New speed limit set to come into force due to safety concerns following six collisions in five years

A new 30 mph speed limit will come into force on Alder Root Lane at Winwick on Monday (March 6) due to safety concerns following six personal injury collisions in the past five years.

Warrington Borough Council highway planners say Alder Root Lane, which currently has a national speed limit, is a rural lane that links Alder Lane in Warrington to Wargrave Road at the boundary with St Helens.

The boundary follows the route of Newton Brook. The characteristics of Alder Root Lane which is subject to the National Speed Limit are predominantly narrow in width, lacking footways and having tight bends either side of a low, narrow bridge beneath the main West Coast Railway line. It also serves Alder Root Golf Club with the club house, professional shop and parking to the west of the road and the golf course itself to the east.

This arrangement generates many pedestrian crossing movements throughout the day. Interrogation of the collision database shows that six reported personal injury collisions have occurred on the route within the past five years, one of which resulted in a seriously injured casualty at the access to the golf club.
In addition, a number of bridge strikes have occurred despite the existence of a low bridge being signed from both directions. In the interests of safety, it is therefore deemed necessary for the speed limit to be reduced from the current National Speed Limit to 30 miles per hour.
This action will leave a short length of road called Wargrave Road which will still be subject to the National Speed Limit from the Borough Boundary heading in a northerly direction to a point just to the south of Vulcan Village where the speed limit changes to 30mph. For consistency and in order to maximise the safety benefits of the proposed 30mph speed limit, St Helens Borough Council will be continuing the proposed 30mph from the boundary with Warrington through into Vulcan Village and beyond.

Warrington Borough Council has made an Order under Sections 1, 2, 4 and 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and of all other enabling powers on 1st March 2023. The effect of the Order will be to introduce a 30 miles per hour speed limit on Alder Root Lane from its junction with Alder Lane to the Borough Boundary with St. Helens Borough Council.
The Order will be effective from 6th March 2023.
Deposited documents may be viewed on-line at https://www.warrington.gov.uk/permanent-traffic-regulation-orders or Contact Warrington, 1 Time Square, Warrington, WA1 2NT between 9am & 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Any person who wishes to question the validity of the Order or of any provision contained in it on the grounds that it is not within the powers conferred by the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 or on the grounds that any requirement of that Act or any instrument made under it has not been complied with in relation to the Order may, within six weeks from 1st March 2023, apply to the High Court for this purpose.