OWAIRA ALERT! A320 ‘IMPROVMENTS’ through Ottershaw
You will be aware of the long running ideas coming from SCC for ‘improvements’ to the A320, including the ‘horrendous’ roundabout at the Otter! Surrey County Council (SCC) has launched a Web site and emailed many residents about the A320 Highways proposals. The web site is https://a320.commonplace.is/ They are asking for the opinions of users of the A320.
Roundabout and Car Park
Two of the major concerns expressed by residents previously have been the scale of the proposed new roundabout system and the re-siting of the village carpark. The tone of SCC web publicity has changed since December 2020. At that time, the website contained the somewhat cheery news that the new roundabout would be of ‘conventional’ design – now it is stated it will be ‘relocated’. Secondly, in December 2020 SCC told us that the ‘Existing carpark would be retained’. Now they are just saying ‘Retention of a village carpark’. Very similar to the original 2018 Arcadis proposal?
Opinion then was that we do not want the village to be severed by a huge new roundabout system nor do we want the carpark moved further away from the village hall. We may need to restate that now.
A320 work is required to mitigate the effects of the increased traffic generation from new developments already approved in the Runnymede Local Plan for some 3000 new dwellings along with the significant additional growth in Woking and surrounding areas over the next 10 years.
Highways England are also planning major works on the M25 and particularly through Junction 11 at St Peters Way.
Funding
SCC and Runnymede BC have jointly been awarded £42million by the Government (HIF) to undertake the works on the A320, (excludes M25 works). Work must be finished by 2023/24. This must be done before much of the housing allocated in the RBC Local Plan is released to build. If the money is not utilised by then, it may be withdrawn and ‘lost’, and Runnymede will not be able to meet the delivery of new homes – as instructed by Government. SCC appears therefore to be reducing the scale of its plans for the A320, (incl the huge Otter Roundabout) to be sure to meet the cutoff.
What are we doing?
OWAIRA Committee members along with your local Councillors have been engaged with SCC extensively over the last three years seeking to influence design proposals. We feel that the representations are having some beneficial effect. SCC propose issuing new design ideas after receiving your feedback, possibly in May, with detailed engineering designs produced by Spring 2022 and works commencing that year.
Please complete this consultation by responding to SCC using the form on their website (and making full use of the ‘Comments’ box at the end) or by emailing the project team at -a320feedback@surreycc.gov.uk
If you wish, please copy your responses to OWAIRA@outlook.com to enable OWAIRA to continue to represent the interests of all Ward Residents and businesses. Members of OWAIRA will be kept informed as matters progress and will be consulted. Please join! Thank you
Excerpts from latest update on the SCC website -
Making improvements to the A320 in Runnymede between Chertsey and Ottershaw
Surrey County Council and Runnymede Borough Council have been awarded £41.8 million by Homes England's Housing Infrastructure Fund to improve the A320.
The works will ensure there is extra capacity on the busy stretch of road between Chertsey and Ottershaw to unlock future housing sites allocated in the Borough’s recently adopted Local Plan.
The works will make sure all the junctions and link roads work well together to improve traffic flow. There will also be improvements for walkers and cyclists, including new crossing points and wider foot and cycle paths.
Upgrading the A320 will enable approximately 3,000 new homes to be built across 10 sites in this part of Runnymede – a key component of the Borough's recently approved Local Plan.
Proposed works
We are working on planned improvements to a number of road junctions, including the M25 junction 11 and associated link roads. It is planned for the works to be completed by 2024.
1. Roundabout at A320 Chilsey Green Road and St Ann's Road, and at B388 Thorpe Road and Staines Road
Key features being considered are:
Improved traffic flow on all approaches to and through the junction
Marking the roundabout with two lanes
A new controlled crossing on Chilsey Green Road near Pyrcroft Grange Primary School
2. Guildford Road (outside Salesian School)
Key features being considered are:
· Conversion of existing segregated cycle route on the east side of Guildford Road to shared use foot/cycleway
· Widening eastern pavement on Guildford Road at the northern end of Salesian School to continue shared use foot/cycleway
· Improvements to local parent drop-off and kerbside bus/coach facilities.
3. Staggered Junction at A320 Guildford Road and Green Lane, and A320 Guildford Road and Holloway Hill
Key features being considered are:
Improved traffic flow on all approaches to and, through the junction[s] from all arms
Wide, shared use foot/cycleways around the junction
Controlled pedestrian/cycle crossings
4. Guildford Road (Holloway Hill to Bittams Lane)
Key features being considered are:
Wide, shared use foot/cycleway throughout
Carriageway widening at both ends to link to Junctions 6a and 6b and the Hospital Roundabout
Shared use foot/cycleway on Guildford Road to St Peter's Hospital.
5. Guildford Road (St Peter's Way to Chobham Road)
Key features being considered are:
Improved traffic facilities on St Peter’s RAB
Widening of carriageway south of St Peter's roundabout to improve current narrowness of northbound lanes
Conversion of existing cycle route to a wide, shared use foot/cycleway
6. Junction at Ottershaw Roundabout - A320 Guildford Road, Murray Road and Chobham Road
Key features currently being considered, among others, are:
Conventional, relocated roundabout with improved approach and circulatory capacities
Wide, shared use foot/cycleway along west side of Guildford Road
Controlled crossing points around the junction
Retention of a village car park
7. St Peter's Way
Key features being considered are:
Reinforcing the 50mph speed limit
Carriageway improvements eastbound along St Peter's Way
8. M25 Junction 11
Key features being considered are:
Additional slip road exit lanes, installation and upgrading of traffic signal controls, barrier works, resurfacing and revised road markings
Have your say on plans for the A320
We would like your views on travelling along the A320 – how do you find the route and what could improve it?
We will listen to your feedback and use it to help shape our designs, which we'll share with you in the Spring. You will also have an opportunity to give your feedback on these emerging designs when they are published. This webpage will be open for comments until Sunday 14 March.
We are working on planned improvements to a number of road junctions, including the M25 junction 11 and associated link roads and these are expected to help address issues associated with expected increases in traffic over the next 10 years, as well as improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. It is planned for the works to be completed by 2024.
POSTED FOR JIM NICHOL
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