David Leslie addressed the forum regarding a
question concerning the safety of pedestrians at Woodland Chase, in
particular, he:
- Wanted to
understand the responsibility for ensuring the safety of residents
on Whiteley Way, especially once it opened to traffic as it
remained uncertain whether this fell under the responsibility of
the consortium, the developer (Taylor Wimpy), or of Hampshire
County Council (HCC).
- Was
particularly concerned about the two entrances to the developed
area: namely, the bridge from the High School leading into
Woodlands Chase and the area past Sawpit Copse and Bridge Copse
after the Tesco roundabout.
- Understood
that the enforceable limit on a private road with street lighting,
was 30 miles per hour (mph).
Ray Alborough, Hampshire County Council
advised that:
- Responsibility for the area depended on the
relationship between the consortium and Taylor Wimpey and how the
land was divided, and Mr Davis from Tetra Tech could advise further
on this.
- He was not
able to advise regarding the speed limit on private roads, but in
general, if there was street lighting to an appropriate standard,
then repeater signs on a public highway were not required and
following adoption, the speed limit would likely be 30
mph.
Jeff Davis of Tetra Tech advised that:
- That,
broadly, Whiteley Way was regarded as a “consortium”
road, and they were responsible for health and safety throughout
it.
- Regarding
speed limits, the intention would be to place several more repeater
20-mph signs along the road before it opened to through traffic.
This action was necessary as the road remained a construction site,
and efforts were needed to keep speeds down due to the ongoing
presence of construction traffic.
3.
That the consortium had been undertaking
fortnightly health and safety inspections on the site. This
approach aimed to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents
on the site, considering the increasing number of
residents.