Agenda item

Verbal Update and Report Ref NWDF20 and appendices attached.

Jeff Davis (Tetra Tech) provided the forum with a presentation which had been made available on the council's website. The presentation covered a range of issues, which included the following:

1. An overview of Highways works.
2. Phase 1 - Bluebell Way, including bus services, and Southern Local Centre.
3. Strategic Cycleway: Footpath 9, including details on design and construction.
4. Phase 2 - Off-site Whiteley Way, including legal agreements, the letting of works, and target start and completion dates.
5. Phase 3 - Station Hill -Whiteley Way / Curbridge Way to Whiteley Way, including works underway and target completion dates.
6. Housing delivery, including permissions granted, houses started, and occupations.
7. Open Space Delivery, including an update on allotment 1, Locally Equipped Area for Play (LEAP) 2 and LEAP 3 completion, and an update on the delays experienced due to contract failure.
8. Bus Service, including service 28/28A, bus stops, and shelters.
9. Parking Issues.

Hilary Oliver, Implementation Officer, Winchester City Council, addressed the forum and referred members to the report, ref NWDF20, available on the council's website.

Members had asked several questions and made comments regarding the following:

1. Were the issues of parking temporary or because of under-provision
2.  of spaces or a design issue?
3. That builders and delivery people parking temporarily in front of houses had also contributed to the problem.
4. It had been a long-term issue that could get worse as more people moved into the area, and there needed to be a review to look at how much provision was needed for parking.
5. That encouraging residents to park in allocated parking spots and not on the streets would make the site look better and be safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
6. Enforcing car parking was possible and necessary to address the issue.
7. That low-level kerbs had encouraged drivers to park on pavements.
8. That the consortium needed to act regarding parking issues, for example, enforcement action where it was necessary.
9. Issues of parking on the road at weekends along Whiteley Way near the Tesco store.
10. That bus usage had seemed low, and patronage data had been available.
11. When there would be a more regular bus service to Botley Station.
12. The date that Whiteley Way would be fully opened.
13. The progress and triggers regarding the development of the secondary school.
14. Issues with builder’s rubbish across the development.

Jeff Davis and officers responded to the individual points raised. Regarding the numerous points raised concerning parking, they explained the difficulties with undertaking enforcement and the difficulty of changing resident behaviour. They also advised that many residents had signed a covenant not to park on the pavements. Developers had written to residents, and the consortium would be discussing further measures to address the issue.