Traffic Monitoring November 2017 - 13th anniversary!

As a result of traffic monitoring cables having been installed across the carriageway in various locations along the A639 and A642, this month, the following email has been sent to the Ward councillors, copied to our MP, and the Highways representative from Leeds City Council:   

Councillors

With reference to the traffic monitoring (cables across the carriageway) taking place on the A639 it has been pointed out that yet again the siting of the monitoring equipment on Leeds Hill is not in the optimum location and if the monitoring is for speed measurement, then the results will not be truly representative of the traffic speeds reached along Leeds Hill, and will show lower maximum speeds.  To record the speeds that are being reached the monitoring equipment should be closer to the middle of this stretch of road, as has been proven in the past.

More HGV traffic?

This could be a long way off ... it might never happen (pigs might fly), but it is worth considering what the HGV traffic impact on the area will be if either or both of the proposed incinerator sites are built, at the former Skelton Grange power station site.  See the article below from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Saturday 11 August 2012.

Click on image to view

Forget the general environmental impact upon the area, this is the 'dumping ground' of Leeds, it will happen.  We need our councillors to make sure the potential traffic problem is dealt with ... and not listen to the usual half-wits proclaiming that there won't be any impact.

Two years wasted!

We first posted about this back in April 2010, and it now looks as though planning approval for the development of a 100 acre business park and distribution centre, just across the M62 is all-but 'rubber stamped'.
  
Setting aside the arguments about the loss of greenbelt land, and the need for a new stadium for Wakefield Wildcats rugby club, the traffic impact upon our area could be massive!  The transport plan supporting the planning application points to the proximity of the M62, and the M1, implying that this will be the main route for all heavy traffic. This same argument was probably put forward in the case of the major distribution developments at Stourton, notably ARLA, and the Royal Mail, and highways personnel, in answer to our concerns about the East Leeds link road, stated that there would not be any traffic impact upon the A639/A642, as a result of that road opening - THERE IS!


In the July edition of the Rothwell and District Record, Councillor Golton is reported as having said:


"This is obviously a very disappointing decision for local residents." .........
"I have no issue with the stadium element of the plan and I sympathise with the Wildcats' need to secure the future of their club.  But I remain very concerned about the effect that a haulage distribution centre and business park will have about the congestion that this will cause in the area" 

WELL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN! 


  

Political Irony?

It seems that it is OK to acknowledge that passing HGVs and other trucks might keep people awake at night ...  IF you are using it for poltical means, as may be seen in this letter that appears in this month's Rothwell and District Record, from Councillor Stewart Golton:

(Double click to view clearly)

We have been asking to Cllr Golton to do something about the existing problem of disturbance from night time HGV traffic for years now but clearly the complaints of local residents are of no consequence!

Online Petition - Press coverage

The following article appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post, 30 May 2012. Double click to view:

Click here to add your support

Existing Guidelines and Policies

We have regularly made reference to existing guidelines and policies in place to protect individuals and communities from traffic noise and disturbance. Access to some of the key documents can be obtained through 'Useful Links' in the right hand column. At least one of our contributors works in the property development and design fields and is able to confirm that these policies are used on a daily basis by local authority planning departments throughout the country, to control development. One particularly relevent document is Planning Policy Guidance 13: Transport, and one simple and concise section from PPG 13 is section 46:

'...because of concerns over disturbance to residents'

Surely not the most difficult piece of text to understand?

HGV Ban hypocrisy?

It is acknowledged that the unacceptable increase in HGV traffic along Leeds/Wakefield Road is directly related to the industrial and distribution developments in Stourton, and Cross Green, and that in turn this growth is directly related to the construction of the M1-A1 link, now a few years old. Without the M1-A1 link the scale of industrial and distribution development would have been significantly reduced because of planning and highways issues.

The M1-A1 link opened up acres of developable land, and what better location for industrial and distribution developments than right next to the M1 motorway with direct links to both the M62 and the A1 - no real argument.

Interesting then to consider the justification for the M1-A1 Link, Lofthouse - Bramham, that can be found here Roads review - what role for trunk roads in England?

........to relieve congestion, improve the environment and enhance road safety on the local road network by removing through traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, from unsuitable roads in Central and East Leeds and to provide additional capacity to meet future predicted traffic growth.

Leeds City Council and freight transport

Do officers within the council understand just how detrimental the noise,vibration, and disturbance from HGV traffic can be? Well yes they do actually! -

In November 2005, when we were still trying to get the council to listen to us, a highways department report (Design and Cost Report -Capital Scheme No: 01881 - Agenda Item No 1653/2005) was put to the council Director of City Services, supporting an HGV ban on Cross Green Lane, Cross Green. One of the reasons for the HGV ban was:

2.4 Many operators run 24 hours a day 7 days a week and so there is no respite for the residents.

Section 4.1 confirms the support of the local councillors.

At the time correspondence was sent from us to the leader of the council, Andrew Carter, asking why we weren't regarded with the same concern. We'll let you know the answer when we receive a reply!

The Government and freight transport

The Government's The future of transport - White Paper CM6234 is one of the lead national strategy documents relative to transport, if you want to check it out click here.

'Chapter 8, Freight: moving goods more efficiently' contains this section:

Local and regional regulation - we will encourage local authorities to consider how their various regulatory powers that relate to freight transport (traffic and parking regulations, night-time bans, planning powers and the use of planning conditions) can be co-ordinated to make life easier for businesses while protecting the interests of local people. Freight policy also needs to be considered by regional bodies and we will encourage them to think strategically about freight, especially in the context of regional strategies on transport, housing and spacial development.

There is a presumption that local authorities will put people before traffic.