Dunsfold’s planning application to demolish part of the Aerodrome for 1800 homes, a school, shops etc is now online.
Click here to go to Waverley Planning site: Planning Application Documents
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Dunsfold Aerodrome – transport review
EIGHT rural West Surrey parishes – including Hambledon – have united to commission a transport review to examine the impact any significant new development at Dunsfold Aerodrome would have on narrow local roads and lanes.
The review, carried out by Guildford-based road and transport consultants Motion, was published this week and concludes that the site is unsustainable for any substantial housing. (A report on this appears in this week’s Haslemere Herald March 5th edition)
The Motion study confirms that the reasons why Waverley Borough Council rejected an “eco-town” proposal for the site in 2009 – a decision supported on appeal by the Secretary of State – remain sound when assessed against the key principles of current Government policy.
The parish councils of Dunsfold, Alfold, Bramley, Busbridge, Chiddingfold, Hambledon, Hascombe and Wonersh, reacting to concerns of villagers, asked Motion to examine two recent traffic assessments, one by Surrey County Council and the other conducted on behalf of the aerodrome’s owners, DAL.
HGV Warnings Signs For Hambledon's Narrow Roads
Additional road signs warning heavy lorries not to use Hambledon’s narrow lanes are to be erected by Surrey County Council at Milford and Lane End.
The “Unsuitable for HGVs” signs will be placed at the entrance to Station Lane at its junction with Church Road and on the Petworth Road facing traffic approaching from both directions.
The decision to erect the signs follows pressure from Hambledon Parish Council, reflecting the concern of residents that HGVs were using the village as a cut-through.
The majority travel from Milford and, faced with existing HGV signs (pictured) at the Hydestile Crossroads in the Godalming direction, attempt to use Salt Lane or Hambledon Road.
At a site visit, parish councillors told SCC engineers that the existing signs gave the impression that Salt Lane and Hambledon Road were wide enough for HGVs when, in reality, both were as narrow as in the Godalming direction.
Lorry stuck again – come on Surrey Highways!
Tuesday 2nd Feb: Salt Lane was blocked again this morning by a lost 40 tonne HGV. The driver, like most of the stuck lorries, had come from the A3 via Milford heading for Cranleigh. He gets to the Hydestile crossroads and sees the signs stating “Unsuitable for HGVs” if turning North to Godalming…. so his natural, and not unreasonable, inclination is to go another, unprohibitted way – East up Salt Lane (or South into Hambledon) – both are near impassable, yet there are no signs indicating this. 300 yards up Salt Lane he wisely tried to turn around (with help) and travel back to the A3, and caused a log jam of traffic which was cleared by two residents marshalling the cars that were reluctant to back up. So the question is what can be done to avoid this? The problem is the Highways Department signs. At Hydestile it is far too late to telltrucks to turn around and return to Milford (there is no route for themto proceed down other than turn around). Currently the half-baked and confusing crossroads signs contradict each other.
Ideally the signs need to be at a point early enough for them not to need toproceed any further, and where there is a turnaround space. I thinkthat is the junction of Station Road and Tuesley Lane, OR at the Milford Crossroads before they enter Station Road. GPS is not entirelyblameless, but proper signs would probably over-ride any drivers thatblindly follow their GPS.
Can we lobby the highways department?
Village debate following recent power loss and snow-blocked roads. What can be done?
Following the recent heavy snowfall, which led to lengthy power cuts, Hambledon Parish Council has written to Southern Electric (Scottish and Southern Energy) requesting it gives serious consideration to replacing overhead with underground cables and, in the meantime, trims back branches beside powerlines on a more regular basis.
Many residents have expressed their concern about the electricty supply as well as the failure by Surrey County Council to grit or clear village roads, all of which were unpassable for several days by anything other than four-wheel drive vehicles.
Several residents have asked what measures could we take as a community to prevent such lengthy disruption in the future.
It has been suggested there should by a village-wide campaign to urge Southern Electric to install underground cables as a matter of urgency. It has also been proposed that we recruit local contractors, ground workers and farmers to use their equipment to clear roads on our behalf.
This, of course, raises issues of cost, practicality, insurance and liability.
The Parish Council, at its last meeting on January 12, 2010, resolved to consider establishing a village emergency plan and would like to hear the views of residents by promoting a debate on this website. What are your suggestions?
So what do you think? What were the problems and what could be done to minimise the disruption next time? Please post your comments here on the forum.