A WAR of words has broken out between campaigners and the council over traffic calming measures at a notorious accident blackspot in Perdiswell.
The on-going saga for action to be taken at Bilford Road was at the top of the agenda at a meeting at Perdiswell Leisure Centre last Wednesday (January 14).
Long-term campaigners Coun Neil Laurenson and Coun Matthew Jenkins, both Green Party members, handed the baton over to residents at the meeting in order to ‘freshen things up’.
Coun Laurenson told The Observer the meeting had left him feeling deflated after Worcestershire County Council’s highways manager Jon Fraser reportedly said the only way work would get done is if there was an increase in fatalities on the road.
But the county council deny Coun Laurenson’s claims and say Mr Fraser was there to give ideas of improving a road that doesn’t actually meet the criteria to have work done on it.
A county council spokesman said: “We have been listening to residents’ safety concerns at Bilford Road over a long period and one of our highways managers attended a public meeting last week to give details of a proposed lining scheme aimed at addressing some of the issues.
“This would see the council put hatching down one side of the carriageway from Astwood Road approach to the junction at Bilford Road and would effectively narrow the road, slow down traffic and make it easier for pedestrians to cross.
“Traffic monitoring by the council from January 10 to 14 found the vast majority of drivers are observing the 30 miles per hour speed limit, which is consistent with results of the previous monitoring last September.
“We take residents safety calls seriously and have also talked to local councillors about using a vehicle activated sign there as divisional funding is available to them for this kind of initiative.
“In the meantime we hope people view the proposed road lining scheme as a positive development and an indication we are doing everything we possibly can to alleviate their concerns.”
Coun Laurenson and Coun Jenkins started their calls for improvements more than three years ago but have said they will still keep a close eye on the development despite residents now leading the rallying cry.
“We are not distancing ourselves from the campaign,” Coun Laurenson added. “We have tried our best to get it changed so it is safe to cross but we are trying something new now because nothing seems to be getting done.
“We are going to keep campaigning, it is a slight change and hopefully it will encourage more people to say something, with the end goal being the county council will make proper changed to Bilford Road to make it safer.”
