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County Hall
TROWBRIDGE
Wiltshire
BA148JD
My Ref: FdRP/LMG/005524
28 September 2004
Dear Robert
New Cut
Crossroads: A360 North of Salisbury I refer
to your letter of 3rd September, 2004 regarding the
above subject.
As you
may be aware the works currently being carried out at New
Cut Crossroads are as a result of a planning
condition
attached to the Wilton Park & Ride site. The form of
the improvement chosen was after an examination of the
recorded personal injury accident record and the deliverability
of
the
improvement both in terms of the timescale and funding
available. The planning condition is such that the Park & Ride
site cannot be opened until the improvement works have
been carried
out.
The future
of the MOD Land Command only arose after these decisions
were taken and did not influence the decision
making process.
Neither Members or officers were aware that the MOD were
reviewing the future of the Wilton site.
In terms
of the deliverability of a roundabout solution a number of
practical
issues would have to be addressed.
These
include
the lack of a convenient power supply, the lack of
a suitable drainage outfall, alterations to underground
BT and water
apparatus, the need for Environment Agency approvals,
and the need to
purchase additional land not currently in the ownership
of the County Council. Of course, all these issues
could be
addressed but not in sufficient time to comply with
the Park & Ride
site timescale.
I am fully
aware that a number of groups and individuals, as well as
local elected members have expressed
the
opinion that
the improvement should be in the form of a roundabout,
and this was debated at the last meeting of the Salisbury
Joint
Transportation Committee in July. The Committee resolved
that design work for a roundabout should be undertaken
to enable
a cost estimate to be prepared and that a roundabout
scheme be added to the list of potential schemes
for funding in
future years.
Funds for
local highway authorities to carry out major schemes come
from central government and are only made available once
all the statutory procedures, such as confirmation of Orders,
have been completed. Neither the Wylye Valley Relief Road,
nor the Hamham Relief Road and Brunei Link Road have reached
that stage; hence no funds have been allocated and there are
no missing millions.
Until the
design work has been completed, the estimated cost of a roundabout
can not be accurately
established, however,
a "ballpark" figure of £600,000 is reasonable
for the cost of a roundabout at New Cut. However, the work
that is now being done (at the Members request) will provide
a more accurate and reliable figure on which to base a bid
for funding. Given that the County-wide local safety scheme
budget is currently funded to a value of £300,000 per
annum, it would require that 2 years worth of this budget
be set aside. This would mean that all other County wide
safety
scheme works be put on hold, to pay for a roundabout at New
Cut. I hope you will agree that this would be unrealistic
as there are many other locations around the County that
require
treatment to enable us to meet both local concerns and the
national targets set for accident reduction.
Yours sincerely
Fleur
de Rhe Phiiipe
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