Letter: When Reconsidering the Burpham Active Travel Scheme…

Published on: 16 Dec, 2022
Updated on: 16 Dec, 2022

From: Terence Newman

In response to: County Council Climbs Down Over London Road Works – Further ‘Engagement’ Period Announced

This is my Open Letter to Surrey County Council.

Thank you for acknowledging that the implementation of the Burpham Active Travel scheme was not in order at present, and needed further consideration. We all look forward to a frank, but positive, exchange of views in due course.

In reading your press release I see that you continue to push the line that “Consultation has been undertaken over the last 18 months, including with Guildford Borough Council, the local councillors, and a representative sample of the local community”. That may be your opinion but, undoubtedly from the adverse reaction, you are now aware that:

your selection of a sample was wholly inadequate;
was not specific to the implementation of the Burpham scheme;
was not representative of those directly affected; and
neither the local residents nor our local councillors were aware of the scheme until late November 2022.

To regain the confidence, trust and co-operation of the local community I strongly recommend that:

you cease to peddle this line;
you make an acknowledgement that London Road is not the blackspot that causes Surrey to have the highest accident rate for cyclists, and so is not the driving factor for the currently proposed alterations;
you will ensure all highway re-designs will continue to meet approved, promulgated standards for carriageway width;
you will publish appropriate traffic surveys or predictions that may result from any form of implementation of any scheme;
you will take into account constraints on height and weight, for all classes and sizes of vehicles, if diversion routes are required;
you will publish estimates of the financial costs, in terms of fuel usage and additional wear and tear on vehicles, if diversion routes are required; and
you will publish estimates of the additional exhaust pollution, if diversion routes are required.

It takes a long while to build a reputation for competence, but only a brief slip to destroy it.