Letter: Fears Of Extra Traffic Through Our Estates If Blackwell Farm Is Developed

Published on: 13 Jul, 2016
Updated on: 14 Jul, 2016

From the Park Barn & Westborough Community Association and the Ashenden Residents’ Association

Our two associations are concerned over the likelihood of increased traffic within our areas should the large-scale development being proposed by the University of Surrey is built on nearby Blackwell Farm, on the slopes of the Hog’s Back.

We meet with other similar associations and organisations to discuss local matters, including the Save The Hog’s Back group.

Our fears are that if the development goes ahead it will lead to further issues with the flow of traffic through the Westborough ward of Guildford and impede on the Ashenden Estate.

The busy junction at Egerton Road and Gill Avenue.

The busy junction at Egerton Road, Gill Avenue and Richard Meyjes Road.

Over the past decade we have seen a huge increase in traffic flowing through the Egerton Road / Gill Avenue junction.

The Surrey Research Park, the Surrey Sports Park, the Holiday Inn, and also expansion at the Royal Surrey County Hospital have all attracted extra traffic to our area. There are often queues of traffic if there is a hold up somewhere locally the knock-on effect of further development will be to cause even more delays.

Although there are, without doubt, residents in our areas who may not wish to see Blackwell Farm built on, we believe increased traffic due to such a development is likely to be of more concern.

Not only the vehicles on the approach roads going to and from the hospital, the research park, and so on, but cars and lorries using our local roads as ‘rat runs’.

That will surely affect our residents when driving to and from their homes, as well as cyclists, and also those on foot when trying to cross roads and having to endure a constant streams of vehicles close by when walking along the pavements.

We also fear even more vehicles being parked on our residential roads by people from outside the area.

And furthermore, the delays people in our communities may face getting to and from the hospital, as well as others from further afield, and also add delays to emergency vehicles.

We have been told that in 2003 when the University of Surrey’s Manor Farm was removed from the protected green belt, a government inspector was concerned about traffic impeding emergency access to the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Evidently the inspector put a 5% cap on increased traffic by the university in the area.

We have also been told that the cap has been breached even though the monitoring was undertaken not even in university’s term time when traffic at peak times is at its highest.

It is well known that many people travel from the west to work in the Guildford area. Some pass though our roads. We therefore also have concerns that that traffic will only increase if further proposals for new homes get the go-head: 1,000 at Normandy, 1,200 at Ash, 3,800 in Aldershot’s urban area, and more even further afield.

May we also remind readers that the closing date for public to make their views known on Guildford Borough Council’s draft Local Plan is this coming Monday, July 18.

Wayne McShane, chairman, Park Barn & Westborough Community Association

Alastair Knowles, chairman, Ashenden Residents’ Association

Responses to Letter: Fears Of Extra Traffic Through Our Estates If Blackwell Farm Is Developed

Ben Paton Reply

July 14, 2016 at 7:21 am

The authors of Guildford’s draft Local Plan have not listened to local people.

They have arrogantly disregarded the thousands of comments on the Issues and Options Paper and the first draft of the Local Plan.

They have refused to scrutinise the housing projections model.

Has this been done for the people who elect them? No. Its justification has been a ‘Grand Plan for Economic Growth’ – concocted by mandarins and imposed on the people from above.

It seeks to replicate the failed building booms of Spain and Ireland.

The politics of our council has been learned from PR consultants and the worst practices of the European Union rather than the best values of British history.

The council’s job is to protect and enhance the quality of life of all the people who live here today, not to build castles in the sky for people who its secret models project, using dubious statistics: ‘might immigrate here or be born some time in the future’.
Jim Allen Reply

July 14, 2016 at 10:33 am

While Park Barn may suffer as a ‘rat run’ the need is to understand what a rat run actually is.

It is an ancient direct route from A to B which has for many reasons become over used.

In the case of the proposed Blackwell Farm development, at least it has two exits and entry points meaning only half the on-site traffic will use each entrance on any one day. The through traffic generated is unlikely to be that great due to the access point on the Farnham Road being a much longer route than down the A3 itself.

Compare that with what is proposed at Gosden Hill, Burpham, some 4,000-plus vehicles will use the site and it is guaranteed that 1,000 of those vehicles will enter the congested Burpham traffic system and use it as a roundabout park of the A3 northbound and New Inn Lane to access the A25 Merrow and beyond.

The whole plan is ‘sub standard’ and a ‘developers’ love in’.

I can find nothing for the current residents of the borough within the plan save more traffic, more pollution, more congestion, failed infrastructure and irrational ideas to solve problems by creating problems elsewhere .

four days to write in and state the plan is unsound.
Peta Malthouse Reply

July 14, 2016 at 1:52 pm

I am afraid that the housing planned for Normandy will be enough with the developments in Aldershot to gridlock it all.

Just face it GBC. It ain’t gonna work.
- Lisa Wright Reply
  
  July 14, 2016 at 11:44 pm
  
  And Ash and Tongham!
Ramsey Nagaty Reply

July 14, 2016 at 5:14 pm

Could not agree more. Development of Blackwell Farm will change completely the area and cause gridlock at Egerton Road and on the Farnham Road (A31).
Jules Cranwell Reply

July 16, 2016 at 10:05 am

Anyone who has travelled to Los Angeles, or similar gridlocked cities, will understand the implications of allowing development to take precedence over infrastructure.

What GBC is proposing in this flawed daft Local Plan will turn Guildford into the UK’s LA.
Ray Briggs Reply

July 18, 2016 at 9:19 am

Does the council not appreciate that rather than improve the commercial well being of the borough the new Local Plan will shut it down?

The major (and minor) developments around the A3/A31 junction alone will ensure that no traffic moves around Guildford for 3-4 hours per day. No business is going to continue to invest in a borough where it cannot ship goods in or out, in which its staff do not want to live or into which they cannot commute.

This Local Plan is commercial and social suicide for this borough.