THE LATEST BDL access proposals for the Chesterton eastern site, for businesses and 675 homes, provide for a new roundabout on Spratsgate Lane but no mitigation whatsoever for the extra traffic generated on existing roads, particularly through Somerford Road and Love Lane which are already very busy at peak times.

A pedestrian crossing is proposed over Chesterton Lane.

The outline planning permission application includes access so without it the application must fail.

The BDL i-Transport Technical Notes published on April 20 contains a number of statements which are clearly highly dubious, and not supported by evidence.

“There will be a reduction of circa 100 two-way trips along Lewis Lane/Querns Lane in the AM peak” - The road is one way, where will the vehicles go?

“The majority of development generated trips have an origin or destination to the north and west (of Cirencester)” - Most Cirencester generated traffic is to and from Swindon – which is south-east.

“Frequency of pelican crossings being called at the north east access roundabout will be two minutes, and Stroud Road two minutes.”

At morning peak times traffic tailbacks at the Stroud Road roundabout from both the Stroud and Tetbury Roads are at least a mile long.

With activation of the pelican crossings every two minutes what length of tailback can be expected?

There is no evidence of consideration of the extra traffic generated by the division of the development into two sites, eastern and western, there being no connecting road, buses excepted.

Vehicles on such journeys will produce extra traffic between the eastern site on the often busy Somerford Road/Chesterton Lane/Tetbury Road route and the school, surgery and other facilities on the western site.

This extra traffic is contrary to government guidance.

JOHN NICHOLAS

Cirencester