Local forum tackles accident blackspots

Frome Vale Area Forum hoped to avoid further accidents like this one when they allocated money to reducing the speed limit on the B4058

Last month, the Lib Dems successfully amended South Gloucestershire’s budget to devolve more of the highways budget to the local area forums. As a result, the Frome Vale Area Forum had an additional £50,000 to allocate at its March meeting. The Forum used this money to tackle three accident blackspots in our area.

Reducing the speed limit on the B4058

The Forum’s top priority was reducing the speed limit on the B4058 between Iron Acton and Frampton Cotterell. Iron Acton resident Mark Curtis told the Forum of his experience of being shunted from behind into the path of an oncoming car while waiting to turn into his drive. He said he felt fortunate to have escaped the accident with whiplash, concussion and cuts to his head, nose, hand and legs and that it was lucky that his wife who is 5 months pregnant and his two year old son were not in the car at the time.

Speaking about the decision to award £21,000 to the scheme to reduce the limit to 40mph,  Mr Curtis said, “It is long overdue and will hopefully be altered sooner rather than later!  I would have liked 30mph where the houses are but 40mph is a definite step in the right direction.”

Dave Hockey said, “I suggested that we went for the schemes with the worst accident records, to make the best use of the money available to us. It has long seemed ridiculous that the speed has been restricted on the straight portion of the B4058 but not where the houses are, where people need to turn in and out of their drives. I am delighted we have now been able to put this right.”

Pat Hockey said, “This is localism in action and a good example of why we asked for more of the highways budget to be allocated by local councillors at Area Forums. We were able to listen to what a local resident has to say and take action.”

Improving safety on the A432 at Old Sodbury and the A46

The Area Forum also allocated money to road safety schemes on the A432 between Smarts Green and

Commonmead Lane

and the A46 between Cross Hands and Petty France. Cllr Sue Hope said, “I am delighted that the Area Forum now has more say on tackling serious road safety issues. These roads have dreadful accident records, including a number of fatalities, and I hope these schemes will change that.”

Supporting local groups

Earlier in the evening the Forum had allocated money to a range of local groups. Ones from the Ladden-Frome area included Crossbow Pre-school, Wickwar Pre-school, Dodington Parish Band and the 1st Frampton Cotterell Scout Group.