Stratton School Junction Reconfiguration A39

05/03/2017

Anyone else wondering how the new road which would branch off the new Hillhead roundabout (shown at number 1) (approved within planning application PA15/10905) is going to work in conjunction with the new wall built?

17/01/2017

Another normal wet day, caught in the mayhem at this junction.

03/08/2016

A decision has been made in respect of a new school at Stratton under PA16/03903. For me personally, as a mother with a child at Stratton School, it wasn't the outcome I was hoping for. However, the conditions attached to the planning consent in relation to Skitches Corner together with the redesign of the new school (no shared access or car parking with Stratton School) do have benefits for the road users, pedestrians and cyclists.

Below are images taken from the Committee Presentation slides. You can view the full presentation through Cornwall Council's Planning Portal under the reference PA16/03903 | Outline application for proposed development of a school (D1), Multi-use games area, ancillary open space and associated works. | Land West Of Skitches Corner Stratton Bude Cornwall.

Crucially they show the proposed draft for a signalised traffic junction at Skitches Corner and crossing points for pedestrians. Having taken into consideration the objections made at consultation stage, the layout of the proposed new school has been redesigned with a SEPARATE vehicular access from the proposed Hillhead development instead of from Skitches Corner. The Decision Notice granting Outline Planning Permission comes with a number of conditions but condition 13 is vitally important which reads "There shall be no occupation of the development hereby permitted until the construction works associated with the improvement of Skitches Corner Junction have been completed.
Reason: In the interests of maintaining safe and efficient pedestrian access and highway network in accordance with guidance contained within paragraphs 32 and 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework, 2012."

In my opinion this same condition should be attached to any approved housing development i.e that forming part of the 'master plan'.

07/06/2016

23/05/2016

Within the proposed new school's Transport Assessment is a Transport Assessment produced in 2011 providing transport advice for Stratton School's 4 new classrooms. These classrooms now exist and have seen 4 school years of children move through the school. The Transport Statement (TS) builds on work previously undertaken by WSP in support of the building of temporary classrooms on the northern side of the school (known as Phase 1)...even BEFORE the 4 new classrooms were planned or built.

Surely this makes the WSP Transport Assessment supporting the proposed new school at Stratton outdated?

The traffic flows were obtained for the Skitches Corner staggered priority junction from Cornwall Council for June 2011, August 2005 and September 2005 (in order to undertake seasonal sensitivity tests). How can these figures accurately reflect the CURRENT movement and levels of traffic on a wet time term day during October...November...December...January...February....March...April...May (video on this page taken in May!)??

In 2011 Stratton Primary School was shown in this report to be at a capacity of 197 pupils. The report predicts (in the future of 2011) full capacity of 330, the school is yet to reach full capacity and the videos on this page show already the level of traffic flowing around Skitches Corner at school drop off and pick up.

If the existing school and proposed new school were to reach full capacity we have calculated that, based on 530 pupils, (not including the pre-school and Gregson Centre pupils and staff) the potential traffic flow will increase from around 190 cars to approx 318 cars (possibly more with the bigger catchment area a new school would bring).

We have read in the report that Skitches Corner will be redeveloped but this money won't come until developer money is available...and developer money won't become available until planning for housing is achieved. The HillHead development? The Hillhead development would certainly ease the flow of traffic straight through the school(s) relieving the bottle neck in the school(s) car park and the pressure on Skitches Corner. The illustration below shows how the road would be extended through the school car park if the Hillhead housing were developed.

But which will come first? If the school comes first presumably it would pave the way for the HillHead housing development? Would the Skitches Corner junction redevelopment come last? We have seen at Binhamy that the A39 roundabout, funded with developer money from Section 106, has only just begun despite many of the houses already under occupation. The new junction coming last at Skitches Corner would be an utter disaster.

And what if the housing development at Hillhead doesn't come at all?......then where does that leave funding for the Skitches Corner junction? And the small car park(s) serving the school(s). The town needs a new school, but is this the right place to build it? If Skitches Corner had already been reconfigured...and if the Hillhead development already approved it would be quite a different scenario.

Are there too many if's and but's supporting this application, and outdated stats too? There is definitely wrong information in respect of the cycle link which doesn't exist. How can the Public and Council possibly make an informed decision on this new school proposal when the supporting data cannot be relied upon?

Images shown below taken from Planning application PA16/03903 on Cornwall Council's planning page

17/05/2016

Admittedly a wet morning, but we do have a lot of those! This video's speed has been INCREASED but the intention is to show the level of vehicular traffic already on this junction at morning school drop off on the A39 at Skitches Corner. Additionally it shows how busy the school's car park currently is with the existing school. If the proposal to build a second primary school is permitted, this junction at Skitches Corner and Stratton Primary School's car park requires a safe and efficient supporting transport infrastructure in place FIRST AND FOREMOST to ensure this junction is safe for all.

15/05/2016

Adding children on bikes to the mayhem at the Skitches Corner Junction is a really terrifying prospect......the public path linking the Bude schools desperately needs recording properly on Cornwall Council's definitive map so that children will never have to negotiate cycling out onto the A39.

How many of our planning applications could be based on wrongly recorded facts? The recent outline planning application submitted for a new primary school at Stratton demonstrates this within the Transport Assessment. Legally there is no recorded bridleway over the east-west path linking Bude and Stratton schools and therefore no legal right of way for bicycles as has been described in paragraph 2.11. If any part of this planning application is considered based on getting children safely and sustainably to school then the information presented to the Council and to the public is WRONG. This is one example of why it's so important to ensure our Rights of Way are correctly recorded.

15/05/2016

A proposed new Primary School for Stratton. What this could mean for Skitches Corner....and the Public Bridleway schools link which is actually a legally recorded Public Footpath http://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/centralDistribution.do?caseType=Application&keyVal=O6BZGVFGL0Y00

Online planning registers for Cornwall. View and comment on planning applications and documents online.

14/05/2016

Proposed new school in Stratton. What this could mean for the Skitches Corner junction http://docs.planning.cornwall.gov.uk/rpp/showimage.asp?j=PA16/03903&index=13047956&DB=8&DT=4

http://docs.planning.cornwall.gov.uk/rpp/showimage.asp?j=PA16/03903&index=13047956&DB=8&DT=4

20/02/2016

Gain an insight into the reported accidents around Bude at http://www.crashmap.co.uk

02/02/2016

We have a date, in writing, for the junction reconfiguration - 2018 Cornwall Council tell us. Until then there may possibly be some interim measure put in place for getting children safely across the road to school. CC are putting a proposal together for a public consultation. Like the Hillhead junction, some of the funding will most likely come from a developer.