Residents set to lose parking amid Sandy Secondary School remodelling 'feel badly let down'
Residents would be prevented from parking outside their properties on a street in Sandy, under changes to a planning condition, a meeting heard.
This was applied to a Central Bedfordshire Council project for a two-storey teaching block, a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) block, and the remodelling of Sandy Secondary School, off Medusa Way.
Planning condition 24 required a highways improvement scheme at the junction of Engayne Avenue with St Neots Road, according to a report to the local authority’s development management committee.
That would widen the northern entrance on to the roundabout, and also include a footway realignment and a traffic regulation order for waiting restrictions between numbers 103 to 111 St Neots Road, said the report.
Sandy Town Council supports removing the junction works, but opposes any waiting restrictions that would create “further parking problems”.
Senior planning officer Eilis Edmonds told the committee: “The original condition required the highway improvements at this junction to cater for extra traffic movements.
“It became evident during the detailed design stage that essential utility infrastructure apparatus lay between the footway and the verge, which would be impacted by the changes.
“Alternative design options were reviewed and this now seeks to have a ‘No waiting at any time’ yellow lines traffic regulation order along a section of St Neots Road.
“This was approved at a traffic management meeting in December, after consultation. Sandy Town Council’s objection can’t be overcome by a planning condition.
“Residents asked whether these restrictions could be limited to peak school hours. But this might imply parking within 10m of the junction at other times is acceptable.
“The recommendation is to approve changing the previous condition 24 and to require the associated highways works to be completed within three months. Other conditions would be reworded accordingly.”
Central Bedfordshire Community Network Sandy councillor Rob Pashby explained: “The residents in the terraced houses feel badly let down by CBC.
“There were no objections to the original junction widening scheme that would have enabled them to continue parking outside those properties, where they have no alternative.
“Tension between CBC highways and the planning department became apparent about the difficulties improving this junction, under the original variation. The cost would have been prohibitive.
“But where as before there was a Fortnum and Mason afternoon tea of a solution, providing what was needed, we’ve ended up with a bit of a custard pie from Tesco. The residents are losing their parking.
“I can probably find about 200 junctions in Sandy which need double yellow lines. There’s no problem at this junction. We’re trying to solve an issue which isn’t there.
“The evidence supports this. Let’s be data driven and have a sensible response to this. I urge you to reject this variation and signpost our officers to bring a new one, where we maintain the status quo.”
Conservative Clifton, Henlow and Langford councillor Richard Wenham suggested: “It’s too late in trying to stop the yellow lines.
“The mitigation for this has been approved as a traffic order, regardless of what we agree.”
Conservative Dunstable West councillor Nigel Young said: “I don’t think we should be doing anything, and at best single yellows time limited would do.
“I can think of about 100 junctions which could do with double yellow lines, if you’ve spare paint. I’d prefer we didn’t do it.”
CBC’s highways team leader Jethro Punter added: “A safety audit indicated a traffic increase because of the school extension, combined with parking on one side of St Neots Road, may result in head-on or side swipe collisions.
“The safety audit recommends the traffic order should be implemented.” Councillors agreed to vary the condition.