Action group making progress

MEMBERS of an action group campaigning for lower speeds on one of Warrington’s busiest road believe they are making progress.
A meeting between the Higher Lane Action Group at Lymm and members of the parish and borough council has resulted in an agreement to actively promote a traffic calming scheme that can, within reason, be fitted into the forthcoming planned maintenance programme for the road – part of the A56.
Action group chairman Chris Wakefield said: “We did not succeed in convincing all councillors of the truth of what we had considered to be unarguable facts.
“However, the mood improved considerably when we got round to the details.
“Councillors saw that there was a lot of sense in many of the traffic calming suggestions and began to build on what we put before them.
“It was agreed that the borough councillors would now actively promote a traffic calming scheme.
“They have been true to their word and have already asked the officers concerned to liaise with us.”
Mr Wakefield said the group had reminded councillors of a number of key points including.
1. Disregard of speed limit by at least 20mph at all times of the day.
2. More than 200 drivers fined since April.
3. Extreme narrowness of pavements.
4. No alternative safe routes for vulnerable pedestrians.
5. Pavements in appalling condition – not properly resurfaced for 30 years.
6. Parked cars blocking pavements.
Mr Wakefield said although the action group had put in a lot of work on behalf of residents, the public had played a big part by sending an avalanche of mail without which potential improvements would never even have been considered.