According to the County Council the 24/24a bus service, will soon stop going along Little Wheatleys Chase Rayleigh. It will instead go along Rawreth Lane to Asda. This change will happen on January 6th. (Chris spoke to First Bus’s planner today to confirm the details.)
This is good news for some Down Hall Road and Rawreth Lane residents – although if the service terminates at Asda it won’t actually go into Rawreth itself. Chris asked where the buses will be turning round – and was told at the roundabout next to Asda, which makes us wonder how just how tight and safe it will be for a bus to turn there…
However this is a shock for people who live near Little Wheatleys Chase and London Road in Rayleigh, as they will be losing this service.
As bus services were deregulated many years ago (back in the Margaret Thatcher years) First Bus are perfectly free to switch their route to where they think they can earn more money. However we hope we can find a way to get an extra bus to Asda without losing the route along Little Wheatleys.
Instead of cutting services and causing traffic problems why cant the route for the no. 24 be adjusted to suit everyone.
I think that the bus would be better doing a large loop
Instead of the 24 route terminating at the Carpenters arms roundabout why can it not continue from the roundabout up the Chelmsford road and down Rawreth Lane past ASDA back towards Rayleigh along downhall Road.
Not only does this solve the problem of cutting a service but it also solves the problem of trying to turn a bus around at Asda, and the Rawreth Residents will get a slightly better bus service.
Hi Dee
The loop makes sense to us.
But we asked First Bus that (over the phone yesterday). Their response was that there aren’t any houses along the A1245….
That’s a poor response from First Bus considering we are talking about a matter of 500 meters probably less, although we don’t know where all the new houses are going to be built yet!, if moneys the problem couldn’t ASDA sponor that part of the route as it will be good business for them and will help many elderly local residents.
Reply to Dee,
I am glad you have suggested a loop route along Rawreth Lane and the A1245 for the proposed 24/24A buses.
We must both share a similar logic in this respect as I suggested a the same solution to local councillors some 4 weeks ago.
My suggestion was to divert one of the four No.20 buses per hour running to and from Hullbridge.
Yes indeed Alan it was your idea – I emailed it on to Regal, and it was in my mind when I spoke to FirstBus yesterday.
London Road is already poorly served by buses compared to Downhall Road, with buses from Hullbridge running along this road.
When I have looked at the timetables in the past, the buses seem to run at best every 20 minutes and arrive at the station just after a train to Southend has left!
Cutting another bus route will not help matters at all.
We have asked for this to be an agenda item at the next West Area committee
If they were to introduce a loop that went from London Road, up the A1245 and into Rawreth Lane, how would people who used it to get from the western end of London Road to the Asda do the return journey? Surely if the bus is travelling east along Rawreth Lane it will then continue it’s route back to the town centre.
Is there another service I don’t know about?
Reply to ST1.
I tried to keep my earlier comment brief, but to expand on it slightly my suggestion for the No.20 bus was this “The Rawreth loop could provide a more convenient service by alternating the direction of travel each hour” then. which ever way the bus was travelling, Rawreth residents could make the return journey to and from Rayleigh.
Can someone please confirm where the location of ” the roundabout next to Asda” is? The only roundabout I know that is next to ASDA is along Priory Chase.
Anon We have nothing in writing on this, but I suspect that’s where they mean. Do you think it is safe?
The roundabout was constructed for the use of domestic vehicles only, it is not wide enough for a bus. ASDA deliveries frequently use the roundabout as a turning circle, and are unable to navigate the roundabout in a single turn, going backwards and forwards about 5 times before turning. What also needs to be considered is that although it is in contravention with the Highway Code, as the roundabout does not have line restrictions, it is used by home owners and their visitors for occasional parking.
It was previously argued (on this website) that Priory Chase was not constructed with the width to deal with the deliveries for ASDA, and in fact lorries are frequently parked along Priory Chase (obviously double yellow lines have no meaning to these drivers) whilst waiting entry into the store compound, to then expect a bus to use this road as well is going to result in problems for the residents of this estate, users of the gym and ultimately the school run traffic.
Property values have already dropped considerably since the ASDA store opened, how much further will they drop if what is a rather expensive development is then used as a bus turning circle? As my Step-Father was a bus driver when he was alive, I have first hand knowledge that areas that are used as turning points on a route are also used by bus drivers when they have a break – this is then mean that the narrow roads of Coppice Gate will be blocked by resting bus drivers.
It seems to me that first bus after withdrawing their route from chelsmford to southend along rawreth lane want their cake at regal buses expence. Regal Bus have recently introduced the no. 3 along rawreth lane at quite a risk to themselves .
I am very concerned that first bus should contemplate using what we call the turnig circle in priory chase we all know congestion caused by the school run . I was unaware that asda were using both the circle and parking in priory chase after the promises and conditions imposed on plannig permission being given .But what can you expect from such an anonimous organisation .
The best solution by far is alans suggestion and support should be given to little wheatleys to retain their existing servi ces .
The bus turning issue should be raised – in advance – as a question at the next West Area Committee meeting when County Highways are there. It would probably be more effective if the question came from a resident rather than a councillor, but – Anon- if you’d prefer not to ask it let me know and I’ll submit the question.
Thanks Chris, but if you could let me know when that meeting is, I will be there.
Have a great Christmas and enjoy your rest.
The meeting is at 7:30 pm 08/01/2008 in The Mill Arts and Events Centre, Bellingham Lane, Rayleigh.
However it’s best if you ask your question 7 days or more in advance – you are more likely to get a full answer. You can submit it online at http://www.rochford.gov.uk/rdc/main.asp?page=995&atoz=1
Best Wishes
It seems we have an answer to the bus route plans.
A bus stop has today appeared in Priory Chase adjacent to the pedestrian entrance to the store, and my neighbour informed she thought she was seeing things when she saw a bus try to turn around the roundabout.
And so the quality of life for Priory Chase/Temple Way residents deminishes further!
Does anybody fancy doing a video of the bus turning round for You-Tube and onlinefocus?
Just had some REALLY bad news, thanks to ASDA and the bus route outside my house – have just had my house valued at £325,000, not bad considering I paid £60,000 more than that 2 years ago.
Does anybody in the Coppice Gate development (because your value has dropped also) want to consider group action against ASDA and George Wimpey?
Corey, not just ASDA and Wimpey, who gave them permission to build?!
Thanks Mike, a valid point and one we’ll take with us to our solicitors
Corey, I believe the Planners have direct accountability for the decisions they make. In most walks of life we are accountable for our decisions and actions, this goes through business and finance and most other employment. The developers will get away with whatever they are allowed to, its human nature, that is why we have people in positions of authority to protect us. For you to lose £60k off the value of your house is unbelievable, especially bearing in mind whe posting that Chris put up about the ASDA planning permission, or should I say lack of it, that originally was the case. I think you would have a case to take the council to court for this. I wonder how many other residents have seen the value of their property plummet? Good luck.
I know all the Blackmore style houses are a lot less than when purchased (which is my style). These houses were being sold for £399,000 (we cut a slight deal with Wimpey), the show home is still up for sale, with a price of £379,000. For this price Stamp Duty is paid, and the house is fully furnished, and has a hell of a lot of upgrades (as you would expect in a show home).
This house has been on the market for a year now, which tells me it’s overpriced.
I am quiet experienced in buying new builds (this is the 4th in the UK in 10 years, and have also had 2 in the States), and usually there is a waiting list for people after the Show Home as it is generally perceived as a bargain with the amount of extras you get for the money.
If house prices have taken a tumble on this development because of ASDA, I can only presume that the same effect will be felt on the properties on Rawreth Lane that face the store. My concern then is that the price slump in this area, could ultimately ripple through Rayleigh?
In reply to Admin (Jan 7th).
A video could be an embarrassment. I made a visit at 2.07 pm yesterday to view a bus turning round. It had no trouble at all.
However, after the successful negotiation, it waited at the Bus Stop with the passenger entrance to the centre of the road and stood with it’s engine running for 7 minutes.
if it had turned round on the roundabout it would not have been waiting at the bus stop as that is on the opposite side of the road. What it would have been doing is parking on double yellow lines outside someones living room. When those houses are only a few feet from the road, as they only have a two foot wide front garden, I find that totally unacceptable.
Sorry Corey, that is exactly what happened, I don’t need you to tell me what I saw. There was also an individual there taking photo’s. He told me he was from from a magazine called Essex Transport. Check it out if you don’t believe me.
Sorry I am NOT telling you what you saw – BUT HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PARKED AT A BUS STOP BECAUSE THERE ISN’T ONE ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROAD. Come and have another look if you don’t believe me. The bus stop is on the ASDA side of the road, you stated that the pedestrian entrance (I assume to the bus) was facing the middle of the road. That is the opposite side to the bus stop. Therefore the bus is illegally parked on double yellow lines.
But could you please point out where exactly on my thread I said that I didn’t believe you? Why would I not believe you – I don’t even know you!
With all due respect Greenbelt – you walked here, which tells me you don’t live here. I do, I have put up with a hell of a lot (as have my neighbours) and this bus route outside our homes on a road that hasn’t even been built for this purpose is insult to injury. My injury thus far is £60,000 loss of equity in 2 years!