CAMPAIGNERS have expressed their fears about a dangerous road in Stoke Heath and are calling on Worcestershire County Council Highways to cut the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.
Residents living on the Redditch Road, near the Hanbury Turn, contacted the Standard about the issue.
They say the campaign started 40 years ago but claim all their requests have been ‘falling on deaf ears’, despite a letter from the police saying ‘the speed limit is too fast for the road’.
They added the footway was too narrow for wheelchairs, which was exacerbated on bin days,
David Morgan said: “The council did come out and monitor the speeds but that was in the daytime and it’s often not an issue then because of the levels of traffic ensure drivers have to slow down.
“But at night it is horrendous – there are a lot of terraced houses along the road – we live on a bend and have heard the screech of brakes from heavy lorries so many times. The blind bend also makes it impossible for some drivers to safely pull out of their drives.
“It is only a matter of time before something happens and it seems as if the council will not do anything until someone is seriously injured or killed.”
Mr Morgan added that, after going on the Government website and seeing the criteria from the Ministry of Transport for what would constitute a 30mph limit, that road and the area met all the criteria and ticks all the boxes.
“The council points out the A38 is an ‘A road’ but that same road goes through Wychbold and Fernhill Heath where the road is wider and there are less properties – and in both of those places it is 30mph.
“Why is Stoke Heath being discriminated against?”
He said other issues included the road being near to the play area and a pub, the fact the main southbound pavement was next to the road where cars and lorries frequently sped and the fact there was no pedestrian crossing.
He said there had been 30mph signs put up while there were roadworks but that was just a temporary measure and when those were finished it would return to 40mph.
And he suggested VAS (Vehicle Activated Signs) which could also slow motorists down and make drivers think about their speed.
Meeting at the Hanbury Turn and petition
A petition has been signed by residents and more than 50 people attended a meeting at the Hanbury Turn on Saturday afternoon to discuss the issue.
Coun David Nicholl, who spoke to residents at the meeting, will be raising their petition directly with Worcestershire Highways.
He said: “It was very clear they have very valid concerns about the speed limit on this stretch of road.
“The Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents are clear that the risk of a fatal accident for a pedestrian are more than 5 times greater at 40mph than at 30mph.
“It has never been more clear that what we need is to kill the speed on this stretch of road before a child gets killed, in what is a residential area.”
Coun Mike Rouse, Worcestershire Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “While I acknowledge the historical context, in my nearly two-year tenure as Cabinet Member for Highways, I have not received any correspondence from any local campaign group or Coun Dr David Nicholl concerning the speed limit on this road.
He added he should have been invited to the meeting.
“Additionally, it strikes me as peculiar that I was not extended an invitation to the meeting on this subject.
“It’s important to note that Coun Nicholl, serving as a district councillor, does not hold jurisdiction over speed limits.
“Therefore, I have been collaborating closely with county councillor Kyle Daisley, who has been duly elected to represent the community’s interests on this matter.
“Curiously, it appears he too was omitted from the meeting invitation list.
“Despite what appears to be political games by a Liberal Democrat candidate, we are open to examining the request in more detail in the best interests of safety in this area.
“I am hopeful that campaigners will reach out to Coun Kyle Daisley and I directly soon, allowing for a collaborative approach to address their concerns.”
Anyone wanting to support the campaign can email Dr Nicholl at [email protected] with their details.
The Standard has contacted Worcestershire County Council Highways and is awaiting a response.
