FAMILIES DEMAND PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ON ‘UNSAFE’ RAT-RUN
Council set to debate 100-name petition
MORE than 100 people are demanding a crossing on a busy road – before someone is killed.
Families in Chell Heath say Chell Heath Road – between The Knave pub and Barncroft Road – is an ‘accident waiting to happen’.
They say it is a rat-run used by lorries travelling from Biddulph to Hanley and the A500 and a crossing is needed to prevent a pedestrian being injured or killed.
Now they have presented a 125-name petition to Stoke-on-trent City Council calling for a zebra or pelican crossing.
Chell Heath Residents’ Association is behind the petition, which was due to be discussed by city councillors when they met today.
Association chairman Jim Gibson, aged 69, said: “There is no safe place to cross and there are a lot of small children who go to school.
“It is only a matter of time, God forbid, before one of them gets killed.
“We did have lollipop attendants but they were let go because of the cuts.
“From about 7.45am we have a tremendous amount of heavy traffic coming down here. They do not want to go up Biddulph Road because of the traffic hold up at the High Lane roundabout. We have
eight-wheeler trucks and HGVS coming along here. They go to the bottom of Bradeley and up Smallthorne Bank.
“If we can get the crossing that will help. I will also be on to the council asking if we can have some signs, anything to prevent another fatality as there have been a few over the years.
“They put in the roundabout a few years back to slow the traffic but it hasn’t. There have been a few fatalities and other incidents where children have been knocked down. I am just hoping a crossing will help in some way.”
Malcolm Phillips, aged 75, of Chell Heath, added: “In the morning, from 6.30am to 7am, it is like a rat-run. They come all the way down here to Smallthorne.
“The traffic is so bad I can’t reverse in my drive. Cars queue for the chip shop blocking the main road. There is a bus stop across the road and there is no pull-in but buses park there and cars can’t get past. Somebody is going to get killed.
“There was an elderly woman killed a few years ago and a young lad was killed further down.
“I have lived in Chell Heath Road for 22 years. The times that kids have been run over. We need the crossing. It is better to prevent somebody else being killed.”
Taxi driver Andrew Holt, aged 73, said: “I would welcome a crossing. I welcome anything that makes it safer for pedestrians. The speed camera van stops down there sometimes but there are no permanent cameras in Chell Heath Road. Something needs to be done.”
Terry Pyatt, aged 74, of Chell Heath, added: “I welcome anything that will prevent an accident.”