Transport
The Trust and other organisations have for many years been debating the issues of traffic congestion and air pollution and their impact on the health and enjoyment of living in the City. The post-war growth of suburbs to the west of Winchester and the rapid rise of car ownership, have introduced high levels of traffic and parking in the City Centre and suburbs.
Traffic and car parks are visually intrusive, create noise, pollute the air and make life unpleasant for pedestrians. They also damage the character of the walled area of the historic City with its narrow streets which too frequently suffer from traffic congestion. Measures are required that offer feasible and attractive alternative ways to move in and around Winchester.
The Trust has always supported the Park and Ride Strategy. In the light of all the problems now associated with motor traffic, more recently the Trust has argued that additional measures are required that lead to a significant reduction in traffic entering the centre of Winchester. It now advocates that the number of parking spaces should be substantially reduced in the central area.
Winchester Movement Strategy
The Trust supports the Winchester Movement Strategy adopted by Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council in early 2019 with its three priorities of reducing city centre traffic; supporting healthier lifestyle choices; and investing in infrastructure to support sustainable growth. The test will be whether the measures proposed in support of these priorities will in fact lead to a reduction in city centre traffic. Much hope is invested in the proposal to introduce bus gates on some radial routes. Will this reduce the number of cars entering the centre at busy times and give a clear run to buses?
The Trust is also concerned about the impact on traffic levels of the major new developments currently being planned for the City - the regeneration of the City centre and the railway station and its surrounding area. We have made it clear to the City Council that the three priorities of the Movement Strategy should be supported by bold decisions and actions which reduce cars and parking spaces and promote the sustainable travel modes of bus, bicycle, walking and train.
Click on the image to go to the County Council’s website and download the report
Early in 2022, Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council consulted the public on 10 proposed changes arising out of the Movement Strategy which was published in 2019. The Strategy's main objective is to reduce car traffic in the City Centre. The consultation closed on 11th February 2022.
The proposals include a new northern park and ride site on Andover Road, improved public spaces, bus priority, safe pedestrian and cycling routes and changes to city centre parking. They are intended to contribute to improving transport over the next 20-30 years, including a reduction in city centre traffic, and a greener, healthier, more sustainable city.
The proposals can be viewed on the County Council’s website by clicking here. The survey and briefing documents are accessed at the bottom of the page.
The Trust’s own response can be downloaded here.
Hampshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan 4
In April 2022, Hampshire County Council produced a Draft Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4). It sets out the County Council’s proposed policies and proposals for transport within Hampshire, looking ahead to 2050., and is out for public consultation until 26 June 2022. A final version is expected to be adopted by early 2023.
The vision of LTP4 is a carbon neutral, resilient and inclusive transport system, designed around people, which supports health, wellbeing and quality of life for all, supports a prosperous economy and protects the environment.
The Trust responded to the consultation - you can read our response here.
It is too soon to know the results of the public consultation, but if the Plan retains its general approach, it is truly radical in its potential to achieve significant change to the way we move about, and is quite different to the disappointingly limited disjointed proposals for Winchester which were consulted on earlier this year. But, like so much of local government’s operations these days, achieving any change is dependent on central government for the finance to enable it to happen.
As an example of this dependence, one central government initiative underway at the moment is a study in Winchester and 18 other areas in England funded by government to examine the feasibility of introducing low traffic neighbourhoods. Their idea is to apply Dutch design principles that put the needs of people above cars. They exclude through traffic using barriers, while still permitting access for residents’ vehicles, and they give priority to pedestrians and cyclists over cars. Connections between the different neighbourhoods will be encouraged by the creation of ‘quietway’ routes for cyclists and pedestrians with safe crossing points on the busier main roads. The study is to be submitted to government by the autumn of 2022 and a decision will be made by the spring of 2023 on which of the 19 areas will be awarded money to take the proposals forward. In all cases the public will have a chance to comment.