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Tewkesbury Civic SocietyProtecting Tewkesbury's Architectural Heritage and ensuring today's developments add positively to it.
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Issues
Roads and crossings
The Society is always concerned about things that degrade or improve the environment within the town, particularly within the Conservation Area, roads and crossings can do either.
Those changes being considered at the M5 Junction 9 to accommodate the Tewkesbury Garden Town concept and the likely rebuilding of the M5 Junction 10 to make it four way exit and entrance, can and will affect Tewkesbury in one way or another. By using the links below, one can follow some of the planning of these major works.
M5 J9
M5 J10
Those changes being considered at the M5 Junction 9 to accommodate the Tewkesbury Garden Town concept and the likely rebuilding of the M5 Junction 10 to make it four way exit and entrance, can and will affect Tewkesbury in one way or another. By using the links below, one can follow some of the planning of these major works.
M5 J9
M5 J10
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HIGH STREET
Closer to home the Society has mixed feelings about the last significant road changes in Tewkesbury, the works in the High Street completed a few years ago. On the positive side, more space was given over to pavements and so to pedestrians and where the yellow surfaces are simply across the road as near Bishops Walk, near the Town Hall and close to Cross House, pedestrians can cross easier. There is also a strip in the middle offering sanctuary to pedestrians. |
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On the negative side, there are quite narrow lanes that clearly pose problems to some vehicles if only measured by the number of damaged bollards and keep left signs always evident. Those same damaged bollards/keep left signs detract from the appearance of the High Street. The same yellow surfacing at junctions of Quay Street and Sun Street perform no useful purpose and are in fact dangerous.
The Society feels that the rights of pedestrians (equal to motorists) on yellow surfaces are badly understood by both parties and we are surprised that we have heard of no accidents! We feel that the yellow surface at the Quay Street and Sun Street junctions are particularly dangerous and should be removed, although it could be useful simply across the end of both Quay Street and Sun Street.
The Society feels that the rights of pedestrians (equal to motorists) on yellow surfaces are badly understood by both parties and we are surprised that we have heard of no accidents! We feel that the yellow surface at the Quay Street and Sun Street junctions are particularly dangerous and should be removed, although it could be useful simply across the end of both Quay Street and Sun Street.
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We also deplore the use of Keep left signs and bollards that are easily damaged and consequently degrade the appearance of the High Street. Another solution needs to be found we believe, perhaps either complete removal or replaced by more resilient (bounce back) items.
Both the suggestions above are for the GCC Highways and the Society will lobby them to make such changes. However, once again this is something that would benefit from being included in a TTC driven Neighbourhood Plan.
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CHURCH STREET CROSSINGS
The crossing in Church Street between the Crescent and the Abbey Gate is at the narrowest part of the road and, more importantly, the pavements. This is bad enough normally but in a Socially distanced environment is disastrous, as we believe is recognised by TBC? In its present position we believe that is used by a minority of people crossing Church Street between the Crescent and the Abbey Gate, the majority cross in an uncontrolled dangerous way. Pedestrians arriving by car or coach with intentions to visit the Abbey either to attend a service or an event or visit as a tourist, usually park in the Gloucester Road car-park then have to cross the road without the benefit of a controlled crossing or walk further down Church Street before crossing in a controlled way and walking back on the other side to the Abbey. Either choice is unattractive but the majority risk life and limb and cross willy-nilly! Another problem is created by the Bell Hotel being located opposite the Abbey, it is often used before and after services, events and group visits to the Abbey with people facing the same choice and making the same decision by crossing a busy road at a bad spot for seeing traffic without the benefit of a controlled crossing. |
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The Society feels that the present controlled crossing is badly sited and should be moved just south of, but close to, the Abbey main gateway where both road and pavements are wider.
We feel that the relocated crossing will have the effect of slowing traffic in the whole Church Street Area/northern Gloucester Road area. There is a real problem presently of traffic dangerously ignoring the thirty mile an hour limit.
We will lobby GCC Highways for this change. Yet again we feel TTC should be taking the lead here and be including such changes in Neighbourhood Planning.
We feel that the relocated crossing will have the effect of slowing traffic in the whole Church Street Area/northern Gloucester Road area. There is a real problem presently of traffic dangerously ignoring the thirty mile an hour limit.
We will lobby GCC Highways for this change. Yet again we feel TTC should be taking the lead here and be including such changes in Neighbourhood Planning.
