4.2.11

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Support

Grafton Area of Major Change SPD 2017

Representation ID: 31941

Received: 13/10/2017

Respondent: Mr Peter Wakefield

Representation Summary:

Welcome change of use of the Grafton Bus Station.
Quicker for the P&R bus services to access the city via the quieter Maids Causeway route using a quality bus stop near Sun Street / Napier Street along with the Citi3 and 10/11 routes. Interchange between routes can made if they all went that way. Currently many P&R services divert via Maids Causeway route on an ad hoc basis avoiding the difficult right turn at the Junction with Mill Road and Parkside.

The Grafton Bus station could be opened out onto East Road and developed as an inner city square linked to a linear park with a much calmer and narrower East Road along side it.

Full text:

I live on St Matthews Street.
I am sorry that I missed the workshops held earlier about the Grafton proposals. North Petersfield is integral to the Grafton area so it is a pity that residents missed the opportunity to take part.

I have read through the suggestions and in relation to East Road they seem most positive.
However currently the three crossings of East Road from Petersfield at Anglia Ruskin, Norfolk St and St Matthews Street are operated as if they a a nuisance to traffic flow. At all the pedestrian phases have significantly worsened over the last two years. Work must be done to unify Petersfield and Grafton across East Road at these crossings and elsewhere.

Proposals that seek to make East a Road more a city boulevard are to be welcomed. The south end is already a much more positive area. However much of East Road is a hostile chasm, threatening chasm and not appropriate for what is now inner city.
The dualled part of the street is terrible. There is even a fence along the Central Reservation that separates the two worlds of Grafton and Petersfield!

The dualled part of the road should be singled, the fence taken out. Currently in the peak it is a four lane "car park" pumping out noxious fumes into the adjacent housing. There is no need for East Road to be 4 lanes. It long ago ceased to be a part of planned 'motor way' ring for the city. Narrow it. Use part for the reduced width for cycle lanes and make the rest up to Newmarket Road a linear park. Off peak the road is used a speed way. Make the road less of a through-way and plant it with trees etc..

I think the idea of change of use of the Grafton Bus Station is good. Currently buses using it are the two Park and Ride services. The detour in the bus station delays them although they currently form no useful service to local residents are they no longer go through the city to the railway station and Bio Medical Campus. It would be quicker for the P&R bus services to access the city via the quieter Maids Causeway route using a quality bus stop near Sun Street / Napier Street along with the Citi3 and 10/11 routes. Interchange between routes can made if they all went that way. Currently many P&R services divert to the via Maids Causeway route from the Grafton Bus station on an ad hoc basis anyway thus avoiding the difficult right turn at the Junction with Mill Road and Parkside.

The Grafton Bus station could be opened out onto East Road and developed as an inner city square linked to the the linear park mentioned earlier....with a much calmer and narrower East Road along side it.

The volume of traffic using East Road is too much. Particulates from engines, dust from tyres wear, dust from brake linings and road asphalt wear is a major problem from this road and it should be an imperative to discourage as traffic as possible from this road. Many people have chest problems caused by this pollution. Hopefully "benign" design such as narrowing and the creation of a linear park will discourage through traffic.

There are three major Anglia Ruskin sites along East Road and apart from the residents alongside East Road, the many hundred movements of young people along this road most be taken into account into designs.

Many thanks for your attention,

Peter Wakefield,