were to vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and motor-cyclists. The pattern has continued in the period July 2002 to July 2003 with 19 people injured in road traffic accidents.
Q. Has the Council asked the people of Leamington what they want?
A. Yes. During 2002 a Working Group looked at options for the scheme. We consulted on the options with around 70 local organisations such as the Chamber of Trade and residents’ associations, and held public exhibitions and a workshop. The comments we received helped us to develop the initial scheme proposals. We carried out a further consultation on these proposals and associated traffic regulations in July 2003, and as a result the proposals were modified.
We have tried to get as near to what everyone wants, but there always have to be compromises. For example, the widened footways will mean parking won’t be possible, but there will be spaces in nearby streets so that shoppers, including disabled drivers, can still park close to the shops.
Q. There seems to be a lot of disruption. What is going on?
A. The work will inevitably involve some disruption, but the Council is working closely with Mowlem, the contractor, to minimise the trouble. There will be some temporary diversions and road closures, but these will be publicised here on the County Council website. During the first phase of the scheme on the Parade, a one-way system is banning northbound traffic from the Parade between Dormer Place and Clarendon Avenue.
Q. Is Leamington still open for business as usual?
Very much so. We realise that the Parade doesn’t look its best at the moment, but all the shops are open for business. The Council is working closely with the traders to address their concerns throughout the work.
Q. When will the work be finished?
The County Council is working closely with the contractors to complete the scheme. Unfortunately, unexpected complications have slowed down the work. But the Council is committed to stopping the work by the 21st October, to make sure that Leamington doesn’t miss out on the important Christmas shopping season.
Q. What about the overall loss of car parking?
A. Some parking spaces will go to allow us to put in cycle lanes and loading bays, and to widen the footway. However, we plan to provide additional parking on nearby on streets that currently have double or single yellow lines.
Q. Can you do anything to encourage people to use the off-street car parks?
A. We are hoping to provide variable message signs with real-time information about the parking availability in the main off-street car parks. This will be introduced as a future part of the scheme if more funds become available.
Q: Why are you removing the existing disabled persons’ parking places?
A. Under the scheme we are widening the footways on both sides of Parade between Warwick Street and Regent Street and installing a new Puffin crossing at the Lower Mall entrance to Royal Priors. This is the busiest section of Parade for pedestrians and the measures should increase pedestrian safety, including pedestrians with disabilities. But the wider footways will result in narrower carriageways and it will not be possible to allow any parking on this length.
However, there are plans to provide many more spaces for disabled people in the town centre, including spaces on Warwick Street, Regent Street, Bedford Street and Parade. The proposals are for 42 spaces in total rather than seven at present. In addition, a Shopmobility Scheme is being introduced at the Royal Priors Shopping Centre.
At the same time, the new drop kerbs and tactile surfaces will make it easier for wheelchair users to cross roads safely.
Q: What about deliveries to shops and businesses?
A: There will be a number of Loading Only areas.
Q. What about pedestrians and cyclists?
A. Pedestrians will get more crossings and existing ones will be improved. Some of the crossings will be of the latest Puffin type. Paving slabs are being re-laid so the footpaths will be safer. The new drop kerbs and tactile surfaces will make it easier for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs and prams to cross roads safely.
Overall it should result in a more pleasant shopping environment. Cycle lanes (including a contra-flow cycle lane on Guy Street) and advance stop lines at traffic signals will also assist cyclists.
Q. What is a PUFFIN Crossing?
A. Pedestrian User Friendly Intelligent Crossings are similar to traditional Pelican crossings but they have the red/green man signals on the near side rather than on other side of the road, and the green man signal does not flash on and off. They also have detectors which control the red light signal drivers see, so that pedestrians have enough time to cross. All of the existing controlled crossing facilities on Parade will be converted to Puffins under the current proposals.
Q: Won’t further pedestrianisation of the town centre hit traders?
A: This work will improve conditions for pedestrians and motorists alike, but we are not actually pedestrianising any streets. The Parade will remain a mixed priority route – a street with a mix of traffic users including buses, cars, heavy goods vehicles, pedestrians and motorcyclists, etc. Making the town centre more attractive for pedestrians will encourage people to come and shop.
Q. What are you doing to help buses?
A. The new traffic signals at the top of Parade will incorporate special detectors to give buses priority. Bus users will therefore have a speedier journey. This facility will be a first for Warwickshire.
Q. What happened to the idea of a “bus gate”?
A. Although there would have been benefits to buses, this would have had a considerable impact on other road users. The idea was not well received when we suggested it in the earlier consultation.
Q: Will the scheme continue to be effective when the traffic flows are light, for example at night?
A: Leamington has a vibrant evening economy. We are looking to control traffic speeds throughout the day. This should provide a safer environment 24 hours a day, not just during the busy shopping period.
Q: Will the emergency services have easy access to the town centre?
A: The emergency services should not be affected. The only proposed restriction on vehicle movements is the banning of turns at the Regent Street/Parade junction, but emergency vehicles do not have to comply with this. Traffic should remain reasonably free-flowing along the Parade but there are also plenty of alternative routes.
Q: Is the scheme anti-motorist?
A: We are trying to establish a fair balance between the needs of different road users. There is something for everyone in the scheme. For motorists there will be improved road safety, more parking spaces in the town centre with one or two-hour waiting instead of the current half hour and there should be less delays at the Regent Street junction.
Q: Will local residents suffer?
A: The scheme should not result in any significant transfer of traffic on to other roads. There may be some transfer of parking to unrestricted residential roads but we will be looking at the residents’ parking scheme in the town as part of the proposals for the decriminalisation of parking enforcement.
Q. What is the scheme costing?
A: The Government has awarded us a grant of up to £1 million towards the cost. We have always known that the scheme would cost more than £1 million and that the County Council would have to contribute. We have about £180,000 available from developers, and the remainder will be provided from the County Council's Capital Programme for Transport.
Q. Is there support for the scheme?
A: When we carried out the initial consultation, there were mixed views about the options, although the measures to improve the situation for pedestrians in Warwick Street and Regent Street were very popular. We believe that the latest scheme proposals have something for everyone. When we consulted on the scheme proposals in 2003, respondents to a questionnaire were asked to indicate their support. Twenty-five per cent said that they fully supported the proposals, 49 per cent said that they supported the scheme proposals in principle and 26 per cent said that they did not support them. The overall view is that the proposals appear to have been well received with specific rather than general concerns. |