Ventura: The Myths Exploded….

Following the news that a second exit could be in the pipeline at Ventura Park, we spoke to Councillor Rob Pritchard, the deputy leader of Tamworth Borough Council, about the plans. Cllr Pritchard led the single issue debate on Ventura last week.

Many people understandably think the borough council own the land, has responsibility for the roads and can control which companies come to the area. We are hoping to explode some of the myths surrounding Ventura and the council’s role, but also highlight what the local authority can – and can’t do.  This is not about shifting the blame, but trying to answer questions we often get.

Cllr Pritchard also explains how the council turned down planning applications on the basis that they would create more traffic, but these were overturned by the national planning inspectorate.

Can you give us a bit of background to Ventura and who is responsible for what?

The roads are the responsibility of Staffordshire County Council. The rest of the site is owned by private companies. The borough council does not have responsibility for the road network, therefore there is little direct action we can take to address traffic issues but we do try and influence our county colleagues and make sure they are aware of the views of our residents.

Ventura was first established in 1990 and in the last twelve months alone has created more than 400 new jobs. It has brought big name stores to the area including John Lewis and Next at Home.

Why are there so many complaints about traffic and Ventura?

Ventura Park is in many ways a victim of its own success. It has brought big names to the area, provides a large number of jobs to local residents and attracts a lot of out of town visitors. However we know there are issues with the traffic and we are working with others to try to improve the situation.

When Ventura Park was first established in 1990, no one could have envisaged just what it would grow into. However we should not let the traffic problems cloud the fact the site is a huge asset to Tamworth.

What can Tamworth Borough Council do about it?

In many ways there is not a lot we as a borough council can do as we don’t own the site or any of the roads. Highways at the County Council and also the Highways Authority look after the roads. However we are working with our colleagues at the County Council to try to make Ventura Park a priority.

Tamworth’s county councillors have also made it their priority. This is not passing the buck or holding our hands up and saying ‘not our problem’, but we do have limitations. Also because we do not own the land, there are restrictions to what we can impose on the site.

We do have responsibility for assessing planning applications. In 2004 we turned down the last retail park expansion application (B&Q and John Lewis) because we believed the site could not cope with more traffic. However, we were overturned by the planning inspectorate and the stores were built anyway.

If the council can’t do anything, who can?

It is not we can’t do anything but a private company own the majority of the land, while Asda and Sainsbury’s own its store and car parks. As I said previously we lobby – and work with – the county council as much as we can. We currently have a project in conjunction with the county council to look at ways to improve access to Ventura and links with the town centre.

Why has Sainsbury’s taken the initiative and not the council over a second exit?

The land is owned by Sainsbury’s, therefore the County Council could only suggest that this could be an option. However Sainsbury’s has been brilliant in taking this forward and we are now very hopeful it will go ahead. Regardless of who is doing what, it could relieve some of the pressure on the network. However this is not a done deal and work is underway to see what pressure additional traffic could put elsewhere.

Why is the traffic so bad?

Both statistics and anecdotal evidence show there are certain peak times of the year when there are problems – there is no denying this and I realise this is little comfort if you have been stuck at the site. However we are also told by the Highways Department that the real problems with traffic begin when the car parks are full. Cars will still try to get onto the site but there is nowhere for them to go.

We are trying to work with the landowners at Ventura to encourage them to come up with a way to manage the car parks from across the entire site, the Sainsbury’s side, Asda and also the M&S and Boots area.

The traffic lights…..

While many people have been critical of the lights they have made a positive difference. There is a view that they should only operate at peak times but they are also there to control the speed which has been an issue in the past – especially late at night. The lights will also help the second exit become a reality as it will help control the extra traffic at the junctions.  However the pedestrian access has been improved across the entire site, including a new pedestrian crossing at Riverdrive. By using these, hopefully people will find it easier to get around the site on foot.

All these measures must be costing the taxpayer a fortune…

Every time a planning application is approved, the developer has to pay a sum of money for the road network, so in this case the cost was met by the applicant, not the tax payer. Recent investments include: £1.4m junction improvements, lane widening and traffic management systems, £100,000 for a safe and prominent pedestrian crossing over River Drive and £500k investment in a new roundabout at Cardinal Point, Bonehill Road.

What are you doing about improving the town centre?

We are working with town centre businesses to help where we can, but times are difficult for new businesses to set up. We do what we can to encourage both big names and independent stores to come to Tamworth, try to put them in touch with various places they may be able to receive financial assistance, however we cannot offer cash incentives to traders but we can offer help with business set up and other initiatives.