Traffic calming in Baydon – By Baydon Parish Council

The chicanes installed on Ermin Street in 2014 near the playground, have proved to be successful, reducing what was the highest speeds in the village, from an 85th percentile* of 44.3mph to the lower figure of 39.8mph. However, these chicanes will be even more effective in conjunction with additional traffic calming measures.

Since 2013, Baydon Parish Council has been planning for the next phase of traffic calming and considering further obstacles for Ermin Street, with road safety outside the school being the highest priority.

After consultation with Wiltshire Highways, a draft proposal has been designed, which will slow traffic approaching the primary school from both directions.  A single obstacle near the Ermin Close entrance is proposed, which means that westbound traffic would need to give way. Another single obstacle, near the flashing 30mph sign at the western end of Ermin Street, would mean that eastbound cars must give way. These obstacles would be similar to those at Wanborough and Shrivenham.

Baydon Parish Council have agreed to contribute £6,000 towards the £18,000 cost, have already secured £3,000 from CATG** and have been awarded £9,000 central government funding. Work is scheduled to commence in October 2016, but likely to be delayed.

Our existing chicanes near the playground cost £31,000, of which Baydon Parish Council contributed £3,000, with the remainder being paid for by a very generous donation of £3,000 from a local resident, £3,000 from CATG and £22,000 from central government funding.*** Therefore, of the £49,000 costs of the traffic calming project as a whole, Baydon Parish Council will have contributed £9,000.

Update: The proposed buildouts will be on the agenda again, at the Parish Council Meeting on Monday 4th July. During this meeting we will provide information on the traffic calming plans and give residents an opportunity to give their feedback.

Further information can be found on www.baydon.org, on the Parish Council notice board outside the shop and of course, future Parish Council meetings

Baydon Parish Council

* A Metrocount measures the number of passing cars and the speed of the free flowing traffic. (The 85th percentile is the speed at which 85% of cars were travelling at, or under.)

**Marlborough Community Area Transport Group, which a Baydon Parish Cllr attends

***The cost of the chicanes near the playground were higher because there was no existing power supply for the lighting

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