RESIDENTS expressed their anger over plans to remove an underpass in Cirencester and replace it with a traffic crossing across a dual carriageway, if the Chesterton application is permitted.

Facebook users were in shock after Cirencester town councillor Shane Poole highlighted the possibility of toucan crossings being installed near a roundabout across the A429 Bristol Road.

Gloucestershire County Council however said that the subway did not meet safety standards as it floods "regularly" in heavy rain. 

The removal of the subway by Watermoor is one of many changes proposed in a road improvement scheme which will come into effect if the application for 2,350 homes in Chesterton is approved.

The plans have been in place since early this year, but Cllr Poole, who regularly uses the underpass by Bristol Road, said he was only aware of the plans to remove the underpass in late July.

Cllr Poole said his main concern was that traffic would mount up because of traffic lights: “I am concerned that if the traffic lights are not synced up properly, traffic will back up. To remove something that works is a bad idea.”

He explained that with the layout of the roads in the area, traffic will have nowhere to go if it is backed up due to traffic lights.

When asked about the potential of the underpass to flood and become unusable to pedestrians, he said: “All the other subways flood as well. The last time it flooded was last February.”

He continued: “At the moment, the subway is used a lot. It is quite well maintained. It works well, it can take a large volume of people. I don’t know why they want a crossing.

“I can walk relatively quickly, but what about old age pensioners who have to walk slowly? Are they going to be willing to walk across a dual carriageway?”

He added that air pollution was a problem and he would be worried about his own health.

Save Our Cirencester campaigner Patrick Moylan, who is against the Chesterton application for 2,350 houses, said: “Bristol Road was designed mainly as a dual carriageway relief road to get through traffic around and past Cirencester with safe access to the town by footbridges and underpasses.

“In order to get planning permission for Chesterton, the Bathurst application has to provide for walking and cycling that in theory would reduce car use and is to be achieved by toucan crossings and traffic lights.

“Incredibly the application claims that this will improve traffic flows and journey times will be shorter despite the greatly increased traffic volumes. Save Our Cirencester have protested that the opposite will happen, that queues and delays will be worse, there will be safety concerns and that traffic borne pollution may get to illegal levels.

“Save Our Cirencester is urging Cotswold District Council to look at these flawed plans again before making any decision on the 2350 homes Chesterton application."

Philip Williams, lead commissioner at Gloucestershire County Council, the local authority responsible for roads, said: “These proposals form part of the improvement works to the ‘Fire Station Roundabout’ area of the A429.

"This will see lane widening and signal control brought in along with pedestrian and cycle crossings.

“Unfortunately the current subway does not meet safety standards.

"It is one of a number in Cirencester that floods regularly in heavy rain and becomes unpassable. Given that this leaves no safe way to cross the road, a crossing is the best and safest option for everyone.”

A spokesperson for the county council added that the proposed road improvements have been subject to design compliance checks and independent road safety audit processes which did not identified any significant risks.