Halton Borough Council has removed previously protected land from the green belt for at least four proposed new housing development. Miller Homes are proposing to build 317 homes on on Lunts Heath Road. Redrow homes are proposing to build 442 properties on Mill Green Lane and 52 on land to the south of South Lane. Prospect GB are proposing to build 99 properties on Abbey Farm also off South Lane. This is in addition to the proposed housing development of 97 properties for the disused Moorfield Road Sports and Social Club. So what do you think will be the implications for residents living on Moorfield Road, as a result of these four new housing developments sited at the top of our road?
Residents living on Moorfield Road have been raising concerns about the continued danger from excessive speeding, dangerous driving and the misuse by large overweight HGV’s since 2004. The Moorfield Road Action Group have been raising these serious road safety issues since 2017. It is a fact that these new developments will bring a significant additional strains on the local road network and significantly increase the volume of traffic to our road. Despite many articles in the local press highlighting these problems and a call for action, Halton Borough Council have consistently refused to take any appropriate measures to help. Despite the formation of the Moorfield Road Action group, the views and complaints regularly expressed by many other local residents, Halton Borough Council have refused to acknowledge this online petition and take on board any of the comments posted by local people.
These developments, we know will go ahead no matter what the community thinks but the road safety issues of Moorfield Road must be addressed to prevent a death of a school child, pedestrian or driver. The only long-term solution to our problem is for Halton Borough Council to install physical traffic calming measures at specific points on Moorfield Road to slow down the traffic flow in both directions and a redesign of the road.
Residents continue to complain about a lack of a visible Police presence on Moorfield Road but the newly appointed Chief Inspector of Widnes LPU has stated that She feels our community has received a higher level of service than is proportionate. Many of you will disagree with her assessment of the situation given the large number of complaints the Moorfield Road Action Group has received over the years. She has also dismissed the figures produced in the Traffic evaluation reports, as irrelevant to policing activities. She also feels that our community’s road safety concerns have been handled in a reasonable and proportionate manner, many of you will not share this sentiment.
Figures were obtained through freedom of information request to Cheshire Constabulary; Over the last 4 years there have been 180 successful Prosecutions on Moorfield Road. Traffic Evaluation Reports: based on HBC’s own data from the SID on the railway bridge shows that during the period 2017-2020 there were over 2,400,000 vehicles travelling over the legal speed limit. Cheshire Police prosecution success rate of 0.000075%! These figures show that only 1 in every 13,333 vehicles travelling in excess of the legal speed limit on Moorfield Road was prosecuted.
This year, once again the highest speed recorded on Moorfield Road is 100 mph. This is not about driver’s doing ‘just over the limit’ this is about idiots doing double and three times the legal limit on a residential road used by many school children. We see reckless driving, vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road to overtake vehicles who they consider are driving too slowly. We see 44 ton HGV’S using this road as a cut through to the industrial estates even though there is a weight restriction of 7.5 ton access on the road. We all witness on a daily basis the high speed of the traffic, dangerous driving and near misses that occur near Moorfield Road Primary school. With the evidence contained within the Traffic Evaluation Reports and the daily observations by local residents, there is no disputing the fact that at some point in the near future, a serious accident or fatality will take place on Moorfield Road. Only then will either Halton Borough Council and Cheshire Police take any action, our real concern is the likelihood is that an innocent child will be the victim.
In closing, the Moorfield Road Action Group will continue to highlight the continued dangers facing residents and will not stop until someone in authority with the power to solve our issues takes action to ensure the safety of our friends, families, neighbours and all in our community.
Thank you for your continued support.
In the meantime everyone take care yourselves and each other!
Contact: moorfieldroadactiongroup@gmail.com