Councillors in Ulverston are working to resolve issues regarding speed and road safety after receiving a number of complaints in recent weeks.
Residents feel the problem has been exacerbated by roadworks and various road closures at Cross-a-Moor roundabout.
The three Ulverston Councillors Amanda Rigg, Andrew Butcher and Helen Irving reached out to residents living along the streets which were raised as being most affected, inviting them to attend a local surgery to discuss their concerns.
This was held on January 31 at Ulverston Sports and Social Club. Residents were invited along to discuss their concerns with the three councillors, and to help create a plan of action to see how this could be best addressed and what solutions they want to see.
Cllr Amanda Rigg said: “The meeting was well-attended and very productive. It was good to hear residents’ concerns and what they want to see done to tackle speeding and help prevent future accidents. We have now created a plan of action including Highways England, Cumbria County Council, Ulverston Town Council, and local schools.
“We have previously delivered vehicle-activated signs (VAS) on Oakwood Drive and Urswick Road, which light up to tell speeding drivers to slow down, and residents confirmed that this is something they would like to see more of in residential areas. We are now looking towards funding additional signs to be used around Ulverston, and working with partners to try to alleviate safety issues”.
Councillor Butcher said: “Speeding is a hard issue to tackle, but working together with local residents and authorities we can make a difference, and make our roads safer. My largest concern is that we must ensure not to pass the problem from one area to another, otherwise, we are defeating our object.
“The roundabout at Cross-a-Moor is required to ensure that traffic from the new houses can safely access the A590, eliminating the risk of accidents and fatalities in a growing residential area.”
Councillor Helen Irving, who was unable to attend due to contracting COVID-19, said: “We’ve started with the roads that were brought to our attention, but understand that other areas are also affected.
“Working together with Cllr Rigg, Cllr Butcher, and the local community, we can start to make a real difference here, implementing our plan to make the roads safer for everyone.”
The move to tackle speeding in the town comes after the three councillors partnered with Furness MP Simon Fell to roll out the Twenty’s Plenty campaign across Ulverston in recent weeks.
Mr Fell said: “Working together with local leaders, and the Ulverston community we’re taking action to tackle speeding and anti-social motorists in Ulverston.
“Together with Cllrs Butcher, Irving, and Rigg I’ll be making sure that residents’ views are heard across all levels of Government, and with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria, so that we have safer roads in our town.”
