BAYDON PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held at the BYPA Hall on Monday 31 March 2014

(Draft copy. Subject to approval at the next meeting)

PRESENT: Cllr Andrew Knowles (Chair), Cllr Kevin Howell, Cllr Alison Tomkins, Cllr Tamsin Witt, Cllr John Cockcroft, Cllr Prior PCSO Mills and 27 members of the public. (Clerk still to be recruited) 

1.                   APOLOGIES –   Wiltshire Cllr James Sheppard (Attending Marlborough Area Board Meeting)

2.                   DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST - None

3.                   MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS – The minutes of 24 February Meeting will be approved next Monday 7 April

4.            SUSPENSION OF THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

The Chairman asked for queries regarding the chicanes to be brought forward under item 7.1, later in the agenda

4.1  Undergrowth at Manor Lane junction with Ermin Street is blocking the view for drivers trying to exit Manor Lane. (This area has previously had undergrowth removed, turf put down and remaining brambles cut back)

Action: Contact Parish Steward

4.2 Planning application for 3 trees in The Red Lion Pub Garden to be removed, will be considered next meeting because the application did not arrive in time to be added to this agenda

4.3. Residents asked whether any solutions could be found to the restricted views as drivers exit Manor Lane onto Aldbourne Road.  It was noted that BPC has raised this issue in past with Wiltshire Highways. Suggestions were:

· Requesting double yellow lines opposite the junction to prevent people parking there, which in turn pushes traffic into the path of anyone edging out of Manor Lane

· A convex mirror (or two) which would allow people in Manor Lane to see traffic approaching from both sides.

· Writing to residents and asking for the hedging either side of the Manor Lane / Aldbourne Junction to be trimmed back quite a lot

 Action:  Cllr Witt / Cllr Knowles to write to residents and Highways

4.4 Residents reported a leak at the top of Manor Lane and a small river of water running down the lane.

Action: Cllr Prior to follow up on the report that he had added to the Thames Water website

5.         CORRESPONDENCE –

None other than correspondence relating to items on this agenda and specifically item 7.1

 6.        PLANNING –

6.1  14/02827/TCA – Beech Terrace, Downsmead. Ash tree crowning on Red Lion Pub grounds

Cllrs resolved to support the application with conditions. The conditions are that there has is an independent expert review, of the tree to check that crowning is suitable and advised.

 7.     ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION 

7.1  TCWG – CATG update. Installation of Ermin Street Chicanes near the playground

The Chairman asked for constructive comments and feedback from the floor. He emphasised that this extra Parish Council Meeting has been called to collect feedback and queries to take back to Highways. He said that Baydon Parish Councillors are not responsible for designing and project managing the installation, as this is Wiltshire Highway’s area of expertise.

The chairman also stated that the chicanes project is a result of repeated requests for traffic calming from the village over a number of years, including Baydon’s Village Plan, which showed that traffic calming is Baydon’s number one priority.

The Chairman made it clear to everyone that the road must be closed in order for the chicanes to be installed, due to health and safety rules that protect those working on the road. However, Baydon Parish Council were not told of this fact until relatively recently. Very shortly after the Council was given all the details of the road closure they were made available to the rest of the village.

He also stated that at this stage, the plans for the chicanes are 90% finished by Highways and if the project doesn’t go ahead as planned, the current funding will be lost and future funding will be unlikely

Concerns that were raised and discussed regarding the chicanes were as follows:

1) Negative impact of a road closure of Baydon Post Office and Stores and The Red Lion public house

2) Residents were unclear of the official / unofficial diversion routes. Maps of the official diversion route (via Chilton Foliat and Aldbourne)were available at the meeting and unofficial / local diversion routes remain unclear until Highways confirm where exactly Ermin Street will become inaccessible from and to. The Chairman said that Baydon Parish Council will be encouraging people to use the official diversion route

3) Concerns  were raised about children walking in the dark on Finches Lane because it is single track road and a large amount of cars will also be using it during the roadworks

4) Concern about combine Harvesters being unable to negotiate the chicanes. Cllrs stated that Highways had confirmed that farm machinery had already been taken into account in the design, but to get in touch if there were any particular measurements that people were concerned about. Cllrs will check with Highways whether a  3.9m wide combine harvester will be able to pass or not

5) Concern that customers will not return to the shop or the pub after the roadworks have finished because they will have found an alternative place to go

6) A query was raised as to why the chicanes were not being installed at both ends of Ermin Street at the same time. Cllrs replied that at a cost of £31,000, we only currently have funding for the east end, but Baydon Parish Council does have intentions to install chicanes at the other end of the village in the future, near the cricket field entrance. A resident emphasised that a chicane at that end of the village, needs to be designed to allow people to safely walk to the cricket field and the Chairman agreed this is needed, especially at village events

7) A resident asked why a roundabout next to The Red Lion couldn’t be installed instead of chicanes. Cllrs replied that a feasibility study had already been conducted by Wiltshire Highways in 2011 and the result was that the necessary criteria were not met and a roundabout wasn’t suitable and wouldn’t be installed

8) It was suggested that the chicanes at the east end of Ermin St be moved either further into village or further out at the eastern end. Cllrs replied that this was a design related query and they would ask  the Wiltshire Highways engineer to explain the reason why the chicanes are planned to be located as currently illustrated

9) It was queried why the two chicanes at the east end of the village are so close together. Cllrs replied that this was to slow traffic approaching from both directions

10) Manor Lane residents explained that Manor lane is already used as a ‘rat run’ at the moment and they believe the positioning of the chicane near the Manor lane/ Ermin St junction is going to make the situation worse: Cllrs responded that a metrocount will be installed on Manor Lane before and after the chicanes are installed to gather statistics. Once the facts are known, counter measures can be considered and put in place

11) A resident remarked that drivers turning left out of Manor Lane onto Ermin Street, will not have enough space because of the close proximity of one of the chicanes. Cllrs replied that this is a design query and therefore they will ask for a response from Highways

12) The existing flashing 30MPH is not far enough out and therefore drivers approaching from the east are well into the village, before they reach the flashing light. Cllrs will check whether it’s possible to move the sign, but this request has been denied in the past

13) Why can we not have a pedestrian crossing on Ermin St? Cllrs said that previous requests for pedestrian crossings have been rejected by Highways, but they will confirm the reasons again

14) Headmaster of St Nicholas School attended and confirmed that he was in favour of the chicanes and appreciated all the hard work of the Council to get this far with a traffic calming solution, however, he remains concerned about the effect the road closure will have at school drop off and pick up times and especially the safety of the children

15) A query regarding the Emergency Services access to Baydon and the school in particular, was answered by PCSO Mills who was present and said:  when roads are closed, the emergency services are informed well in advance and arrangements are made so that everyone can be reached. Cllrs stated that Highways had already confirmed that Baydon’s  Emergency cover will be as normal

16) Some residents queried whether the chicanes will actually be successful in slowing down traffic through the village

17) When queries were raised about why a temporary /trial traffic obstacle could not be put in Ermin Street to test the effects of the Chicanes before the permanent ones are installed, Cllrs replied that the funding we applied for was for a permanent traffic calming obstacle and there hasn’t been any  other funding available for temporary /trial obstacles.

18) The question of whether the chicanes were a waste of money was raised. Cllrs replied that the majority of funding £21,000 has come from central government and therefore Baydon has the opportunity of a large traffic calming project, with only a small proportion of the cost being borne by Baydon itself

19) There was a debate about whether drivers will slow down at either end of the village, at the chicanes, but then speed up in the middle. Community Speedwatch Volunteers said that in their experience, if there is a car parked in Ermin Street ,near the playground, acting as a chicane, the results showed that the cars did not speed up after slowing down to negotiate the chicane.

20) Those worried that they will be unable to exit the Manor Lane junction onto Ermin Street when vehicles are queued at the chicane, suggested hatched markings on the road. Cllrs will suggest hatched markings to Highways

21) With a number of references in the meeting, to Wanborough’s traffic calming measures already in place, Cllrs reminded everyone that Wanborough is a ‘No Through Road’ and what applies to Wanborough, often doesn’t apply to Baydon.

22) The impact of M4 Road closures were mentioned, but Cllrs said there was little they could do to prevent the gridlock that occurs in Baydon, even though Ermin Street is not the official M4 Diversion Route

The Chairman closed the discussion by asking how the Cllrs would like to proceed.  It was unanimously decided to continue with the chicanes project as planned and request that Highways provide responses to the above queries raised at the meeting

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and for their input and said residents will be kept informed of progress of the above queries via the noticeboard outside the shop and on website

8.         FINANCE 

8.1 Southern electric £ 21.48

8.2 Thames water £29.87

8.3 HMRC payment related to Clerk’s salary £162

All approved

9.         ITEMS TO NOTE:

Cllr Cockcroft  confirmed that Beefy Skips from Swindon will be used to remove waste from the allotments

10.       ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:

10.1   Electrical box repair / replacement on village green

        10.2 Beating of the Bounds arrangements

10.3  Marlborough Area Board Grant for extra playground equipment

10.4  Dog fouling

10.5  Skip approval

10.4 Grass cutting quotes

The meeting was closed at 9.31pm by the Chairman

Signed............................................                                                       Date…...............................Chairman

Mr A Knowles

The following document was distributed in the meeting:

History of Traffic Calming in Baydon

(This list is not exhaustive or flawless, but can be used as an approximate guide)

BPC = Baydon Parish Council

WC = Wiltshire Council

CATG = Marlborough Community Area Transport Group –BPC is represented by a BPC Cllr

TCWG = Baydon’s Traffic Calming Working Group

CSW = Baydon’s Community Speedwatch

1960		BPC write to WC to request introduction of a speed limit for Ermin Street
1967		Baydon  residents (192) sign petition to WC requesting 30MPH limit in the village
1971		M4 is opened and BPC lobby for noise reduction measures
1976		BPC write to House of Commons requesting speed limit for Aldbourne Road
1977		PC lobbies WC for the speed limit on Aldbourne Road to be moved from near the Downsmead junction to outskirts of village
1985		BPC request speed limit be reduced to 30MPH throughout the village
1989		School Flashing lights (manual) are installed on Ermin Street
1989		30MPH Speed Limits introduced in the majority of the village, but not Ermin Street
1990		BPC write to WC with concerns about HGV’s using Aldbourne Road
1991		BPC request that Berkshire Council install an exit for Membury Industrial area, directly onto the M4. Request denied due to cost
1994		School writes to WC emphasising that the Police Road Safety Unit found Ermin Street to be dangerous with impossible sight lines
1995		School child nearly knocked down by car on Ermin Street
1996		School cannot recruit crossing patrol and writes to WC to request automatic flashing school signs. School emphasises that BPC is working tirelessly to push for traffic calming
1996		BPC write design brief proposing 30MPH limit on Ermin Street, width restrictions and priority schemes each end of Ermin Street, plus potentially 3 mini roundabouts
1998		BPC formally request width restrictions at village entrances, similar to Wanborough with signposting. Plus they request a roundabout at the Red Lion Junction
1999		Flashing 30MPH signs for Ermin Street are approved
2004		Parish Assembly – BPC Chairman reports that speeding through the village continues to be a problem with Police doing Adhoc speed traps
2008		Police designate Baydon as a ‘Community Concern Site’ and do regular speed checks
2008		BPC formally request Chicanes / narrowings at the entrances to the village on Ermin Street, but are told by WC that costs are prohibitive
2008	Aug	Serious car crash immediately outside the school just minutes before the end of the school day
2008		Baydon’s Traffic Calming Working Group start to investigate Community Speed Watch schemes, but learn that the police checks would be removed once a CSW is in place, therefore the idea is put on hold
2008	May	Parish Assembly hosts Mr Peter Hanson from Highways who suggests that Baydon could request village “Gateway” treatments e.g.  red rumble strips and road markings
2008		School Governor attends BPC Meeting to discuss School Travel Plan & road safety
2009		Baydon Village Plan is produced from questionnaire distributed to the entire village, showing traffic calming is Baydon’s number 1 priority
2009		Parish Assembly Hosts Peter Hanson from Highways who discusses various options for traffic calming measures, but says that funding is very limited. Villagers also expressed concern about young children playing near the main road and parents of school children parking irresponsibly
2009		BPC formally write to WC requesting  a number of traffic calming measures for the village. The WC reply states that chicanes and narrowings may be the most appropriate measure for Baydon
2009		BPC write to WC and request Horse signs for the road to Russley Park
2010		Traffic Survey in Ermin Street showed 78% of vehicles were exceeding the speed limit. 47.4% of vehicles could have been prosecuted for excessive speed
2010		BPC request Gateway treatments at the three main entrances to the village: red rumble strips, red 30MPH on the road surface and bigger and brighter 30MPH signs. Request is approved and BPC meet with Highways to finalise arrangements
2010		BPC secure matched funding for white gates for the village entrances. BPC source and paint the gates and WC install them
2010		Diane Wright, Teaching Assistant at St Nicholas School is killed on the C146 a few miles from Baydon
2010		The School’s Taking Action on School Journeys feasibility study is completed and costs are estimated at £16,000 to widen the path by the school, provide crossing points and make Ermin St / Aldbourne Road junction squarer and reduce car speeds and parking there
2010		Police Speed Camera Partnership is completely cut to save costs, therefore no speed checks in Baydon anymore…
2011	June	BPC secures grants and planning permission to install a brand new children’s playground worth £35,000 on the Parish Field near Ermin Street, after consultation with the village on location and equipment choice available (letter box drop with a questionnaire, plus Parish Assembly vote)
2011		Baydon’s 18 volunteers begin a Community Speed Watch scheme and do, on average, one session per week for two years.
2011		BPC Cllr attends Community Area Transport Group Meeting and secures £1500 funding for a feasibility Study for a roundabout by the Red Lion. (Later, the results of study state criteria is not met)
2011		Highest speed recorded by the playground area was 75mph, with at least one other car in the lower 70’s mph with many in 50’s and 60’s mph
2011		BPC request that Ermin Street (C146) has a C-Class Road Review to consider moving the 30MPH limits outwards and introducing a 40MPH Zone
2012	March(?)	Marlborough CATG agree that Ermin Street (C146) is one of only two C-roads to be put forward for review for year 2012/13
2012		BPC Cllr attends CATG Meeting and secures approx. £1500 funding for some paintwork on the road to make Ermin St appear narrower. (Highways advised BPC to try paintwork so that all available options have been exhausted before applying for traffic obstacles)
2012		CATG agree to BPC’s request that the remaining 2011/12 Budget of £3000 go towards a traffic calming obstacle for Ermin Street at the eastern end because statistics show that the highest vehicle speeds take place there
2012		White Lines are put on Ermin St near the playground to make the road appear narrower with the intention of making drivers take more care and reduce their speed. CSW results show that this paintwork has not reduced speeds
2013		Chicanes for Ermin St are on the BPC meeting agendas for June, July, Oct and Dec 2013, in Barbara Furber’s news reports and the BPC Minutes
2013	17 June	Chicane draft drawings for Ermin Street are reviewed at the BPC Meeting. It is reported that the safety audit of the project is due to take place shortly and that BPC will be requesting CATG’s support in applying for central government funding
2013	June	Information regarding potential Chicanes is available at www.baydon.org  and later drawings are also made available to download
2013	July	Marlborough CATG support BPC’s application for central government funding of £21,000. (A couple of months later, BPC learn that the application has been successful)
2013	Sept	BPC query why Baydon has not had it’s C-Class Road review as proposed by BPC and agreed by CATG in 2012. Answer: Royal Wootton Bassett Road was prioritised by Highways and Baydon’s review was cancelled meaning Ermin St / C146 speed limits will not be reviewed. CATG state that they would like to review the success of Baydon’s Chicanes at the East end of Ermin Street and then support Baydon to apply for funding to put chicanes at the west end of Ermin St in the future.
2013	Sept	BPC request a “Pedestrians in the Road” sign for eastbound vehicles approaching the cricket field entrance on Ermin St. CATG support BPC’s request and the task is passed to Highways for action
2013	Oct	Baydon Scene – Parish Council Corner – It is announced that Baydon finally has approval to put traffic calming measures in place at the east entrance to the village
2013	Sept/ Oct	BPC request that Manor Lane is considered for a 20MPH Limit through WC’s 20MPH Limit Consultation with Parish Councils. (Manor Lane is the only road in Baydon to meet the necessary criteria for nomination)
2013	21 Oct	In line with CATG recommendation, BPC agree to budget for Chicanes for the eastern end of Ermin St. Allowing for £3k per year, it will take approx 3 years to have a large enough contribution to then apply for central government funding for the remaining amount of approx £20K, (if the Chicanes at the western end of Ermin Street are proved to be effective)
2013	Oct	Serious Drink Driving Accident on C146 a few miles from Baydon
2014	Jan	Chicanes are on BPC Agenda and it is confirmed that WC have engaged the contractor, Atkins,  to work on the chicanes project and detailed plans should be available shortly, with work planned to start in April 2014. (Baydon PC is aware for the first time that a road closure is required, but has no details such as number of days, timings e.g. day and night or whether it is full or partial)
2014	Feb	Baydon Scene - Parish Council Corner  - states that work on the Ermin Street Chicanes is due to start in April
2014	24 Feb	Chicane installation is on the Parish Council Agenda and is discussed, but no start date has yet been confirmed by WC
2014	25 Feb	BPC is notified by Highways that Ermin Street is due to be closed w/c 12 May for two weeks for the Chicanes installation to take place
2014	7 March	After checking with WC, the proposed road closure date is put on Baydon’s Website and a Cllr checks with the shop that they are aware of the date.  A Cllr goes to the pub the following week to discuss their concerns
2014	March	Manor Lane residents express concerns re: chicanes having unintentional effect of diverting traffic down Manor Lane as a shortcut to Aldbourne Road.
2014	31 March	BPC hold an extra BPC meeting to discuss the Chicanes and give residents & businesses opportunity to express concerns

BPC = Baydon Parish Council

WC = Wiltshire Council

CATG = Marlborough Community Area Transport Group – BPC is represented by a BPC Cllr

TCWG = Baydon’s Traffic Calming Working Group

CSW = Baydon’s Community Speedwatch

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