Status unknown
No safe pedestrian route
Reported in the Roads/highways category anonymously at 21:29, Thu 19 September 2019
Sent to Norfolk County Council 1 minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 1773983.
Swaffham town centre. A1065 junction with Lynn St and Mangate St. There is no provision for pedestrians to SAFELY cross the A1065 at this location. There are road markings for crossings, but no pedestrian lights to stop the traffic or indicate to pedestrians when it might be safe to cross. This is incredibly dangerous, especially for elderly or other slow-moving people. There are proper pedestrian crossings (traffic light controlled), to cross the slip road for the A1065 Southbound traffic entering Mangate St, and for Mangate St itself, BUT incredibly there is no such provision AT ALL for any pedestrian who wishes to cross the A1065 safely. Traffic from Lynn St into the A1065 North bound takes a virtually blind bend, often at speed, making crossing the road very dangerous. Go there in the daytime, and see it for yourself NCC highways. I dare you to cross the road and HONESTLY say you feel safe so doing!
Updates
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These details need to go direct to the Transport Councillor at Norfolk County Council tom.mccabe@norfolk.gov.uk and the leader of NCC andrew.proctor.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk
Posted by a osborn at 09:36, Fri 20 September 2019
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Thanks for your response Osborn. I have sent this email to the gentlemen you mentioned: ======= Gentlemen,
A few days ago I had cause to visit Swaffham town centre as a pedestrian.
I was astounded to find that it is not possible to safely cross the A1065, the major road through the town centre, at its junction with Lynn St and Mangate St.
There are dropped kerbs at these location, but no pedestrian lights even though the road junction is traffic light controlled. There are not even so much as zebra crossings at these locations.
Bizarrely, there is a pedestrian light controlled crossing across the slip road (from the A1065 Southbound to Mandate St), but this takes you only as far as a traffic island, from which you can cross Mangate St itself by another pedestrian light crossing. However, if you wish to cross the A1065 you have to take best-guess as to when might be least dangerous to continue your journey, or return whence you came, because there is no pedestrian light crossing to get you across the A1065.
The other crossing point of the A1065, to the South of this junction is no better… again, nothing at all to signal to pedestrians when it is safe to cross.
I have detailed this situation on the excellent 'Fix My Street’ website, and have been advised that I should bring this matter to your attention.
Here is a link to the information I uploaded. The website has automatically sent this link to your call centre.
Https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/1773983
I await your replies.
Posted anonymously at 13:29, Fri 20 September 2019
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Had this reply from Norfolk Highways. Can you believe the complacency of this council?
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We are unable to consider individual requests for changes to road safety measures, and given severely reduced funding, only those locations exhibiting the highest priority are likely to be considered. If you feel there is a strong community need then we recommend you approach your local parish/town council as the lead stakeholder. Although they are not responsible, they are best placed to determine the local need and can then approach us to discuss options if funding is available. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further enquiries. Yours sincerely, Lucy Kelly Customer Service Assistant Tel - 0344 800 8020 Email – information@norfolk.gov.uk County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH
Posted anonymously at 23:44, Mon 23 September 2019
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Reply to NCC:
Dear Ms Kelly
This is not a 'request for a change to road safety measures’, it is a report of a defect on the highway.
The fact that the defect is the result of breathtaking incompetence at the planning stage does not alter the fact that it is a defect and one that requires correction before someone loses their life as a result of this ineptitude.
On the other hand, yours is a county council that thinks it is a good idea to place trees in a new cycle lane in Norwich, so what chance do the pedestrians of Swaffham have in its indifferent mindset?
Https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/prince-of-wales-road-cycle-track-blasted-as-embarrassing-1-6284291
Sincerely.
Posted anonymously at 00:14, Tue 24 September 2019
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No further reply at all from NCC. Neither Cllr MCCabe nor Cllr Proctor had the professionalism nor the good manners to respond. If you are intent on visiting Swaffham BEWARE, it is potentially a rather dangerous and unwelcoming place for pedestrians.
Posted anonymously at 22:54, Sat 12 October 2019
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Email to Swaffham town council (Town Clerk): -
Dear Town Clerk
About a month ago we visited Swaffham, and while there encountered a very unpleasant situation when we discovered that crossing the roads is dangerous because of the absence of any safe crossing route.
I have posted it as a highways defect, (the defect being in the design), at the very helpful ‘FixMyStreet’ website:
Https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/1773983#update_2694736
Rather than repeat the exchanges that followed, you can read them for yourself at the above link.
It seems that NCC are totally disinterested in correcting this danger.
I assume you must be aware of this defect, and am curious as to whether you are doing anything about it. If you are unaware of the situation, I hope you will take a walk to the location on the map, (see above URL), and, with very great care, experience this unpleasantness for yourself.
Sincerely.
Posted anonymously at 23:08, Sat 12 October 2019
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I too have looked at this road junction and I can agree it is UNSAFE for pedestrians. I have approached andrew.proctor.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk It took a couple of attempts for a reply which when it came said-'we have no money' and 'no one has been killed yet' So there we have it a built in complacency from Norfolk County Council. BUT these are OUR Councillors . WE need to engage with them more. A Osborn. alan@aloz.org.uk
Posted by a osborn at 12:31, Sun 13 October 2019
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Still open, via questionnaire, 23:57, Thu 17 October 2019
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17 10 19.
Still awaiting a reply from anyone at NCC or STC.
Posted anonymously at 23:59, Thu 17 October 2019
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