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You may have seen signs up warning of works at the School Hill and Windmill Hill junction, outside the new St Andrew’s Centre.
Letters are about to go out to residents describing the proposed works, but the warning signs have beaten us to it.
The changes have the aims of:
– improving facilities for pedestrians moving around the area, including crossing to and from the bus stop on the island
– slow traffic turning on to Park Lane from School Hill
– improve the safety for cyclists in the area
– provide defined parking for the centre, including for holders of Blue Badges
As can be seen from the diagram, the focus of the scheme is outside StAC.
Comments on the proposals can still be made to the Parish Council by emailing clerk@hisimp.net or phoning the number above.
Any improvement is good but, can’t help thinking that a more radical approach is needed, cycling up towards Windmill Lane is often interesting as cars assume you are going to turn into School Hill
Agreed, dropping the road outside St Andrews Centre would have been better from this point of view. Opening up a large public space between the centre and the triangle. Disabled parking bays could have been added in the mouths of the removed road. Slower turning movement for the T junction would have improved cycling and walking safety in the area.
It’s often scary cycling up Windmill Lane when drivers expect to pass while turning left into School Hill. Hopefully the new geometry will reduce the speed and help with this. I’m glad to see the one way has been decided against – I’d imagine this would have made the turn very inviting for fast motor vehicle movements; looking a lot like a slip road!
(In the meanwhile ride centrally in the lane and perhaps indicate right before the junction to make clear you are not riding into School Hill and should not be overtaken.)
Have I missed something? These works do not appear to be what was proposed last year. What happened to the proposals to in effect create a one-way system around the triangle island. i.e. a single one-way lane outbound to Park Lane by the church centre & a one-way lane into the village. Also widening the footpath after Windmill Grange, over the stream to the in-bound bus stop?
Perhaps without moving the tree it is not possible to come up with anything more radical than this. Essentially this looks to be a cheap option consisting mostly of a bit of paint and some pavement.
While I’m here – any one think that the Coop junction is an improvement? As a cyclist I find it somehow worse in both directions.
What’s happened to the widening of Windmill Lane pavement from earlier plans? It is not shown on this plan. It would be a shame to lose that proposal as removing the pinch point for pedestrians at the brook was a big benefit from the scheme.
Thank you for all the comments.
The plans have been scaled back because the costs were ballooning and any work has to be complete by the end of next month. The scheme got split in to two, but this first stands alone scheme in its own right. This first scheme is what we can do with the available budget.
We have done as much as we can to slow traffic at this junction, but there is an inherent conflict between cyclists going straight on and vehicles bearing left.
Widening the pavement over the bridge is part of the potential second scheme, but would also require shaving approx 60cm off the island (referred to as the Manorial Waste interestingly).
There were problems with the visibility splay where the words Windmill Hill is on the diagram for emerging traffic looking up the hill which eliminated some other options.
Any second scheme is a completely separate decision and would be consulted on were it to come forward.
Why not get rid of the bus stop on the Manorial Waste island. Then get rid of the Manorial Waste Island and create a proper clear T junction – not so swept going into Park Lane and good visibility coming out of Park Lane. If necessary dig up the tree and replant it somewhere. Much simpler and will satisfy many safety issues.