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To: Councillor Rob Humby

Make Badger Farm Road Junctions Safe & Accessible for ALL

Please make crossings of Badger Farm Road with Oliver's Battery Road South/North and T-junction with the Ridgeway safe and accessible for all types of traffic especially pedestrians (with pushchairs), cyclists and mobility scooters.

Why is this important?

In the late 1970's Oliver's Battery community was divided by Badger Farm Road (now the A3090). A poorly designed underpass was built to connect the North and South of Oliver's Battery Road underneath Badger Farm Road. It makes it impossible for people in wheel chairs or mobility scooters to cross this junction as there are only steps to come up the southern end and no slope. It is very hard to use for young families with babies or toddlers in pushchairs or cyclists who for instance want to cycle to work to Winchester of from Winchester to IBM in Hursley . It forces them to risk crossing the road with fast traffic.

This junction as well as the T-junction with the Ridgeway that lies in a bend are both very difficult and dangerous to cross even for cars that often build up long queues trying to to leave Oliver's Battery or Badger Farm.

Serious road traffic accidents have become the norm in recent years. It is only a matter of time until someone might lose their life.

With the lack of public transport facilities in Oliver's Battery its residents are isolated and makes them car dependent and many elderly people rely on the goodwill of their neighbours to drive them around.

The best option with great benefits not only for the local communities but for much of Winchester would be to:
- Fill up the underpass to create more space for a safe junction
- Build a traffic light junction with priority for cyclists and public transport
- Create a bus lane from the Sainsbury’s to the Pitt roundabout (westwards)
- Build a cycle lane (or another bus lane) on the eastbound side of Badger Farm Road
- Enable easy cycle routes: a) from Hursley via Oliver's Battery towards King's school, b) Along Badgers Farm Road to Sainsbury's, and c) towards Ridgeway/ St Cross and connecting Oliver's Battery with the new planned Leisure Centre at Bar End

Benefits:
- Safety for all types of traffic
- End discrimination against people with restricted mobility
- Promote active types of transport (Walking and Cycling)
- Promote public transport by shortening travel times for buses during peak times (Who would like to get stuck in the car if you can get into to town faster in the bus?)
- Save money that is wasted by keeping buses in congested road traffic

Residents in Oliver's Battery and Badger farm are very concerned about these junctions and several attempts by the Parish council and local councillors to improve the situation over many years have been ignored. Some progress has been made only recently.

Nobody can understand that even an attempt to reduce the speed limit on Badger Farm Road from 40 to 30 mph (that would cost almost nothing) was refused: The Police would not support it as they think that it will not be complied with by drivers. The main criteria the Police uses is that the existing mean speeds must be close to the proposed lower limit (mean speeds between the Sainsbury’s and Pitt roundabouts were recorded as between 34 and 36 mph, which was not considered to be close enough to 30 mph).

People living here are very disappointed about the slow progress.

Therefore, these urgently required modifications of Badger Farm Road must be part of the new the Winchester Movement Strategy.
Winchester

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Updates

2022-07-11 10:33:01 +0100

Here is another opportunity to raise our concerns about the junction. Only this month!

Please take part in Mini - Holland consultation for cycle and walking friendly schemes in Winchester and support this entry for redesigning Olivers Battery junction https://cyclefriendlywinchester.commonplace.is/contributions/user/5edbcc3233f71e353fd3adc0?cid=62cbe5ee8550cb0012faa433

You may also want to write your own or support other comments on the interactive map provided.

2021-05-25 00:18:53 +0100

Interestingly, since handing in the petition, some local councillors have now asked about this. Unfortunately, the written response from Rob Humby was rather disappointing.
Full letter on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/OliversBatteryJunction/posts/550242759722507
In contrasts to Cllr Rob Humby’s more optimistic words at handover, there was no mentioning that HCC has declared a climate emergency and how the Winchester Movement Strategy or the new Local Transport Plan would increase the urge for changes to the junctions.
Once again with similar explanations a speed limit was ruled out.
However, on the positive side I noticed that work done as part of the Winchester City LCWIP pretty much agrees with the ideas shared in our petition.
This should not be the end of our petition, but we should further try to engage in meaningful discussions with all councillors of relevant divisions, wards and parish councils to find solutions for improvements to Badger Farm Road junctions.

2021-03-12 14:14:38 +0000

The time is ready to hand it in. You only have not much time left to sign.

2020-09-12 17:33:34 +0100

Today I have 1 suggestion & 1 question for you:
HCC asks us how they could improve Active Travel. "The survey is all about understanding what it is like to walk, scoot, cycle or use a wheelchair, mobility scooter and/or pushchair in Hampshire. This is not just about Active Travel for pleasure but as a mode of day-to-day transport e.g. getting to work, the shops or school."
A great opportunity to tell them how we want them to improve our junction. You can attach a photo too. Feel free to include anything else that they should do to make your live easier when walking, cycling, or moving around on mobility scooters, wheelchairs etc.
Here is the link: https://hantscovidtravelmap.commonplace.is/news
But only until 21.9.2020

Now my question:
It is time to hand in our petition. Who likes to join me? Ideally, we should hand it in and invite media too, to get attention. What do you think?

Keep safe and stay in touch via email or FB: https://www.facebook.com/OliversBatteryJunction

2020-06-07 18:18:18 +0100

Sorry for being quite for too long but it seems there is a great chance coming to get changes done for our junction.
The government is promoting cycling and walking as safe ways to travel as it allows social distancing during the Covid pandemic. However, there are problems, including the underpass at this junction, where it may be difficult to keep distance. HCC will be able to apply for funding to improve infrastructure at least in the short term if not for longer. HCC has started a new tool - the Hantscovidtravelmap. You can comment on any areas of concern.
It would be great if you could agree with the comment that I've registered for our junction. Or, if you prefer make your own. Here is the link:
https://hantscovidtravelmap.commonplace.is/comments/5edd1d9b01ba642680b35cf7/?utm_campaign=sharing-comments-on-facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0oW6-3Q2k_-A8nDq7BiqXPGNBSy6j6U14mQUFVt2RranscXwtRNSiISrE

2019-10-13 16:24:27 +0100

Hurray, we are in the Hampshire Chronicle this week!
Councillor Rob Humby has taken note and promised that the council will investigate it further.
https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/17964583.something-needs-done-residents-call-accessibility-improvements-olivers-battery-road/?fbclid=IwAR2TjN8A-s_cMDnt2FxoiEwyEch9IA-owxp_yW0--MGOxjKj2VxeSId4JjE
To help this investigation I have started Oli B junction's own Facebook page to share any of the experiences that you have had with crossing it. Perhaps you'd like to take a photo or video on how you carry your bike or pushchair up and down the stairs?
Here it is: https://www.facebook.com/Olivers-Battery-Badgers-Farm-Road-Junction-110012767078844/
Please keep telling friends, family and colleagues about it and share via social media.

2018-12-24 14:59:23 +0000

Many thanks all of you for signing this petition. It already starts to have an impact. The junction is much talked about in the community and I thank all of you who have given me some feedback already.

Just imagine how big the impact could be if we had 5 times as many signatures. Impossible? No, you only need to find 5 others to sign the petition.

Perhaps if you have more time over the holidays and run out of things to discuss, maybe you could talk about the junction?

Merry Christmas or Season Greatings! I hope you have a great time.

Max

2018-12-03 20:44:27 +0000

100 signatures reached

2018-06-19 14:16:10 +0100

50 signatures reached

2018-06-17 16:28:48 +0100

Parish Chair Brian Mitchener and Vice Chair David Kirkby told me about discussions with HCC to improve Oli B / Badger F Rd junction. This summer, it is planned to widen the pavement in front of No 80 - welcomed by pedestrians. The removal of the traffic island and new markings will help cars to exit Oli B (www.oliversbattery.info/olivers-battery-road-junction).

Will it increase accessibility for wheelchairs or pushchairs? No. Neither will it support cyclists.

Traffic lights never materialised, perhaps due to reduced government funding to county councils. To my surprise, Steve Brine, our MP who usually supports cycling and local people, was not happy to sign this petition. Interestingly, more than £100m are planned for M3 projects to accommodate more traffic to the ports. Building work on the local stretch of the M3, planned in the very near future, will increase the traffic on Badger F Rd even more.

Therefore, we need to carry on. Please pass this petition on to others.

2018-05-15 00:07:09 +0100

Many thanks for signing this petition online or on paper.
The success of this petition will depend a lot on how we are able to spread the word:
Please encourage others to sign - family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, cyclists, walkers, runners, scooter drivers, pushchairers...

2018-05-14 23:13:10 +0100

25 signatures reached

2018-04-30 12:46:00 +0100

10 signatures reached