Lib Dem councillors have called out both Welwyn Hatfield borough and Herts County Councils, saying they have ignored their own traffic modelling for the new Household Waste Recycling Site, to be built on Tewin Road.
Borough councillor Malcolm Cowan and county councillor Nigel Quinton are concerned about the impact on traffic on Bridge Road and Peartree Lane.
The councillors say residents will know the double roundabout on Bridge Road is already a source of congestion at peak times.
WHBC and HCC’s forecasts suggest that even without this development delays could be up to four minutes on Peartree Lane in the morning rush hour in 2021, and that Bridge Rd will be over capacity at both peak periods and on Saturdays too.
Delays on Tewin Road in the afternoon peak would be three minutes, and when the effect of the development is added on this will double. All roads leading to the double roundabout will be at or above capacity.
By 2026 with the development, it predicts delays of almost 12 minutes on Peartree Lane, six minutes on Tewin Road and nearly five minutes on Bridge Road East.
Despite this, the county council Highways report to its own planners suggests that the effect of the development is negligible.
Peartree Liberal Democrat borough councillor Malcolm Cowan said: “We were amazed at the county council statement that these delays will not be a problem. It will cause tailbacks over a very wide area, not least for fire engines coming out of their Bridge Rd East base nearby.
“We asked Highways to consider alternative measures, but these suggestions have been ignored.”
County councillor Nigel Quinton added: “We are pleased that the Household Waste site will be located in Tewin Road, which is much more convenient and safer than the site on the A414 dual carriageway. The report reinforces our calls for WHBC to have a proper masterplan for Peartree and the county council to conduct a full transport review of the area. Both councils need to work together to sort this, not conspire to make the problem worse.”
A county council spokesperson said: “The county council’s planning team, who are examining the planning application, are aware of the issues around transportation for the proposed new recycling centre and council depot. They are seeking further clarification on these issues, which they will review together with the county council’s highways team and Welwyn Hatfield Council’s planning team. They will also be engaging further with the local councillors.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here