Liberal Democrats Call for Council Action on Road Safety

6.33.00pm GMT Wed 15th Nov 2006

Great Missenden and Prestwood Liberal Democrats today called for real Council action to improve road safety in our villages. Concerns about traffic, speeding and parking came top of a list of local issues in a recent survey of village opinion carried out by Community Vision for HP16. (See Parish Newsletter The Link, October 2006, p4)

In April 2005, local Conservative councillors wrote to voters on Council headed paper as part of their May election campaign. The Council letter which was sent out in response to a 400 name Liberal Democrat petition promised specific action on road safety in Prestwood and Great Missenden, and assured voters that "we can look forward to some significant local improvements."

The list of measures highlighted in the April 2005 County Councillor letter were:

1/ kerb extension at High St/Chequers Lane Prestwood to slow traffic

2/ an additional Prestwood pedestrian crossing

3/ Prestwood village gateway features

4/ central refuges or road hatching in High Street Prestwood

5/ kerb extension to slow traffic at High Street/Green Lane Prestwood

6/ traffic calming feature in Nags Head Lane Great Missenden

7/ 7.5T weight limit and 20mph speed limit in traffic calmed area of Great Missenden High St

8/ gateway features in Great Missenden

9/ kerb extension to Rignall Rd/High st Great Missenden to slow traffic turning left

10/ pedestrian crossing in Aylesbury road Great Missenden

11/ significant safety features at station approach and lower end of Martinsend lane Great Missenden

Seb Berry Vice-Chairman of Great Missenden and Prestwood Liberal Democrats said "in the two recent Prestwood and Great Missenden by-elections, the Conservative party has been at it again promising "action not talk" on road safety and other village issues. But over 19 months on from their April 2005 County Council letter to local voters promising action on important road safety improvements, not a single measure has been implemented."

He added, "A Liberal Democrat councillor would have made action on these issues an absolute priority. Isn't it now time for the Conservative County and District councils to also make road safety a top priority in our commuter blighted villages, and to deliver real urgent action on these issues? The forthcoming District Council elections in May 2007 will be a very good first test of the progress they have made."