Protect Families, Children & Pets – Reduce Speed on Elizabeth Way, Harlow

In just the past 2 weeks, 3 cats from our estate have been hit by cars on Elizabeth Way. Last week another beloved family cat from Ram Gorse Park was tragically killed by a speeding vehicle - a black cat called Coco (pictured).

This is not an isolated event. In 2021, a neighbour’s cat from Locke Close lost its life the same way. Last year, two more cats from nearby homes were struck and killed on separate occasions. That’s multiple lives lost, families heartbroken, and a clear pattern of danger.

Elizabeth Way is no longer a road that makes sense at 50mph. What used to be a through-route is now a busy residential community of 125 homes in Ram Gorse Park, full of children playing, families walking, and pets exploring. Cars regularly exceed the limit, and heavy construction vehicles add to the risks.

On top of this, there is no pedestrian crossing. Yet residents must cross this busy road every day to reach schools, the hospital, GP practices, and the town centre. Dog walkers, commuters, parents with buggies, and children on bikes are all forced to take their chances.

We should not have to live in fear every time a child crosses the road or a pet leaves the garden.

That’s why we, the residents of Harlow, are urgently calling on Essex Council to:

• Review and reduce the speed limit on Elizabeth Way
• Introduce traffic calming measures such as speed humps, warning signs, and camera enforcement

This is about more than pets. It’s about making sure no child, no parent, no neighbour becomes the next victim of a preventable tragedy.

Please sign and share this petition to show Essex Council that the speed limit must be changed and traffic calming measures introduced - before another life is lost.