Residents criticise council's proposed traffic solutions for busy Northamptonshire village after bypass scrapped

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has encouraged residents to attend an open event next week to hear alternative solutions to tackle traffic issues in Farthinghoe.

Mick Morris, chair of Farthinghoe Parish Council, criticised the plans as a petition has been started by the parish to reinstate the possibility of a bypass.

Mr Morris told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We feel that, other than a bypass, there’s only one thing which will solve the most of our problems and that is the weight limit.”

WNC took proposals for a Farthinghoe bypass off its 20-year local transport plan after stating that it would not be able to get government funding for the scheme. The authority has acknowledged the number of vehicles going through the A422 Main Road and a pinch point where several large vehicles have collided. It added that the traffic flow does “pose challenges” and “safety risks” for pedestrians and needs to be resolved.

In the 1980s, in anticipation of the forthcoming opening of the M40, a policy of upgrading the A422 was employed, including creating bypasses for Middleton Cheney and Brackley in the 1990s. Plans were developed to provide a bypass for Farthinghoe, but there were difficulties in determining a route and funding.

According to figures provided by the council, since 2019 NCC and WNC have spent almost £450,000 on business cases and investigations into the Farthinghoe bypass and alternative traffic management options.

WNC has now suggested introducing a traffic signal scheme and other traffic calming measures. It explained that the weight limit on the road would not be “feasible in the foreseeable future” as it would require funding to upgrade the nearby B4525 as an alternative HGV route.

Locals have been invited to attend a drop-in event at Farthinghoe Village Hall on Monday March 10, between 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

Mr Morris said he believed the traffic calming system would only be effective if used alongside the weight limit to give them “earlier relief”. He also criticised the council’s proposed traffic light system, saying that the village had previous experience with temporary lights and that there were “queues from both directions going back out of the village in every instance”.

Councillor Phil Larratt, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport: “As a council we have always acknowledged that as well as the number of vehicles going through the village, the pinch point where large vehicles have collided on several occasions does need to be resolved.

“The opportunity to deliver a bypass around Farthinghoe has been studied over many years, however the benefits of such a scheme do not meet the government’s requirements and they have been clear that funding for the scheme will not be considered.

“I’d encourage residents to attend the drop-in event to find out more about the alternative options being presented, however those who cannot attend are also invited to find out more and share their views on our online survey.”

WNC’s cabinet will be asked to recommend the authority’s Local Transport Plan for adoption at its meeting on Tuesday March 4.