Council defends new Aylesbury traffic calming measures causing uproar

In Bierton chicanes were built near Miles Court on the A418 Aylesbury Road this year, which has slowed down traffic on one of the main routes in-and-out of Aylesbury.

Bucks Council has said the chicanes were introduced in Bierton to discourage people from using the village next to Aylesbury as a through road. It is hoped that the scheme will lead to more motorists using alternative routes along Mike Griffin Way and Bellingham Way.

Funding has come from Barratt David Wilson Homes as part of its agreement with Bucks Council. The traffic calming scheme was one of the arrangements the developer was assigned when it was granted planning permission to construct the Kingsbrook development.

Residents on Facebook have raised dismay at the speeds they believe motorists have travelled at to avoid having to wait at the chicanes. One claimed he witnessed vehicles racing past them at around 60mph. Others have said since the calming measures were built in August, that there have been seven road accidents on the busy A-road.

Further motorists have complained of increased congestion caused in the Aylesbury area as a result of the new bollards.

One resident who lives close to the new chicanes said they no longer feel they can safely legally pull in and out of their driveway as a result of the works in front of their home. The resident adds that motorists are taking ‘insane’ risks to avoid being stuck behind the chicanes. They said: “The constant beeping and speed that people are doing to beat each other in between the two chicanes and also drivers mounting pavements to go around the build outs is crazy.”

A spokesperson for Barratt David Wilson said: “The traffic calming scheme through Bierton is part of our S106 agreement with Buckinghamshire County Council. We worked closely with Bierton Parish Council on the proposals, including a significant public consultation phase, and it was finally approved by the Highways department.

“The aim of the scheme is to encourage people to take other routes such as the new Eastern and Southern link roads rather than travel through the village.

“The new traffic calming scheme came into effect this year. This includes the installation of traffic calming structures. However, to deliver the remaining structures, the main road must now be fully closed. Whilst we await a scheduled date for this, we have installed temporary structures that replicate the planned permanent fixtures.

“Once the works are completed a full safety audit will be conducted with the Police and Highways authority, before everything is finally approved.”

Phase 2 of the project will include: raised tables, new crossing points, and new traffic islands, among other features. All work is due to be finished in 2025.

Councillor Steven Broadbent said: “Careful consideration was given to the design of the scheme which contributes to the wider link road strategy detailed within the Aylesbury Transport Strategy. The purpose is to improve movement around Aylesbury and to remove through traffic from the town centre as much as possible. Any new road layout takes time to bed in, we would kindly ask people to be patient while this happens. There is no excuse for dangerous, aggressive driving.”