Article for Ongar News April 2024
ONPCG met a Senior Essex Highways Officer, EFDC Sustainable Transportation Officer and a consultant road engineer to discuss options for implementing proposals put forward at the public meeting on 23rd November 2023. ONPCG Subcommittee on Road improvements, which has representatives from many residents groups and Ongar Town Council, has now researched and collated those proposals which have supporting ‘hard evidence’.
The following requests have been submitted for Essex Highways funding via the Local Highway Panel (via our County Councillor). Supporting evidence includes: collision (with injuries) data, traffic counts and pedestrian movements (all of which are sufficient for the level of improvement requested):
A new pedestrian crossing in the High Street, near Stanley Place.
Improvements to two pedestrian crossings: the High Street near Great Lawn and Coopers Hill near Longfields. To include better lighting / pedestrian controlled.
Traffic awareness and calming ‘Gateway’ features, both horizontal and vertical, on Fyfield Road at the 30mph sign near Ongar Academy and Ongar Health Centre.
Unsuitable for lorries/HGVs sign in Greensted Road from Chipping Ongar Primary School to the junction with Toot Hill Road and Blake Hall Road.
HGVs have long blighted our historic town. Campaigns to restrict HGVs in the High Street from Budworth Hall to Castle Street, escalated following Janet Jaggs article in Ongar News in 2018. ONPCG took it to ECC in 2018 and again with OTC’s High Street Working Party in 2019.
Ongar’s MP has also long been actively involved. The fight continues!
Some of ONPCG proposals for road and road safety improvements, including junction improvements should be carried out by developers of the new residential allocated sites in EFDC’s Local Plan. Following our discussions with ECC and EFDC Officers, ONPCG is pressurising for developers to fund the following ‘Infrastructure Delivery’ requirements:.
Improved roundabout at Four Wantz, & pedestrian controlled crossings on the A414.
A new roundabout at the following junctions:
High Ongar Rd & A414 Chelmsford Rd
High Street, Coopers Hill, & The Borough/Greensted Rd & bus stops relocated
New pedestrian crossings on:
Greensted Road near Chipping Ongar Primary School
Brentwood Road near the roundabout at the top of Coopers Hill
‘Gateway’ features, both vertical and horizontal on the entrances to the built up area at
Brentwood Rd, Stanford Rivers Rd, Greensted Rd, Chelmsford Rd, Epping Rd
The suggestion for the A414 to bypass the built up part of Shelley, is being pursued. This will require approval by Essex Highways but could be supported by grants from Govt for ‘Major Road Network’ improvements fund (The A414 has recently been upgraded). The scheme requires more ‘hard’ evidence and a lengthy and competitive application process.
Mary Dadd
Chairman of Ongar Neighbourhood Plan Community Group https://www.ongarneighbourhoodplan.uk/