parkwaypark

Firstly, this planning application has been submitted after its pre-application consulation was announced as cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis in a news release. It then continued online without further announcement and the applicant has given media interviews claiming that response has been "largely positive" which seems misleading given the cancellation. I urge you to review the public engagement around this project and consider whether this has been suitable for a major application involving the planning authority.

Please reject this application due to the new bridge creating a motorised "rat run" between the Hardwick and Hospital roundabouts on the eastern bypass through the full length of major retail, employment and residential areas at Hardwick and Fairstead. At a time when other towns and cities are closing such routes as part of traffic circulation plans, it is folly to spend millions building a new one.

Please also reject it due to the dangerously substandard cycleway designs:

1. The Swaffham Belt Path (marked K4 on Insert 5.3 of the Travel Plan) is shown as having a dangerous substandard "slalom" crossing of the spine road near the southwest corner of the primary school grounds. I am horrified that a slalom crossing has been proposed so close to two schools and on a main route between the town centre and hospital. This should be a safe zebra-parallel crossing on a table with perpendicular approaches of standard design.

2. Bridge Way is shown as having a dangerous substandard non-perpendicular-approach crossing of the spine road right at the foot of the reconfigured bridge. Approaching from the north would have visibility further restricted by a new tree intended to the east of the crossing. For some reason, visibility splays for the cycleway-carriageway junctions have not been shown on the drawings. The reconfigured bridge is itself substandard (see next point) but any crossing should be a safe zebra-parallel crossing on a table with perpendicular approaches of standard design.

3. The applicant suggests in various places they are going to enhance the Iron Bridge (on Bridge Way), but the current plans actually appears to show the addition of two hairpin bends and two right-angle turns, one of which is right by one of the dodgy crossings, with no Cycle Design Vehicle Swept Path Analysis shown, so I suspect the bridge may become inaccessible to users of tricycles and trailers, as well as simply more difficult and crash-prone for bicycle riders. Any reduction in gradient will be more than outweighed by the increase in tight corners so how can this be described as an enhancement by anyone who cycles? Please require retention of straight ramps and removal of the existing crash hazards, in line with the Borough Core Strategy Policy CS11 Transport and the Local Transport Plan requirements for accessibility and casualty reduction. This may remove the need for the crossing discussed in point 2. Failing that, please require Cycle Design Vehicle Swept Path Analysis to be submitted to prove compliance of the new bridge design with the Equality Act.

4. It's not even clear on the drawings I've seen so far whether there will be any proper junction provided where the cycleways are crossed by the east end of the "spine road" and the link south from Silver Green, or whether we'll be left to crash down and up kerbs, as is still the case across town at Morston Drift on the Nar Ouse development. Please reject this application unless designs for zebra-parallel crossings on a table with perpendicular approaches are submitted.

5. It's also not at all clear how the new bridge's cycleway will terminate on Rollesby Road and I fear another dangerous abrupt ending on a T junction corner as remains the case at the north end of Scania Way. Please reject this unless designs are submitted in the application.

6. Surely this development should make a contribution towards connecting their cycleways along Rollesby Road and Oldmedow Road to the stub at Scania Way?

7. Surely this development should make a contribution towards connecting the Swaffham Belt Path with the Walks across Tennyson Avenue and Level Crossing with a bridge?