Developers’ contributions to fund £36,000 pedestrian safety schemes at Fawley and Calshot

GRANTS totalling more than £36,000 are set to improve life for pedestrians at Fawley and Calshot.

Cllr Derek Tipp, the NFDC portfolio holder for planning and economy, decided that £36,316.36 in developers’ contributions should be paid out to improve pedestrian access at Fawley’s QE2 recreation ground and to provide a crossing point at Calshot.

The funds were previously allocated to projects which are either complete, with cash left over, or will no longer be proceeding.

There is currently no pedestrian route into QE2 recreation ground. It has a shared entrance way mixing vehicles, parking and pedestrians which is unlit and also has drainage problems making it difficult to pass when wet.

QE2 is used for football, holiday clubs, interest clubs and NHS intervention services throughout the year. The entrance is also used to access other community organisations that are based on the site and the play area.

Following complaints and requests, Fawley Parish Council proposed that one side of the entrance becomes a pedestrian way, including lighting and drainage improvements, with an anticipated cost of £10,000-£15,000.

The parish council is looking to complete the work this year.

The rest of the funding is for a crossing point on a dangerous road at Calshot, identified during a community consultation by the parish council.

They found that older people were afraid to use the bus as they would need to cross the road, and the children reported being unable to access the play area or football field as they were on opposite sides of the road and parents would not let them cross.

Hampshire County Council had said the road and position did not meet its casualty reduction criteria, so the parish would need to fund this work by HCC once it had developed and agreed its policy for community funded road safety works.