A LONG-running battle to get a pedestrian crossing installed on a ‘dangerous’ road in Warndon has been won by the area’s councillor.
Coun Alan Amos, county councillor for Gorse Hill & Warndon, revealed this week the funding was now in place to pay for the crossing on Windermere Drive next to Sainsbury’s supermarket.
It is the final twist in a decade long struggle to make the road safer after a young woman lost her life while trying to cross.
And with hundreds of shoppers and pupils at the nearby Regency High School crossing the road daily, Coun Amos said he feared it would be only a matter of time before another life was lost if the crossing was not put in place.
It was originally hoped Sainsbury’s would pay for the crossing as part of plans to build a new store in a land swap deal with neighbouring sports club Archdales.
But with Sainsbury’s no closer to building the store, Coun Amos has decided to put forward his county councillor allowance of about £10,000 for the next two years which will pay for the bulk of the project.
The supermarket has also pledged an undisclosed significant contribution along with other organisations involved to allow the installation to start by the new year.
Coun Amos said he was both relieved and delighted the saga had finally ended in a positive way.
“This has been a long and tough battle but all the money is now in place so the crossing will go ahead in the next few months,” he added.
“Local residents have been telling me it is their top priority so I have acted on that.
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the County Council for all the help they have given me, to Sainsbury’s for their generous contribution enabling the scheme to go ahead and also to Blackpole & Fairmount Community Group and to Regency High School for their invaluable contributions towards the total.
“For the first time, my constituents will be able to get to Sainsbury’s safely.”
