CPRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE BRANCH

CPRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE BRANCH

QUIET LANES - POLICY STATEMENT

Background

Quiet Lanes were introduced in Kent and Norfolk as experiments about 10 years ago. They were stated to be a tangible acknowledgement that our country lanes are a recreational resource in their own right and should be conserved for everyone’s enjoyment. They were devised to encourage diverse modes of travel on foot, horseback and cycle as well as motor vehicles. Legislation to create Quiet Lanes (and home zones which are the urban equivalent of Quiet Lanes) is included in the Transport Act 2000 Sections 268 and 269 and is enacted by the Local Highway Authorities in a similar way to Traffic Orders.

The CPRE has issued its National Policy for Quiet Lanes and this Local Policy Statement sets out how the National Policy can be applied to Gloucestershire. Unfortunately, a pilot scheme for Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Water Park area was not received well by the County Council because of set-up costs and complaints from frontagers. Quiet Lanes are not supported in the current Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan.

CPRE Gloucestershire Approach

The beneficiaries these schemes are those “enjoying” recreation by “passing and re-passing” along a country lane “without let or hindrance”. It is important that they are given voice, and fully understand what can be provided for them. The Local Authorities, signatories to The Order, have statutory obligations to protect their interests.

The Gloucestershire CPRE aims to make it clear to organisations representing the various travel modes of the benefits of Quiet Lanes as stated in the National Policy Guide.

The CPRE Gloucestershire will endeavour to stimulate public awareness and encourage the County Highway Authority to review its procedure for preparatory negotiations prior to the establishment of a Quiet Lane Order. The production of an explanatory leaflet could minimise costs and disagreements at a later stage.

Quiet Lanes involve traffic calming and such measures taken to reduce road speed should be as unobtrusive as possible making use of natural features of the road wherever possible.

It is important that Quiet Lanes are seen as part of the development of rural networks. They can conveniently link mass travel routes from large urban areas with rural recreation networks such as Gloucester with the Cotswold Way National Trail. The CPRE are keen to work with the County Highways Authority to identify such routes within Gloucestershire.

The CPRE should enter into discussions with the County Highway Authority to make provision for Quiet Lanes, and financial support for them, in the next Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan coming into operation for the period 2011-2015. CPRE would support an early re-establishment of priority for such schemes.

July 2008