In many places when talking about the traffic mitigation for Arborfield village the terms “Relief Road” and “Bypass” get used interchangeably.
In general the Wokingham Borough Council officers will make sure they use the term “Relief Road” whereas the councillors will use both terms but a lot of the time will correct themselves when they say “Bypass”.
The residents of Arborfield village have always asked for a “Bypass”.
Although the two terms are often mixed up, they mean distinctly different things. A “Relief Road” is intended to relieve a specific traffic problem or problems, whereas a “Bypass” bypasses an entire community, in terms of the various options put forward by Wokingham Borough Council, their favoured solution, A3 is a “Relief Road” because it is intended to relieve traffic on the congested A327 through the village and at the roundabout, but it isn’t a “Bypass” because traffic still passes through lower Arborfield, and it doesn’t provide any resolution to the problems of people living on that part of the Reading Road or those who live in Walden Avenue or Greensward Lane. Route B1 on the other hand is a “Bypass” because it also avoids lower Arborfield, and connects to the existing Arborfield Garrison bypass at the Langley Common Road/A327 roundabout.
As the Arborfield Garrison Residents Action Group we are primarily concerned with the development planned on the Arborfield Garrison site and adjacent land, and as part of that we continue to press the council to ensure adequate traffic mitigation is provided at all the local black spots such as Arborfield, but also including Barkham Bridge, California Crossroads and further down the A327 at Eversley, and that any mitigation should minimise the impact on surrounding communities in Arborfield, Barkham, Finchampstead, Eversley and Farley Hill. As such whilst we are clear that something needs to be provided at Arborfield, it is primarily something that the people who live in Arborfield itself need to decide. Suffice to say that the people of Arborfield village have been consistent in wanting a “Bypass” for all the known black spots, and the council should be honest in what they are presenting and not try to confuse residents into thinking that the “Relief Road” is what they have been asking for for all these years.
Residents of Arborfield village have formed their own action group specifically to campaign on the bypass and their website can be found at http://arborfield-action-group.org. We would urge any AG-RAG members with a particular interest in the routing of the bypass to get in contact and support their action group. Equally other members may be more affected by route B1, so it is vitally important that everybody participates in the consultation this autumn – remember the route is not a done deal!
Bypass or Relief Road
In general the Wokingham Borough Council officers will make sure they use the term “Relief Road” whereas the councillors will use both terms but a lot of the time will correct themselves when they say “Bypass”.
The residents of Arborfield village have always asked for a “Bypass”.
Although the two terms are often mixed up, they mean distinctly different things. A “Relief Road” is intended to relieve a specific traffic problem or problems, whereas a “Bypass” bypasses an entire community, in terms of the various options put forward by Wokingham Borough Council, their favoured solution, A3 is a “Relief Road” because it is intended to relieve traffic on the congested A327 through the village and at the roundabout, but it isn’t a “Bypass” because traffic still passes through lower Arborfield, and it doesn’t provide any resolution to the problems of people living on that part of the Reading Road or those who live in Walden Avenue or Greensward Lane. Route B1 on the other hand is a “Bypass” because it also avoids lower Arborfield, and connects to the existing Arborfield Garrison bypass at the Langley Common Road/A327 roundabout.
As the Arborfield Garrison Residents Action Group we are primarily concerned with the development planned on the Arborfield Garrison site and adjacent land, and as part of that we continue to press the council to ensure adequate traffic mitigation is provided at all the local black spots such as Arborfield, but also including Barkham Bridge, California Crossroads and further down the A327 at Eversley, and that any mitigation should minimise the impact on surrounding communities in Arborfield, Barkham, Finchampstead, Eversley and Farley Hill. As such whilst we are clear that something needs to be provided at Arborfield, it is primarily something that the people who live in Arborfield itself need to decide. Suffice to say that the people of Arborfield village have been consistent in wanting a “Bypass” for all the known black spots, and the council should be honest in what they are presenting and not try to confuse residents into thinking that the “Relief Road” is what they have been asking for for all these years.
Residents of Arborfield village have formed their own action group specifically to campaign on the bypass and their website can be found at http://arborfield-action-group.org. We would urge any AG-RAG members with a particular interest in the routing of the bypass to get in contact and support their action group. Equally other members may be more affected by route B1, so it is vitally important that everybody participates in the consultation this autumn – remember the route is not a done deal!
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