I was asked by a local resident to consider whether a mini-roundabout would be appropriate to improve the junction of Callow Hill Lane and Windmill Drive. Locals will know this as the junction near the Bramley Cottage. It’s a busy junction, with Windmill Drive being a 40mph road.
I have now had a response from officials within the County Council who say:
“Current design criteria set out by the Department for Transport states that mini-roundabouts should be used only when all approach roads are subject to a speed limit of 30 mph or less. The reasoning behind this is because at higher speeds it is seldom possible to achieve adequate deflection and the central marking may not be sufficiently conspicuous.
As you will be aware, Windmill Drive is subject to a 40mph limit so this precludes the installation of a mini-roundabout.
In general, junction improvements are evidenced based and we have a team which monitors accident statistics so that we can target areas where problems are occurring. At the present time, there are no planned works at this junction itself.”
However, despite this there will be some work that may have an effect:
“We are considering further markings to the Callow Hill Lane in relation to speeding concerns. We can then monitor the situation.”
This response is acceptable as it provides us with future monitoring, and it also comes off the back of some canvassing I did in the local area where I asked residents if they agreed with the idea of a mini-roundabout. Around 1/3 of those canvassed agreed, but around 2/3 said they didn’t think it was a priority for public spending at this time as they didn’t have issues with it themselves.
I will continue to monitor the situation and keep in touch with local residents on the issue to see how it evolves over time. If fresh evidence emerges of a specific problem we can look to find the best solution – it may well be a mini-roundabout in the future, it could be traffic lights, or it could be widening the junction if possible. Let’s see.
You can contact me about this issue by emailing mrouse@worcestershire.gov.uk
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