South Gloucestershire Council is running a second consultation on its proposed road safety improvements for Bradley Stoke Way, in the vicinity of the Willow Brook Centre.
The latest consultation, which runs until Wednesday 8th February, invites comments on the new toucan crossing that is proposed to replace two uncontrolled crossing points that were the sites of two serious road traffic accidents during 2011.
The new light-controlled crossing will be situated approximately midway between the two existing crossing points and new guardrails will be installed to deter pedestrians from crossing the carriageway away from the new toucan crossing.
There is still no news on the outcome of the first consultation on the overall scheme, which ran from 20th December 2011 to 8th January 2012. The Journal has learned that “seven or eight” responses were received but the Council has so far not found the time to give personal replies or publish an analysis of the results on its website.
Cllr Brian Allinson, SGC’s executive member for planning and transport, said last year that work on the new measures would start in March 2012 but that schedule now appears to have slipped by at least a month, with the Council now saying:
“Depending on the results of the public consultation and advertisement, the scheme is programmed to be designed in this financial year (2011/12) with a view for implementation in 2012/13.”
Last February’s accident left a 10-year-old cyclist with life changing injuries after he was in collision with a car on one of the two uncontrolled crossing that would be replaced by the new toucan crossing.
The second serious accident, in September, saw a 13-year-old boy crossing the road on a mini-scooter struck by a motorcyclist. The boy suffered serious head, abdomen, arm and leg injuries and a recent update in the newsletter of Bradley Stoke Community School (where he is a student) reported that he is “still very unwell and not yet able to communicate”.
Research by The Journal has revealed that a speed monitoring exercise that the Council’s Highways Department agreed to undertake in response to the February accident began more than seven months later at 9:30am on Friday 30th September 2011 – the day of the second accident.
It has also come to light that Cllr Allinson was apparently unaware of the February accident that officials in his own Highways Department were responding to. Speaking during a discussion on pedestrian crossings at a recent meeting of Patchway Town Council, Cllr Brian Hopkinson, who is also a Bradley Stoke Town Councillor, said of the two Bradley Stoke accidents:
“Brian Allinson said that if the first accident had been pointed out to him (because it wasn’t) … something may well have happened then.”
Photo: Cllr Brian Allinson (right) inspects the scene of the second accident with Bradley Stoke Councillors.
So let me get this right, the Council are asking for comments on a second consultation before publishing the results of the first consultation. Did the public’s replies not suit their own point of view? Are the suggestions too expensive?
What is the point, who are these clowns that are supposed to be working FOR us residents?
A bit of straight talking honesty is required here, not politically worded hyperbole.
“The Journal has learned that “seven or eight” responses were received but the Council has so far not found the time to give personal replies or publish an analysis of the results on its website.”
Erm, SGC never do. From what I’ve learnt of the process, consultation replies go into a folder and are filed. No one analyses them. It was like that with the airfield consultation – the vast majority of respondants (and there were several hundred) said that SGC shouldn’t allow BAE to build houses. But this wasn’t even mentioned by the council – it was like the “consultation” never happened.
People are incredibly naive to think that the council will do what we, their supposed masters, want them to do.
I find it alarming that “Cllr Allinson was apparently unaware of the February accident” bearing in mind his transport specific role within the council and the fact that he is a local resident.
Please no more humps a journey around Bradley Stoke and my head nods up and down like like a Churchill toy nodding dog! I have got the hump!
@Churchill the nodding dog – love the comment and agree. LOL.
If you had looked up the petition that was signed by thousands of people it was to get a toucan crossing put in place of the unmaned crossings and guard rails down the road so you can only cross on the crossing points
Councillor Allinson is obviously getting paid to do a job he clearly isnt doing and thats to look after the area of bradley stoke, as a grandparent of 1 of his road traffic victims i am not happy to hear that yet again the council are doing a good job of fobbing people off. As a tax payer of south glos maybe we need to stop paying his wages of which he gets a good salary and pension. I will be consulting with lynda and i think a protest will be iminent both on Bradleystoke way and outside councillor Allinsons home this will not be the end.
@Debra Hulin, That sounds a bit harsh on Cllr Allinson. If it’s true that he was unaware of the first accident, that is probably because he wasn’t informed by the Council’s officers. That then leads to the question of whether they should have informed him …
I have just discovered that the results of the first consultation, dated 3rd February (two-and-a-half weeks after the start of the second consultation), have appeared on the SGC website:
2 people agreed but with reservations
2 people gave comments without expressing a preference
2 people disagreed with the proposals
Two further consultations, this time on the statutory notices, started on Monday 6th February.
Wish I’d seen this earlier! The sooner they get this sorted the better! There was yet another incident there yesterday! Is it going to take a child actually getting killed before that damn crossing is given the go ahead?!!! This needs sorting NOW not later!!!! I really hoped after all the petitions after Ben’s accident that something was finally going to get put in place! 4 and a half months on, another incident and we’re still waiting! This is totally unacceptable. Spend local tax payers money on something they are fighting for, it would certainly make a nice welcome change!!!
Bridge???
why not have a bridge instead of a silly crossing . I know it would be more expense but this would resolve so many issues and make the school / leisure centre and the willow brook centre so much more accessible and safe! …….
Im disgusted that stil,l after the feb incident and that it has been over 4 months since bens accident the council have still done nothing.. They could of instantly dropped the speed limit to 30 on the stretch between the crossing and just past where bens accident happened, that wouldnt of cost much and by now they shouldnt still be talking about what to do it should be happening now!!! no family should suffer what ben, his family and friends have been and are still going through.. sure if it was one of their kids something would of been done by now.. lets hope we can keep our children safe and that another tragedy doesnt happen before the council actually make a decision and get the work done..
I can understand why people are unhappy that changes aren’t instantaneous, and I’ve had my own disagreements with Cllr Allinson about other matters, but in this case I think people should hear him out. I believe he has taken a very sensible approach to this issue.
At the full council meeting in December, he explained clearly what was going to happen and the timetable required. There *will* be a toucan crossing and there will be barriers to prevent people trying to cross anywhere other than at that crossing. There will also be a drop in the speed limit where there is pedestrian interaction with the road and the dual-lane approach to the existing crossing will be made single-lane to avoid overtaking from the Savages Wood roundabout.
*However*, you need to realise that there are laws which the council must follow to avoid falling foul of litigation. Local Government laws dictate statutory consultations on changing road layouts, and speed limits cannot be changed on a whim – they require a statutory speed limit order to be undertaken in conjunction with the police and traffic commissioners (under the Road Traffic Regulations Act). Once in agreement, the council is required to place notice of the order for 6 weeks for objections to be raised.
The road will be made safer, but a little patience is required.
lets hope litigation, delays, and another speeding driver doesnt get one of our children killed!!
And let’s hope children don’t step out to cross the road without looking/using the Green Cross Code/whilst engrossed in their iPods/phones.
It works both ways Liz.