We have lived at the coach house for over 10 years and during that time we have witnessed over 100 accidents & incidents outside and around our home on the crooked mile. We have cctv so that we have evidence of the accidents.

Over many many years there has been fatalities on the crooked mile, very bad crashes, cars driving into our garden fences, multiple cars crashing and bouncing off of our house, including many incidents at the st Leonard’s road junction, vehicles going into our neighbours garden fences, and more recently in October a drunk driver crashing into our kitchen and today a young lady crashing into our fence, concrete flower bed and dog kennel. 

We sit at home and watch and listen to the cars and lorries speeding along going well over the speed limit every single day as there is absolutely nothing controlling anyone’s speed. In my opinion the amount of people who would loose their license if a speed camera was put up would be in double to triple figures. 

What is it actually going to take for change to be made by the council and speeding restrictions put into place?? How many people have got to get injured or worse, loose their lives and properties damaged before something is done?? 

I’ve been made aware that the incidents that occurred on Tuesday 17th January 2023 leading to the crooked mile to be closed for approx 6 hours did in fact AGAIN lead to someone sadly loosing their life.
This isn’t acceptable on any level at all. 

Since our incident with the car coming into our kitchen I have been suffering with ptsd and every time a vehicle comes flying past or hits a pothole and makes an awful noise I jump out of my skin and my heart is in my throat and I feel sick. I’m a nervous wreck and our 9 year old daughter is the same. She won’t stay alone in any room of the house upstairs or downstairs as she is petrified and tells me all the time how scared she is. After this mornings crash into our property she has got worse again and will not leave my side moving around our home. The place we are meant to feel safe! I had to take her to school this morning again in floods of tears because of what’s happened. On 30th October when the drunk driver crashed into us we had been sitting on the sofa in the kitchen 30 mins before and had I not felt poorly and had an early night we could of easily still been sat there when the incident happens and both been badly injured or worse!!!! Why are we left feeling unsafe and scared at home???

If precautions were put into place and traffic was slowed down drastically in areas where there are houses, or accident hot spots as in 30mph then the risk of these incidents happening would be a lot less. This is not rocket science! 

I just cannot get my head around why no one in the council, highways or in a position of authority would think that repeatedly ignoring these issues is ok? 

Drainage is a massive issue along the whole road leading to the worst driving conditions on a normal day let alone in cold & freezing weather and the council can’t even assign gritters out to grit the road. Who actually makes these decisions! Very clearly someone who is sitting in a nice warm office and doesn’t live or have any family or friends that live in the area. 

If someone from the highways and or council parked up or stood in the vicinity of our house and witnessed these problems it would only take a couple of hours to see what’s going on and the problems that are happening on a daily basis. It’s a sad state of affairs when local residents have to take it upon themselves to stand out with a handheld speed camera in the street because our council and highways refuse to do anything. 

We pay out council tax and road tax and at the moment I’m constantly asking myself why????? What are we benefiting from it?? 

◾️ On two occasions police didn’t even attend to the accidents affecting our house. 

◾️Higher insurance policies every time we have to make a claim due to an incident happening to repair buildings and internal damage

◾️Constant payouts to replace tyres and damage to vehicles due to potholes 

Our neighbour requested a speed camera 15 years ago and even offered the use of his electric to run it as the problem was that bad even back then, only to be told there’s not been enough deaths to warrant a speed camera being installed. I’m speechless…..

Speed needs to be addressed and rectified without fail and drainage and potholes also need to be addressed and rectified. Both need to be done now not when another person has died or another accident has happened. 

I will not live in fear anymore and I know I’m not alone in saying this. Frustration and anger doesn’t even come close to how I’m feeling as well as completely failed and let down. 

Enough is enough!!! 

Since I started this petition there has been more fatalities and more very bad crashes. Please keep signing and sharing to make change happen. This can’t continue. This road is a death trap. 

Lets make change and make everyone safe now!