Action Needed to Address Great Missenden High Street Safety Concerns

6.47.14pm GMT Sun 25th Feb 2007

AS PUBLISHED IN THE BUCKS FREE PRESS - 23rd FEBRUARY 2007

Dear Editor,

The Roald Dahl Museum is proving to be a great success in putting Great Missenden "on the map", but increased visitor numbers, particularly large coach groups of school children, walking along Great Missenden High Street have raised serious road safety concerns.

I have been contacted by a number of local parents expressing their fears about a "tragic accident waiting to happen" as groups of children have to walk along the very narrowest of pavements outside the Dahl museum, the scene of two recent vehicle accidents. This is in addition to the large numbers of local children walking along the High Street to attend the Misbourne and Combined CofE schools.

We first raised this issue before the Dahl museum opened but were told that there was nothing that could be done. While we welcome the Council's belated plans to reduce the speed limit on Great Missenden High Street to 20mph, this in itself will not address the problem. Many drivers will simply ignore it, and it will do nothing to address the "pinch point" issue which forces vehicles to veer towards the Dahl entrance often at inappropriate speeds.

In our view, there now needs to be a fundamental rethink of the existing traffic traffic calming measures and urgent attention paid to child road safety along this busy thoroughfare for the benefit of local children and visitors alike.

Yours sincerely,

Seb Berry, Chairman of Great Missenden, Prestwood and Heath End Liberal Democrats