Slow start for road campaign

More than 160 people signed a petition at the end of last year urging the council to introduce traffic-calming in Well End Road, Rowley Lane and Potters Lane.

The borough's Highways Partnership has now agreed to reduce the speed limit in Well End Road from 40mph to 30mph, and new signs have been erected.

But Well End Road Safety Group stressed that it would continue to push for a roundabout and speed cameras to stop the roads being used as a 'rat-run'.

Chairman Rodney Saunders, who has lived in Well End for 13 years, said: 'The traffic starts at around 6am and it is a rat-run down from the M25.'

Having been elected as a borough councillor, Mr Saunders is pushing for a roundabout to slow traffic at the junction of Well End Road and Potters Lane.

He is also keen for the speed limit in London Road to be reduced from 60mph to 40mph. 'At the moment it is exactly the same limit as the A1 ,, it is nonsense,' he said.

There have been at least six accidents in Well End Road since June 1996, and in January a car left the highway and collided with a vehicle in Mr Saunders' drive.

Fellow campaigner Brenda Treacher, who also lives in Well End Road, said: 'The 30mph limit is certainly welcomed, but I am not sure whether it is going to solve the problem.'

She supported the suggestion of the roundabout, and said speed cameras would be needed to deter people from breaking the new speed limit, due to be introduced in November.

'The other day there was a huge lorry going to a local farm and people were just overtaking it on blind bends,' she said.

Other traffic-calming suggestions put forward by the group include speed humps in Well End Road and Rowley Lane and gates on the road entering Well End.

Members of the local horse-riding community are supporting the campaign to slow traffic in Well End, following a collision last year which resulted in a pony having to be put down.

mfoy@london.newsquest.co.uk