Council determined to defy residents’ wishes

I SEE from the Derby Telegraph of September 14 and notices appearing on local lampposts that Derby City Council is still in pursuit of its objective to confirm the permanent installation of the rat-run between the A5111 and the A5250, Manor Road and Burton Road, in Littleover.

The proposal is again to install unwanted traffic-calming on the Eastwood Drive section of the rat-run.

This is despite residents raising a first petition, with the majority asking for the rat-run to be terminated, and also providing a second one for the ward and city councillors in accordance with traffic-calming regulations, and with the majority against the installation of speed cushions or humps.

The main problems with the rat-run in Littleover are traffic: size, volume, noise, pollution and danger on narrow streets. The problems are well realised by

Littleover residents. The problems are not a lack of speed cushions or humps on Eastwood Drive.

Time has shown a reasonable decrease in vehicle speeds but steady increases in the number of through vehicles. Speed cushions will only further the use of Littleover streets as part of ward and city councillors’ rat-run intentions.

That is why residents voted in petitions overwhelmingly against the installation of the rat- run and against speed cushions and humps.

Derby City Council keeps saying it has no policy of diverting major main road traffic onto minor residential streets (commonly called rat-running).

This council policy of words is usually called “untrustworthy obfuscation”, or, in simple language, do It but deny It!

J Mathers,

Littleover