Key Issues Facing Feering - Traffic
Feering – a traffic fiasco
Feering is a small village. It should be a quiet rural idyll, but instead it is a traffic hub at a natural East/West and North/South cross-roads for traffic en route to the A12. At the Community Event in January 2011, residents identified volume of traffic as their most troublesome problem. Readers may remember that the council, assisted by volunteers, recently carried out a traffic survey. This shows that:-
- almost 1000 cars per hour were recorded travelling on the Inworth Road in both directions during the morning peak.
- An increasing number of HGV’s are using this route, which are unable to safely negotiate the turning at Gore Pit Corner using only their side of the road.
- there are in excess of 1100 cars on London Road in both directions by Ridgeons during both the peak morning rush and peak evening rush on a normal day. When any problems occur on the A12 which causes traffic to be diverted, gridlock is created; cars cannot exit Inworth Road (tailbacks to Hinds Bridge are not uncommon); cars from Feering Hill cannot turn right into Inworth Road causing tailbacks down the hill; cars cannot exit Coggeshall Road.
- Around 1000 cars per hour travel in both directions on Feering Hill in the morning and evening peak, many of which are travelling to or from the A12.
- 60% of vehicles are exceeding the speed limit
In councillors’ view, the current situation is unsustainable. There cannot be more development in Tiptree without some commensurate improvement in transport infrastructure. Councillors believe the optimum solution would be to upgrade the infrastructure to provide direct access to the A12 from Tiptree, to alleviate this continuing problem.
Feering Parish Councillors have been making representation about traffic problems since the mid 1980’s. The growth in traffic volumes seen on the Inworth Road can be directly correlated to the increasing development of Tiptree which has grown from a small rural village to the “largest village in England” in a fifteen year period from mid-1990’s, without any commensurate upgrade in the road infrastructure. In very recent years it has become very apparent that rather being an inconvenience, increasing traffic volumes and the resultant air pollution are becoming a significant issue, which if left unaddressed will become a serious blight on the villages of Feering and Kelvedon.
Over the years, councillors have met with the Minister for Transport, (David Jamieson August 2004) and written extensively to various county and district councillors, who have been unable to propose a viable solution. Representation was made during consultations for the A12 upgrade (2008) and new A120 route (2005/6), but these were unsuccessful in getting this issue taken sufficiently seriously for a viable solution to be proposed or incorporated into the new schemes.
The problem has arisen and remains unaddressed largely as a result of:-
- The cumulative impact of many “small” developments in Tiptree, and the absence of any mechanism to obtain contributions from developers towards infrastructure improvements. The proposed Community Infrastructure Levy may address this in the future, but there is already an infrastructure deficit which must be addressed
- The lack of cross border co ordination/co operation between planning districts.
- Lack of funding
- Arbitrary route responsibility – county highways (B1023) versus Highways Agency (A12) – departments unable to co ordinate priorities
Given the above issues, it is unsurprising that no one has been able or willing to take overall responsibility for ensuring a co-ordinated response to this issue.
Councillors continue to lobby the Planning Authorities at Braintree District Council and Colchester Borough Council, the Essex County Council Highways Department, and our local MP Priti Patelto find a solution to this problem.
Give Feering a Voice
The increasing volume of traffic was one of the key problems facing the village identified at the Community Workshop in January 2011. Councillors organised a traffic survey, with the help of volunteers in October 2011 to quantify the extent of the problem.
Feering residents need to make sure their concerns are heard by writing to local papers, such as The Tribune,
49a High Street, West Mersea, Essex, CO5 8QA
Write to your local County Councillor
Nigel Edey,19 Mill Court, Rose Hill, Braintree, CM7 3RH (cllr.nigel.edey@essexcc.gov.uk)
Write to the County Councillor responsible for Highways and Transportation
Mrs Tracey Chapman, Stannetts, East End, Paglesham, Romford, SS4 2DZ (cllr.tracey.chapman@essexcc.gov.uk)
Write to your local MP
Priti Patel MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA (advice@working4witham.com)