Cirencester Park CMC site - new access road

[maz]

Those of you who have visited this site over the past few years will no doubt recall the very poor condition of the access road. So it was good to see that during the lockdown a new access road was being constructed. This access road is shared by the CMC, Cirencester College and the tennis/cricket club.

However, instead of just widening the road a bit and resurfacing it, there has been earthworks and landscaping!

Whereas you used to be able to see the full length of the road down to the CMC site, the new road now swings right so that you can’t see if anyone is coming until you get to that corner.

There are also lots of (artistically?) placed rocks along the edges of the road.

There are lay-bys - but again with those wondrously placed rocks ........

And the final approach to the CMC site - even more rocks!

From what I have been told, these rocks did not feature in the original plans. IMO they are ugly, unnecessary and a hazard to paintwork.

 

[Mikey RV]

That’s worse than it was before, at least then you could see what was coming and pull over. Those rocks are going to claim a few bits of paintwork.

 

[BobtheBass]

WTF???

Has anyone in that club ever towed a caravan?

 

[maz]

That’s worse than it was before, at least then you could see what was coming and pull over. Those rocks are going to claim a few bits of paintwork.

Indeed! Apparently a lorry has already got jammed on those rocks ...........

 

[Mikey RV]

WTF???

Has anyone in that club ever towed a caravan?

It’s not the club that are responsible for it.

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[maz]

WTF???

Has anyone in that club ever towed a caravan?

I’m not sure how much input the CMC would have had into the plans, though hopefully they would at least have been consulted. The prime mover was probably Cirencester College, as the main purpose seems to be to separate the students from the traffic. Those that I met before the lockdown seemed more than capable of making their own way down the road without being nannied.

 

[Mikey RV]

I doubt if the CMC had any input towards it. Have they built another carpark for the college also to stop them parking in the road and on the first bend which was the main trouble bit.

 

[maz]

I doubt if the CMC had any input towards it. Have they built another carpark for the college also to stop them parking in the road and on the first bend which was the main trouble bit.

Not that I know of ........

 

[simsy56]

Unbelievable!

Craig

 

[f6c]

Its the estate that is the land owner I believe. What a bloody cockup!!!!

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[ctc]

Its the estate that is the land owner I believe. What a bloody cockup!!!!

Has the estate got a quarry?

 

[maz]

Has the estate got a quarry?

That would be one explanation! Let‘s hope the bloody things can be reclaimed and converted into a rockery.

 

[AndyPK]

Gosh....I might take the ‘van up there this weekend to see if I can negotiate the rocks.......it’s only a couple of miles from where we live!

 

[Mikey RV]

Gosh....I might take the ‘van up there this weekend to see if I can negotiate the rocks.......it’s only a couple of miles from where we live!

Keep us posted.

 

[maz]

Gosh....I might take the ‘van up there this weekend to see if I can negotiate the rocks.......it’s only a couple of miles from where we live!

Could be the start of a new sport ........

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[AndyPK]

Ok, so I went up to the site - on foot (too chicken to take the ‘van), and, I must say, ‘they’ have done a wonderful job - not!!!
The entry/exit to the club site is going to be very interesting when the cricket and tennis club vehicles, along with pedestrians are using the newly realigned road (complete with rocks) as you cannot see if any vehicles are approaching until you’re on the road, leaving little room for manoeuvre.

Bearing in mind that is also a ‘shared-space’, I guess that the rocks are for people to stand on as cars, etc. go by....
At the other end of the road, you used to be able to pull-over to one side (avoiding the potholes!) if another vehicle was approaching.Now, thanks to the rocks, the only option other than reversing is to use the drives of the two properties on the left-hand side - we spoke to one of the owners, and they are not happy - in fact, they are going to install a chain-link fence to stop this happening.....something else to scrape the paintwork on!

I did try to contact tha C&MC, but they are closed until Tuesday, so I’ll try them then to see if they were/are aware of the changes made.
Watch this space!

 

[Zepp]

We use this site quite a bit when we are back in the UK and the old access road used to get quite busy with two way traffic I’m not sure I would go there now

 

[AndyPK]

We use this site quite a bit when we are back in the UK and the old access road used to get quite busy with two way traffic I’m not sure I would go there now

To be fair, it could be something out of nothing if the club are aware - they surely wouldn’t let access/egress be more difficult....would they?

 

[Zepp]

To be fair, it could be something out of nothing if the club are aware - they surely wouldn’t let access/egress be more difficult....would they?

Let’s hope so

 

[Mikey RV]

As I said before I don’t think the club would have had any say about it, or that’s the way it looks. It’s in the interest of the club to make the entrance easy not like a obstacle course.i think there will be a lot of complaints. Who ever decided on this has obviously thought, because of lockdown, no tennis club open, no cricket club open, no campsite open, no college open let’s get it done.

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[maz]

Bearing in mind that is also a ‘shared-space’, I guess that the rocks are for people to stand on as cars, etc. go by....

Somehow I can’t see many pedestrians wanting to balance on those rocks as a large motorhome, caravan or even the dustcart go lurching by. I suspect they’ll have to scramble up the earth bank to safety.

I’m guessing that at some point those earth banks will be grassed over, and that the rocks are there to stop people driving on the grass!

Will be interested to hear what the CMC have to say about it.

 

[SpeedyDux]

Most of the problem was due to C&MC early arrivers using that narrow access road at the same time as others were departing. We encountered one of those as we were leaving. Not easy to back up safely.

The Handbook says "earliest arrival time 12:00". Which part of that did they not understand?

I'm glad that the rough potholed track has been improved anyway. I agree that the boulders are a hazard but the purpose might be to stop Travellers setting up an encampment on the verges.

 

[maz]

Update

I was walking back down the access road this morning and happened to meet the Operations Director of Cirencester College who was out looking at those rocks! We had a very interesting conversation.

Although the actual work was only recently completed, the whole process started about a year ago. Early on, the CMC were informed of the plans and invited to a consultation meeting. They never even replied.

The rocks did not feature in the original plans. The College had wanted to put a gravel edging to the road that could be driven on if necessary, but the Highways Authority would not let them as the road surface had to be of a ‘single continuous material’. The purpose of the rocks is threefold:

1. To protect what will become grassed verges from being driven on.
2. To give pedestrians somewhere safe to stand while vehicles pass by. That is, between the stones rather than on top of them!
3. To give the psychological effect of the road being narrower than it is and therefore encouraging drivers to slow down. Unfortunately the speeding drivers tend to be those of cars going to the tennis and cricket clubs, on whom the psychological effect seems to be negligible. However I can vouch that it becomes quite pronounced if you are driving a motorhome - to the point that you want to crawl along it.

The access road belongs to and has been paid for by Cirencester College. The CMC site, tennis and cricket clubs are tenants of the Bathurst Estate and have access rights over this road. In the planning stages, the Bathurst Estate was informed that the new access road could be made as wide as they liked but that any additional width would have to be on Bathurst Estate land. This was declined.

Cirencester College are now finally hearing from the CMC - after receiving complaints from members. I am not at all impressed that the CMC failed to provide any input at the planning stage even though invited.

 

[AndyPK]

Further to Maz’s missive, I emailed the C&MC (including a photo) on Monday as their ‘phone lines were busy, and am awaiting a reply......

 

[David and Sally]

I collected an air pump from Maz yesterday. I can see where mohos can slip in to allow passing but TBH I think you would struggle with a big 4x4 and twin axle caravan.

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[big bertha]

Should manage later in the year with my wee Eriba and Yeti. Love the site.

 

[Paul and Kate]

maz AndyPK
What are your thoughts on getting our bailey autograph through.
2.45mtr wide

 

[maz]

maz AndyPK
What are your thoughts on getting our bailey autograph through.
2.45mtr wide

Oh you’ll get through alright, don’t worry about that.

You’ll just need to pay closer attention to the road edges (in your mirrors) than you would normally expect to have to. I’m hopeful that the rocks in the lay-bys at least may disappear, making pulling over into them less difficult.

 

[AndyPK]

I don’t think there will be a problem width-wise.......as long as nothing comes the other way and you have to pull-in to avoid them. As David & Sally said, there are refuges to pull into, but having the rocks there just makes it that little bit more interesting! My concern is, primarily, that the volume of traffic that uses the road at certain times could make it a real pain to negotiate..........any further thoughts, Maz??


(beat me to it, Maz!

 

[AndyPK]

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