News: Traffic monitors installed near site of proposed development

Three traffic monitoring devices have been installed in Chilbolton. The reason for them being there is, as yet, unclear.

An eagle-eyed resident alerted chilbolton.news yesterday to the fact that traffic monitors had been installed. This morning we went to investigate.

There are three units located at the junction of Drove Road and Little Drove Road.

The units are RoadPod VTs, produced by MetroCount. They say of them:

The RoadPod VT (vehicle tube) counter and classifier is the most reliable portable monitoring system on the market. It uses two pneumatic tube sensors to time stamp every individual vehicle axle. Trusted in over 120 countries, it accurately monitors vehicle volumes, speed, class, direction, traffic gap and much more.

The three units have been installed by Paul Castle Associates. They also offer radar speed gun surveys, vehicle registration surveys and can even provide aerial drone traffic monitoring.

While we were there, we met several residents, all of whom had two questions: who had arranged for the monitoring units to be installed and what was the purpose of the survey.

One common conjecture was that they were being used as part of the preparation of a planning application. They are sited next to the land proposed for a 25-home development that we have extensively reported on. The entrance to that site matches exactly with the location of the monitors.

In its response to the Parish Council’s pre-application for the development, Test Valley Borough Council Planners said:

it is noted that there is not a continuous footway running along Drove Road to provide a safe route for pedestrians from the site to the village centre, and there would be a reliance on the use of private vehicles by any occupants of this site to access services and facilities elsewhere. It may be that highway improvement works would be required to address this matter (subject to consultation with the Highway Authority), or measures could perhaps be put forward as a community benefit.

James Painter, the landowner, who announced that he will submit outline planning permission for 25 homes on the site, will clearly have to give consideration to that feedback. He will also have to consider the issues of contractors and material moving to and from the site during construction. Having a tally of existing traffic movements would inform that analysis.

Ironically, one person in Chilbolton would be eminently well-qualified to advise on the uses of traffic monitoring. Cllr Julian Hudson, Chair of Chilbolton Parish Council, in his day job is a consultant in the field of traffic and transport.