1 May 2012
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for The Cotswolds, last Friday (27 March) organised and attended a successful meeting in Siddington between interested parties to examine the issue of pedestrian safety in the village.
Having been contacted by Councillor Alison Wagstaff, Chairman of Siddington Parish Council, regarding the Parish Council’s concerns for people travelling by foot in the village, Mr Clifton-Brown called a meeting between representatives of the Parish Council, including Councillor Wagstaff and Councillor Chris Rumble, as well as Malcolm Mosely and Aileen Calvert from the Siddington Parish Plan Action Group and Scott Macaulay-Lowe, Local Highways Manager at Gloucestershire County Council.
The particular safety issue in question is the difficulty that residents have in getting from north Siddington to the centre of the village and the difficulty those who live in the centre of Siddington have in getting to Cirencester on foot when using the Siddington Road. A break in the pavement on one side of the road forces pedestrians to cross at a dangerous point where a blind corner prevents those pedestrians crossing, many of whom are elderly, from seeing oncoming traffic.
At the meeting it was agreed by all parties to prepare detailed plans for a scheme to alleviate this problem by examining the possibilities of extending the pavement to remove the break, thereby eliminating the necessity for people to cross the road at that point. Under Gloucestershire County Council’s Highways Community Offer initiative if the Parish Council were to make a financial contribution to the scheme once the County Council have established the full costs of implementing it, which will depend on a number of factors, including width and the presence of any cables or piping underneath the verge, it is more likely that any improvements will be carried out in the current financial year.
Following the meeting Mr Clifton-Brown commented: “I was delighted to be able to bring together all the relevant parties in this matter for what was an extremely productive meeting.”
“The problems caused by the break in the pavement on the Siddington Road are obvious to all and there is a significant risk, as we witnessed during our visit, to anyone who crosses the road there given the proximity to a blind corner.”
“I am, therefore, extremely heartened that all parties have agreed to prepare details of a scheme to extend the pavement and eliminate this unnecessary risk to pedestrians. The County Council have committed to keeping the Parish Council informed of the work they are undertaking. Once the full costs of the scheme have been established it will then be possible for a final proposal to be considered and I look forward to seeing how this project, in which I will retain a strong interest, will be taken forward.”
Photo: (Left to Right): Malcolm Mosely, Siddington Parish Plan Action Group; Amanda Barrie, Civil Servant the Department for International Development shadowing Mr Clifton-Brown on the Civil Service Attachment Scheme; Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP; Aileen Calvert, Siddington Parish Plan Action Group; Councillor Chris Rumble, Vice-Chairman of Siddington Parish Council; and Councillor Alison Wagstaff, Chairman of Siddington Parish Council.
Having been contacted by Councillor Alison Wagstaff, Chairman of Siddington Parish Council, regarding the Parish Council’s concerns for people travelling by foot in the village, Mr Clifton-Brown called a meeting between representatives of the Parish Council, including Councillor Wagstaff and Councillor Chris Rumble, as well as Malcolm Mosely and Aileen Calvert from the Siddington Parish Plan Action Group and Scott Macaulay-Lowe, Local Highways Manager at Gloucestershire County Council.
The particular safety issue in question is the difficulty that residents have in getting from north Siddington to the centre of the village and the difficulty those who live in the centre of Siddington have in getting to Cirencester on foot when using the Siddington Road. A break in the pavement on one side of the road forces pedestrians to cross at a dangerous point where a blind corner prevents those pedestrians crossing, many of whom are elderly, from seeing oncoming traffic.
At the meeting it was agreed by all parties to prepare detailed plans for a scheme to alleviate this problem by examining the possibilities of extending the pavement to remove the break, thereby eliminating the necessity for people to cross the road at that point. Under Gloucestershire County Council’s Highways Community Offer initiative if the Parish Council were to make a financial contribution to the scheme once the County Council have established the full costs of implementing it, which will depend on a number of factors, including width and the presence of any cables or piping underneath the verge, it is more likely that any improvements will be carried out in the current financial year.
Following the meeting Mr Clifton-Brown commented: “I was delighted to be able to bring together all the relevant parties in this matter for what was an extremely productive meeting.”
“The problems caused by the break in the pavement on the Siddington Road are obvious to all and there is a significant risk, as we witnessed during our visit, to anyone who crosses the road there given the proximity to a blind corner.”
“I am, therefore, extremely heartened that all parties have agreed to prepare details of a scheme to extend the pavement and eliminate this unnecessary risk to pedestrians. The County Council have committed to keeping the Parish Council informed of the work they are undertaking. Once the full costs of the scheme have been established it will then be possible for a final proposal to be considered and I look forward to seeing how this project, in which I will retain a strong interest, will be taken forward.”
Photo: (Left to Right): Malcolm Mosely, Siddington Parish Plan Action Group; Amanda Barrie, Civil Servant the Department for International Development shadowing Mr Clifton-Brown on the Civil Service Attachment Scheme; Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP; Aileen Calvert, Siddington Parish Plan Action Group; Councillor Chris Rumble, Vice-Chairman of Siddington Parish Council; and Councillor Alison Wagstaff, Chairman of Siddington Parish Council.
