Saturday, 21 September 2013
Fatality in the Town Centre
As I write this I have not had a detailed report as to what happened yesterday when an elderly gentleman using a Zimmer frame lost his life following some sort of collision with a large lorry. To say that it appears totally unacceptable that our High Street area traffic system can result in such an accident is an understatement. For two years now I have been pressing for a review by Highways of traffic flow through our town in light of the ridiculous decision taken many years ago to send the by-pass right into the middle of the town. As a result I heard recently that such a review is likely to happen shortly and I await the outcome with much interest. Coincident with all of this I attended a Highways meeting in Dorchester, or at least between Dorchester and Yeovil, to discuss the strategic requirements for highways for the whole of Dorset over the next twenty years and was able to highlight my deep concern as to the damaging effect of increasing traffic flows and especially freight vehicles through our town. This compounded by the recent decision to proceed with mineral extraction in Hampshire and all that that means to the increase of heavy vehicles through the Fountain junction. A report prepared by our lead member on transport, has now been passed to County Highways to give them a steer as to our concerns which included reference to the effect on the bus routes through Bridge Street and indeed the High Street in order to develop a greater safety agenda for our visitors and residents using the town centre. Also paramount is the rebalancing of the pedestrian/cycling/traffic/bus situation which has resulted in the uncomfortable experience of shoppers and visitors who venture onto our Town Centre pavements. I am seriously saddened that this elderly gentleman has lost his life but enraged that such a thing could happen right in the middle of our town especially in view of the work done by officers of the council, elected members and agencies to make Christchurch a safe place to live to visit and to work. Sorry about the rant but I take this matter to heart.
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5 comments:
Excellent rant Mr Nottage, especially re Yellow Buses in Bridge Street & Purewell.
None of this of course will be helped by an additional estimated 4,669 cars per day shopping at Morrisons if passed.
I forgot to add it is sad it takes a tragedy such as this to maybe make a difference to Dorchester's road policy.
4669! Where did this calculation come from? Not something I have seen before!
I am afraid the infrastructure of Christchurch was designed to accomodate only a fraction of the current population, which I believe is now nearing fifty thousand. Yet the cramming in of more dwellings goes on unabated. Then there is the small matter of nine hundred new homes proposed on green belt south of the railway line which begs the following question of our elected representatives. Are you mad?
Sorry for late reply, only just re-visited blog.
Info came from the traffic assessment by Connect Consultants dated July 2013 for Simmons Developments via an email from "protect purewell protectpurewell@gmail.com"
I have forwarded their email to you.
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