As a resident of Hartpury since 2020, my husband and I have made
the village our home and intend to raise our family here. I have a
2 year old daughter who attends Hartpury Nursery. We reside on the
opposite side of the A417 to the nursery and cross the road at
least twice a day, during rush hours in order to walk her to and
from nursery. We have noticed how busy and unsafe the road is to
cross. It occurred to me we are likely to not be the only people
who need to cross the busy road regularly and I believe a
pedestrian crossing would be of benefit for the wider community. I
have considered the benefits of a pedestrian crossing from several
perspectives as detailed below.
A417 on which the crossing is sought:
The A417 is a major arterial road linking Gloucester with
Worcestershire and the M50. Its peak busy times are between
0800-1000 and 1600-1800 however the road remains busy throughout
the day. There is currently a 30mph speed limit. There is no
designated crossing area other than a dropped curb. The A417
divides the village of Hartpury with residential dwellings on both
sides of the road. Hartpury currently has a population of approx.
700 people with new developments underway.
Local Businesses & Amenities:
There is a small business estate located directly off the A417 in
the village – The Old Dairy. Businesses include a beauty shop
and vets which local residents are likely to attend on foot. The
Royal Exchange pub is located on the opposite side of the road to
the majority of the residential housing.
Both post boxes in the village are on the same side of the
A417.
The primary school, nursery, village hall and children’s play
area are all located on Old Over Road which is accessed from the
A417. Residents who wish to use these services (like myself) from
the other side of the A417 have to cross the road in order to do
so.
Bus Stop and School Busses:
There is a bus stop and layby for the local bus to pull into but
only on the one side of the A417. Passengers getting off the bus
need to find their own place to cross the road as needed. This is a
particular safety risk for children, the elderly or disabled who
regularly use the busses. As well as the main bus route, there are
also several school buses which drop children in Hartpury. This
includes Newent Secondary school, Hanley Castle High School and
Hartpury College which are the main education providers in the
area. The Newent school bus drops children at the A417 junction
with Corse End Road and at the end of the school day many children
attempt to cross the A417 at multiple locations along the road at a
peak time.
Additional traffic calming:
Whilst there is a 30mph speed limit in place, road users often do
not adhere to this. The addition of the crossing would also act as
an additional traffic calming measure and increase the general
safety of the area. I am aware there have been recent speed surveys
conducted by the Council which may add additional data to the speed
and volume of vehicles travelling through the village.
Feasibility
I have considered the feasibility of putting a pedestrian crossing
on the A417 in the village. There is a straight section of road
between the Royal Exchange pub and Corse End Road which in my
opinion would serve as a good location both practically for
residents and for road users. I anticipate that Highways would need
to make a formal assessment of the practicalities and ask that GCC
consider instructing them to do so.
Conclusion
I welcome Hartpury residents and businesses to read and consider
the points raised in this petition, and in the event the community
agree that a pedestrian crossing would be beneficial, I ask that
the Council consider this request. Should funding become an issue I
would be keen to support any fundraising which the village could
become involved in.
This ePetition runs from 27/06/2023 to 01/10/2023.
93 people have signed this ePetition.