¶ Inaccuracies in Plans or Documentation
¶ Station Road
The revised plan showing the recommended Station Road layout shows incorrect widths at some points along station road, particularly at the pinch point at the corner of Harlington Manor wall.
The revised plan submitted by the applicant shows that with the footway widened from the current 0.8m to 1.2m at it's narrowest point, there will be 4.8m of carriageway width. This is not possible as the current width of the carriageway at this point is 4.8m.
The annotated extract from the revised plan below shows this inaccuracy, the plan widths are shown in black text, the correct widths have been marked in red text:
According to the Revised Transport Assessment submitted for the re-consultation:
Quote:
4.6.4. Manual for Streets (MfS) sets out that the minimum unobstructed width for pedestrians should generally be 2m and that further guidance on minimum footway widths is given in Inclusive Mobility, which sets out that "where it is necessary to introduce occasional narrowing of the access route, the restricted width should not be less than 1000mm and should extend for no more than 6 metres".
4.6.5. In general, minimum 1.2-metre width of the walkway should be provided (this allows for a visually impaired person being guided), with an absolute minimum of 1 metre over a short distance.
4.6.6. The proposed arrangement shows a single location pinch point where the footway width is 1.2m. This is considered acceptable as the location is a point, not over a long distance.
4.6.7. Figure 7.1 of MfS recommends a 4.8m carriageway width for cars to pass large vehicles. As Station Road is a bus route, the 4.8m recommended is consistent with the MfS recommendation.
4.6.8. The proposed footway and carriageway widths have been provided according to current guidance and considered safe and acceptable. Therefore, since there is no justification for departure, the proposed has been maintained.
Note that the guidance in the Manual for Streets referred to as MfS in the above quoted text, states that 4.8m is the minimum for cars to pass large vehicles, including buses. It also specifies a minimum 1.2m footway.
Measurements of the current road width make it clear that the a road width of 4.8m cannot be achieved if the footway is widened from 0.8m to 1.2m, the statement in 4.6.8 above is therefore false.
[OPINION] The applicant needs to be able to demonstrate that these widths can be met, this is likely to be the reason for supplying false information to the council about the width of the road at this point on the plan.[/OPINION]
Page 79 of the MfS conains the following diagram with carriageway widths in mm:
The removal of the applicant's previously recommended giveway build-out at the pinch point seems to have been done in order to address the obvious traffic lockup issue highlighted by CBC Highways. It is clear that it is not possible to maintain 2 way traffic for all types of traffic if the carriageway is narrowed in order to widen the footpath, which is a requirement to meet design guidelines.
[OPINION] The applicant's solution appears to be to falsify the widths on the submitted plan and hope nobody notices. This demonstrates a blatent disregard for road safety and the safety of Harlington residents including the children who would be attending the new school. [/OPINION]
