TRAFFIC THREAT TO FURRLONGS

Copy of letter from me going out to Furrlongs residents today:

Dear Resident

Despite the assurances made to me last March/April by the Council, there are plans again to turn Furrlongs into a main road into Newport.

In the Provisional Local Transport Plan for 2006-2011, which the Council is currently consulting on, they detail a ‘Major Bid’ to establish a,

“new junction where existing Furrlongs road crosses St Georges Way”

and go on,

“consideration will be given as to whether this route will operate as a bus gate only and what measures should be included to ensure that this route is not used as a short cut or ‘rat run’ through what is primarily a residential area”

Once again it appears that the Council wish to, at the very least, re-route more bus services along Furrlongs, avoiding Coppins Bridge. However, the Plan also implies that a ‘bus gate only’ is not the only option, suggesting that Furrlongs could be used by all traffic.

As you would expect of me, I have responded to the consultation on this Provisional Local Transport Plan, expressing in the strongest terms possible my OPPOSITION to the proposals. Furrlongs is indeed a residential road and I have objected to the proposal on the grounds of:

1. It would damage the Quality of Life of local residents;
   

2. It would compromise the Road Safety of the many young children who both live in Pan and who attend the two local schools.

Last March when the Council started to do alterations to the existing speed ramps on Furrlongs, my predecessor as your councillor, Tony Coburn, and I started a petition against the re-routing of bus services along Furrlongs. This attracted scores of signatures.

However, we withdrew the petition when we received various assurances from the Council that there were no plans in the ‘foreseeable future’ to re-route other bus services along Furrlongs. However, I pledged to be vigilant over any future plans – which I have.

It is clear now that those assurances were worthless and that plans were indeed afoot to change the very nature of Furrlongs. This Local Transport Plan will have been in preparation for quite some time.

As your local Councillor I am determined to oppose these proposals as best I can. I do not want to see Furrlongs become like Fairlee Road or Staplers Road. Believe me I know what that entails !

However, I need you to express your own opposition to these proposals. The Provisional Local Transport Plan is open for consultation until the end of this month. That is not long, so you need to act now.

Please send a short letter expressing your opposition to this proposal for Furrlongs along the lines of,

“Provisional Local Transport Plan - I object to a new junction being created where Furrlongs crosses St Georges Way, as routing buses and other traffic through Pan will threaten our quality of life and the road safety of our young children”

Send you letter to Mr Chris Wells, Team Leader, Transport Policy, Engineering Services, IW Council, Enterprise House, St Cross Business Park, Monks Brook, Newport, IW, PO30 5WB, or email him at chris.wells@iow.gov.uk

If necessary I will organise a public meeting about this proposal if the consultation does not secure the changes in the Local Transport Plan that you would want.

Thanks for your support.