1. Bell Street Romsey

Introduction Hampshire County Council & Test Valley Borough Council have been working together to consider ways to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, together with measures to enhance the environment and support the local economy within Romsey Town Centre.

We now welcome your comments on the designs for Bell Street – please use the feedback form available and return it by the 8th April 2016 to Hampshire County Council or complete and leave with us today. This presentation is available on Hampshire County Council and Test Valley Borough Council’s websites. www.hants.gov.uk and www.testvalley.gov.uk Comments can also be submitted online.

Your views are important to us

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Bell Street, looking north towards, Market Place. Narrow

footways.

View south along Bell Street. On-street Parking on the left.

Zebra crossing, southern end of Bell Street. On-street car parking on the right.

2. Recently completed works

in Church Street

Overall concept for town centre Following the public consultation and stakeholder engagement in 2014, a general approach was agreed for improvements within the town centre. The main aim is to enhance the environment and support the economic viability of the town centre whilst improving accessibility for all with: • Enhanced pedestrian accessibility • Improved surfaces for pedestrians • Improved street furniture and reduced clutter • Enhanced appearance of town centre and setting within the conservation area • Materials to compliment those elsewhere in town centre, which are robust and easily maintained • Easy access to car parking • The retention of access and through routes, whilst seeking to reduce vehicle speeds • Improved experience for cyclists

Church Street A scheme to improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists and enhance the appearance of Church Street and the area leading towards Romsey Abbey, was implemented at the end of last year. The surfaces were levelled with quality materials and new street furniture introduced. The cumulative impact has been to enhance the appearance of the area and reduce vehicle speeds, whilst at the same time enhancing the accessibility of the area for pedestrians and cyclists.

Church Street, viewed from the former Magistrates Court

View south along Church Street, with the Post Office on the left

View north along Church Street, with Post Office on the right.

3. Proposals for Bell Street

Current situation in Bell Street: Community street audits, discussions with local groups, together with relevant traffic surveys have helped to identify a range of accessibility issues in Bell Street, such as: • Narrow pavements on both sides of the street • Vehicles travelling too fast for town centre environment • Localised congestion which occurs when larger vehicles straddle the road and pavement in order

to makes deliveries • Difficulties in crossing the street for pedestrians

Improvements include: • Footways will be widened to provide better facilities for pedestrians • A levelled surface, which will make it much easier for visitors to access the area, specifically the

elderly and those with mobility impairment and parents with buggies • Narrowing of the road to slow vehicles speeds down • Raised crossing on the road at the approach to Middlebridge Street, which will also slow vehicle

speeds and act as a gateway to the area

Similar materials are proposed to those used in Church Street, to give continuity and consistency within the town centre. Yorkstone paving will be used for the pedestrian areas of Bell Street, with the remaining surface in buff coloured tarmac to compliment the stone. The two will be separated by granite drainage channels, as in Church Street. There will also be changes in texture and materials to delineate different areas. For example, the use of tegula blocks at the junction of Bell Street with the Corn Market and granite setts at the access to Tee Court. These are all areas where both vehicles and pedestrians may meet and the change in surface materials will highlight this. The entrance to Dukes Mill will also be enhanced. Examples of materials Tegula blocks Granite Setts Granite Channel

There are 2 options for the area at the southern end of Bell Street; showing the area with and without car parking. The two options are shown on the accompanying plans and we are seeking your views on which option you prefer. Street furniture and bollards will also be introduced to prevent parking in inappropriate locations. The choice of materials chosen reflects the sense of place and the character of the historic town centre.

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4. Design for Bell Street

Proposals for Bell Street: The following plans provide details of how the proposed scheme will look and the photomontage images give an indication of how the street scene will look on completion. There are two plans illustrating the options identified below: Option 1 – No on-street parking. Removal of on-street car parking from the lower section of Bell Street. This option will allow the footways to be widened for the entire length of the street and will have the greatest impact upon improving accessibility. The loading bay will remain for delivery vehicles. Option 2 - With on-street parking. Retention of the on-street car parking in the lower section of Bell Street. This option will restrict the opportunities to widen the footway at the bottom end of the Street, as the retention of on-street parking reduces the available space for pedestrians. The loading bay will remain for delivery vehicles. Off-street car parking is provided close to Bell Street in Newton Lane and Broadwater Road.

5. What happens

next 5. Photomontage - Bell Street

BEFORE Bell Street as existing, narrow footways

BEFORE Existing view up Bell Street

at the junction with Middlebridge Street

AFTER Bell Street at its junction with Bell with widened

footways and a levelled surface treatment. The zebra crossing will be retained.

AFTER OPTION 1 – WITHOUT PARKING Bell Street, with wider pavements and

improved level surface

AFTER OPTION 2 – WITH PARKING Bell Street, with some on-street car parking

retained, but improved level surface. .

10. What happens next

How you can help

Please let us know your views on the proposals

How you can let us know your views Complete a comments form and post it in the box provided.

Write or telephone us at either :

HCC – Elizabeth II Court West, The Castle, Winchester,SO23 8UD

TVBC -Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road , Andover, SP10 3AJ

HCC – 0300 5551375

TVBC – 01264 368984 E-mail us at: john.sorrell@hants.gov.uk or vmessenger@testvalley.gov.uk

Please can we have all comments back as soon as possible and by 8th April 2016 at the latest.

Thank you.

Display material will be available to view on both Councils’ websites and at TVBC Council

Offices in the Former Magistrates Court, Church St. Romsey for the duration of the

consultation period.

Following the consultation

All the comments received relating to the proposals will be carefully considered together with

further technical work to finalise the scheme. Prior to the scheme being implemented any

required amendment to the parking orders will be sought. It is anticipated that implementation

of the agreed scheme will start in 2017.

Proposals for enhancement of Market Place will be subject to future public consultation.

Please return all comments by Friday 8th April 2016

6. What happens next

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