To report to the Sub-Committee the receipt of a petition requesting the Council to undertake a safety review and to take immediate steps to improve the safety at the junction of Henley Road, Caversham Park Road and ‘Caversham Lakes’ access road.

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the receipt of a petition, requesting the Council to undertake a safety review and to take immediate steps to improve the safety at the junction of Henley Road, Caversham Park Road and ‘Caversham Lakes’ access road.  The report also provided background information on the Caversham Lakes development planning application, police supplied casualty data and recommended continued monitoring of planning appeals/re-submissions and casualty data.

The report explained that on 1 November 2022, an online petition had been submitted to the Council that had contained 475 signatures and read as follows:

“As residents in the area, we regularly see accidents and near misses at the very dangerous junction of the access road to Caversham Lakes with Henley Road. This has been a hot spot for many years, even before the opening of the leisure facilities at Caversham Lakes. Turning on to the A4155, Henley Road, is particularly dangerous, with poor sight lines and a confusing staggered junction close to traffic lights to Caversham Park Village. Oxfordshire County Council have recorded concerns regarding the Access Road/ Henley Road/ Caversham Park Road junction. Eye and Dunsden Parish Council report numerous accidents in the area, including a fatality. The confusing boundary issues must not prevent action being taken.

It is clear that the formal accident data substantially under records the number and the nature of accidents at this junction. We urge the Council to take immediate steps to improve safety at the junction.”

The report explained that the Council and Thames Valley Police had a close working relationship regarding incidents on the highway involving casualties and the Council would review the results of the police supplied data to consider whether there were any patterns, or specific factors/causes, that could be addressed by reasonable engineering solutions or highway alterations.  However, upon reviewing the previous three year period of data that had been supplied up to the end of June 2022, there had been one incident at the junction, which had been recorded with a severity of ‘slight’. 

Planning Officers had provided comments to South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) in relation to the retrospective planning application that had been submitted for the Caversham Lakes development and had included a recommendation of an objection on Highway safety grounds.  No alterations had been identified at the junction to date given that there had been insufficient information supplied with the application to ascertain whether the junction would be in excess of its actual capacity.  SODC had refused planning permission and Council planning officers would continue to engage in response to any future appeals or resubmissions.

At the invitation of the Chair the petition organiser, Candi Hall, addressed the Sub-Committee on behalf of the petitioners.  An arial photograph of the junction was presented at the meeting at the request of the petitioner.

Resolved –

(1)     That the report be noted;

(2)     That relevant officers continue to engage with South Oxfordshire District Council in response to any future planning application developments for this site and Police supplied casualty data for any emerging patterns continue to be monitored;

(3)     That the lead petitioner be informed of the decisions of the Sub-Committee, following publication of the agreed minutes of the meeting;

(4)     That no public inquiry be held into the proposals.