Residents of a static home park in Trowbridge have launched a petition to see a change made to a “very, very dangerous junction” at the estate’s entrance.
Adrian Walker, a resident at Trowbridge Lodge, on West Ashton Road, started the petition to push for a traffic regulation change that would make it safer for cars to enter and exit the estate.
The junction is located on West Ashton Road, where Green Lane and the entrance to the Lodge all converge on a small area, with a slip road leading from the Lodge in the direction of Green Lane.
Mr Walker said that he and his wife had been around Trowbridge Lodge and found that about 80 per cent of the homes visited agreed to sign the petition.
He estimates up to 120 people have signed the petition in total.
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He continued: “We’ve already had several major accidents in the last few years. There’s lots of times when I recall relatively near misses.”
Mr Walker, who worked as a building director, an electrician, and ran a charity for more than 20 years, says the petition does not request any specific changes to the junction, but that the residents have a number of possible solutions, many of which Adrian says are straightforward.
Among his suggestions were a stop sign at the bottom of Green Lane, a cross-hatch box at the junction between Green Lane and West Ashton Lane.
Mr Walker added that something ought to be done about the junction on the south eastern side of the junction, which currently provides low visibility of West Ashton Road and forces vehicles out into the middle of the road.
Adrian explained: “We’ve gone round all of the people willing to sign. The petition asks the council to look into the possibility of making some minor alterations, something that could be as simple as putting yellow crosshatch on the road or making it a compulsory stop at the end of Green Lane.”
While the dangerousness of the junction is one of the primary reasons for the petition, it has also been the site of multiple accidents, and Adrian added that around six months ago, a “very serious accident” occurred.
He explained: “I know one person whose car was written off coming out of there. He is a member of this estate, Trowbridge Lodge, and was pulling right, when a person came out of Green Lane, didn’t look left and went into the side of him.
“It’s unnecessary because a few minor alterations would potentially make a lot of difference. It’s generally a difficult junction anyway. The primary cause is people coming out and turning left.”
Cllr Ian Thorn, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “We are aware of concerns that have been raised by the residents of Trowbridge Lodge about the Green Lane/West Ashton Road junction. We have encouraged residents, via their local Wiltshire Council councillor, to raise this and have advised them of the process to do so.
“They will need to complete a highways improvement form and submit it to Trowbridge Town Council. If the town council support the proposal, it will be considered by the Trowbridge Area Local Highways and Footways Improvement Group (LHFIG).”
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