Traffic chaos

(Policy 12) On 24th May, GBC’s elected Councillors voted through the Draft Plan, without scrutinising a major piece of evidence, ‘The Strategic Transport Report’ (missing document). An adjournment was requested, but was outvoted by the majority.

The Road Investment Strategy’s main focus is M25 and the A3 (strategic roads), the responsibility of Highways England. No funding is available for any improvements from The Road Investment Strategy Phase 2, until after 2020.

SCC have not yet published their ‘Transport Strategy’.

Surrey County Council traffic simulations verify, the level of traffic on our roads is already above capacity the roads were designed for.

Guildford’s unrealistic ‘growth’ plans will force more traffic onto busy A roads and minor roads. With no evidence of secure funding for any improvements to the A3 (during the life time of the Draft Plan ) the road network will gridlock causing damage and stagnation of our economy.

A further 5,600 will be generated from the combined developments A46 (1,100 homes) and Blackwell Farm (1,800 homes) with access to the A3. Local roads and ‘A’ routes will grind to a halt at peak times with massively increase exhaust pollution of NoX and C02 threatening elderly people and children.

GBC have ignored Rushmoor’s expansion of 4,000 homes which will generate huge volumes of commuter journey from outside the borough, (east to west), compounding traffic congestion in the surrounding roads A31, A323, junctions at Glaziers Lane and Westwood Lane.

Although the GBC’s ‘aspiration’ is to build a tunnel costing billions of pounds, to ease traffic congestion along the A3, it will not be completed during the life span of this Local Plan.

Guildford Residents’ Association (representing 26 residents’ associations including Normandy) June 2016 press release ‘United in Opposition to Local Plan Across Town and Country’, Infrastructure to little to late, argues the ‘vague proposals for a ‘Snake’ (Sustainable Movement Corridor) at A3 improvements offer too little to late’…..’Land is not safeguarded for A3 tunnel entrances or the ‘Snake’…..’Residents are disturbed that no one has had a chance to look at a crucial piece of evidence that should have
informed the Plan - the long awaited ‘Strategic Transport Assessment’.