| The Char Valley Village Communities Action Plans 2003 |
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for Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine and Stanton St. Gabriel Parishes |
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| Action Plans for Issues affecting all Three Parishes |
| 6. Road Conditions, Restrictions
and Controls On the A35 Trunk Road and in our Lanes A 30mph limit through the centre of Morcombelake and an extension of the present 40 mph limit westwards to beyond “Fulvens bends”. A 50mph limit from the end of the westbound 40 mph limit on Chideock Hill to the beginning of the speed limit through Morcombelake. See A35 Communities Initiative October 1999 paragraph 4.2.9 A pedestrian crossing or island in Morcombelake between Moores Biscuit Factory and the Morcombelake Post Office Stores. Morcombelake has a predominately elderly, retired population and the A35 carries an enormous volume of holiday traffic. It is very dangerous for pedestrians crossing the road to the Post Office and the Church. It is at present dangerous to turn left into Tizard’s Knapp by the Ship Inn travelling eastwards from Charmouth. The 40mph restriction is shortly before the turning, which is on a bend, and the turning itself is sharp and into a narrow lane. Traffic roars up behind cars that have had to slow down to make the turning. We would like a widening of the corner, to allow for this turn to be made safely. Also to extend the 40mph limit further westwards. Safe crossing points for horse riders. The Three Counties Bridlepath Group are doing a West Country survey into safe crossing places for horses on major roads. We need crossing points at Morcombelake to give access to bridlepaths on the National Trust Golden Cap Estate, further west beyond the Charmouth bypass at Penn and at Raymond’s Hill. Our bridlepaths are used by local riders and by tourist visitors to our AONB so we need to make sure that it is possible to use them. Road signs indicating the nature of the lanes should be provided where they leave the A35 and the B3165. Either a sign indicating narrowest width, or “Single track roads with passing places”. We do not wish to disadvantage our farmers who rely on bulk deliveries, but in the long term, some solution to the chaos that enormous delivery lorries cause within our lanes will have to be found. If there could be a national scheme to prevent very large HGVs using C, D or unclassified roads, and instead deliver loads to transfer stations on local industrial sites, then farmers in one area would not be at a disadvantage to another. When the A35 is closed for any reason, between Bridport and Axminster, a well planned diversion scheme co-ordinating Dorset, Devon and Somerset Police forces needs to be implemented without delay. The diversion scheme used during road repairs by Connect in the autumn of 2002 worked well, but when there is an accident the action is inadequate. We need to have a permanent strategic plan in place, which all the Police forces know about and adhere to. The reason for this is that there is no alternative route for the A35 traffic between Axminster and Bridport. |
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ACTION PLAN AIMS:
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| To see that the A35 becomes a safer road
for drivers, pedestrians and riders. • To lobby for the re-routing of long distance HGVs to a more suitable road. • To lobby for all of the above wish list points. • To investigate the possibility of sensory signs, camera boxes and road markings to reduce traffic speed • To retain a place for our Transport Representative on the A35 Communities Initiative Committee and on WATAG. |
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A35 in Morcombelake (Penny Watt)
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Problems in the Lanes:
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The single most important factor for the residents of, and visitors to our rural area is to provide for the proper maintenance of the existing road infrastructure. This is not being done at present, and there appears to be poor co-ordination of the different responsibilities of County and District Councils. Ditches, drains and road gullies are not cleared. The edges of lanes have, in many places, grown out one or two feet into the road so that even if the drain grids are cleared, the water on the road does not flow into them. When the drain covers are removed and the silt sucked out, it still leaves some pipes between the drain holes blocked. Water flowing down the centre of the roads is ripping up the surface. Flooding is becoming an increasing headache during the winter months. The roads in and out of Whitchurch Canonicorum are particularly bad. The roads are not swept frequently so that they are covered in slippery leaves and mud during the autumn and winter. 6.15. Potholes are damaging cars and making the roads particularly dangerous for use by motorbikes and cycles (and yet we have cycle route signs on many of our lanes). Our local tourism industry is now providing year-round accommodation. People will not come to the West Dorset countryside if the lanes are a mess and they have to negotiate floods, banks of silt and stones over the lanes. A good deal of vehicle movement in the Vale is not just outwards to Bridport and Axminster, but also between the villages and hamlets within the Vale. Please note that nearly 50% of those of working age work within the Vale. We need to be able to get around our area throughout the year. MORE MONEY needs to be set aside for maintaining our lanes. We would like to see a 20mph speed limit through Whitchurch Canonicorum and Wootton Fitzpaine. We would also like “Children crossing” or “Children at play” signs either side of Whitchurch Canonicorum Village Hall and Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall where there are village playgrounds. Footpaths and bridlepaths in the Vale need to be maintained and well waymarked. Many visitors come to walk and ride in our AONB so it is an essential tourist facility as well as necessary for those who live here. It would good to have a speedy solution to the reinstatement of the South Coast Path further inland from where it has fallen into the sea, but we acknowledge the difficulties of this with continuing coastal erosion. We have well marked cycle routes throughout our parishes. The lanes are not suitable for a large development of these, but at the present scale of use they are fine. The A35 is unsuitable for cyclists or pedestrians and alternative routes or footpaths should be well signed. Our verges/banks are cut twice a year. The timing of the first cut is crucial because we have so many spring flowers. The Parish Council would prefer to see that the verges are not cut before the 1st June. The “Blue Post” verges are meant to be cut “later”, but in fact are usually left until the autumn as the cutting subcontractor does not return for a mid season cut. This has not helped to preserve our rarer flowers, as they are now overgrown by vigorous summer plants and dead vegetation. The whole issue of how to find a sensible programme needs to be looked at again. |
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Action plan aims:
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| To see that the rural lanes are maintained to a level
where they are passable at all times of year. Actions on roads and lanes in rural areas • To address all the above points and to press Dorset County Council and West Dorset District Council to put together a plan for better co-ordination on the delivery of a maintenance, cleaning and verge cutting programme for our lanes. • To talk to Dorset Wildlife Trust and The AONB Management Plan Team about the “Blue Post” verges. • To look into the “Quiet Lanes” project to see whether it would be suitable for any of our villages. Information for residents: Freephone telephone number for potholes or drain clearance 0800 232323 Mud or slurry dropped on the road during farming operations should be cleaned up by the farmer responsible. Please be tolerant and accept that some mess is inevitable in a farming area, but if this becomes a continuous problem, which creates a hazard to road users, then the Police should be informed. The responsibility for cutting hedges along the lanes rests with the landowner/farmer/householder, as does the trimming of low overhanging tree branches. |
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