Mum hit by lorry wins fight for road improvements

Yvonne Clarke was walking along North Trade Road in Battle on May 11 last year when a lorry, pushing to get past oncoming traffic and parked cars, mounted the low kerb and smacked her right hand, cracking two bones and causing deep bruising.

Following the incident, Yvonne launched a petition calling for measures to make the road safer for pedestrians after hearing tales of other people who had experienced near misses with vehicles mounting the pavement.

This week improvement work was completed on the stretch of road between Wellington Gardens and the police station.

Higher kerb stones have been put in place and the pavement has been raised and tarmaced.

Bollards have also been installed near Wellington Gardens to prevent vehicles from mounting the pavement.

Yvonne said: “I’m so pleased that children and adults are going to be safe walking on that pavement now.

“Even I feel safe walking down the road now. I spent the last year jumping into hedges.”

Although many of the measures Yvonne had called for have been put in place, she is still waiting to hear if East Sussex County Council are going to paint double yellow lines.

She said: “I think they said they have to go back to consultation before they put the yellow lines in, so by the end of the year, hopefully, it will be finished.”

No parking was allowed in that part of North Trade Road for three weeks whilst the work took place.

Yvonne said: “No-one was allowed to park there, but they did not come up on to Wellington Gardens, which proves the point they did not need to park there.”

Despite more than 500 people putting their names to Yvonne’s petition, she said she did face some hostility from motorists over her campaign.

She said: “People have had a go at me over the disruption but I don’t care.

“At least people are going to be safe now.

“If you want something done, you cannot just sit back and wait for a magic wand to be waved, you have got to put up with a bit of disruption.”

Yvonne praised East Sussex County Council for moving so swiftly and keeping her informed of the process.

She said: “I was surprised it got passed so easily. I did not have to fight.

“They were very kind enough to ring me up and inform me about what they were doing.”

She was full of praise for Battle’s county councillor, who backed Yvonne’s campaign.

She said: “Kathryn Field was brilliant.

“She came up with me to county and she supported me.”

Yvonne also thanked everyone who signed her petition and the Battle Observer for helping her draw attention to the problem.

Yvonne said: “If I was on my own, I do not think it would have happened.

“I just want to thank every one of you.”