Testun llawn:
Objection to proposed Park and Ride sites:
#1, 2, and 3 are specific to the area North of Sandy Lane, Blackdown; (as a longstanding resident adjacent to this area I have a personal interest, but also an intimate knowledge of it).
#4 and 5 are general objections to Park and Ride in the areas now proposed.
1. Topology.
The area under consideration is on a relatively steep hillside.
* Retrieving their car parked up the hill would be strenuous or impossible for the elderly and the infirm.
* The steeper parts of the slope are liable to become unusable in the winter: - Sandy Lane itself (which is not salted or sanded) becomes dangerous when there is a hard frost.
2. Traffic Management
There is substantial traffic both into and out of Leamington during most of the day. Cars parked on the subject site would have to cross oncoming traffic either on the way in or on their way out of it. This would be highly dangerous and would have to be prevented.
There are numerous possible solutions (including roundabouts, traffic lights, or a one-way system). They are all expensive (initial cost, ongoing maintenance, or in extra miles travelled).
3. Rainwater Management
The site under consideration is currently farmed and rain seeps into the ground; even so, there is visible run-off at the bottom of the field when the rain is heavy. With a significant area covered with a hard surface, there would be substantial and immediate run-off towards the river Avon. It would have to be discharged under the A452; and it would add to any down-stream flooding.
4. Absence of Need
The Strategic Transport Assessment Phase 3 (May 2013) identified the potential for Park and Ride in the South of Warwick and Leamington. There is no indication that such a facility is required to the North of Leamington.
5. Driverless Cars
* Ford, Audi, Volvo and GM are amongst the traditional carmakers keen to show they are at the forefront of developing driverless car technology. Other big players investing in this technology include Google, Apple, Tesla and Uber.
* The 2016 Queen's Speech included steps to ensure that the UK will be at the forefront of driverless car technology.
* Thatcham, the motor insurers' automotive research centre, expects driverless cars to be introduced in stages. Phase 4 will allow cars to "drive themselves, not only on motorways, but from your house to the office or shops, [or] to see friends". This stage is expected to be reached in 2025. (From 'The Telegraph' website)
Development has gone on for years, but it is now coming to the fore and driverless cars must be regarded as likely. When fully developed, they will solve parking problems in general; it will resolve such parking problems as may exist in Leamington, and at no cost to the Council. A new Park and Ride facility is liable to become redundant in a few years.