Council to consult over pedestrian safety in Madeley
Telford & Wrekin Council is to look at additional measures to reduce vehicle speeds and help pedestrians on High Street and Park Avenue, Madeley.
The High Street and Park Avenue have been opened up to through traffic as part of a £20m development in the town centre.
This resulted in the introduction of a ‘shared space’ scheme designed to minimise the impact of the road on the conservation area and give greater priority to pedestrians.
Anstice Square includes the historic Anstice Memorial Institute, originally built in 1870 and re-built by the Anstice family in 1875 following damage by fire.
The ‘shared space’ concept is promoted nationally by the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
It is a means to allow pedestrians and vehicles to co-exist within the street scene with minimal highway infrastructure, creating a better environment for all.
Pedestrian controlled crossings, which ‘funnel’ pedestrians to cross at specific points and are visually intrusive in conservation areas, are not included in these designs to give pedestrians greater flexibility to move around.
Vehicle speeds are maintained at low levels across the area using measures such as raised platforms and bends.
The co-ordinated block-paved design further gives the impression that the street is not a traditional highway, where pedestrians are segregated from traffic and regulated to cross at specific points.
Madeley town centre has been designed as a flowing, open space and to allow public events to take place in Anstice Square with minimal intrusion by road infrastructure.
However, concerns have been raised by elderly and disabled pedestrians that drivers are not taking sufficient care and they feel threatened by traffic when attempting to move about Anstice Square.
Councillor Hilda Rhodes, cabinet member for Transport and Community Protection said, ‘We worked closely with developers to make Madeley centre a bit different from traditional town centre layouts where the motorist tends to take priority and the public spaces have been designed to complement the surrounding historic buildings.
“We are aware of the concerns of elderly and disabled pedestrians in the area. While there have been no recorded pedestrian accidents on Park Avenue, we take these concerns very seriously and have put in place a review to see what can be done in Anstice Square to allay these concerns.
“We ask that drivers are mindful that pedestrians are moving throughout Anstice Square and as a first urgent step, pedestrian warning signs are to be erected to remind drivers to take care.”
Madeley ward member Councillor Gill Green said: “Nearly 250 local people raised their concerns in a petition which they asked me to pass on to the council earlier this month. I welcome this acknowledgement of their concerns and look forward to working further with the Council on this issue.”
