You have already heard that local people consider the closing of the Black Swan Crossing is unacceptable
Martin Brown has already explained the flaws in the traffic measurement.
You will also have a statement on behalf of “The Vulnerable Road Users” - representing Cyclists, Horse Riders and Walkers, activities which as a County Council you are trying to promote. There is no evidence that this group has been consulted on the closure at local level.
I now wish to refer to a report on the study carried out by Halcrow Consulting Engineers dated August 2002 which was commissioned by the Highways Agency and paid for by us “A review of road safety of the section of the A19 Trunk road between the Crathorne and the Tontine with particular regard to the crossings and central reservation gaps” Quite a mouthful. But your officers say they hadn’t not seen it before I sent it to them and so you won’t know about it either.
This Halcrow report goes into the detailed cost benefits and dis-benefits in some detail as well as dealing with the social and cultural problems which would be associated with the closure.
This Halcrow report was considered by Thorgill Transport Consultancy, a consultancy with local knowledge and who were able to confirm that the optimum solution to the Black Swan Crossing problem by Halcrow as being a New Grade Separated Junction. This would produce a pay back in under five years - I am sure Members would be satisfied with a five year pay back on your capital projects.
Members have been very few but misleading figures, with the all important ones not being disclosed. It seems amazing to me that you are being asked to make a recommendation on such incomplete evidence.
You must therefore ask the Highways Agency to give fast track priority for a separated interchange at the Black Swan Crossing and not support a permanent closing of the crossing under any circumstances otherwise the matter will never be properly resolved.
If in the interests of your electorate you are unable to take this action then please defer a decision until all the available facts have been made available to you
Colin Hinton, Rountons Parish Councillor
CFH/4/2//05