BCP Council
Local Authority / Fire Service
Action Planned
BCP Council will carry out a site assessment to confirm lighting levels and inform a new lighting design linked to the planned road layout adjustments and a new crossing. They will prioritize the additional survey and design work, although definitive timescales cannot be provided yet. (AI summary)
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Dear Mrs Griffin,
Re: Regulation 28 report – Inquests Touching the deaths of Lorraine Anne Molyneux and James Anthony Lewis - Deceased
I refer to your letter dated 17 February 2020 to the BCP Council’s Chief Executive, Mr Graham Farrant, and the investigations into the death of Lorraine Anne Molyneux on 16th October 2019 and the death of James Anthony Lewis on 22nd October 2019.
I was very sorry to hear about these incidents and would like to pass on my sincere condolences to family and friends with regards to their loss both personally and on behalf of BCP Council.
With regards to your report under Regulation 28 of the Coroner’s (Investigations) Regulations 2013 to prevent future deaths I respond on behalf of BCP Council as follows:
BCP Council Fatal Accident Investigation Visit
The information available to BCP Council indicates that Lorraine Molyneux and James Lewis died due to injury sustained at a road traffic collision in Ringwood Road, Bournemouth, near its junction with High Howe lane, at 21.36hrs on Tuesday 16th October 2019.
BCP Council carries out joint investigations into all fatal road traffic collisions in conjunction with the Dorset Police Road Casualty Reduction Officer. With regards to the incident on Ringwood Rd, the site was visited by three officers at 10.00hrs on Tuesday 26th Nov 2019 (see Appendix A).
The relevant observations from this joint investigation include noting that at this location the road is a 40mph dual carriageway with a central median strip separating both carriageways. At the time of the fatal road traffic collision, it was dry and fine; the streetlighting present in the area was working at the time of the collision and the road surface was dry and in good condition. It was also noted by officers that while carrying out the site investigation a number of pedestrians were seen crossing the road at this location.
2
Recommendations following Site Visit
As you have clearly indicated in your report, BCP Council has identified this location as a priority for the funding of a crossing facility following a previous incident in September 2018 which involved the death of a pedestrian crossing the road at this location. The Fatal Accident report that followed the site visit recommended the following remedial action:
“To consider the installation of a controlled crossing at this location. Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) bid submitted to DfT on 28 November (2019). Ringwood Road is on a TCF route where treatment may be considered. This may be in the form of a controlled crossing or the installation of a new signalised junction with pedestrian facilities. Any works at this location to be discussed with TCF programme manager”.
As confirmed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the recent budget (announced on 11 March 2020) under the Transforming Cities Fund, £79 million has been allocated for the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole journey to work area (which includes an area to the north of the BCP authority boundary). The announced funding shall now include for four new cycle freeways and new bus priority infrastructure with a range of schemes for delivery by 2022/23. This means that there is now a very good prospect of some form of signal controlled crossing facility being installed in this area during the funding period.
Your report also raised that there were concerns raised by one witness about the perceived level of street lighting and the fact that some of the lanterns were not working.
The Council has carried out a careful review of the lighting design at this location and this has determined that the lighting levels meet or exceed those required for this type of road layout. The lighting at this location is triggered by light sensor and these sensors appear to have been working satisfactorily at the time of the incident and indeed since that time. We are aware of some lighting defects on Ringwood Road but some distance from the incident. Although not material to this incident this may possibly account for the suggestion that some lighting was not operational.
As a part of our normal working practice and in order to carry out a full and detailed check of the actual illumination levels on site we are required to visit the location during the day to measure and mark out several light calculation points on the road and footway then followed up with a visit during the hours of darkness for measurement to be made by use of a light meter.
The adverse weather conditions during February and March 2020 delayed the anticipated site monitoring given that the road surfaces need to be dry for accurate measurement so as not to influence the ambient lighting levels.
Please be reassured that a site assessment shall be carried out as soon as possible now that the weather conditions are more suitable and when circumstances allow. The results of this additional survey shall seek to confirm the actual lighting level on site and shall help us then determine the detail of a new lighting design and current adequacy linked to the anticipated adjustment to road layout with a new crossing once installed. BCP Council does not normally make any improvement to the existing illumination levels on a road unless this was specifically recommended as part of any safety report.
Although it is not possible to provide definitive timescales at present, I shall ensure that our officers now prioritise the additional survey and that our work within the confines of TCF requirements allows for prioritisation of our design work for the crossing.
3
I trust that the above response is helpful but please feel free to contact me again if you require further clarification about any point I have raised or if you feel you would wish for a further update on our TCF related progress.
Re: Regulation 28 report – Inquests Touching the deaths of Lorraine Anne Molyneux and James Anthony Lewis - Deceased
I refer to your letter dated 17 February 2020 to the BCP Council’s Chief Executive, Mr Graham Farrant, and the investigations into the death of Lorraine Anne Molyneux on 16th October 2019 and the death of James Anthony Lewis on 22nd October 2019.
I was very sorry to hear about these incidents and would like to pass on my sincere condolences to family and friends with regards to their loss both personally and on behalf of BCP Council.
With regards to your report under Regulation 28 of the Coroner’s (Investigations) Regulations 2013 to prevent future deaths I respond on behalf of BCP Council as follows:
BCP Council Fatal Accident Investigation Visit
The information available to BCP Council indicates that Lorraine Molyneux and James Lewis died due to injury sustained at a road traffic collision in Ringwood Road, Bournemouth, near its junction with High Howe lane, at 21.36hrs on Tuesday 16th October 2019.
BCP Council carries out joint investigations into all fatal road traffic collisions in conjunction with the Dorset Police Road Casualty Reduction Officer. With regards to the incident on Ringwood Rd, the site was visited by three officers at 10.00hrs on Tuesday 26th Nov 2019 (see Appendix A).
The relevant observations from this joint investigation include noting that at this location the road is a 40mph dual carriageway with a central median strip separating both carriageways. At the time of the fatal road traffic collision, it was dry and fine; the streetlighting present in the area was working at the time of the collision and the road surface was dry and in good condition. It was also noted by officers that while carrying out the site investigation a number of pedestrians were seen crossing the road at this location.
2
Recommendations following Site Visit
As you have clearly indicated in your report, BCP Council has identified this location as a priority for the funding of a crossing facility following a previous incident in September 2018 which involved the death of a pedestrian crossing the road at this location. The Fatal Accident report that followed the site visit recommended the following remedial action:
“To consider the installation of a controlled crossing at this location. Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) bid submitted to DfT on 28 November (2019). Ringwood Road is on a TCF route where treatment may be considered. This may be in the form of a controlled crossing or the installation of a new signalised junction with pedestrian facilities. Any works at this location to be discussed with TCF programme manager”.
As confirmed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the recent budget (announced on 11 March 2020) under the Transforming Cities Fund, £79 million has been allocated for the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole journey to work area (which includes an area to the north of the BCP authority boundary). The announced funding shall now include for four new cycle freeways and new bus priority infrastructure with a range of schemes for delivery by 2022/23. This means that there is now a very good prospect of some form of signal controlled crossing facility being installed in this area during the funding period.
Your report also raised that there were concerns raised by one witness about the perceived level of street lighting and the fact that some of the lanterns were not working.
The Council has carried out a careful review of the lighting design at this location and this has determined that the lighting levels meet or exceed those required for this type of road layout. The lighting at this location is triggered by light sensor and these sensors appear to have been working satisfactorily at the time of the incident and indeed since that time. We are aware of some lighting defects on Ringwood Road but some distance from the incident. Although not material to this incident this may possibly account for the suggestion that some lighting was not operational.
As a part of our normal working practice and in order to carry out a full and detailed check of the actual illumination levels on site we are required to visit the location during the day to measure and mark out several light calculation points on the road and footway then followed up with a visit during the hours of darkness for measurement to be made by use of a light meter.
The adverse weather conditions during February and March 2020 delayed the anticipated site monitoring given that the road surfaces need to be dry for accurate measurement so as not to influence the ambient lighting levels.
Please be reassured that a site assessment shall be carried out as soon as possible now that the weather conditions are more suitable and when circumstances allow. The results of this additional survey shall seek to confirm the actual lighting level on site and shall help us then determine the detail of a new lighting design and current adequacy linked to the anticipated adjustment to road layout with a new crossing once installed. BCP Council does not normally make any improvement to the existing illumination levels on a road unless this was specifically recommended as part of any safety report.
Although it is not possible to provide definitive timescales at present, I shall ensure that our officers now prioritise the additional survey and that our work within the confines of TCF requirements allows for prioritisation of our design work for the crossing.
3
I trust that the above response is helpful but please feel free to contact me again if you require further clarification about any point I have raised or if you feel you would wish for a further update on our TCF related progress.