Whiteley’s Yew Tree Drive to remain as bus link only

Following the recent

consultation with residents of Whiteley, Swanwick, Park Gate and Burridge

carried out by Hampshire County Council, Fareham Borough Council and Winchester

City Council it has been decided that Yew Tree Drive will not yet be open to

all vehicles, but will remain as a bus link.

Although the response from

the public was divided it seemed to show that there is no big demand from the

whole community to make any changes yet. Planning application for North

Whiteley is due to be submitted in the Spring, so the councils felt that this

would be a more appropriate time to consider changes.

Yew Tree Drive was opened

onto Botley Road for buses to use in May 2008 to give priority to public transport

in the Whiteley area. Since then people have asked whether it would reduce

congestion around Whiteley if it was open for all vehicles.

The consultation asked local residents and businesses, who live east of the

existing bus gate in Whiteley and west of the bus link in Swanwick, Park Gate

and Burridge if they thought that Yew Tree Drive should be trialled as an

alternative link for all traffic.

 Hampshire County Council has looked at

the advantages and disadvantages of opening the bus link to all traffic,

examining different scenarios using surveys and local traffic counts to predict

traffic at the busiest times of day, which was shown to residents.  Some

of the suggestions arising from the public consultation included banning lorry

traffic from Yew Tree Drive and along Swanwick Lane, preventing vehicles from

parking on the A3051 Botley Road, vehicle speed reductions and provision of

better public transport.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, said:  “This is a

complex situation which we are all keen to resolve but we must consider the

implications carefully. Whiteley has developed as a community with one main

access onto the M27. At peak times, congestion is a recurring problem and

clearly something needs to be done but what is not clear at this time is

whether that means opening the Yew Tree Drive bus link to all traffic.

“We recognise that there are widely differing views on this issue and that some

people may be disappointed that we feel it would be premature to make any

changes at this time, but this is the right decision for today.  We are

however committed to a review to coincide with consideration of plans for the

impending major change likely to come through North Whiteley development.”

“We will continue to work with Fareham Borough Council, Winchester City Council

and the North Whiteley Consortium but it seems sensible to await the decision

on the planning application for North Whiteley so that the impact of

development here can be taken into account.”

What do you think?

More information on this

can be found on the Hampshire County Council’s Website.