RECENTLY Bathurst consultants i-Transport have admitted two major flaws in the planning application relating to the eastern end of the proposed development of 675 new homes and three employment areas. 

Put simply, there is no sustainable vehicular access.

Firstly, within the site there is a very narrow land corridor adjacent to the Scheduled Ancient Monument. 

i-Transport have been advised by the South West design review panel that the proposed narrow bus/cycle/pedestrian link between the east and west parts of the development cannot be widened for use by any other vehicles, thus cutting off 675 new homes in the east from the facilities proposed for 1,675 in the west. 

These 675 homes are also cut off from the planned accesses to the A433 or any other main road.

Secondly, the only access for the 675 homes will be by a roundabout on Spratsgate Lane. 

From here vehicles might use ‘rat runs’ though narrow lanes and villages, including Siddington and South Cerney or the Love Lane industrial area which is often congested with heavy lorries serving its businesses.
All three have been ruled out by i-Transport.

That leaves Somerford Road as the only acceptable route to both the town and the A-road network and back in January i-Transport recognised this by proposing traffic lights at the very busy cross-roads with Chesterton Lane, hazardous for both vehicles and pedestrians. 

However the county council has advised that traffic lights ‘proposed too many technical issues’, so instead there should be one zebra crossing.

This is completely unacceptable.

Unless Bathurst consultants can develop a sustainable transport plan for this remote and isolated part of their development it is inconceivable that government inspectors can pass it.

It also blasts a very big hole in the CDC Local Plan, not yet submitted to government.

JOHN NICHOLAS
Cirencester