Concern over junction safety move

COUNTY council plans to alter a junction at Ringles Cross to improve safety have been dismissed as a waste of money by town councillors who say the work will increase the accident rate there.

COUNTY council plans to alter a junction at Ringles Cross to improve safety have been dismissed as a waste of money by town councillors who say the work will increase the accident rate there.

Town council environment committee members, who had already put their objections in writing, were told on Monday that five accidents had been recorded at the junction in the past three years. The county considered that number justified improvements.

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Councillors agreed to write again repeating opposition to the plan to alter the angle of the junction, urging the county council to take account of the views of those with local knowledge.

Cllr Stan French said any change at the junction would increase the accident rate. Cllr Len Ashby said the idea was just to spend money for the sake of it and committee chairman Cllr Martha Whittle also said it was a waste of money.

Cllr French said most of the accidents involved drivers running into cars in front of them. 'Someone starts to move, then stops and the car behind runs into the back of them. That is not a problem with the junction. It is the driver element that is causing the accidents.

Cllr Martyn Stenning remembered a time when a 40 mph speed limit was requested in Rocks Road. Then the county council turned down the request saying there had been only five accidents and the limit was not justified.

He could not understand why five accidents at Ringles Cross should justify action and agreed with the objections.