LOCAL councillors who backed residents’ concerns around road safety on one street have admitted they are disappointed with the council’s response to their petition.
Darton East councillors Dickie Denton, Steve Hunt and Leyla Nayeri - all of whom are members of the Liberal Democrat party - have launched a petition for changes to be implemented on Limes Avenue in Staincross.
They say that residents have been in contact regarding concerns around the current state of affairs on the street, particularly at the junction with Shaw Lane.
Coun Hunt said the council must implement parking restrictions on Limes Avenue due to problem parking near to the junction.
He says this is compromising safety due to reduced visibility and the narrowing of the Limes Avenue carriageway near to the junction.
A petition was subsequently set up asking the council to reinstate the hatched area on the carriageway on Shaw Lane by the junction with Limes Avenue to enable traffic to exit from Limes Avenue more easily when there is traffic queuing on the approach to the Turnpike crossroads.
However the petition, which garnered almost 80 signatures, has been partly rejected by the council.
A report states: “The request for parking restrictions has been assessed by the traffic group and no collision cluster sites have been identified at this location.
“The traffic group will provide suitable ‘keep clear’ road markings on Shaw Lane to assist drivers emerging from Limes Avenue.
“No other action can be supported by the council at this time.”
The response has frustrated Coun Hunt, who told the Chronicle: “It is disappointing that the petition, submitted on behalf of residents, to implement double yellow lines on Limes Avenue near the junction of Shaw Lane has been rejected.
“The petition was well supported by residents of the Limes estate who have serious concerns about road safety at the junction due to parking which impedes sight lines and forces traffic to the middle of the road.
“The council need to allocate significantly more funding to road safety schemes to reduce the number of killed and seriously injured on our roads by at least 50 per cent by 2030.
“At the moment they have a bold ambition but the budget for road safety schemes simply doesn’t match it.
“I am pleased that the ‘keep clear’ road markings on Shaw Lane will be implemented to assist motorists emerging from Limes Avenue as was requested in the petition.”
Coun Dickie Denton added that he will continue to support residents with any concerns that they may have.
He said: “Every week residents talk to me about road safety in Darton East.
“With the increasing number of developments in the ward this is only going to become a bigger issue as traffic increases unless we take proactive, meaningful and proportionate action right now.
“This petition demonstrates both the concern and frustration that is felt and I will continue to support this and other initiatives to address this critical issue.”
