Backing for move to slash speed limit
PLEAS to roads chiefs to ‘turn a 5 into a 3’ and possibly save a life have won backing from Hyndburn’s councillors.
The recent full council meeting passed a motion to ask Lancashire County Council to consider cutting the 50mph speed limit along Harwood Road between Rishton and Great Harwood to 30mph.
Proposing the motion Coun Jeff Scales said he had no problem with the speed limit on Lee Lane, but the problem was it remained 50mph for too long for traffic heading from Great Harwood towards Rishton.
Referring to an incident earlier this summer in which a bus stop was destroyed, he said the solution was “straightforward” and “common sense”.
He said: “At any other time we could have had two or three people killed. Fundamentally it’s about turning a 5 into a 3 at a particular point. I will go and do it myself with a sticker.
“Show an idiot 30 and he will do 50. Show an idiot 50 and he will do 70. I don’t use the word ‘he’ lightly; it tends to be our species. Don’t listen to these bureaucrats. Let’s turn the 5 into a 3.”
Council leader Miles Parkinson, who is county councillor for both areas, said he had unfortunately attended many traffic collisions on that stretch of road during his time as a firefighter.
He said: “I know Jeff and residents have raised this issue numerous times. That was reduced to 50 a number of years ago because it used to be national speed limit. I think one of the major issues for politicians and residents is that they don’t get the unwillingness of Lancashire County
Council to move the sign a few hundred yards.
“It’s just the practicality of moving a sign and taking it several hundred yards to the junction of Wilpshire Road, but nothing can take away from the irresponsibility of the idiot drivers.”
But Great Harwood councillors Noordad Aziz and Pat McGinley suggested the safety of the whole stretch between the two towns should be looked at. Back in January, 87-yearold Elizabeth Saynor tragically died following a collision while crossing Blackburn Road, Great Harwood.
Citing the chances of survival at various collision speeds, Coun Aziz called for a proactive, not a reactive approach. He said: “For me the whole section is problematic, starting at Towngate. Earlier this year we had a fatality of a resident Mrs Betty Saynor. Saving of a life is more important than statistical probability. LCC has a duty of care to review the whole section from Towngate all the way to the traffic lights at High Street, Rishton.”
Coun McGinley said: “I think the whole section wants looking at. There are numerous concerns and we are all aware of the fatality a few months ago.”
Lancashire County Council has been contacted for a comment.