Signage and condition of road and pavements on both sides of Chesil Street

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1 Signage and condition of road and pavements on both sides of Chesil Street Tuesday 26 July and Tuesday 2nd August 2016, both at 6 p.m. Audited by: Janet Berry, Angela Stevenson, Mike Slinn, Phil Gagg, Jeremy Carter, Mary Salter, Chris Allen, Cllr Liz Hutchison, (26 July) and Cllr Liz Hutchison, Janet Berry, Mike Slinn, Phil Gagg, Richard Blackman, Rev Paul Kennedy, Pauline Trout, Mary Salter, Chris Allen (2 August). Purpose This audit examined all aspects of the Chesil Street pedestrian environment from Bridge Street, including City Bridge, as far as the junction of Bar End Road and Barfield Close. This route signifies an important entrance to Winchester and is one that despite fine and interesting historical buildings looks distinctly poorly maintained and neglected, both at the beginning, by the junction with Barfield Close, as well as at the entrance to the historic city at the junction of Chesil Street and Magdalen Hill with Bridge Street. Pavements are narrow and uneven throughout with some areas that are particularly bad. Chesil Street suffers from narrow pavements in poor condition, heavy, speeding traffic, noise and air pollution and a general sense of being very run down. This makes it unpleasant and unsafe for pedestrians although it is heavily used, especially around City Bridge and the junction with Chesil Street. With the building of a new care home on the old Chesil Street car park the need for a safer and much improved pedestrian environment will be greater than ever, and of even greater importance if the proposed leisure centre is built. The audit also looked at the area around the entrance to the Chesil Street multi-storey car park from Barfield Close. This area is currently very poor for pedestrians and would be unacceptable for elderly people moving in to the new development opposite, as is the suggestion that they would access Bridge Street by going through the car park.

2 Key recommendations 1. Barfield Close is a well-engineered road that has very little traffic. It is recommended that all traffic coming in to the city, as well as cars accessing car parks, Chesil Street multi-storey in particular, should be routed from the junction of Bar End Road and Barfield Close along Barfield Close. This would keep Chesil Street and Bar End Road as far as the junction with Barfield Close by the car park as a pedestrian and cycle route with vehicular access for residents only. On this basis the road could be narrowed and some residents on-street car parking could further restrict speeds. The bridge under East Hill should not present a problem; it is currently used by Park & Ride buses, and could be widened by removing the pavement and, if necessary, the road could be lowered. Signage for vehicles at the junction between Bar End Road and Barfield Close could be reorganised to reflect this alteration. 2. Bridge Street, Chesil Street and Magdalen Hill junction should become a shared space. 3. Vehicular movement over City Bridge should be reviewed, as should bus movements 4. A corridor study and whole street plan is required. Audit: West side 1. Sign poorly positioned. Clash of pedestrians and cyclists accessing National Cycle Network (NCN) route. Re-routing the NCN via Wharf Hill could be considered. 2. Bridge Street - poorly maintained: green growth on pavements, railings in poor condition.

3 3. City Bridge feels dangerous and unpleasant with its very narrow pavements and constant flow of vehicles. Buses, in particular, pass very close to pedestrians making for much discomfort and a sense of danger from being run over or having wing mirrors hit people. In addition vehicles speed and cause noise and air pollution, while the area generally feels neglected and poorly maintained. The lighting on the bridge is not maintained and needs cleaning. This is poor given that it is one of the most heavily used pedestrian areas with many tourists and tourist attractions, including attractive views of the river and fine buildings such as City Mill and the Chesil Rectory as well as shops. 4. Poorly positioned bike racks opposite dentist s surgery. 5. The Bridge Street, Chesil Street, Magdalen Hill junction and mini roundabout is very hostile for pedestrians. It is dominated by traffic and all crossing points put vehicles first denying pedestrians easy crossing and movement to where they want to go. The potential for making this a shared surface should be considered. This area should be a place of joy as a quality public space celebrating fine historic buildings. Instead it makes those on foot feel vulnerable, and detracts from views of the historic buildings. 6. Access for funeral vehicles doesn t make allowance for needs of pedestrians. 7. Redundant signal for lights needs to be removed. 8. Car parked on pavement by entrance to Chesil Theatre - what is its status? It restricts visibility for pedestrians in an already tight and obscured part of the street.

4 Audited Route Proposed Route Map: Chesil Street, Barfield Close and Bar End Road

5 9. Vehicle speeds on this stretch of the road to East Hill are a major problem. The introduction of a partial 20 mph limit lacks logic and credibility and doesn t seem to be observed. The whole section of the street needs to be 20 mph, not just small sections, and engineering is required to ensure that pavements are widened, and the road narrowed to ensure self-enforcement. Buses and coaches in this section of the street are a major problem; relocating the depot will help. 10. Very narrow pavements by semi derelict houses between the theatre and Watersmeet: the opportunity should be taken through their redevelopment to ensure that the building line is pushed back to widen the pavement. There are no streetlights on western side of the road. 11. Redundant no loading signs need removing. 12. Bins on street, in front of The Weirs, need removing as they narrow pavements. 13. The position of the lit crossing needs to be reconsidered in light of the development of the Chesil Care Home and the needs of all pedestrians; the lights are in the wrong place now. 14. There is no signage to encourage pedestrians to use the inviting alleyway to Wharf Hill and beyond.

6 15. Wharf Hill/East Hill/Chesil Street junction is a dangerous crossing point for pedestrians, with poor sight lines, no effective signage, discontinuous pavements, not step free, no effective dropped kerbs, and poor road and pavement surfaces. Congestion, especially in the morning, is severe. The area looks run down with poor pedestrian access to terraces on Highcliffe Road. East Hill has no pavement on its southern side; the one on the north is in poor condition. Consideration should be given to having a raised table at this junction, or a mini roundabout, and extending the 20 mph zone. Signage required to High St via Castle Walls paths, Cathedral, etc. 16. Access to the park is poor, plants are poorly maintained. 17. The public space not well maintained. It requires sweeping. 18. Black top paving is in poor condition; the angle of the pavement is dangerous, especially for wheelchair users and those with buggies. 19. Lit crossing by Milland Road is poorly positioned. Posts in the middle of the pavement narrow the pavement and make it dangerous and uncomfortable for pedestrians, especially those with buggies. Foliage needs cutting back. 20. Barfield Close foliage overgrown and overhangs the pavement.

7 Audit: East side 21. Public space: who owns the poorly maintained land? Are the phone boxes in use? If not, they are clutter to be removed along with the brick wall next to Chesil Rectory. The pavement is in poor condition with broken slabs. Pedestrian signs are the wrong height and require updating. The sign to the South Downs National Park is not continued further along the route. There are potentially stunning views to the King Alfred statue, Broadway and High Street but constant traffic close to pedestrians precludes this being appreciated. 22. Signage is poorly positioned and unclear, and needs rethinking. There are no signs to St Giles Hill. Furthermore, there is a bollard in the middle of the pavement and a dangerous open gulley with a wide grating. What are the shopmobility signs in the paving signifying? 23. Sign to city centre not clear. 24. By SBC Bathrooms it is not clear that it is an entrance to a car park. As such it s not safe for pedestrians.

8 25. Bins on pavement reduce width of the already narrow pavement. 26. The highway needs narrowing. A lot of speeding was observed; a 20 mph limit is essential and needs to be self-enforcing through design. The bends in the road need to be increased to contribute to this. There is a major problem with the number and frequency of coaches and buses which can be very intimidating for pedestrians. 27. Frontage to Avalon House suffers from speeding traffic, unsafe for people with disabilities and dementia. The drop off point is poorly designed. Railings in front of Avalon House constitute clutter and should be removed. 28. The very narrow pavement by Chesil Street means single file is the only option. 29. Pedestrian routes to Chesil Car Park are neither well lit nor signed, are hostile and rarely used. The signage to Chesil Street car park is poor, both as an entrance and welcome to Winchester. The entrance to the car park is also poor.

9 30. Signage for 20/30mph is misleading and in the wrong places; the entire stretch of road needs to be 20 mph. Noise and speeding of vehicles makes the pedestrian environment unpleasant. 31. Steps to the path to St Giles Hill have no signage even though it leads to an attractive walk. 32. Junction with Barfield Close - poor crossing for pedestrians with excessively wide splay for vehicles making it feel hostile and unsafe. This area needs to be reconsidered and re-engineered in response to the care home under construction. Consideration could be should be given to a mini roundabout. Signage to Chesil Street car park is poor. Signs to welcome people to Winchester are hidden. 33. Pedestrians sign is hidden by overgrown trees and key destinations are not highlighted. 34. Steps to Highcliffe Road are well used by pedestrians but then there are no facilities for pedestrians to cross roads. 35. Pavement surfaces poor, gradient, badly positioned lit crossing in middle of footway, speeding vehicles. 36. Pedestrian crossing of Milland Road is poor. A table should be considered. 37. Pavement is in poor condition between Milland Road and Barfield Close. 38. The entrance to the WCC depot has a poor crossing for pedestrians, with no dropped kerbs. 39. Pavement stops at the top of Bar End Road, with no adequate crossings.

10 Drop kerb at Wharf Hill Lack of sign in Barfield Close Temporary signs poorly placed in Chesil Street. Pavement narrowing in Chesil Street

11 Poorly signed route to town Damage to pavement from cars Pavement obstructions in Chesil Street. Pavements in poor state of repair in Chesil Street Bins permanently obstruct pavement in Chesil Street

12 Pavement obstructions in Chesil Street Damaged railings, bins and bikes hamper pedestrians at Chesil Street/City Bridge junction Foliage obscuring signs in Chesil Street Temporary diversion impossible to navigate. Bins and vegetation on pavement in Chesil Street Winchester Walking Strategy Group