Crossings set for '˜nightmare' road?

Thornton councillor Andrea Kay has been campaigning for pedestrian crossings to be installed in Fleetwood Road North, and says she hopes to be given the green light from the county council soon.

She said the crossings, planned for near the junction with Heys Street and close to Waring Drive, would help protect children walking to and from school.

County hall officials say there is ‘very limited’ funding available but said they are looking to developers to help fund the work.

Coun Kay said: “If we had another accident and the county council has not acted I will blame them. They have been out and stood with me for hours watching the traffic.

“That area is awful and I do want this doing. I haven’t had anything done in my area for a time and I want my slice of the cake.

“The council emailed me two weeks ago and said they are sorry for the delay and they are trying to sort an answer out for me.

“I’ve brought it up at council meetings and I will be chasing them up again.”

Coun Kay, who said she once saw a motorist swerve round a lollipop man while she was on her phone and children were in the middle of Fleetwood Road North, said safety should take priority over road maintenance when it comes to budgetary pressures.

She added: “I would rather have a pothole in the road and know that children are safe. We need to protect the lollipop men and the community.”

There have been several accidents in Fleetwood Road North in recent years, although it’s impossible to say whether pedestrian crossings would have prevented them.

The most infamous one was in 2009, when convicted killer Alan Entwistle’s Hyundai deliberately hit another car as he tried to overtake a vehicle making a right-hand turn. His 31-year-old ex-girlfriend was later found stabbed to death in the front passenger seat by police.

In December, a 28-year-old cyclist was seriously hurt after colliding with a car at the junction with Trunnah Road.

Daniel Herbert, Lancashire County Council network manager, said: “We’ve considered safety for children who walk to school in this area, and three crossing patrols are in place on Fleetwood Road North and Trunnah Road in the vicinity of Sacred Heart Primary School and Thornton Primary School, with a further crossing patrol on Waring Drive at the junction with Fleetwood Road North near Royles Brook Primary School.

“Availability of funding from the county council’s budget alone is very limited However we are exploring opportunities which may be available to secure contributions from developers through the Fleetwood Thornton Area Action Plan.”