10-year fight for crossing still going on
A COUNCILLOR campaigning for a pedestrian crossing in Porthcawl says people living on a housing development in the town have been isolated for far too long.
Brian Jones, a town and county councillor, says residents in the 150 homes in Ynys Las have to call a taxi or take a bus in order to reach facilities and get into town, despite shops, hairdressers and pubs all being within walking distance.
He said: “The people living in Ynys Las range from schoolchildren up to a 96-year-old.
“They can’t actually cross over the road because of traffic, there’s roughly one car a minute.
“Grandparents can’t even take their grandchildren over to the park.
“It’s very difficult and it’s getting worse.
“They have to cross over that road to get to the medical centre now as well, it’s impossible.”
Councillors on Porthcawl Town Council have been campaigning for more than a decade to get the crossing over Newton Nottage Road.
In 2009, the town council agreed to fully fund the crossing but it cannot act without the approval of Bridgend County Borough Council’s highways department.
Cllr Jones said: “All the funding is in place but Bridgend County Borough Council keeps saying the crossing is not needed and doesn’t meet the right criteria.”
Over the summer the town council commissioned a highways and transport survey by an independent company to advise how road safety could be enhanced.
Cllr Jones said: “We now have a report with recommendations which comply with highways regulations, a town council ready to fund it and a whole community of residents positively welcoming it.
“All we are waiting for now is agreement from the council’s highways department to get under way – they have the report.
“These residents have been isolated for too long.”
The report proposes four additional measures to Newton Nottage Road, including a zebra crossing and a new footway along the northern side of the road to connect to the bus stop.
A council spokesman said the local authority had received a report from the town council regarding the crossing.
He said: “Once it has been assessed, we will be setting up a meeting with them to discuss it further.
“When determining whether a crossing needs to be installed, the council carries out a full investigation and applies set criteria which reflect national guidelines and take into account factors such as official collision statistics for specific locations.”