The roads around Potterton are not suitable for additional traffic, as a result of development – construction traffic, cars or any additional volume of buses to route through the village or towards the AWPR. The roads including the various pinch points at Milton of Potterton are a constraint which cannot be overcome to accommodate a bus and vehicle passing at the same time.
Barratt Homes leaflet (July 2020) claims “the proposed development will deliver road improvements which will benefit the whole village. A new road built to modern standards will provide a new connection between Den Road and Manse Road, providing easy access to and from the AWPR.”
The creation of a rat run can not remove the roads constraint. The various pinch points on the Den Road and the road towards Milton of Potterton can not be widened as there are existing homes along these routes.
The Den road out to the AWPR is also not suitable for new bus routes or additional traffic, as it would have safety implications for the existing residents, and again, contains more narrow points, issues with visibility, and a hairpin bend at Milton of Potterton back towards the village.