Kingsway Villagers

In a meeting today it has been confirmed that the Bollard in the underpass will be decommissioned in the near future. This is due to the fact that it keeps getting vandalised and most importantly the impact to emergency services access when the bollard breaks in the “up” position.

However that does not remove the problem that the road itself and the Tesco roundabout does not have the capacity to cope with a large volume of traffic from Kingsway, and that, if open, it would turn into a rat run.

To counter this, the Highways Agency is installing a traffic camera, similar to the one on Llanthony Bridge. This will mean that anyone passing under the bridge WILL get fined for doing so.

This should be active by the second week in April. There will be explicit sign-age to ensure everyone is aware (learning the lessons from the Llanthony Bridge issues) and

I have asked for as much communication as possible about this to make sure everyone is aware and don’t get caught out by thinking they won’t be caught. I have also asked for some officers to be present during the first few days of operation to flag down and deter people from driving through. I am keen to ensure that this is not a “cash cow” for the city council but is there for the right reasons.

Please tell your neighbours and friends and I will do my best to keep you updated as to progress.

Cheers

Barry
Chair – Kingsway Residents Assoc.

Editors Note: "£60 fines will be issued to drivers caught on camera using the underpass from Saturday, 23 April"

During the "Residents Association resurrection meeting " of 22/10/2009, it was generally agreed that the Association should: "Present a focussed approach to the QUVL and apply pressure on them to address issues which are adversely affecting residents (eg: builders hours, construction traffic etc)"

At the last Residents Association committee meeting, we discussed the issue, which – it was noted – has continued to plague local residents.

During the AGM (minutes here), Andy Smith (QUVL) invited local residents to report breaches in the agreement to "Planning Enforcement Officer – Andy Birchley".

To facilitate this, the Residents Association has agreed (with your help) to compile lists of such problems, which we will submit (as appropriate) on a monthy basis, (to show it is indeed a very real problem which needs solving).

Thus the RA has asked me to invite you all to submit (via comments on this post), any sightings of constructor’s traffic, with as much info’ as possible… IE:

Regards,
Clive

Antisocial behaviour when turning into Marham Drive.

I am a resident who lives within the vicinity of Marham Drive and Thatcham Avenue.

I find myself having to address the driver who sounds the horn of his/her vehicle (a dark blue/black BMW) 4-5 times, every time he/she enters Marham Drive:

Rest assured if your behaviour is not corrected then I will report you to the Police… It will not be tolerated!

However, if you would like to speak to me about this, please feel free to reply to me on this website.

Raffles

Did anyone else get stuck in the large queue of traffic as you enter the village, due to the change in the traffic light sequence at the Woodvale crossroads on Tuesday?

I noticed last week that the sensor no longer seems to work!

It all went wrong Tuesday evening during the rush hour. Traffic was queued right back out onto the dual carriageway and I was forced to sit in the fast lane of the A38 as I waited to turn right into Kingsway.

I thought there had been an accident in the village somewhere but then I realised it was down to the traffic lights!

Gritting of Roads.

Whilst we are limited to only one entry and exit route from the Village, surely it should be gritted?
I assume adoption may be a barrier to the local authority doing it. If that is the case could QUVL grit it? This would benefit their own construction traffic and sub-contractors getting into – and out of – the village.

Construction Traffic.

I was grateful for the advice to report construction traffic using the A38 entrance to the council, but I hope QUVL can also take this forward with the individual developers and site managers. It is simply unacceptable that residents have to dodge large earth moving vehicles, cement mixers, low loaders etc. I even noticed a tracked digger casually making it’s way down Thatcham Avenue between Lion Court and Miller Homes. As a tank commander myself – I know this is ridiculous!

Parking.

What is the plan in the long term for the parking outside the Thatcham Avenue show homes? This could make an excellent parking area if people want it. I share the view that there is little or no parking available for visitors.  Equally if we got the low wooden beam fence removed or put back this would give enough room for cars to pass down the tiny cul-de-sac for numbers 115,117,119,121 Thatcham.

Lighting.

The car park behind Boddington Drive has no lighting what so ever. It is a ripe target for an opportunist to use cover of darkness to force entry, or prey on vehicles or lone drivers. Please could QUVL look at this? Perhaps not a big street light but low level lighting to enable vision from cars to paths, deter any possible criminal activity.

As many know, my view on the Parking issue is that the Village has been very badly designed in terms of it being a commuter Village. While we as residents have a duty to park as responsibly as possible, I do not believe there is enough proper parking to allow for 2 cars per house as well as parking for visitors and friends.

To this end, in the last meeting I had with City and County Council representatives as well as QUVL, I laid it out as to what a problem it is becoming and that it was having a number of cascading effects on living here.

We are now going to determine exactly where the problems are to determine what could be done, to potentially get some more parking without impinging on the large green spaces.

The areas I have identified are as follows:
Halton Way (due to the Lines in Woodvale)
Thatcham Avenue/Marham Drive Junction
Thatcham Avenue/Mildenhall Junction
Thatcham Avenue by Millar homes
Valley Gardens just before Bollard by post box

If you would contribute to this list please join in by posting specifically where there are real parking issues; the more precise the better. Post it here, or email me on mrbpkirby@hotmail.com

I will then mark up the map that Planning have sent me and I will drive this forward to see what the “art of the possible” is.

It is also worth pointing out that by next May (ish) we will have the second access from Naas lane to the local centre (by the school) so that will also ease the burden of through traffic that Thatcham currently takes.

Yours
Barry
Chair – Kingsway Residents Association