Chapel Level speeding up of motor traffic

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their attention and response.

Thank you for contacting Fife Council.

Rebecca Hain,

Customer Services Advisor,

Contact Centre,

Kirkcaldy

"Think Green" and only print this email if absolutely necessary

>>> David Hansen <[FOI #84499 email]> 30/08/2011
14:13 >>>
Dear Fife Council,

I refer to the article at

[1]http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-he...
which outlines your intention to speed up motor traffic on Chapel
Level with a large roundabout, dual carriageway and so on.

We know that large roundabouts and faster motor traffic increase
the danger posed to cyclists and pedestrians.

Please provide copies of the cycling and pedestrian impact
assessments carried out with regards to these "developments".

Please note that "replies" which involve attachments in proprietary
file formats are not acceptable. A reply which is not in plain text
format will be deemed to be a refusal to answer. It may well be
that the assessments cannot easily be rendered in plain text, in
which case Acrobat would be an acceptable format.

Yours faithfully,

David Hansen

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Dear David Hansen

 

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004 – REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION

 

I refer to your e-mail of  30^th August 2011 (our ref 770) asking for
information about developments at Chapel Level, Kirkcaldy. We have dealt
with your request in terms of the Environmental Information (Scotland)
Regulations 2004.

 

Fife Council are not obliged to produce cycling and pedestrian impact
assessments – we are obliged to work to the accepted national standards
and the cycling and walking aspects were considered as part of the design
process. The lead officer, projects has summarised:

 

This scheme to dual a section of Chapel Level and Hendry Road has been
promoted as a result of the residential and commercial developments at the
John Smith Business Park, the adjoining housing developments and most
significantly, the expansion of the Victoria Hospital.

 

This project has been developed in response to the Traffic Impact
Assessments in order to provide adequate capacity for traffic, not to
enhance vehicle speeds.  The existing 40 mph and 30 mph speed restrictions
will remain in operation after the completion of the project and two new
signal controlled junctions will be provided at Prestonfield Drive and
Newtonmore Drive.

 

Planning consent, referenced 10/04003/FULL, was given by the Kirkcaldy
Area Committee on 6 September 2011 and all the supporting documentation
including the various assessments can be viewed at this link :-

 

[1]http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/appli...

 

Cycling and Walking Facilities

The development of a circular cycle route around Kirkcaldy, including
along Chapel Level, has been a long term aim of the Council.  This is to
be accommodated within the project by continuing a 3 metre wide shared
cyclist/pedestrian route along the northern side of the road with
appropriate crossings at the two junctions and the new roundabout.  This
route already links in with the cycle routes formed as part of the
Kirkcaldy Urban Cycle Ways initiative, one to the south and west from
Hendry Road through Tiree Place with the second to the east linking
Dunnikier Way in the vicinity of Kirkcaldy High School to the Hayfield
area of the town.  Cycle routes have already been developed along
Dunnikier Way to the east using the widened footways on both sides of the
road.

 

It is clearly recognised that cyclists experience difficulty negotiating
large roundabouts and adequate provision has been made to segregate
cyclists from the traffic.  The various cycle routes will be enhanced and
safely linked with controlled crossings on the four arms of the new
roundabout as demonstrated on the drawings included in the planning
application.

 

There is a high pedestrian demand in the area of the Hendry Road
roundabout, particularly associated with the pupils attending the nearby
Kirkcaldy High School, and on the Tiree Place/Rosemount Terrace corridor. 
Again the controlled crossings surrounding the new roundabout will
accommodate these movements safely.

 

This scheme will improve the facilities for both pedestrians and cyclists
over and around this increasingly busy section of road.

 

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request, you
have the right to request a review of the decision.  Please write to:
Chief Legal Officer, Performance & Organisational Support, Fife House,
North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT or e-mail to
[2][email address].  The law provides for you to make this request
up to 40 workings days from when you receive this correspondence.  We add
a further three working days to allow time for delivery of our response
giving you up to 43 working days from the date of this correspondence to
ask for a review.  Where the outcome of the review fails to resolve the
matter to your complete satisfaction you have the right to apply to the
Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision.

 

Fife Council will consider and seek to resolve any request to the Chief
Legal Officer that falls outside this timescale.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Karen Berry

 

 

"Think Green" and only print this email if absolutely necessary

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References

Visible links
1. http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/appli...
2. mailto:[email address]