BRIDGE SET TO BE OPENED TO TRAFFIC
MAJORITY OF THOSE POLLED OBJECT TO PLAN
bridge traffic A CONTENTIOUS is in set a quiet to given Nuneaton plan the to green open village up light to a despite more than half the number of respondents to a public poll saying they do not want it. The results of the public consultation into the plans to allow traffic to use Bermuda bridge have shown that 64 per cent of people do not support the scheme. But Warwickshire County Council is set to still run with the project, which has already been changed from the original proposals due to soaring costs. In a report which will be discussed by Shire Hall’s cabinet on Tuesday (July 24), it states that 65 per cent of the respondents either completely agreed or partly agreed that traffic congestion in West Nuneaton causes problems in their day to day activities, however 64 per cent said they do not support the proposed “The Bridge. outcome new highway of the link consultation via Bermuda reinforces the strong level of opposition towards the scheme from local residents, who primarily live in the area where the scheme is situated,” the report says. “This is a similar outcome to the original consultation carried out during the preliminary design stage in 2015.” Concerns were raised about safety, the potential for the use of the bridge creating ‘rat runs’ through the village and Respondents and surrounding parking also issues. estates, pointed more to another congestion potential huge traffic project in the area, an Arbury Estate Link Road between the A444 Walsingham Drive and Heath End Road. But the county has said that it is unlikely to happen in the near future because of its links to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s (NBBC) Borough Plan, which maps out where development and new traffic infrastructure is needed. “The Strategic Transport Assessment (STA) for the NBBC Borough Plan is clear that Bermuda Connectivity is viewed as highway mitigation required in the early years of the Borough Plan,” the report states. “Bermuda Connectivity is a multifaceted Scheme which would provide a number of directly attributable strategic benefits over and above reducing journey times and addressing congestion on the A444 corridor. These include enhancing access to the Bermuda residential area and a wide range of local businesses, supporting further development in the Bermuda area, providing improved connectivity to Bermuda Park rail station and improved local pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.”
In regard to residents’ concerns, Shire Hall officers have said that a number of measures have been put in place;
Relax the permanent double yellow parking restrictions along entire route, e.g. alter to no parking between (8am until 8pm) - to enable on-street parking at certain times, e.g. evenings
Provision of bollards on the southern foot way where Bermuda Road meets The Bridleway (adjacent to No. 117 Bermuda Road) – this will provide protective barrier between carriageway and residential properties
Vehicle restraint measures at the Heath End Road / Bermuda Road junction, e.g. barriers on foot way – this measure will deter large vehicles from encroaching onto the footway when carrying out turning manoeuvres
Examine the feasibility of providing additional traffic calming islands on Bermuda Road, and implement if deliverable – this will contribute towards controlling reduce vehicle speed and providing additional pedestrian / cycle crossing points.
Costs: A total of £3.702m was originally secured for the scheme. But the projected cost now stands at £8.900m. A bid was to the Capital Investment Fund (CIF) to request a further £4.198m to make up the funding, alongside a further £1m grant from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Economic Partnership (CWLEP) awarded to the County Council.
It is understood that if the plan is given the go ahead, work could start as soon as March next year
Submission of the planning application to the county council covering the elements of the scheme which require consent – August 2018;
Complete land acquisition with the aim of reaching voluntary agreement with each landowner – October 2018;
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council to claim the £0.500million contribution from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and transfer the grant to the county council – December 2018;
Finalise procurement of the construction works and award contract – January 2019
Commencement of construction works – March 2019.