New attempt to stop estate road accidents

Lancashire County Council highways boss Councillor John Fillis has approved the £40,000 scheme for the Larches estate as part of a wider £1million accident reduction programme.

In the past three years, four people have been seriously injured in three accidents in the area, with speed believed to be a contributory factor.

In total there will be nine speed cushions - two on Greavestown Lane, four on Larches Lane, and three on Whinfield Lane - as well as a 27m long junction table on Larches Lane at its junction with Larches Avenue. The height of each cushion and the table will not exceed 65mm.

Two complaints were received from local residents when the scheme went to public consultation - one claiming a speed cushion would be almost outside their driveway, and other claimed vibrations caused by vehicles travelling over the cushions would damage house vibrations.

Both of these concerns were thrown out by council officials.

County Coun John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We use all the available evidence to target new road safety measures where they will have the most impact in reducing casualties.

“In the last three years there has been a total of three collisions in this area, resulting in four people being seriously hurt, and a further four people less seriously injured, with excessive speed believed to have contributed to the two collisions in which people were seriously injured.

“Traffic calming of the type we will be installing in the coming months has been shown to reduce vehicle speeds and prevent injury collisions.”