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Brighton Hill Roundabout works at risk
Axing BEST
funding has put this scheme at risk of never being completed. The 2nd
busiest roundabout in Basingstoke after Black Dam, this roundabout is
notorious for its congestion and the ability of traffic to reach high
speeds once on the roundabout.
Developer contributions
were due to come on-line from Homebase, but these are time limited. If the
money isn't spent by 2006 it gets withdrawn, and the entire scheme is put
at risk.
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Safer Journeys to
Schools
These projects have
been threatened with the chop as the County strip £5m from the BEST
budget.
We think this is disgraceful. People deserve better than to be caught in
the political crossfire. The safety of our children is of paramount
importance and is far more important than party politics.
Chineham
Station looks doubtful, too!
According to the Strategic Rail Authority, it costs too much in penalties to the operating companies
(Thames Trains, Virgin, South West Trains, and the freight companies), on
account of their trains being held up for an extra 5 minutes.
Apparently there
will not be enough people using Chineham Station to cover the cost of
building the station and these extra costs.
The fact that trains between Basingstoke and Reading stop at 3 stations
already, plus one or more stops on the approach to the notorious
bottleneck at Reading Station, appears to be irrelevant.
We have no doubt Chineham would be a very well-used station. Network Rail also
want to quadruple the track along parts of the Reading-Basingstoke line to increase capacity.
With the A33 already over capacity, and 1000
new home being built at Taylors Farm and Woodcutters' meadow, your Labour
Team has serious concerns about the impact of not having a station at
Chineham.
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A33 Roundabout works
postponed indefinitely
Axing BEST funding has jeopardised this scheme. This is in spite of already spending money on the works
planning after approval was given in September 2002.
Work was due to start in 2003 for 20 weeks installing traffic lights, new street lights, cycle
paths, crossings and anti-skid road surfaces on the Reading Road Roundabout,
where the A33 joins the A339 Ring Road.
Traffic has been known to tail back half a mile off the slip road and onto
the Ring Road at peak periods.
Victory Roundabout works at risk
Axing BEST
funding has put this scheme at risk of never being completed.
Extensive public
consultations were carried out in 2002 about the traffic signallisation
and whether or not at-grade crossings should be introduced in place of the
existing underpasses.
The public voted for signals but to keep the underpasses. Now none of the
work talked about looks like it will ever happen. The consultations might
as well have never taken place!
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