Roads problem brings residents together

1:20pm Friday 16th May 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

Widmer End and Naphill villages have held public meetings to address residents' concerns about speeding traffic and congestion endangering motorists, pedestrians and schoolchildren.

MONEY from a highly unpopular housing development could be the solution to a village's traffic speeding problems, residents have been told.

Widmer End householders campaigned against a planning application to build 238 homes on Buckinghamshire New University's former Wellesbourne Campus in Kingshill Road, but the development was granted by Secretary of State for Local Government, Hazel Blears, last month.

But at a public meeting to discuss practical ways to combat speeding motorists using Widmer End as a rat run', county councillors said the developer could provide up to £250,000 towards improving road infrastructure - including traffic calming measures.

The meeting was called following two recent deaths on village roads.

Five-year-old Charlie Harris died after being hit by a speeding driver on Cockpit Road in September last year.

Pensioner Roy James, 76, died metres from his home in Brimmers Hill in January after his bicycle was involved in a collision with a van, although police say speeding had been ruled out as a cause of his death.

Councillor David Carroll told his constituents at the meeting: It's not very common that there's money on offer. This is a serious and emotional subject that has brought this community closer tonight. Let's turn Wellesbourne from a bad thing into a positive thing.'' Trevor Dean, chairman of the village's residents' association, who chaired the public meeting at Widmer End Combined School, said the funding could be seen as a trade off'.

County council officers gave the residents' association a booklet with details of a variety of traffic calming measures for them to consider before further meetings are arranged.

Tony Blackmore, the county council's traffic expert, said officers from his department could run workshops in the village to help residents decide what they want. He said: "We need you at every step of the way. If there's a drive from the local residents, we will provide you with the expertise.

In Naphill angry residents are being told to pester the police by reporting drivers who are putting them at risk

Fears over safety outside the Co-op store, in Main Road, Walters Ash, saw more than 100 people attend a special meeting at Naphill village hall.

But Marek Pawlik, chairman of Naphill and Walters Ash Residents' Association, said police were unaware of the problems they face and told the residents to call the police's non-emergency number each time they spotted a law breaker.

He said: You must all call the police. They will not hurtle out immediately, but once they have a report on how many accidents or parking problems there are, they will listen.

The local bobbies do not come up here because of their reports so you must call them every time.'' The meeting at the hall, in Main Road, was called because of problems with traffic, delivery vehicles and parking near the Co-op.

Worried residents fear there will be more accidents, in particular involving children travelling to and from Naphill and Walters Ash School.

Si Khan, Buckinghamshire County Council's (BCC) local area coordinator for transport, and councillors Richard Pushman and John Gibbs also attended.

A number of possible cures to the village's problems were raised at the meeting.

These included introducing bollards, double yellow or white lines and making the lorries delivering to the Co-op park at the back of the store.

But Mrs Khan said: There is no magic solution that will get rid us of all the problems we face.'' The residents' association has given a list of ideas to BCC and Mrs Khan has vowed to respond to it in the coming months.

If you want to report an offence to the police which is not urgent, call 08458 505 505.