Click here for answers to general
tram questions
Click here for answers to general Phase 2 questions
Index
of Questions
What were the headline results of the NOP opinion poll?
What was the result of thework on the route through Attenborough?
Can you tell me more about the plans for integrating the
tram into the QMC?
Can you update us on the plans for Beeston Town Centre?
How are you going to build the tram route along Chilwell
Road/High Road without destroying businesses?
Why is there no stop where NET would cross Cator Lane?
Is the project just about getting to Bardills Island to
serve commuters? Why not use the A52 or the existing railway line between
Toton, Beeston and Nottingham?
I am concerned for residents of Neville Sadler Court.
I am concerned about the loss of open space in Chilwell.
Your Questions...
Q: What were the headline results of the NOP opinion
poll?
Over the Summer, NOP, an independent national research company,
undertook an opinion poll of the views of the public along the route of
each proposed line. For the Chilwell via Beeston and QMC route, the results
show that:
• Three quarters of respondents believe that public transport needs
to be improved.
• Nearly 2 people to every 1 approve of the route of Line Three.
55% approve, 30% disapprove, 15% are undecided.
• 78% of respondents believe that trams are a safe form of transport.
Only 5% said they were unsafe.
• Three quarters of respondents support the idea of a locally funded
financial assistance package for Chilwell Road/High Road traders.
• 67% of respondents said they would definitely or probably use the
proposed tram network.
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Q: What was the result of thework on the route through
Attenborough?
An alternative Chilwell-via-Beeston tram route, which would also
take in Attenborough, has been found by consultants not to pass the Government’s
critical economic test. The alternative route would not get Government
funding because it falls below the necessary criteria - that the benefits
should exceed costs.
Three variations of the alternative route were considered and all were
out-performed by the current route proposed by the Councils.
Overall, the Attenborough option:
• Is feasible in engineering terms, although a large and expensive
structure would need to be built for trams to climb Stapleford Lane
• Is environmentally better on balance but also has some negative
impacts
• Offers improved public transport benefits for
some of the area but this is more than offset by a significant reduction
in the transfer from car use via the Park and Ride site.
• Is significantly slower than the proposed route - by ten minutes;
more at peak times
• Costs significantly more than the proposed route.
• Provides less reliability, with up to 26 per cent less segregated
running and crossing up to 8 more junctions than the proposed route.
Q: Can you tell me more about
the plans for integrating the tram into the QMC?
The outline plans for NET at the QMC provide for the tram line to be raised
up on a structure and to serve the hospital at first floor level. The
line continues over Clifton Boulevard on this structure, before descending
into the University of Nottingham campus. The QMC has indicated that should
this route be built, they would fully integrate it with proposals to redevelop
this south side of the hospital. It is likely that plans will include
a new entrance to the hospital from the tram stop and redevelopment around
this new entrance.
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Q: Can you update us on the plans for Beeston Town Centre?
Three possible routes have been identified by our consultants:
Station Road, Middle Street and Styring Street. Each of these routes have
their benefits and disadvantages. We will be holding a public consultation
on these ideas in the new year and the councils will make a decision taking
into account your views and extra work by our consultants.
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Q: How are you going to build the tram route along
Chilwell Road/High Road without destroying businesses?
We want to enhance the Chilwell Road/High Road retail area by providing
at least as many parking spaces as are now available, specific loading
bays and improvements to make the area more attractive to walk around
and go shopping. A tram stop would be provided in the centre of the retail
area to encourage people to visit.
By removing parking from the main road and by providing additional spaces
in the side streets and off-street, the flow of traffic through the area
would be improved, creating a safer environment. The removal of on-street
parking would reduce congestion and allow the tram to operate freely with
other traffic. The parking provision in off street facilities would involve
some property acquisition.
A financial assistance package was implemented for small businesses in
the Hyson Green area to help against any financial loss incurred during
the construction of Line One. A similar scheme is being considered by
the County Council for the Chilwell Road/ High Road area.
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to questions
Q: Why is there no stop where
NET would cross Cator Lane?
The NET project team is currently carrying out further design work
- this will include a detailed look at the location of all stops. We can
confirm that investigations are underway regarding an extra stop near
the Cator Lane crossing. Our investigations will model the likely usage
of every stop, mindful that competitive journey times are also a consideration.
The optimum number of stops will maximise local usage whilst maintaining
a competitive journey time.
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Q: Is the project just about getting to Bardills Island
to serve commuters? Why not use the A52 or the existing railway line between
Toton, Beeston and Nottingham?
A: The strategy for NET is not just targeted at commuters in cars. The tram is also needed to serve areas where many people live, local centres of community activity, shopping and employment areas, universities, colleges, schools and training sites, hospitals and medical centres and sports and leisure facilities.
Although it is not possible to serve all locations, the options proposed for a NET extension in this corridor would provide for many of them. By contrast a route from the 'Bardills' roundabout straight along the A52 would clearly not do so. Most of the Park and Ride spaces would be full by the end of the morning peak period, but we want the tram to continue to provide for journey needs throughout the day. The A52 misses out the most densely populated residential areas, where the highest number of trips are likely to start and finish over the day. It also misses out most of the important local centres of activity such as the High Road at Chilwell and Beeston Town Centre. Direct passenger numbers would therefore be low with little prospect of bus feeder services compensating for this. Thus the A52 route would not be economically or commercially viable and therefore would not qualify for Government funding.
A similar situation would apply to a route along the A6005 from Toton, where trams would also suffer from significant delay due to traffic congestion, or along the railway corridor, which is more distant from most places where people live or travel to and has little opportunity for stopping places. The rail network is much less flexible and misses more areas of activity. Whilst there are important plans for development of the local network, rail will be able to accommodate only a relatively small number of additional passenger trips.
It should, however, be possible for the tram and longer distance bus services from Toton, Long Eaton and even Stapleford and Sandiacre to be interconnected, say at Beeston Town Centre or Bardills Island, to enable a wider number of trips to be made.
Q: I am concerned for residents of Neville Sadler Court.
A: The proposed route along Lower Road and Fletcher Road would requires
the partial demolition of Neville Sadler Court. We have held discussions
with the owners of the flats and we are proposing to build a replacement
block with modern up to date facilities. Measures would also be implemented
to ensure that the route did not become a through route for other traffic,
except for cycles.
Q: I am concerned about the loss of open space in Chilwell.
A: The tram would take up a very small section of the open space and people would continue to be able to enjoy the area in much the same way they do now and use it for leisure activities such as walking and playing.
The childrens' playground would be retained but moved to one side. Although the area will not be quite the same as it is now, careful landscaping would reduce the impact of the tram. Some existing trees would be lost but we would minimise this impact and where appropriate provide replacement planting.
An existing watercourse runs along the open area west of Cator Lane.
As well as this, there is an existing underground sewer along part of
this section, which has a large tank just west of Cator Lane to hold large
flows during times of heavy rainfall. The design of the tram route would
fully take into account these features and where the tram route crosses
them, strengthening or replacement of existing structures might be required.
Further design and investigation work will be carried out to assess the
scope of any necessary works.
