September 2002 letter from Highways Agency
At the bottom of this section see the text of a letter from the Highways Agency dated 9th September 2002 in response to an email request from Andrew Cormie suggesting that due to congestion in our area seemingly arising from the countryside to the South of Holyport towards Bracknell a new Motorway Junction should be created between M4 J8/9 and J10. This would become J9.
As time permits depending on support from HRA members we could act to try to progress this concept.
I consider that the Highways Agency is wrong in saying that a proposal such as this would have a worsening effect on our local traffic.
The Highways Agency refers to traffic being attracted from a wider area, leading to what would be an unacceptable increase in traffic using local roads as they would become motorway feeders.
It is exactly this effect that we experience here.
A new Junction 9 approximately 4.3 kilometers to the West, with new feeder roads from West and South East would create the effect to which Felicity Drewett refers but this effect would not be in our area.
Such a junction would improve traffic here.
As things are, here we will have extra traffic due to Cross-Rail and without a new J9 we will also suffer additional traffic from the new homes to be built to the North of Bracknell.
See http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/berkshire-local-investment-plan-2011-to-2014.pdf from which;
Housing Supply
58. The authorities in Berkshire have each adopted an approach to delivering new housing over the plan period. These commitments were developed before the recent Government announcements relaxing the imposition of housing numbers, and so they should be read and understood in this context.
Bracknell Forest Core Strategy Housing allocation (2006 - 2026) - 11,139
Average Annual Delivery - 557
Current Annual Delivery - 467
Source - Bracknell Forest AMR 2008-9
In addition if MP's Lee and May succeed in having their new new hospital near M4 J8/9 there will be more traffic due to that.
Our ref: HA 36/1/59
Dear Mr Cormie
TRAFFIC LEVELS - JUNCTION 8/9, M4 MOTORWAY
Thank you for your e-mail of 1 September concerning traffic levels at Junction 8/9 of the M4 Motorway.
Prior to extending the M4 to South Wales, Junction 8/9 was comprised of two separate junctions. Junction 8 was located east of Bray Wick where the M4 crosses the A308 and Junction 9 was located at the start of the then A423(M), (now A404(M)).
The construction of the second stage of the motorway caused a number of changes to be made to the network. As the new section of the M4 was routed to the south of Reading, a new link was therefore required to join the old and new roads. Junction 8 was closed and Junction 8/9 was created as a dual function junction. Junction 8 joined the M4 and Junctions 9a and 9b linked with the A404(M).
There are no plans to construct an extra junction between Junction 8/9 and Junction 10 as you suggest. Any proposal for a new motorway junction, would be required to be made from Government Office, most probably at the instigation of the Local Highway Authority. This proposal would require rigorous assessment of the origins and destinations of traffic and the consequences for both local and strategic traffic. There is no reason to presume that the existing busy traffic on local roads is necessarily connected to motorway traffic. Often it has a much more local source, for example, the "school run".
To create an additional motorway junction can prove to be counter-productive in terms of traffic volume. Traffic will be attracted from a wider area, leading to what would be an unacceptable increase in traffic using local roads as they would become motorway feeders.
The matters you are raising are local authority matters or need to be referred to the Government Office for the South-East. However, to proceed with a proposal such as this, would be likely to have a worsening effect on local traffic rather than the reverse.
Yours sincerely
Felicity Drewett (Mrs)
Route Administrator
Operations Directorate Area 3
E-mail: felicity.drewett@highways.gsi.gov.uk
As time permits depending on support from HRA members we could act to try to progress this concept.
I consider that the Highways Agency is wrong in saying that a proposal such as this would have a worsening effect on our local traffic.
The Highways Agency refers to traffic being attracted from a wider area, leading to what would be an unacceptable increase in traffic using local roads as they would become motorway feeders.
It is exactly this effect that we experience here.
A new Junction 9 approximately 4.3 kilometers to the West, with new feeder roads from West and South East would create the effect to which Felicity Drewett refers but this effect would not be in our area.
Such a junction would improve traffic here.
As things are, here we will have extra traffic due to Cross-Rail and without a new J9 we will also suffer additional traffic from the new homes to be built to the North of Bracknell.
See http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/berkshire-local-investment-plan-2011-to-2014.pdf from which;
Housing Supply
58. The authorities in Berkshire have each adopted an approach to delivering new housing over the plan period. These commitments were developed before the recent Government announcements relaxing the imposition of housing numbers, and so they should be read and understood in this context.
Bracknell Forest Core Strategy Housing allocation (2006 - 2026) - 11,139
Average Annual Delivery - 557
Current Annual Delivery - 467
Source - Bracknell Forest AMR 2008-9
In addition if MP's Lee and May succeed in having their new new hospital near M4 J8/9 there will be more traffic due to that.
Our ref: HA 36/1/59
Dear Mr Cormie
TRAFFIC LEVELS - JUNCTION 8/9, M4 MOTORWAY
Thank you for your e-mail of 1 September concerning traffic levels at Junction 8/9 of the M4 Motorway.
Prior to extending the M4 to South Wales, Junction 8/9 was comprised of two separate junctions. Junction 8 was located east of Bray Wick where the M4 crosses the A308 and Junction 9 was located at the start of the then A423(M), (now A404(M)).
The construction of the second stage of the motorway caused a number of changes to be made to the network. As the new section of the M4 was routed to the south of Reading, a new link was therefore required to join the old and new roads. Junction 8 was closed and Junction 8/9 was created as a dual function junction. Junction 8 joined the M4 and Junctions 9a and 9b linked with the A404(M).
There are no plans to construct an extra junction between Junction 8/9 and Junction 10 as you suggest. Any proposal for a new motorway junction, would be required to be made from Government Office, most probably at the instigation of the Local Highway Authority. This proposal would require rigorous assessment of the origins and destinations of traffic and the consequences for both local and strategic traffic. There is no reason to presume that the existing busy traffic on local roads is necessarily connected to motorway traffic. Often it has a much more local source, for example, the "school run".
To create an additional motorway junction can prove to be counter-productive in terms of traffic volume. Traffic will be attracted from a wider area, leading to what would be an unacceptable increase in traffic using local roads as they would become motorway feeders.
The matters you are raising are local authority matters or need to be referred to the Government Office for the South-East. However, to proceed with a proposal such as this, would be likely to have a worsening effect on local traffic rather than the reverse.
Yours sincerely
Felicity Drewett (Mrs)
Route Administrator
Operations Directorate Area 3
E-mail: felicity.drewett@highways.gsi.gov.uk