Road Closure Planned for Newtown Road at Somers Park Avenue within next couple of months - watch here for further details

Following meetings with traders and concerns about developments which would involve roadside parking restrictions on  Newtown Road, Worcestershire County Council have informed me of plans to close the road near Somers Park Avenue within the next couple of months due to scheduled roadworks. 

Working with the relevant officers at the Council we are currently enquiring if the closure can be postponed to the far side of Christmas to ease the trading period in the run up to Christmas.  We are waiting to hear further.

The Council are not clear how long this road closure will be in place.  The information will be on the Worcestershire County Council website once the order has been processed, (as this one has only just been requested the details are not on the website just yet) under Transport and Streets then under Roadworks and Road Closures.  All the information about the closure should be uploaded once the order has been processed, which will give you the dates the closure is booked in for.

The road closure is planned in relation to National Grid Gas Mains pipe maintenance.  If anyone has any queries about this road closure they will need to call the Worcestershire HUB on 01905 765 765 or email me on emmerson@themarch.freeserve.co.uk

TRO for Londis Yates Hay Road, Update

In trying to understand further the degree of integrated thinking between the various teams - Sustainable Schemes, Integrated Transport, Traffic Management - at the County Council I have today spoken with one of our Officers.

They assured me that there is considerable consultation taking place on the schemes, but that there was an issue around the volume and quick turnaround required on these schemes making a full consultation not always practically feasible.  I appreciate the pressure that many very well intentioned officers are working under. 

I was assured that in the case of Yates Hay Road during the consultation stage the relevant properties were contacted and opinions were sought, but only two responses were returned. 

They have agreed to look at the issue concerning the re-routing of the buses down Yates Hay Road rather than their original route along Tanhouse Lane and a meeting has been suggested between Integrated Transport and Sustainable schemes teams.

Traffic Regulation Order will mean double Yellow Lines outside Londis Store, Yates Hay Road, Malvern

Derek Cooke, the entrepreneur who has run the Londis business at the Junction of Yates Hay Road and Upper Howsell Road for 30 years is seeing his business threatened by a Traffic Regulation Order.

A feasibility study conducted about 2 years ago, before I was elected as County Councillor for Malvern Trinity was apparently conducted as this junction had been identified as a ‘cluster site’ – that is an accident black spot, however thankfully it is no longer officially in this category.

But the TRO process has moved on, nonetheless, and on top of this there is a small sum of s106 money.  The process has passed objection stage and is awaiting a decision to be made by the officer responsible for Sustainable Schemes together with the Cabinet member.

The intention is to paint double yellow lines around the junction outside Mr Cooke’s doors at Londis, install a couple of bollards on each side of the road at the crossing points and make some improvements to the kerbside.

Derek Cooke has objected to these plans and as his County Councillor I have also objected to try to  support him and his business. 

He is not impressed by them. “We have 8-10,000 people a week visiting my store and we employ 20 people here as we’re open 6am -10pm seven days a week.  We thrive on having an area outside that’s easy for people to park in.  They want to pop in for their shopping or to use our free cashpoint.

“Double yellow lines outside our store will only put people off.  As soon as you put double yellow lines outside people will pass by, they won’t stop anymore.   As much as anything they are a psychological barrier, people see them and just don’t want to stop.”

Mr Cooke’s concerns aren’t limited to his business though.  He has genuine concerns about the volume of traffic moving through this junction daily, the need for increased parking in the area generally and the congestion and dangers caused by the heavier vehicles, especially the buses using Yates Hay Road.

Buses Using Yates Hay Road

“The 363, 362 and 45 bus routes used to drive down Tanhouse Lane, but were re-routed down Yates Hay Road having to turn right past my store up Upper Howsell Road. 

"This is a tight junction and with cars parked around there is not a lot of space and the buses, including School buses at either end of the school day, drive over the pavements, knocking cars and they are a risk to pedestrians.  I would like to see these buses returning to their original route down Tanhouse Lane.

“Rather than painting double yellow lines outside my store I think we could slow traffic down along Tanhouse Lane with some traffic calming measures and I’d also like to see vehicle weight restrictions down Yates Hay Road which is a busy and narrow residential road.

“My business needs customers to survive. I have a lot of deliveries each week which we need for our customers.  Each week I have 6 large articulated lorries making deliveries, 3 Ginsters lorries, Kerry Foods making 6 deliveries weekly, 7 milk deliveries, 2 Frozen food deliveries and others as well.

“We know we’re valued by our customers because their goodwill and votes for us resulted in our winning the Robert Weisman ‘Best Staff of the Year Award’ 2 years ago and this year we’ve reached the Semi Finals and hope very much to get through the Finals following a Mystery Shop visit that will be made as part of the judging process.

“Double Yellow lines in Malvern Link have killed off those shops and businesses. This TRO is going to make access to the store more difficult given the number of heavy traffic movements around the store, especially since the bus route has changed with buses coming down Yates Hay Road rather than along Tanhouse Lane as they did in the past.  The s106 money appears to address theneeds of pedestrians in isolation of the needs of all road users.”

Newtown Road pre-consultation meeting with Worcestershire County Council Officers 20th September 2010

Worcestershire County Council Officers met with traders, district and town councillors, even though they were not in a formal consultation process as they recognised the strength of feeling being expressed by traders and their concerns with the concepts being discussed for improvements to Newtown Road.

Traders made it very clear that rather than less parking they would like more.  They also stressed that as traffic speeds were for the most part low on the road there wasn’t any need for crossing points on the road, especially towards Link Top.  Officers agreed that average speeds recorded on Newtown Road were low - between 22-24 miles per hour.

Traders stressed that it was not appropriate to compare their customers shopping with them to a retail park experience – a comparison suggested by the officers.  They stated that the retail park was a destination shopping experience where people went to browse and were happy to park someway off some of the shops.  For them their customers were ‘shop specific’ – simply wanting to pop into one of the shops and not necessarily visiting the other shops on the street.

They also emphasised just how difficult trading had been for everyone over recent months and the uncertainty resulting from the concept proposals for additional crossing points along the road, together with the possibility of losing car parking spaces would make it harder for them, or ‘just mess it up’ as one trader put it.  They pleaded with officers to leave the road as it is now and leave their concepts for the crossing points at that - concepts. If not the danger was that this historic shopping area which had been a part of the community for many years could be lost completely.

Whilst traders were not interested in any proposed crossing points for Newtown Road there was considerable interest in improved lighting on the road, especially in view of some recent vandalism to some local premises.

The officers present outlined the process moving forward.  The Sustainable Transport Team would be bringing forward more formally a set of proposals by early next year taking into account the findings regarding traffic and pedestrian movements on the road.  These proposals would then be opened up for consultation.  Following consultations with the public and traders, recommendations would be made by the officers which would come to the County Councillor for agreement or otherwise. 

If the County Councillor was not in agreement with a recommendation then it would go to the Cabinet Member, Cllr Derek Prodger and a senior officer for their decision.  Following this process the Traffic Management team would look at the recommendations made by sustainable transport and consider whether there were any issues that they should bring forward as part of a separate process.

With regards to previous comments made by traders for the road calming measures the officers said that they would not get agreement to traffic calming or further speed restrictions on a B road, but additional signage could be looked at.  As the key area of concern with regards to speed was the section of road around St Joseph’s Primary it was felt that given the path was narrow there this might be a reason why a crossing would not be possible.

The officers reminded traders that the North Site developer had already agreed to some schemes which they would be undertaking – including dual traffic lanes up to the traffic lights at Link Top and having made a contribution to the cost of the North Hill Court parking area indefinitely. These provisions had been agreed under s.278.  The S. 106 agreement specifically covered traffic management and lighting.

With regards to the issues which officers could take into account in making their decisions, their main priority was to look at the users of the road, however, issues around trade and the implications on traders of any such decisions would help with the final decision.

Traders and all present were grateful to the officers for making time available in the evening and for considering their concerns.

Meeting with Worcestershire County Council and Malvern Hills District Council Officers over Newtown Road Developments

Officers attending a meeting at Worcestershire County Hall, Monday 13th September, assured me that with regards to the discussions regarding Newtown Road, we are 'at a very early stage'.  They wanted to reassure traders and residents alike that no changes will be made to the road without proper consultations.

As part of this process there will be a meeting on 20th September at 5.45pm at the Salvation Army Hall on Newtown Road. This meeting is open to traders on the road and local District Councillors with an interest and will be attended by officers from Worcestershire County Council as part of their fact finding exercise.

As part of the discussions officers will be keen to ask traders about their views on the concepts outlined so far for proposed changes for Newtown Road, as well as projections for traffic increases along the road as the North Site development continues. They pointed out in our meeting today that out of a proposed 400 new homes about 100 have so far been occupied, so the impact of any changes in traffic on Newtown road have not yet been fully felt.  They were also very conscious of the need to ' keep a lot of on-road parking' and the impact of that for traders.

The officers were very mindful of the 4 schools in the vicinity and as a result of projections made by WSP Transportation Consultants they had been looking at three possible crossing points along Newtown Road - at the junction with Somers Park Road, at St Joseph's Primary School and opposite the North Hill Court car park.  I highlighted traders extreme concerns at losing on-road parking spaces because of any such developments on the road. 

Officers outlined the facts behind the current free parking at North Hill Court made possible as the result of contribution made by the developer, Persimmon Homes, to Malvern Hills District Council enabling this car park to be free to users indefinitely moving forward.

Officers wished to stress that they were keen to engage in a constructive dialogue with traders, to fully understand their concerns and to try to see what solutions, if any, might meet the needs of all parties.

Old Hollow Residents want their Road included on Worcestershire Gritting Routes

Following a meeting with residents of Old Hollow held on 19th April 2010 I wrote a note of the discussions which was subsequently agreed by all parties - residents from Old Hollow and John Wallace, from County Council Highways.

This note was then presented as evidence on 11th May to the Environment and Economy Overview Scrutiny Panel held to examine the need for further gritting across the county in light of the very harsh conditions during the previous winter (2009-2010), attached below.

Other roads in the area that had been badly affected and over which I have made representations included Ebrington Road, West Malvern Road and Hornyold Road.  

The Scrutiny Panel has now made a number of recommendations regarding Gritting in the County and a Winter Maintenance Review - these will be put to the Cabinet Member, Cllr Derek Prodger, responsible for this area in October 2010, who will then decide which recommendations will be accepted for implementation.

The Case For Winter Road ‘Gritting’ in Old Hollow, West Malvern


1. Introduction:

1.1 During the past few winters and especially during 2009/2010; driving conditions in Old Hollow, West Malvern have been very difficult and dangerous because of snow and ice. Despite numerous requests, the road was seldom gritted and enquiries by the Ward Member, Councillor Beverly Nielsen, revealed that Old Hollow was not included on the County Council’s priority gritting routes.

1.2 Concerns over this situation amongst Residents caused a number of complaints to be made, both directly by individuals and via the Ward Member. As a result, a meeting was held between Residents of Old Hollow; the Ward Member, and Mr John Wallace from Worcestershire County Council Highways.

1.3 Following this meeting it was suggested that a paper be submitted setting out the Residents’ case for the current situation to be remedied and for Old Hollow to be included on the County Council’s priority gritting routes.

2. The Case For Gritting:

2.1 Old Hollow is a narrow, two way, unclassified road with no footpath. It leads steeply uphill from its junction with Cowleigh Road to its junction with Lower Road, a distance of approximately half a mile. Roughly halfway between these two junctions, just past number 103, the angle of the road increases significantly. Old Hollow includes two ‘spur’ roads leading off the main road at acute angles, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the road.

2.2 Acknowledging the County Council’s criteria as discussed at the meeting, it is suggested that the case for gritting Old Hollow is as follows:

2.3 Road Safety: Dangers caused by a lack of gritting in Old Hollow include:

• The very steep gradient of Old Hollow making it difficult to walk in the road during icy conditions.

• The absence of footpaths, forcing pedestrians to walk on a surface shared by vehicles.

• Old Hollow is north facing and as a result is one of the worst roads in terms of its condition during snowy weather in Malvern. This makes Old Hollow significantly more vulnerable than for example Wyche Road.

• Old Hollow is higher than many other areas in Malvern.

• A number of accidents have occurred on the road during the last snowy weather as a direct consequence of the road’s icy condition.

• Driveway walls have been hit by vehicles that had lost control as a result of the icy conditions. There were also a number of ‘near misses’.

• Many vehicles have been seen sliding sideways down the very steep hill. This was clearly very dangerous for pedestrians who couldn’t get out of the way because of:

 The slippery nature of the road.

 The absence of footpaths.

It is suggested that the fact there have not been serious injuries during the past winter is pure luck, as the potential for serious injury is certainly there.

• On a number of occasions, it has been impossible to walk safely in Old Hollow because of the thick ice. This has been made worse by the snow plough which having ploughed the road, and in the absence of gritting, has impacted the snow into thick ice. (Photographs of this are available) On occasions, this has made it almost impossible to walk safely (or indeed to stand upright with any great ease) in Old Hollow.

2.4 Secondary Routes: Old Hollow is a main through route as follows:

School route:

• Old Hollow is the main route for both vehicles and pedestrians to and from the County Council’s Outdoor Education Centre which is off Old Hollow at the top. In this context, the following issues are considered relevant:

 A standard triangular sign warning of a school is displayed in Old Hollow near to the turn off for the Centre suggesting that this is indeed a school, therefore complying with the gritting criteria.

 The road immediately prior to this turn off when going uphill is particularly steep, making it especially dangerous for pedestrians. In the recent icy weather, there were occasions when it was virtually impossible to walk in the road.

• Old Hollow is a well used, main route for both vehicles and pedestrians going to and from:

 Dyson Perrins High School

 West Malvern St James’ Primary School

 Northleigh Primary School

Because there are no footpaths in Old Hollow, the recent bad weather made it very difficult, dangerous and at times virtually impossible for children to use this route as a method of getting to and from these schools. For some children, this is the only route to and from their schools and again, it is considered that this complies with the gritting criteria.

Proximity to Industry/Shops Etc.:

• Old Hollow is a significant route to and from West Malvern to the town centre/ Cowleigh Road/Cowleigh Bank/the main Hereford/Worcester road. For some Residents, this is the only route available.

2.5 It is suggested that in view of this body of evidence; and given that for a number of residents of both Old Hollow and elsewhere in West Malvern, Old Hollow cannot be by-passed; a failure to grit this road creates significant and unavoidable road safety hazards.

2.6 It is therefore suggested that in light of the primary gritting consideration of road safety, Old Hollow does comply with the County Council’s gritting criteria.

3. Other Points Raised During the Meeting:

3.1 During the meeting, a number of other points were raised. Comments on these are as follows:

3.2 Parish Council Lengthsman: It was suggested that Residents might like to consider approaching the Parish Council to see if the Lengthsman could be made available to spread salt during poor weather. It is suggested however that this is impractical for the following reasons.

3.3 If pedestrians can’t walk safely, and vehicles can’t drive safely, which is the case in icy conditions, how is the Lengthsman to physically carry out this task? Added to which, where is the salt/grit to be stored?

3.4 Grit Bins: The subject of grit bins was raised and the point was made that there are very few places in Old Hollow where bins could be placed, certainly not in those areas where the road was at its narrowest.

3.5 Agreeing with this point, it is suggested that grit bins are not really the answer as the road is very steep, and by definition, spreading a little grit/salt in some places would be unlikely to solve the problem pointed out in relation to the Lengthsman. i.e. If pedestrians can’t walk safely, and vehicles can’t drive safely, how is the salt/grit to be spread.

3.6 Consultation: The question of consultation with the community was raised, and residents complained that not only had they not been consulted on the setting of the criteria, they had not been informed about its implications.

3.7 It was pointed out that this information had been made available via the County Council’s website. However, Residents were particularly unhappy that not only was the map showing the existing gritting route ‘almost impossible to read’, but accessing the communications with the residents about the Council’s decisions on gritting was very poor.

3.8 The general mood of the meeting was that residents were very unhappy at the existing state of affairs and wanted to emphasise that:

• Old Hollow had been on the County Council Gritting route a few years back and it was generally understood it had been subsequently excluded for cost, rather than road safety reasons.

• The grit bins provided at the top and bottom of Old Hollow were completely inadequate to the needs of the residents in snowy and icy conditions.

• Grit bins did not display phone numbers at the County Council so residents could alert the County when the salt levels were running low.

4. Conclusion:

4.1 It is felt that where there is a combination of risks that create an unusual level of danger to road users such as north facing roads situated on higher land, especially where there are no footpaths; there needs to be a mechanism for making a ‘special case’ for gritting.

4.2 It is suggested that Old Hollow should be such a ‘special case’ and that what is required to reduce the significant dangers to road safety that currently exist in Old Hollow as a result of untreated, icy roads is a proper gritting/salting regime.

4.3 In conclusion, it is therefore suggested that Old Hollow certainly falls within both the spirit and the letter of the gritting criteria; but that if this is not the case, then the criteria is wrong and needs to be changed.

Council Report recommends Revocation of the Prohibition of Driving Order for traffic using St Peter's Road, Malvern

I attach below the Objection Report received from the County Council Environmental Services Directorate recommending the revocation of the Prohibition of Driving Order on St Peter's Road.


This is very disappointing news and I believe the report fails to address the main concern of both residents and parents and teachers at Northleigh Primary School that with the further development of the North Site St Peter's Road will be vulnerable to an increase in traffic useage levels which will pose a health and safety risk, especially for young children - both residents and those at the primary school using the road to access and leave school at either end of the day but who also have to cross the road during the day to access their playing fields on the other side of the road. Alongside this it will clearly affect all the residents living on this road, some of whom contributed to the cost of highway works (when the road moved from being unadopted) on the understanding that the access order would remain in force after the road was adopted.


Whilst it is encouraging to read in the report below that the Chief Constable is 'mindful of the residents' concerns and if additional traffic management measures could be introduced, then he would be prepared to discuss the detail of any proposed scheme that would achieve the objectives of all concerned.'  However, given that I have already worked with residents and the Council, without success, to see if we could find sufficient money from the Council to improve signage and road markings for St Peter's Road, I am sure residents might feel that whilst we could have discussions we may not be able to access the budgets required to implement any agreement reached between us.


Having today completed and returned my Objection Stage report opposing the recommendation made by the County Council as outlined above, I have also spoken with the officer concerned who has informed me that if any of the three Councillors involved objects to the recommendation the proposal would not receive the support of legal services who would need to see 100% support for this.  I am told that the next stage in the decision-making process at the County Council will be to refer this decision to the Network Control Manager and the Cabinet Member with responsibility for this area, Cllr Derek Prodger. 


OBJECTION STAGE REPORT


ST PETERS ROAD, MALVERN

PROPOSED REVOCATION OF PROHIBITION OF DRIVING ORDER

The local County Councillor is: Mrs B Nielsen
The local District Councillors are: Mrs J Kelly and Mr J Raine


Purpose of Report
To consider letters of objection and comment received following the public advertisement of this proposed Traffic Regulation Order.

Background
Following public advertisement Legal Services received 15 letters/emails of objection and one of support was received. The letter of support, from Northleigh School, was later withdrawn and a letter of objection was then sent in.

Copies of these letters and emails are enclosed. Also enclosed is a copy of the associated proposal drawing numbered T/2008-253. (Note: The advice of legal services is that these should not be available to the public as they concern personal information relating to the individuals who sent these letters, but may be published if these individuals give their consent)

Also enclosed is a copy of a petition received after the objection deadline. It has 25 signatures of people, who object to this TRO proposal. (Note: further signatures have been gathered over the summer as we were unable to get together all the signatures of parents and residents in time for the last meeting of Worcs County Council to be held before the summer break which took place on 24th June 2010. 

Whilst opinions initially differed between residents of St Peter's Road and representatives of Northleigh Primary School it became clear after discussions I was able to facilitate between all parties that everyone was unanimous in their opposition to this proposal.  Following this residents on the road, together with representatives of Northleigh Primary School, including - parents, headteacher and staff and governors as represented by the Chairman of Governors, Mr John Dixon, have opposed this proposal to revoke the Restricted Access Order on St Peter's Road. )

The resident's objections relate to concern at increased traffic flows and resultant road safety fears, should the access only order be revoked. Residents have expressed concern at current abuse of the order, lack of enforcement and congestion, at the beginning and end of the school day. The other common concern relates to the possibility of increased future traffic flows, on St Peter's Road, by traffic associated with the North Site Development, on Leigh Sinton Road. Some residents state that they contributed financially to the highway works, necessary for the public adoption of the road in 2001. Accordingly, they understood that the access only order would remain in force after the road had become part of the Public Highway network. Other concerns relate to the existing school warning signage and the school gateway.

Analysis
An objection was made on the ground that objectors made their objections without knowing the reasons for the proposal as the letter from the Police recommending the proposal was not disclosed. Whilst it is accepted that the letter ought to have been disclosed, this particular issue was resolved by the reasons for the proposal being discussed with objectors, both on the telephone and at a meeting.

The Chief Constable, having considered the correspondence received, states that his view regarding the need to remove the order remains unchanged and that he still supports the proposed revocation. He also states that he is mindful of the residents' concerns and if additional traffic management measures could be introduced, then he would be prepared to discuss the detail of any proposed scheme that would achieve the objectives of all concerned.

Conclusion
The Police have expressed a legitimate road safety concern, regarding potential turning manoeuvres outside the school, should the order be enforced. Observation has shown that significant numbers of school pupils' parents ignore the current Order and drive straight through the restricted section of St Peters Road, when collecting or dropping off their children. Typically vehicles are parked along the entire length of the road, at the beginning and end of the school day. On street parking levels drop off significantly at other times. Should the Police enforce the current Order then the restricted length would be respected and subsequent 3 point turns would occur outside the school and in the turning area causing a safety problem. This safety concern would be addressed by the revocation of this Order.

The section of St Peter's Road, from its junction with Blackmore Road to its junction with Cowleigh Bank, has a series of road humps and a road narrowing traffic calming feature. Following concern, raised by residents and the County Member, investigation has been undertaken to look into additional traffic calming features for St Peter's Road, funded by the North Site Developer highway improvement monies. Unfortunately, St Peter's Road is outside the area covered by the agreement.

Two speed measurement surveys have been undertaken, the first recorded an average speed of 16 mph, outside the school. A subsequent survey, near to Tanglewood Heights, recorded average 85th percentile speeds of 24.6 mph & 23.6 mph, for northbound & southbound vehicles respectively. The recorded speed data is typical of a traffic calmed area and demonstrates that the features work well in reducing vehicle speeds.

The two way 24 hour average vehicle flow was recorded as 403 vehicles. Further monitoring will be undertaken, should the revocation order be implemented.

Whilst objectors' concerns are acknowledged, the Police's views as enforcing authority must be given considerable weight. Enforcing the current restrictions could increase safety problems. Also, the evidence of the surveys indicates that speed levels are being reduced by the existing road layout, and there is nothing to indicate that this would not continue if the order was made. It is therefore considered that the risks of retaining the present restrictions outweigh those of revoking them. Accordingly, it is considered that the proposals should be implemented.

Recommendation


The Environmental Services Directorate recommends that the proposals are implemented without modification, as advertised.

QinetiQ Malvern - Serious Concerns at Losing Vital Technologies...possibly by early October

QinetiQ Malvern has, for a long time, been a mainstay of Malvern in terms of employment, attracting highly qualified and experienced people to the town who have used local amenities and sent their children to the many reputable schools in our area. This in turn has led to the claim that there are more PhDs per capita in Malvern than in any other comparable town in the UK.

Recently QinetiQ Malvern is reported to have announced 235 redundancies and followed this with the announcement of a further 30 additional redundancies due to be effective from 1st October 2010. However there is some talk that up to 350 redundancies are on the cards in this current round. It is estimated by the Malvern Gazette that 1200 people work at QinetiQ, Malvern, although this figure has proved difficult to verify. It is also estimated that around half these people live in and around Malvern.

Whilst the redundancies have received local press coverage there has not been much coverage of the technologies which will be lost to the country - representing over 50 years of state-funded research including the areas where QinetiQ, (formerly the state-run Telecommunications Research Establishment, (TRE), the Radar Research Establishment (RRE), later RSRE, and then DRA and DERA respectively -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_Research_Establishment before being privatised in 2001 as QinetiQ) was first to generate 'paradigm shifting' technologies, changing the way we lived and worked including - modern radar, discovery of cadmium mercury telluride enabling the first thermal imaging, first to develop cyanobiphenyl chemicals enabling liquid crystal displays and first bulk growth of gallium arsenide crystals for mobile and satellite communications. These areas are the subject of an ongoing formal consultation, however it likely that following this these notable areas and others will be closed from early October.

The claim is sometimes made that the areas of excellence to be closed and ultimately lost to the country primarily have military/security relevance and that they are very 'blue sky'. However this is not wholly the case with many areas actually generating significant revenues.

This is also not the view of Dr Eugene G Arthurs, Chief Executive Officer of SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, the world's largest member society in optics and photonics, who states in an open letter to Secretary of State, Vince Cable MP and The Right Hon. David Willetts MP of 22nd July 2010 that:
'I have noted with great concern the imminent cuts at QinetiQ Malvern and rumours of more to come. I believe that this is short-term expediency and will greatly damage an important strategic asset.


'The areas not only include imaging, lasers, optical components and systems for medical, military and research applications, but also aspects of new energy-efficient lighting, various approaches of exploiting solar energy, displays and "plastics electronics or photonics".....


'The knowledge base...built up through the work of various teams represents a key component underpinning the UK's future potential in electronic and optical technologies with growing market potential. I have no doubt that spill-over of this knowledge in the UK has helped world leading companies, such as BAE Systems, Thales, Smiths Instruments, SELEX, Galileo, e2V, Malvern Instruments and Andor.


'Destroying world-class capabilities such as those at Malvern in the short term will weaken the UK's base for the new economy.'

The technologies listed above largely all within four key areas -

o Low-carbon economy
o Sustainable healthcare
o Information processing
o A secure society

They include technology areas clearly relevant to some of today's urgent challenges including:

Compound Semiconductors
Micro Power Generation
Solid State Switching for all electric vehicles
High efficiency photo voltaic cells
Cost effective high visibility LEDs
Cost effective thermo-photovoltaic cells
Low voltage computer systems
3D consumer systems
High def video in portable applications
Health testing technologies
Emissions Monitoring (in light of Climate Change)

I have become involved as many residents in my division are concerned about what is happening at QinetiQ not only immediately but in the longer term, or they know others involved in the planned 230-260 redundancies. Some people may be re-deployed but certain parts of QinetiQ activity will be closed following this date.

In the past couple of years some very considered plans were developed to launch a Quantum Technology Partnership (QTP) project as part of the West Midlands Central Technology Belt which would have encompassed the technologies listed above. However, whilst Advantage West Midlands (AWM) was keen for these negotiations to be concluded prior to the election and had pushed for relevant documents to be signed, this did not happen in that timescale and the QTP project has now been pulled as part of £40m in-year savings due to be found before AWM is wound up.

The previous government commissioned Dr Hermann Hauser to look into the link between longer term research and commercial exploitation of research and Dr Hauser report 'The Current and Future Role of Technology and Innovation Centres', http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/10-843-role-of-technology-innovation-centres-hauser-review.pdf assesses what structures the UK might develop to more effectively exploit our excellence in research. More recently James Dyson's Report 'Ingenious Britain' has been prepared for the new government. However, Malvern QinetiQ teams cannot afford to wait for the outcomes of these consultations if these wealth generating technologies are to be retained in this country.

Dr Eugene Arthurs, CEO, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, deals with these issues in his letter (July 22nd 2010) stating:

'Some have said that QinetiQ's business model was flawed and that it was too much to expect a highly successful technology enterprise, mostly government funded, to become commercially successful. Certainly I have not seen that work well anywhere else, indeed all of the world's research and development centres are set up on a not-for-profit basis for good reason.


'Yet there is a problem that needs to be solved, a problem not unique to the UK but shared by many of the 'developed economies'. That is how to convert pre-eminence in science and technology into benefits for the local economy. This long known problem is at last getting serious attention and solutions will come. There are models to learn from in high wage economies, such as Germany.


'Dr Herman Hauser put it well in the report published in January of this year for Lord Mandelson, the former Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. (The government may have changed but not the economic realities.)


‘"These are exactly the capabilities for technology innovation that the UK must maintain if it is to continue to be a world leader and build a foundation for continued economic growth."’


'I believe Dr Hauser's suggested creation of technology innovation centres of excellence is indeed a potential road to capitalise on the UK's excellence in science and technology. Many of these sentiments are echoed in the Dyson report and I certainly share his advocacy for proper market influence in these centres'

With the demise of the QTP timings regarding these matters are now critical. As a result it has been proposed that a National Innovation Centre be developed on the Malvern Hills Science Park.

To do this some funding is required so one key issue is bringing this matter to the attention of government ministers and others with contacts who may be able to help - such as those with specialist sources of venture/other likely forms of capital. For example, it would clearly be detrimental to our capabilities in these areas if the vital equipment currently being used were sold.

Apparently, the amount of money needed to save these technologies from being lost to the nation is, I understand, around £15m. If a Bridging Loan could be arranged to establish a collaborative National Innovation Centre, based on something like the German 'Fraunhofer' model, it would enable us to continue to develop these technologies and generate new wealth creating platforms.

St Peter's Road - Opposition by all Parties to proposals to lift Restricted Access Order

Since Spring this year Council consultations have been ongoing over proposals regarding the possible lifting of the Restricted Traffic Access Order on St Peter's Road, Malvern.  Following various discussions which I was able to facilitate between residents and the Northleigh Primary School, where I am a Governor, we were able to reach unanimous agreement over our opposition to any proposals to lift the Restricted Access Order.  A Petition was presented by parents of schoolchildren at Northleigh Primary School and residents on the road at the last full meeting of the County Council, 24th June 2010.  Further signatures continue to be added to this given the strength of feeling amongst all parties concerned.

The following is the letter I sent to the Head of Legal Services at the Council on behalf of residents and the Governors of Northleigh Primary School in April 2010.

Simon Mallinson

Head of Legal and Democratic Services
Worcestershire County Council
County Hall
Spetchley Road
Worcestershire WR5 2NP


19th April 2010


Dear Simon,

I have arranged a number of meetings between the Chairman of Governors at Northleigh Primary School in the past couple of weeks and some spokespeople on behalf of the residents of St Peters Road concerning the proposed moves to lift the restricted access on the road.

The following agreement was reached between the Chairman of Governors, John Dixon, on behalf of Northleigh Primary School and the spokespeople for the residents of St Peter’s Road.

1) The revocation of the Order was opposed by all parties.

Residents pointed out that the existing restrictions had successfully prevented St Peters Road from being used as a short cut. The road with its school, steep gradient, reduced visibility bend and dangerous junctions was unsuitable as a natural thoroughfare. If the restrictions were lifted the road would become a rat-run, particularly convenient to traffic from the nearby Malvern Vale housing development.

It was agreed that if revocation proceeded, increased through traffic interacting with parent parking would significantly heighten the risk of accidents and make access for regular users more difficult.

2) The key concern for all parties moving forward would be any increase in through-traffic using St Peter’s Road. It was felt by residents that the occasional use by parents through the road was not a major concern.

Residents accept that some parents had no alternative but to drive to school. Limited parking in St Peters Road is preferable and safer than leaving parents with no alternative other than to park on adjoining roads. Since 1995 the police have used their discretion and residents support the police in the way that they are continuing to manage traffic.

3) The parking by parents was an issue but it was felt that this could be best controlled through better road marking, especially opposite the junctions onto St Peters - for example at Tanglewood. The school should keep informing parents about keeping access points clear which the school stressed it was already doing and would continue to do.

Revocation of the Order would not change the behaviour of parents taking children to and from school. Parents would continue to search for limited parking spaces and the few that presently undertook three point turns would continue to do so for their own convenience and to avoid the dangerous Blackmore Road junction.

4) By providing greater visibility to the restricted access signage it was felt that this would remind parents and other users alike to use the road in the intended way. It was felt the signage as it stood was not clear enough and should be improved and needed to be remedied. Of particular concern is the missing triangular school warning sign on the approach from Cowleigh Bank junction. The school sign on the approach from Blackmore Road is largely hidden by growth. At the Cowleigh Bank Junction, the “dead end ahead” sign should be dismantled and replaced by a roundel showing the restricted access to St Peters Road.

Such improvements would reduce the risk of accidents. At present cars parked immediately opposite the school zigzag markings. Children alighting from these vehicles had to cross over the road at a place where both they and passing drivers were liable to be distracted by friends and other children. Parking opposite the school should be banned and a safety railing erected outside the school gates.

Elsewhere, badly parked vehicles sometimes blocked accesses to dwellings. A possible solution to this problem would be to review the adequacy of the provision of marked out parking bays and to provide a single white line keep clear marking to those accesses most at risk of obstruction. Perhaps the most effective method to encourage considerate behaviour would be for the police to produce a leaflet on good parking practice for the school to hand out to drivers annually or bi annually as necessary.

5) Residents felt very strongly that as some had made donations via a paid contribution to the making up of the road that it would not be fair now to have this road opened up. Whilst this was a concern, for all parties the paramount concern was for the safety of children and for all residents and those living and working on this road. The proposal to lift the restricted access order was regarded as perverse and not working towards this end.

Kind regards

Yours sincerely,

Beverley

Councillor Beverley Nielsen
Malvern Trinity Division
Worcestershire County Council

Traders strongly object to planned developments for Newtown Road, Malvern Link Top

At a meeting, Friday evening, 13th August 2010, about 25 traders from the shops and stores at the Link Top end of Newtown Road met with me and voiced their serious concerns about the Council's proposals for 2 new zebra crossings on Newtown Road / Leigh Sinton Road, especially in so far as these would impact of the availability of road-side parking and accessibility to the shops.

The proposal made for increasing parking spaces at the North Hill Court car park was felt to be unrealistic as the car park backed onto a bank owned, it was suggested, by the Malvern Hills Conservators and it was felt unlikely that any permission would be granted by them, should that be the case, for any such development.

As a result the traders stressed the importance of retaining the car parking spaces which already existed outside their shops and which they said were absolutely vital for their businesses.  They felt it was a 'community issue' and one supported by a long history of trading on this part of Newtown Road. They emphasised that Link Top was a shopping destination for residents from Leigh Sinton, Suckley and Bransford, Interfields, Grit Lane and of course local residents as it was so convenient and such a useful selection of stores.

There were queries about how the Council had reached the conclusion that there would be any significant increases in traffic levels once North Site was completed. There were questions about increased traffic volumes on other local roads such as Yates Hay Road, Tanhouse Lane/ Upper Howsell Road.  It was also queried why any pedestrian crossings were thought to be needed when there had, very thankfully, been no fatalities or serious accidents at either of the more used crossing points. However there was a suggestion that a crossing point might be worthwhile a little further down the road than was currently being proposed. It was queried whether the developer money had to be spent on Newtown Road  or whether it could be used for developments which might be considered to have greater priority by both traders and residents alike.

I reassured those present that I would like to see a display of any proposals held locally for traders and resident to be able to view and comment on and would ensure that everyone was informed about any such display.

The traders key proposals were as follows:

1) Limit freight movements along the road to 7.5 tonnes (except for store deliveries)
2) Install either 'speed bumps' / 'sleeping policemen' or 'S-bends' in the section of Newtown Road outside St Joseph's Primary School especially as traffic travelling down the road towards Leigh Sinton tended to speed up on this section.  It was stressed that any such proposal would require resident consultation;
3) Move the bus stop at Newtown Road Link Top as this was a particular obstruction to visibility down the road. It was queried if a bus bay could be included at the North Hill Court parking site.
4) Traders were keen to question and have an answer to where any developer money could be spent;
5)  Traders asked me to arrange an 'out of hours' meeting with Council officials so they could hear first hand, if possible, the reasoning behind the proposed developments for the road.  I agreed to see if this might be possible for mid September 2010
6) There had been talk of having a roundabout at the Link Top end of Newtown Road.  It was agreed that I would try to find out more about whether this was a real proposal.

Malvern Trinity News - Leigh Sinton Road and Newtown Road Developments

With the ongoing development of the North Site by Persimmon Homes some developer money has been made available for improving/ upgrading the route along Leigh Sinton Road/Newtown Road area in Malvern. 

With the anticipated increase in traffic flows along this already congested section of road and given the presence of the schools along or near to this section of road (Dyson Perrins, St Joseph's and Somers Park Primary Schools) there is the possibility for 2 new zebra crossings and some formal parking bays.

As your local County Councillor I have made clear to the Council the concerns of local shops and traders over any reductions in current parking spaces along this road and suggested that in principle we should look to ensure that parking availability is not reduced as a result of the proposed developments, but at least maintained, and if possible enhanced. 

For example, I have suggested that the Council consider enhancing parking availability in the car park at North Hill Court and formalising the pathway between this car park and the car park further up the road towards the junction with Hornyold Road and Trinity Road.  The Council have agreed to assess this option and commence discussions with Malvern Hills District Council who are responsible for the car park at North Hill Court.

The Council are currently in the early stages of a four stage implementation plan consisting of -

1) Feasibility
2) Consultation
3) Detailed Design
4) Construction

Alongside the development process sits the procedure for the investigation of any traffic regulations that may be required to be updated or amended following such proposed developments.

The feasibility process consists of gathering details of locations, volumes of traffic, existing crossing points, numbers of pedstrians, existing parking, accident data, etc. For example, the Council team has assessed the most used crossing points along the road and found two points which are currently widely used and which it is anticipated will become more frequently used as the North Site development progresses.  These points are at the intersection of Somers Park Road with Leigh Sinton Road and the area at the top end of Newtown Road at North Hill Court. 

The Council is clearly concerned to ensure the safety and sustainability of the road, reducing congestion and keeping traffic flowing for users as well as balancing these issues with other concerns that may be raised.

We will be holding a consultation open to all residents for their comments once the feasibility stage of the process has been completed and all residents will be informed about this. I am hoping that we will be able to display the plans locally so that anyone interested will be able to view them and comment.

I will of course be keeping residents and businesses along the road informed as we progress and you can always email me on emmerson@themarch.freeserve.co.uk or call me on my mobile 0787 532 0872 if you have any particular concerns.