Plans to close a section of Gotherington Lane have been axed
PLANS to close a busy road between Bishop's Cleeve and Gotherington at peak times have been axed.
Hundreds of people objected to an application made by Bovis Homes to close off a 70 metre section of Gotherington Lane.
Its aim was to reduce gridlock on the road when the Homelands housing development is completed.
But residents hit out at the proposal during a public consultation.
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Area programme manager for Gloucestershire Highways, Glenn Dooley, said: "Over 500 letters were sent out to local residents, councillors and schools asking for their for feedback on the idea of restricting traffic using Gotherington Lane during peak hours south of the new roundabout.
"A total of 244 objections were made and only 11 replies were received in support. As a result of the overwhelming objections, it was decided not to proceed with the proposal."
The news was revealed to Gotherington residents at a public meeting recently.
It was greeted by cheers and a standing ovation.
Reaction
Gotherington parish council chairman David Hearn said around 70 people attended the meeting.
"Glenn Dooley said he sent a lot of letters out and had a 40 per cent response rate. He only had 11 people who were for it," he said. "Everyone else was against it and because of that, and police saying it would be unenforceable, they weren't going to proceed with it.
"There was a tremendous reaction. There was a standing ovation to that."
There has been concerns that building an extra 450 homes on Homelands Farm would make the already-busy road too dangerous.
Gloucestershire Highways was considering closing the section of Gotherington Lane, north from Oldacre Drive, between 7am and 9am, and 5pm and 7pm, after Bovis Homes applied for a traffic regulation order.
Ann Lightfoot, chairman of Bishop's Cleeve parish council planning committee, said Bovis should go back to the drawing board.
She said: "They should look at the Evesham Road roundabout again, we have always had concerns about that and the moving of more traffic through surrounding roads around Bishop's Cleeve."
Bovis Homes did not respond to requests for a comment.
Comments
by safeandnice
Tuesday, February 26 2013, 2:48PM
“The chicanes have gone ahead - an effective road restriction by the back door even if hundreds of people didnt want it.”
by safeandnice
Sunday, June 10 2012, 1:50PM
“Look again. The article said it was Bovis that applied for the restriction. GH didnt like it. The plans show annoying chicanes along the lane too, if you like stop start traffic outside your house. Are those still going ahead?”
by Matt1006
Thursday, June 07 2012, 10:04AM
“Good lord. A bit of common sense. It's reported demise proves to be wrong. For now.
I couldn't understand how they were going to actually carry out this closure for 2-hour periods twice a day, and actually enforce it yet re-open the road the rest of the time. Immaterial now, anyway.
In conjunction with large developments, the existing roads network needs to be upgraded / expanded etc, not closed at peak times. Was a bonkers idea, and Joe Public has told Glos Highways as much. Shame GH didn't realise this before drawing up their plans and putting it out for public consultation - more of our money wasted on a hair-brain idea...???
Sense has prevailed on this one, but they'll be another daft idea somewhere else before too much longer, I expect.”