TRAFFIC
Traffic
A modest estimate of commercial vehicles using the development is 3000 vehicles per day. Access is proposed by a turn off the A508. Traffic will be increased along the roads radiating from this junction and onto Deanshanger, Buckingham, Potterspury, Towcester, Yardley Gobion, Grafton Regis and Roade. This will cause further delays at peak hours. Traffic from Castlethorpe, Hanslope and Haversham will also be affected. For vehicles turning right into the site there will be a central lane capable of holding five lorries. There have been fatalities turning on and off the A508.
Heading from the A5, the proposed junction will be before the Dogsmouth Brook at Cosgrove: this is only 300m from the roundabout and, at times, will cause tailbacks to the already congested junction.
In the Local Plan, WNC stipulated a roundabout access to the development. In order to fit in the enormous Unit 1, the developers have moved the access point further away from the A5 Old Stratford roundabout and changed it to a T junction with a ghost island. The decision to abandon the roundabout is apparently driven by the developer’s desire to include an oversized Unit 1. They clearly do not value the importance of investing in appropriate road infrastructure to support a highly profitable development. That sort of short-term profit-driven approach to design is unacceptable and risks creating long term traffic problems for the local residents.
In the latest version of the planning documents (Feb ‘25) there’s no change regarding access to the site (policy criteria is to provide a new roundabout junction from the A508). This is still depicted as a T-junction with a right-turn access lane from the west. No road widening is proposed and the slip road is integrated into the current road width, mirroring the existing Cosgrove turnings. The central lane will be capable of holding five lorries. Traffic will still back up to the roundabout. There have been fatalities turning on and off the A508. Safe access to the site should not be compromised to accommodate a larger unit.
In their original survey the developer (with WNC agreement) used misleading traffic data, collected in March 2022 at a point 7+ miles away, when Cosgrove Park was closed and traffic was still in Covid recovery. Data should have been collected in the vicinity of the site and collected across a year. Cosgrove Parish Council have data to prove traffic movements when Cosgrove Park is open are much higher than during the closed season. For example a police speed data survey outside the Quarries Scout Camp on Stratford Road recorded 13,601 vehicles between 12 and 20 June 2023. It appears that they have now taken measurements and journey marker locations on the A422, A5 north & south and A508 adjacent to the site. However, the Developers have submitted an 851-page traffic report, which is too complex for us to review ourselves.
Funds are needed to hire a consultant for further scrutiny.
In addition to the commercial vehicles, there will be increased traffic from employees accessing and departing from the site. The new Traffic Assessment encourages sustainable transport as the objective.and to encourage alternative transport behavior, suggests that Old Stratford is an acceptable distance to the site for walking and cycling. Frampton's have requested to upgrade the footpath at Oxfield Park Drive complete with street lights. It is also suggested that employees from Milton Keynes could use the canal towpath to get to and from work at the site. Lastly they suggest there is a bus stop on Stratford Road 350m from site with bus service with access to 86, 89 and 90 services. These services were all cancelled some time ago.
The Northampton Gateway development at Junction 15 of the M1 stipulates that to avoid adding more load onto the A508, all HGVs must turn north when leaving the site, except when an official diversion is in place. In such a situation, all those HGVs will be coming south to join the HGVs entering and leaving the Furtho site. Further land has been approved to increase size of the Gateway development at junction 15, adding further heavy traffic to the A508.
The latest Transport Assessment concludes that the impact of the development on local and Strategic Road Network (SRN) routes and its associated traffic will not have an impact on the overall operation of the junction and actually predicts a negative growth in traffic. Despite no apparent consideration for other proposed developments in the area, WNC are evidently 'content' that there will be no impact on the SRN routes and it has been agreed with the council to assess the junction and provide mitigation measures in 2031!
Traffic
A modest estimate of commercial vehicles using the development is 3000 vehicles per day. Access is proposed by a turn off the A508. Traffic will be increased along the roads radiating from this junction and onto Deanshanger, Buckingham, Potterspury, Towcester, Yardley Gobion, Grafton Regis and Roade. This will cause further delays at peak hours. Traffic from Castlethorpe, Hanslope and Haversham will also be affected. For vehicles turning right into the site there will be a central lane capable of holding five lorries. There have been fatalities turning on and off the A508.
Heading from the A5, the proposed junction will be before the Dogsmouth Brook at Cosgrove: this is only 300m from the roundabout and, at times, will cause tailbacks to the already congested junction.
In the Local Plan, WNC stipulated a roundabout access to the development. In order to fit in the enormous Unit 1, the developers have moved the access point further away from the A5 Old Stratford roundabout and changed it to a T junction with a ghost island. The decision to abandon the roundabout is apparently driven by the developer’s desire to include an oversized Unit 1. They clearly do not value the importance of investing in appropriate road infrastructure to support a highly profitable development. That sort of short-term profit-driven approach to design is unacceptable and risks creating long term traffic problems for the local residents.
In the latest version of the planning documents (Feb ‘25) there’s no change regarding access to the site (policy criteria is to provide a new roundabout junction from the A508). This is still depicted as a T-junction with a right-turn access lane from the west. No road widening is proposed and the slip road is integrated into the current road width, mirroring the existing Cosgrove turnings. The central lane will be capable of holding five lorries. Traffic will still back up to the roundabout. There have been fatalities turning on and off the A508. Safe access to the site should not be compromised to accommodate a larger unit.
In their original survey the developer (with WNC agreement) used misleading traffic data, collected in March 2022 at a point 7+ miles away, when Cosgrove Park was closed and traffic was still in Covid recovery. Data should have been collected in the vicinity of the site and collected across a year. Cosgrove Parish Council have data to prove traffic movements when Cosgrove Park is open are much higher than during the closed season. For example a police speed data survey outside the Quarries Scout Camp on Stratford Road recorded 13,601 vehicles between 12 and 20 June 2023. It appears that they have now taken measurements and journey marker locations on the A422, A5 north & south and A508 adjacent to the site. However, the Developers have submitted an 851-page traffic report, which is too complex for us to review ourselves.
Funds are needed to hire a consultant for further scrutiny.
In addition to the commercial vehicles, there will be increased traffic from employees accessing and departing from the site. The new Traffic Assessment encourages sustainable transport as the objective.and to encourage alternative transport behavior, suggests that Old Stratford is an acceptable distance to the site for walking and cycling. Frampton's have requested to upgrade the footpath at Oxfield Park Drive complete with street lights. It is also suggested that employees from Milton Keynes could use the canal towpath to get to and from work at the site. Lastly they suggest there is a bus stop on Stratford Road 350m from site with bus service with access to 86, 89 and 90 services. These services were all cancelled some time ago.
The Northampton Gateway development at Junction 15 of the M1 stipulates that to avoid adding more load onto the A508, all HGVs must turn north when leaving the site, except when an official diversion is in place. In such a situation, all those HGVs will be coming south to join the HGVs entering and leaving the Furtho site. Further land has been approved to increase size of the Gateway development at junction 15, adding further heavy traffic to the A508.
The latest Transport Assessment concludes that the impact of the development on local and Strategic Road Network (SRN) routes and its associated traffic will not have an impact on the overall operation of the junction and actually predicts a negative growth in traffic. Despite no apparent consideration for other proposed developments in the area, WNC are evidently 'content' that there will be no impact on the SRN routes and it has been agreed with the council to assess the junction and provide mitigation measures in 2031!
“...a place where people are proud to live, with strong sustainable communities, decent homes, a fulfilling job, and stress free travel through well connected places”
WNC Vision Statement
“The roundabout is already over its practical reserve capacity in the AM peak (6.7%) and is almost over capacity in the PM peak”
Highways England
(date redacted)
Traffic - Reasons to Object
- 7 HGV loading bays could mean nearly 3000 additional trucks PER DAY on the A508, A5 and A422.
- In addition: 87 HGV parking spaces, 847 parking spaces for cars, disabled parking, cycles and motorcycles will make congestion even worse.
- Old Stratford roundabout is already 7% over capacity (more than that with regular north, south, east and west traffic jams when the M1 and other roads are closed and congested.) National Highways have said the development will increase traffic here.
- Traffic from the A5, including heavy goods vehicles, will have to turn right across the A508. The original plan for a roundabout was scrapped in favor of a signalised junction with lights, which has now been changed to a ‘ghost’ junction, with no plans to widen the already dangerous A508. There have been fatalities in the past at a junction less than 500 yards away.
- Further land has been approved to increase size of The Gateway development at junction 15, adding further heavy traffic to the A508
- There is no apparent consideration from the planners or the council regarding traffic generated by other proposed developments in the area and their impact on the development
- The planners Transport Assessment for alternative transport recommends use of local bus services which have been cancelled for some time
- Developers predict negative traffic growth and, with WNC, won’t assess traffic issues until after 2031!
Website of The Furtho Development Objection Group
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