The B4560 is a residential road when it passes through Llewitha. It is long and relatively straight, enabling vehicles to build speed as they travel from the roundabout near Kingsbridge / Garden Village past Day’s. 

There has already this year been a fatal collision between two vehicles caused by speeding further up the road by Day’s, resulting in the death of a pensioner who was coming out of the forecourt onto the road. This would not have happened if there had been adequate traffic calming measures in place, such as speed bumps.

Through Llewitha, there are several houses along the road, a big housing estate, and a children’s park just yards from the road. The view for pedestrians of the road is obstructed by trees along the pavement. Cars, motorbikes and even heavy vehicles frequently travel far in excess of the 30mph speed limit through this residential stretch, in full knowledge that the speed camera van is seldom parked in the lay-by further up (and when it is, people warn each other by posting online or flashing their lights).

 Said speed van is an ineffective deterrent because even when it is in operation, road users  build speed after passing the camera (directly through the heavily residential stretch) where there are no further measures in place. Filter lights / islands do nothing to disrupt the speed of these vehicles, a fact that anyone can witness by just observing the road.

 Following witnessing a motorbike accident along the road in 2016/2017, wherein the rider was intoxicated and doing speeds of around 60/70 mph (he fortunately was not fatally injured), our family also lost two beloved pets to this road, one of whom was left discarded along the side of the pavement. To quote the vet, our cat “must have been hit at some considerable speed” to induce the injuries she suffered. 

 Whilst accidents involving pets are very sad, and the loss of ours have been devastating, the threat of human loss of life is now a distinct concern, particularly due to the proximity of this road to a children’s park.

 Does it have to take a fatal car crash or a child or other pedestrian being mown down for the council to instal some speed bumps along this stretch? Ystrad Road, which is very close by, has speed bumps - so why not this one? They are both busy, both have  children’s parks nearby, both have heavy vehicles travelling down them as well as motorbikes and cars. 

Please consider improving the safety of this road before lives are ruined. The speed along the road is a known issue, but it will take permanent measures to be resolved.