Arborfield Cross Relief Road Recap As previously published The Parish Council were only told of the short

listed routes and technically recommended route just before they were publicly announced at the Arborfield Garrison SDL Community Forum on 15th July at Henry Street Garden Centre. Based on the 3 short listed routes A3, B1 and D1 - the Parish Council decided to ask the residents for their preferred option by way of a questionnaire. This was carried out via hard copy in the August/September issue of the Arborfield News, on the Arborfield Facebook page, Arborfield website and emailed to the Parishioners Information Email list with an option to complete the form by hand or to fill in the online version on Survey Monkey. Due to some roads in Arborfield not receiving the Arborfield News with a copy of the questionnaire enclosed until after the original deadline of 31st August it was extended to Friday 13th September. All hard copies received were uploaded to Survey Monkey with the final results only being circulated to the Council at the same time as the members of the public at the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 17th September. The Parish Council didnt agree any decision at the September meeting based on the Councillors having had sight of the questionnaire results for such a short time. This clearly frustrated some of the members of public present at that meeting. The Parish Council prides itself on acting in a professional, considered and democratic way at all times so to have expected the Councillors to agree on something as contentious as the ACRR route without having had the opportunity to digest the questionnaire results would have gone against the Parish Councils Best Practice approach. When the WBC Consultation was released on Monday 9th September a 4th option appeared known as Route C. The Parish Council had not included this in the questionnaire as it wasnt on the original short list publically announced on 15th July. Does this make the questionnaire nul and void? It would appear not as Route C seems to be the red herring based on cost and although it would join up with the Shinfield Eastern Relief Road to the North it does not mitigate traffic from the SDL development through Arborfield Cross due to it starting so far South on the A327. The Questionnaire Results (the main points) The questionnaire was based on the following Route options: A3, B1 or D1. 65.5% of responses did not support the technically recommended route Route A3, 26.6% did and 7.9% did in part. The least popular part was Reading Road to Sindlesham Road across Lockey Farms land. 75% of replies preferred one of the alternative routes (B1 and D1). Of these 88% preferred B1. Roundabouts rather than traffic lights were the most popular junction treatments. 65% of responses would rather see money spent on an alternative route to A3 than wider infrastructure provision. A car is the most popular way of travelling to work and for leisure with 38% saying they never use the 144 bus service.

The complete questionnaire results are available at www.arborfield.org.uk or in hard copy from the Parish Office.

The Parish Councils position now Once the Parish Councillors had had the opportunity to digest the questionnaire results it was proposed and agreed at the Parish Council meeting on 15th October to respond to the WBC Consultation expressing support for Route B which had gained the majority votes from the questionnaire responses. The response to WBC will include: Opposition to all other Routes. Clarification that the support is for Route B1; the route which runs West of Pound Copse and Bridge Farm and not the route which incorporates the populated Northern end of Greensward Lane. Recognition that Route B or B1 do not solve all the traffic issues around Arborfield as it does not address traffic heading along Mole Road towards Winnersh, the A329 and onto the M4 at J10 eastbound. the need for traffic calming measures along the A327 through Arborfield and at the cross roundabout. A request to be involved throughout the process especially as the Arborfield & Barkham Neighbourhood Plan Transport Group have already carried out extensive work