It was brought to the attention of the local community in Buntingford for the first time (by a worker of Redrow) that permission had been granted, by East Hertfordshire District Council (Planning), which included to close the current access route from Ermine Street to the A10 and prioritise all traffic through a residential estate. 

95% of the residents of this new development, The Maples, were not made aware of these planning condition until after the purchase of their properties on this residential estate.

Part of this planning has been amended - both entrances/exits are remaining open on Ermine Street. However, other decisions are still being pursued that will cause deaths and serious accidents.

If this historic planning is carried out, it will be detrimental and dangerous to the families on the Redrow estate and will have a knock on effect to the town of Buntingford. The reasons being is that the intended plan, by East Herts District Council, is to direct all traffic, including all HGVs, from Ermine Street, via Neale Drive. This will also have an effect on the other residential roads within this estate. How? This will be done by changing the bottom of the road layout on Neale Drive from a T-junction to a sweeping junction.

Neale Drive is on a sloping hill, with blind bends, and houses children only 1.5 meters away from this intended main road. It is important to highlight, that the safety issues on this road have already been documented by the safety audit 1, carried out in 2016, by Hertfordshire Highways, and as of yet not considered or addressed by East Hertfordshire Council in the safety audit that has been carried out and signed off in March 2023.

If this planning condition, which was agreed before the site and roads were built, is actioned, the roads of Neale Drive, Hensby Avenue and Norris Way will not be safe for children and animals due to their negligence and this will become as busy and fast as Ermine Street was before the restrictions were agreed for this road.

It is now evident that this decision is not appropriate or justifiable through a family residential estate, it will cause a death/s and can now be avoided easily!

The residents have received in excess of 890 signatures to their petition showing their support - these are from local residents of Buntingford, the surrounding villages and anyone who has seen this petition and plans. 

The Town Council and our local councillors have shown their support. They have also raised their concerns.

All safety issues and concerns have so far been ignored and not addressed. 

The current connection, access/egress, on Ermine Street is working well and safe for the volume and types of vehicles that are currently using this road, the old A10.

The Ermine Street route is currently fit for purpose and does not have any effect or cause any danger to residents and there is no valid reason or benefit to make these changes. 

This petition is asking for:

* Keep the junction the same as a normal T-junction at the bottom of Neale Drive and restrict the HGVs from entering/exiting the estate via Ermine Street or the A10  

*Keep the exit/entrance to A10 on Neale Drive for residents so this will reduce the volume of cars using Buntingford High Street  

(See update for map)

* Continue with speed restrictions on Ermine Street (as planned) 

Neale Drive is not open to the A10 yet, however, SAT NAVs and Google maps have been changed to all traffic, including HGVs, directed up this road. This is already causing risks and harms to the residents, photographic and video evidence shows the impact of what these changes cause.

East Hertfordshire District Council, this petition asks you to do the right thing now for the community of Buntingford please, before lives are lost through a bad decision made many years ago, before the estate was even built.

This campaign will not stop until the right changes are made - the residents of Buntingford are not prepared for lives to be lost through bad decisions made.

Thank you to those supporting this campaign, will are not prepared to lose a loved one, and won't stop until justice prevails!