Family fights for more traffic calming measures

1:39pm Monday 1st September 2008

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Speeding motorists are flying off the road onto the roofs of houses.

Unsurprisingly concerned residents are asking for more traffic calming measures fearing an imminent catastrophe at the blackspot in Upper Norwood.

“The boards are just not effective and to be honest, I was expecting more than that. The roads in the north of the borough are being constantly overlooked by the council."

Councillor Pat Ryan

Actor Toby Walton has taken these photographs of some of the worst accidents at the junction of Grange Road and Beauchamp Road to highlight the issue.

There were 27 accidents recorded in the area between 2003 and 2007. Although there were no fatalities, five of the accidents were classed as serious with 22 classed as slight.

Mr Walton said: “Just last week someone wrote off their car on the junction.”

The dad-of-two; Lola, aged four and 15-month-old Freya, said that with two primary schools and a park in the vicinity, a roundabout at the junction would be the ideal way to slow down speeding drivers.

“My daughter was almost hit by a speeding driver,” he said. “We were walking to the park and Lola had run on ahead of me when a car came speeding out of Beauchamp Road. I heard the car screeching as it skid past me onto the pavement and stopped inches away from Lola who was about two-and-a-half at the time.

“He didn’t even notice her. He just yelled at the car he had nearly crashed into and sped off.”

Mr Walton, who has taken numerous pictures of car accidents along the road said that some cars come onto Beauchamp road so fast that they land on the roofs of the houses just below street level on the right hand side.

He was instrumental in getting together a petition which was presented at the last council meeting in July.

Since then boards that flash up the speed that vehicles are travelling, have been put up, however residents say that they have not made any difference.

Upper Norwood Councillor Pat Ryan said: “The boards are just not effective and to be honest, I was expecting more than that. The roads in the north of the borough are being constantly overlooked by the council. We have asked for traffic calming measures in South Vale and Queen Mary Road as well and nothing has been done.

“The council say that there have been no fatalities on those roads but that is just not good enough, do we have to wait for someone to die before something is done?”

A council spokesman said: “At present there are no plans to introduce additional traffic-calming measures in the area.

“However, as is the case with all roads in the borough, the council will monitor the situation, with regular reviews of local requirements.”