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. 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. Safe access to the site should not be compromised to accommodate a larger unit.
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 this site.
The traffic data collection site and timing were agreed with WNC in advance. It is not clear why data was not collected within the vicinity of Old Stratford A5 roundabout but 7+ miles away in Roade. The data was collected between 7 and 13 March 2022 when Cosgrove Park was not open. 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.
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.
Traffic
A modest estimate of commercial vehicles using the development is 3000 vehicles per day. Access is proposed by a turn off the A508. 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. Safe access to the site should not be compromised to accommodate a larger unit.
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 this site.
The traffic data collection site and timing were agreed with WNC in advance. It is not clear why data was not collected within the vicinity of Old Stratford A5 roundabout but 7+ miles away in Roade. The data was collected between 7 and 13 March 2022 when Cosgrove Park was not open. 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.
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.
“...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
- Old Stratford roundabout is already 7% over capacity – we would suggest it is more than that with regular north, south, east and west traffic jams when the M1 and other roads are closed and congested.
- The developer has used misleading data due to collection in March 2022 when Cosgrove Park was closed, M1 J15 works / closures were causing road users to seek alternative routes, and traffic was still in Covid recovery. Data should have been collected in the vicinity of the site and collected across a year.
- There have been major developments further north on the A508 to improve the bottlenecks that were already causing problems, new warehouse developments at Roade and at Cosgrove will negate these.
- Don't forget that there is additional traffic not just from the lorries, but also from potentially 700 plus employees & visitors accessing the site.
- The right turn 'ghost' island junction to enter the site is a safety risk and will cause additional congestion on an already overcrowded locally strategic road.
- The Highways Agency have said the development will increase traffic on an already overcapacity roundabout.
Website of The Furtho Development Objection Group
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