A COMMUNITY campaigner is calling on Worcestershire County Council to introduce road safety measures to Stoke Prior to help long-suffering residents whose lives are being made a misery by increasing traffic.
Dr David Nicholl was approached by people about speeding and an 80-year-old Foley Gardens resident who has suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage caused by lorries and heavy goods vehicles striking her property.
Statistics – gleaned by Dr Nicholl during Freedom of Information (FOI) requests – show the number of people exceeding the speed limit on Shaw Lane alone had increased from 159 in 2017 to 613 in 2021.
The situation with the property in Foley Gardens is caused by a railway bridge on Hanbury Road.
Because some lorries are too tall for the bridge and drivers fail to realise before entering, they reverse into Foley Gardens to get out and often strike the property where the woman has lived for 40 years.
Another FOI by Dr Nicholl to Network Rail has found the Hanbury Road bridge has been struck 18 times in the past ten years which has led to a total of 1,047 minutes worth of train delays – an average of almost an hour for every incident.
Although no repairs have yet been carried out on the bridge, some are planned when other works are next due in the area.
Dr Nicholl called for action at the Worcestershire County Council meeting yesterday.
He said: “I’m grateful for the data from both the police and WCC, but is it not time to rethink the road architecture and speed limits within Stoke Prior?
“Just putting more visual signs of low bridge warnings isn’t working.
“I have suggested putting an audio signal further up Hanbury Road, other options would be automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), or fixed penalty notices for offenders.
“Where is the new thinking, as the misery this is causing residents is colossal?
“Is it not time to take action before lives are lost?”
Dr Nicholl was told he would receive a written response from Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways in due course.
Coun Kyle Daisley, who represents the area on Worcestershire County Council, said he was aware of the issues and would be happy to meet with Dr Nicholl to discuss the issues and work with him to help get something done.
He urged Dr Nicholl to get in touch with him.
