Last updated at 14:27, Monday, 18 June 2012

LOWER speed limits on the A590 are more important than ever after plans for a Greenodd roundabout were snubbed, councillors have claimed.

HAZARDS: The junction on the A590 at Greenodd, where fast traffic, slow moving vehicles and pedestrians all face difficultiesREF: 50034884B000

Councillor Rod Wilson, member of Cumbria County Council for Cartmel, and Councillor Sue Sanderson, the area’s SLDC representative, have been campaigning for a 50mph speed limit on the A590 between Newby Bridge and Haverthwaite.

And they have said that the lower limit is needed more than ever, after the Highways Agency said it did not have funding for a new roundabout at Greenodd.

Cllr Wilson told the Evening Mail he was working with the local parish council to try to discuss the plans with the agency.

He said: “There is a possibility we may be able to meet representatives from the Highways Agency because we have approached them and are working with the parish council.

“What we want to show them is the impact that the road has on the local community.”

Cllr Wilson said that figures he obtained showed more than 800 vehicles travelling through the area break the 60mph limit every day, but that changing the limit wouldn’t have an effect on most people’s journey times.

He said: “The mean speed here is 47mph, so if we introduce a 50mph limit, it is not going to lengthen journeys.

“It would make people’s journeys safer and more considerate and would just do something to improve the quality of life for residents.”

Cllr Sanderson said she had been contacted by several residents, including a constituent who lost a family member in an accident at Gilpin Bridge, who have all raised concerns about vehicles speeding.

She said: “It has been an issue, certainly, for the last two years.

“It is a road where you have people crossing a dual carriageway to get to a bus stop and people don’t realise how unsafe it is until you drive through the area.”

In light of stating that a roundabout at Greenodd is not viable, the Highways Agency has pledged to look at other safety improvements on the A590 including introducing lower speed limits.

First published at 13:33, Monday, 18 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk