Highways Traffic Calming

OCTOBER 2024 UPDATE:  Buckinghamshire Highways have now completed the majority of the planned works on site covering the footway and drainage repairs together with the raised tables, speed cushions and traffic island build out.  They now expect to complete the remaining items in the next two weeks.

Remaining works to complete:  Unfortunately due to long lead times of Street Print material, and specialist contractor availability Bucks Highways have had to reorganise the delivery of the programme until the Autumn.

The remaining decorative element is the surface imprinting/block paving style finish. However, these works are very weather dependent and require dry conditions (above 8 Celsius) to deliver. If there is wet and/or cold weather the contractor may only be able to achieve the imprinting and we will postpone the painting to a future date, potentially early spring 2025.

Night time road closures: To complete these works from next Tuesday 29 October to Wednesday 6 November there will be localised night time closures and traffic management between 7pm and 7am along London Road at each of the locations below:

• 29 & 30 October - Green End Street raised junction (outside The Bell public house)
• 31 October - Outside the Post Office
• 1 November - Tompkins Close raised junction
• 4 November - Albert Orchard junction and informal crossing point adjacent to Bishops Field
• 5 November - Lining and signage works across all four areas, limited closure or temporary lights will be used where appropriate.

Important Update :Change to Working Hours
Bucks Highways are making an important change to the previously stated plans for traffic management along London Road, Aston Clinton next week.  Due to the delay of other roadworks, the remaining traffic calming along London Road will now be completed during the day and under temporary traffic lights instead of overnight road closures.
The programme of works will remain the same, with the works benefiting from daytime conditions to aid with the installation of street print.  During next week (half-term) the working hours will be 7:00am to 7:00pm.

• Tuesday 29 & Wednesday 30 October - Street Print installed on Green End Street raised junction (outside The Bell)
• Thursday 31 October - Street Print installed outside the Post Office
• Friday 1 November - Street Print installed on Tompkins Close raised junction 

The following week working hours we will then be restricted to 9:30am to 3:30pm due to schools going back.

• Mon 4 November: Street Print installed on Albert Orchard junction & informal crossing point adjacent to Bishops Field
• Tues 5 November - Lining and signage works across all four areas, temporary lights will be used where appropriate.

Subject to weather this will complete the planned traffic calming scheme

Speed Cushions, Road markings and Signs: The remaining speed cushion adjacent to Albert Orchard and Bishops Field has been delayed due to supply chain issues. This has now been secured by the contractor and will be installed along with the remaining lining and signage over the last two nights of the programme starting from Monday 4 November.

Double Yellow Lining: As part of the wider Aston Clinton scheme, parking restrictions around the Shell Garage and Church Lane/Twitchell Lane have been implemented via a Local Community Board scheme. However, there are some small sections which could not be completed due to parked cars at the time. Any remedials will be completed at the next available opportunity by the Community Board’s contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places.

Replacement Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS): Buckinghamshire Highways, again separately to this traffic calming scheme will be reinstating the missing VAS on the traffic island adjacent to Albert Orchard and Bishop Field. The installation is planned for week commencing 11 November 2024.

Road Safety Audit: A Road Safety Audit will to be undertaken following completion of the traffic calming works. This is expected to be carried out in late November.  If you have any queries relating the planned works above please send them to BHComms@atkinsrealis.com

 

SEPTEMBER 2024 UPDATE: The contractor carrying out the Traffic Calming Works will be recommencing this week beginning Monday 23rd September until Friday 28th September, with night closures from 7pm to 7am - https://one.network/?tmi=GB33853394 and https://one.network/?tmi=GB33853393. There will be a diversion in place during the work. 

This work includes completion of the following:

1. Yellow lining around the Shell garage and the junctions of London Road, Twitchell Lane and Church Lane.

2. Asphalt course for the raised tables outside The Bell and Tomkins Close - please note, the final 20mm 'imprinted surface' is expected to be completed under another road closure in late October. 

3. Some white lining work will be completed, anticipated to be most areas unaffected by the remaining work in October. 

4. The additional two bolt down cushions between Bishops Field and Albert Orchard. 

Aston Clinton Parish Council are also aware that the A41 - Aston Clinton Bypass - will be subject to a road closure between the 30th September and the 2nd October, between the hours of 8pm and 6am. A diversion will be in place through the village - https://one.network/?tmi=GB33215400

AUGUST 2024 UPDATE: Aston Clinton Parish Council (ACPC) wishes to provide a brief update on the remainder of the Traffic Calming Scheme and other Highways work in the village, focusing on Buckinghamshire Councils (BC) most recent Project Bulletin 005 on 02/08/2024, and contact with various parties at BC. 

Traffic Calming Scheme:  There is a delay to remaining works until mid-September, understood to be due to manufacturer lead times on the imprint surface for the raised tables. The Contractor demobilised in early August. 

Raised Tables and Street Print - the work to be completed remains consistent with ACPC original expectations prior to commencement. There will be approximately 4 additional weeks of work to be completed for these items. 

Speed Cushions - BC are aware there is an issue with driver behaviour between the gaps in the cushions. Additional cushions are to be added to reduce the gaps between the new pairs of cushions adjacent to Albert Orchard and Bishops Field - to be installed at the same time as the final surfacing and lining works (mid-Sep onwards). ACPC understands this means 2 additional cushions, but not for the other 2 pairs of cushions as these meet engineering guidelines. 

The link to Bulletin 005 can be found here - https://us13.campaign-archive.com/?u=bc79f55f265b8ed1076e6f7cd&id=62c3a3261f

Yellow Lining:  Double yellow lining work around the Shell Garage and the junctions of London Road, Church Lane and Twitchell Lane should be completed by the end of this month. 

Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS):  BC is due to install two signs back-to-back (both directions), to replace the original VAS sign that was damaged between Albert Orchard and Bishops Field. These will be installed by the manufacturer following an 8-12 week lead time. They are anticipated to be installed around the same as the street print work (early October). 

Highway Patching Works / Repairs:  ACPC are expecting patching (under 20sqm) repairs to be completed on London Road in August, although this is awaiting the correct permits from other BC departments. These do not include those larger patches outside AC Park and China Water, but ACPC understands these will be completed following the Traffic Calming Scheme, so as not to carry out repeat work. 

JULY 2024 UPDATE: 

Traffic calming scheme:

• Work on the scheme progresses well and is currently anticipated to complete on time. The most recent BC project bulletin Bulletin 004 (May 2024) can be found below. 
• ACPC Councillors completed a site walk with BC, Atkins (the Site Inspector and Quantity Surveyor) and Walkers (the Contractor) on the 27th June, to raise resident's concerns and discuss the remainder of the work. 
• It has been agreed between all parties that the surface transition from Tomkins Close to the raised table on London Road will be graded to minimise the slope, considering the fixed positions of the drainage covers and tactile paving. 
• ACPC have raised the potential issue with the new bolt-down cushions on London Road around Dennis Close and Bishops Field, which sees vehicles depart from the main carriageway to negate the speed calming purpose of these items. BC are currently investigating a solution, but several considerations exist meaning this will not be implemented instantly. For those adhering to the carriageway and speed calming purpose, these items are providing their intended positive impact. 
• The remainder of the London Road white lining which has been on hold, is due to be completed at the latter stage of this scheme. 
• The 'leak' outside the Post Office has been fixed, found to be an issue significantly further up the line than first anticipated. 
• ACPC are currently awaiting confirmation on the schedule and work plan for the asphalt to create the raised tables - this information will be shared once we have it.

Following the completion of the traffic calming scheme, a Road Safety Audit Stage 3 will be completed, reviewing the safety of the traffic calming scheme. A similar Audit Stage 4 will be completed approximately 12 months on. Any issues that are present will be highlighted during these audits and solutions recommended, where necessary. 

Aston Clinton Traffic Calming Scheme: Bulletin 4 (2nd May 2024)

Other village work: 

• The yellow lining work surrounding the 'Shell Roundabout' - parts of London Road, Aylesbury Road, Parsley Close, Green End Street, Hyde Street and Weston Road - is due to be combined with the yellow lining work at the junction of London Road, Twitchell Lane and Church Lane. Both packages of work are to be carried out separately from the Traffic Calming Work by the Community Board, anticipated to take place in late summer following the Traffic Calming completion. For visual information, see the Traffic Orders link below. 
• The London Road VAS sign that was knocked down several months ago is due to be replaced. There is no date set for this and BC have found issues with a previous replacement, meaning a new sign is being procured currently. 
• The village bollards are currently being surveyed and repaired/replaced where necessary. 
• Weston Road and London Road Verges - these are anticipated to be repaired following the traffic calming work. 'Combination' highways work across the village cannot be carried out where traffic flows will be affected, with permits authorised by BC. 
• Patching work to London Road is anticipated to be completed following the traffic calming work, for the same reason as above. A permit will not be granted for additional work that can further restrict traffic flows, whilst the traffic calming work is ongoing. 
• ACPC and BC are in discussion about when the full resurfacing of London Road from the Shell Garage to Lower Icknield Way (excluding traffic calming work) will take place. 

Other information:

• For information on current and near-future traffic management, street works and roadworks in the village, you can sign up, view and receive alerts here - https://one.network/public.
• For information on Traffic Orders, those which enable planned work packages to be carried out, you can view these here - https://buckinghamshire.traffweb.app/traffweb/1/TrafficOrders 
• BC have a Highway Safety Inspection Policy here which explains how the BC team assess highways issues - https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/transport-policies-strategies-and-plans/highway-policies/highway-safety-inspection-policy/. This document highlights how they categorise defects, including the 'minimum recording level', in Appendix A. This policy covers precisely what BC class as 'Emergency', 'Category 1 defect' etc, including the appropriate response time. For example, the minimum recording level for a pothole is 40mm or over depth, and 300mm across in any direction. 
• For Highway issues (pot holes, damage to signage etc), the easiest method to report these is via - https://www.fixmystreet.com/. You can sign up to report or view current and new problems, as well as set alerts for particular areas. ACPC is aware that currently if a duplicate issue is reported, only the original reporter will receive updates, any latter reporter will only receive a summary update. 
• For issues relating to Parish Assets (streetlights and overhanging trees for example), you can report these here - https://www.astonclinton.org.uk/community/aston-clinton-parish-council-15040/reporting-problems/ 

TRAFFIC CALMING UPDATE: As at 16 March 2021.

Zones 1 & 2 are due to be funded by the proposed Woodlands development.  Unfortunately we have just received the news that there have been delays with determining this application and as we understand it from Buckinghamshire council, this is due to delays from the Environmental Agency getting information back to them.   The date for decision for the Woodlands application is now looking likely to be sometime in June 2021.  As part of this, an agreement will be made between Buckinghamshire Council and the agents for the Woodlands development on timings of implementation of the traffic calming measures for Aston Clinton, although the funding of the measures has already been agreed to. The Parish Council are lobbying hard for the implementation to be at the earliest in the development phase, but  because of the delays in other areas of the Development's application, the timescale will be out of our control. We will of course post updates as soon as we have them.

Zones 3 & 4 are to be funded out of other pots of S106 money, from developments within the village and the Parish Council are lobbying Buckinghamshire Council to stick with their latest proposed schedule of May 2022 for implementation of those zones.  There are a couple more stages that they need to go through however, one being the work up of detailed construction designs by Buckinghamshire Council and these will be based on the Parish Council’s proposed designs, and then a public consultation with the village.

OTHER VILLAGE TRAFFIC PROJECTS:   We are really pleased to report that two of our proposed traffic projects, submitted via the former Local Area Forum group, have been adopted by Bucks Council and are now in the early stages of progression. These are:

1)  A study of the parking issues/visibility splays around the Shell Garage, with a view to improving safety for drivers whose views are restricted by parked cars. Member of the parish council have recently met with the representatives from TfB and we will keep you advised of the progress on this project.

2)  A study of the speeding issues in the triangle of Green End Street/Twitchell Lane/Brook Street, with a view to reducing the speed limit to 20mph in these areas.  This project has been approved for a feasibility and implementation study, and we will keep the village informed as this progresses.

These two projects are being progressed by Bucks Council in conjunction with the former LAF - now the Wendover & Villages Community Board, and we are putting together a further proposal for the next year's budget for a speed reduction and HGV restriction for the Stablebridge Road area.  This may be run in conjunction with other proposals to improved the footpath and canal crossing, but it is early days yet and we will post progress news when we have some.

TRAFFIC CALMING -  ZONES 1-5 (see Graphic):  In addition, traffic calming measures in five zones, as outlined in the made Aston Clinton Neighbourhood Plan 2018, are currently being considered for implementation by Bucks Council and these will aim to slow down vehicles travelling on our village roads.  The Parish council have worked long and hard on traffic mitigation measures for Aston Clinton, starting in 2017 with a comprehensive traffic survey and development of mitigation proposals that went through a public consultation as part of the neighbourhood plan process.  These were signed off by Bucks County Council in 2018 and we have had a number of discussions since with regard to the funding of the measures, including negotiating two of the zones to be funded by the proposed Woodlands development, and we are working hard to ensure the new Buckinghamshire Council secure the remainder of the funding through contributions from developer contributions from new developments within the village. 

Early in 2020, Bucks Council informed us they were hoping to start the works in the summer.  Despite the situation with COVID-19 having caused unavoidable delays, the plans are still very much on the table and we will post updates as soon as we have them. There are a few steps, however, that need to happen before works can start, including a further public consultation which we hope you will support as you did through the Neighbourhood Plan.  While this would not include all zones at this stage, it is certainly a very positive starting point.   You will find updates on the progress of this initiative in our Parish Council and Planning meeting minutes.