HIGHWAYS AND STREET FURNITURE

In a recent questionnaire, many villagers expressed concern at the speed and quantity of traffic, which passes through Ravensthorpe. Calming options need to be carefully considered as many merely serve to create noise pollution for roadside residents (rumble strips, humps, chicanes) or weaken the visual quality of the streetscape through excess signage. In the past, rigidly adhered-to Highway Regulations have resulted in urban elements creeping in to the village streetscape, including concrete kerbs, large visibility splays and urban street lighting.

Iron railings have disappeared from Ravensthorpe, removed for armaments production during the war.

The village has many seats dotted around it, including several overlooking fine views.

Overhead wires and telegraph poles detract from the quality of the streetscape. The statutory bodies responsible for utilities need to be encouraged to conceal installations underground in future.

HIGHWAY GUIDELINES
  • ‘Rural England’ (October 1995), encourages new roads, footpaths and signs to be built to standards appropriate to their rural location.
  • Where rural verges remain, such as Little Lane and the roads leading out of Ravensthorpe, they should be preserved.
  • Older houses directly on the street currently have tarmacked pavement abutting the house walls. Rain ‘splashback’ from the hard paving can enter old fabric and cause damp problems. Thin gravel strips (French Drains)between houses and pavements may alleviate this problem in the future. The fall of the pavement should run towards the road and away from house walls.

STREET FURNITURE GUIDELINES

  • Quality Street furniture should suit its Ravensthorpe context: urban street lighting is out of place.
  • ‘Rural Village’ levels of lighting should be preserved: downlighting using white light rather than orange is preferred.
  • Private security lights should be muted: and carefully sited to light the required area without forming a hazard to road users or annoyance to neighbours.