Parking Restrictions to Improve Active Travel Routes

Some existing cycle facilities in West Berkshire are reportedly obstructed by parked vehicles and this issue has been raised in consultation through our emerging Local Cycle and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The proposals below aim to introduce legal measures to ensure that existing cycle routes remain free from obstruction caused by parked vehicles, and if necessary, introduce physical measures to bring them up to an enhanced standard to comply with the Department for Transport guidelines (LTN1/20) . Restrictions will be enforced by our Civil Enforcement Officers.

Below are examples of locations which have been identified as needing improvement in the feedback from Phase One of West Berkshire Council's Emergency Active Travel Fund . These include:

Kiln Road / Turnpike Road, Newbury

The cycleway along Kiln Road and Turnpike Road is identified by the LCWIP as an east-west primary route, which provides an alternative to the A4, connecting Thatcham to the major employer Vodafone at its headquarters in Shaw, Newbury. There are several schools which have their pupil catchment areas along the route, and it has consistently been one of our highest cycle count locations. In the feedback from Phase One of the Emergency Active Travel Fund we received complaints and evidence that the shared footway/cycleway is blocked by parked vehicles .

We propose a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to formally designate this as a Cycle Track and make it illegal to park on the cycleway or footway.

The proposed TRO will be communicated to all local residents. When the TRO is implemented, then anyone parking on the footway or cycleway will receive a penalty charge notice. The scheme will be monitored, and if anti-social parking persists, then we will introduce further measures, such as double yellow lines on the carriageway or bollards on the footway to ensure compliance.

A343 Andover Road, Newbury

The northbound advisory cycle lane on Andover Road between Wendan Road and St John's Roundabout, is also regularly blocked by parked vehicles. The A343 Andover Road is a principle route into Newbury from the south, and has been highlighted as a key corridor for active travel in the LCWIP draft report.

We propose to convert the advisory cycle lane to a mandatory cycle lane, which means that it is illegal for motorised vehicles to enter it unless in an emergency. To prohibit parking in the cycle lane, we propose no waiting at any time restrictions (double yellow lines). The majority of properties on this section have access to off-street parking. The scheme will be monitored and additional measures, such as light segregation will be considered if anti-social parking persists.

A4 London Road, Newbury

The service road access to Ham Manor Marina provides a useful link for cyclists and walkers to take a shortcut and avoid the busy A4 main road via the footpath /cyclepath near B&Q . At present the cul-de-sac is shared by all modes of transport because it has no separate footway or cycleway set apart from the carriageway, and no parking restrictions. This existing arrangement is acceptable given the very low speed and volume of traffic but could be improved if no parking at any time restrictions (double yellow lines) were introduced to prohibit parking from blocking the cycle route. The parking restrictions would serve to improve visibility on the bend and protect the space to make it safer for active travel modes. The scheme will be monitored and subject to feedback further measures could be introduced to delineate the space.

A4 Bath Road, Calcot

The A4 carriageway north of Calcot has recently been resurfaced, so we have taken the opportunity to make minor amendments to the road layout to narrow the traffic lanes, and introduce a strip of hatching between the carriageway and the parking bays. It is hoped that this will encourage parking in the bays provided, instead of vehicles blocking the cycleway. Early monitoring of this scheme suggests it has deterred the majority of residents from parking on the cycleway/footway in this area.

We propose to introduce a TRO to make parking on the footway illegal. We will inform all local residents of the TRO and our intention to enforce the new no parking restrictions with penalty fares for non-compliance. Hopefully, this will be enough of a deterrent without resorting to physical measures. such as bollards and planters as originally outlined in the early concept plans.

Lower Way, Thatcham

In Phase One of the Emergency Active Travel Fund, it was suggested that a short section of no waiting at any time restrictions (double yellow lines) should be introduced to help make the location between The Moors and Glebelands safer for cycling and walking. By preventing parking it would increase the space available for cyclists on the carriageway, and reduce the need for cyclists to use the footway.

A short section of double yellow lines were introduced under a temporary TRO. All the properties adjacent to this stretch of road have private driveways with off-street parking, so we consider the impact of the no parking scheme to be relatively low. Nevertheless, we propose to consult with affected properties to review the temporary TRO, and allow both local residents and users of the footway and cycleway to have their say about whether to make this short section of double yellow lines permanent or not.

A4 Benham Hill, Thatcham

In Phase One of the Emergency Active Travel Fund, we improved and widened the cycle lanes on the A4 through Thatcham, converting them to mandatory cycle lanes. Feedback received about the scheme complained of vehicles continuing to park on the mandatory cycle lanes on Benham Hill (A4) between Henwick Lane and garden centre roundabout with Tull Way.

We propose to introduce no waiting at any time (double yellow lines) on the south side of the road so that our Civil Enforcement Officers can enforce no parking on the footway or cycle lane. All properties on this stretch have private driveways with off-street parking so the impact is considered to be low.

Consultation has closed for these schemes.

However if you have any additional locations where anti-social parking is blocking either the footway or a cycle route, and you wish for us to consider legal or physical measures to prevent it, then please use the West Berkshire Active Travel Heat Map to choose a location and add your suggestion in the comments. The Heat Map is open for comments until Friday, 2 July 2021.