8th September 2007

District councillor Philip Booth writes to local press about the impact of the A46 closure on local villages:

Many of us are grateful for The Citizen highlighting the A46 closure and the dire effects the additional traffic is having on Whiteshill and the surrounding villages (7/09/07). Many of the roads were already carrying too much traffic before this closure but it is now truly dreadful, particularly with the added closure of the road at Puckshole due to a landslip.

Residents have reported that there is a constant flow of impatient traffic through the village and when there are not continuous queues drivers are reported travelling dangerously fast and putting pedestrians at risk in an area where there is not always a proper pavement. Indeed one resident said she didn't feel it was now safe to walk to school, another emailed to say it took over 15 minutes just to get out of her drive while another reported a minor accident outside their home.

The latest unconfirmed report that the A46 will now take 12 months to fix will I am sure be greeted with despair and anger. As The Citizen editorial noted 6 months is "unacceptable for commuters, local business and for the wellbeing of people living in surrounding villages."

Even before the A46 closure we have tried in Whiteshill to get flashing speed signs, 20 mph limits, other speed reduction measures and a crossing but all these have been refused due to either national guidelines or County Council funding priorities.

Highways have put up diversion signs and a new 7.5 tonne weight limit (with an exception for buses) but these are clearly not enough. This is a difficult situation, but clearly we need more speed enforcement measures, more people to use the train between Gloucester and Stroud, drivers to take more care and urgent action to fix the A46.

Cllr. Philip Booth,
Stroud District councillor for the Randwick, Ruscombe and Whiteshill ward,