Rutland County Council delays making decision on Oakham transport hub

Plans for a flagship transport hub for Rutland have been delayed due to safety concerns.

Councillors sitting on the county authority’s planning committee decided to defer the decision about granting planning permission for the new transport hub on Cold Overton Road in Oakham town centre due to concerns about pedestrian access, with one councillor branding the current proposal ‘dangerous’.

Almost all the planning committee expressed concerns about the scheme in its current design, and asked the council - which is the applicant - to go back to assess all options of how pedestrians could access the new hub safely.

The plan had been to site a new pedestrian crossing on Cold Overton Road and keep the existing nearby crossing close to the shopping row. The new transport hub would be sited relatively close to the level crossing and the traffic in the area is already busy at peak times.

Chairperson of the committee, Coun Nick Begy (Ind): “This to me seems quite dangerous. It concerns me that we are starting at this and not a higher level of safety.”

He said he thought the pedestrian scheme was looking at costs rather than safety.

Coun Raymond Payne (Lib Dem), who represents Oakham South, said he thought the pedestrian issue was a ‘very knotty problem’ and he was relieved there had not been any fatalities in the area as it was currently ‘a nightmare to cross’.

The proposal by the authority is to transform the Jules House building into a transport hub, which would serve the new on demand bus system which will ferry people between Oakham and Melton Mowbray. It is part of a £6m scheme being funded in part by levelling up funds secured by the authority last year.

The building would be totally remodelled inside with walls knocked down to create a new transport office with kiosk, cafe and also office space upstairs. A new stone built extension will replace the existing conservatory. Part of the Rutland Memorial Hospital car park - which sits next door will form part of the scheme and include a new bus shelter and electric charging points. Nearby Leylandii trees would be taken out and new planting put in.

Planning officer Julie Smith said she had concerns about the application and a safety audit was being awaited.

Coun Abigail West (Lib Dem) had concerns about putting traffic lights on the road to help pedestrians to cross as she said it would cause ‘tailbacks beyond belief’ and the planning officer also said installing lights could potentially lead to vehicles being stranded on the rail line.

Oakham Town Council had also written to the authority to say it had major concerns regarding safety.

Coun Begy proposed during last night's meeting that the committee deferred making a decision until the council had looked at all potential options for a crossing and had assessed the safety of each one.

The committee also wants the council to consider the potential of raising parts of the roadway.

The deferral may put back the start date of the development. The council had planned to begin the work this winter.

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