A4226 Five Mile Lane Highways 'Improvements' no walking space

Vale of Glamorgan (A4226 Five Mile Lane Highways Improvements)

Planning Application: Land adjacent A4226, 2016/00305/RG3 

Dear Mr Robinson,

1.       Plans for the walking route from Barry via Waycock Cross to the College and the Hawking Centre on Five Mile Lane are unclear, but appear not to give proper priority for walking that the Active Travel Act requires.  How would walkers get conveniently and safely through the busy Waycock Cross junction  and across the fast road to access the College and the Hawking Centre?  Why not in the interest of pedestrians (and cyclists) require the applicants to return to the original scheme to construct a path on the east side of the Five Mile Lane, preferably set back in the field rather than close to the busy roadway?

2.       No bus-stops and bus pull-ins are planned  for access to the Hawking Centre, nor for Amelia Trust Farm (and intermediate points).   The consultants’ document points out school buses and bus services (322 and V5) currently use the road, but no mention of a future new service via Dyffryn Gardens to St Nicholas suggested in our group.

3.       Informal bus stops as at present are unsuitable for less mobile people, particularly the over-50 age group, with grass verges for alighting and mounting where the low-floor bus facility doesn’t work. It does not appear that you have asked the applicants to comply with the DDA provisions of the Equalities Act. The ‘reasonable adjustment’ requirements of the Act surely require that they include bus-stops and pull-ins in their plans?

4.       We would expect proposals for bus-users to be made clear in the Non-Technical Summary required for major (EIA) planning projects.  Its section on “non-motorised users” does not however cover bus-users, who of course need to walk to bus-stops.  It mentions an unsegregated footway/cycleway, yet this appears to be planned at only 2-metres wide (sub-standard) so would be inadequate for alighting from and waiting for buses.

5.       In regard to the section of new road, are buses expected to use this or to divert to the old road between Sutton Farm and Amelia Trust Farm?  This makes significant difference to where stop-stops are provided, but no mention appears.  Could you clarify this with the applicants?

 We look forward to hearing that you will be taking up these points.  Please notify us (or post up on the website) of written or other exchanges with the project applicants on these points.