Residents in a Nottinghamshire town say they are concerned about the safety of a busy road which has inconsistent pavements for pedestrians. Families living on The Banks, Bingham say they are worried about the narrow pavements on the road, and say that because the pavement is inconsistent you would have to cross the road multiple times to walk from one end to the other.
Many families use the road to walk to the schools and nurseries in the town, and people with prams or in wheelchairs often have to use the road due to the narrow width of the paths. IT consultant, Jenny Craig, 62, said: "The real problem with The Banks is that there is no continuous footpath on either side of the road, and to walk from one side to the other you would have to cross the road multiple times.
"Given that this is the road the school is on the pedestrian access is really quite bad." Gesturing to the grassland either side of her drive, Jenny said: "It's not our land there so they could put a path in if they wanted to."
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Retired, Ian Craig, 60, said: "It should be blocked off at the far end or at the school, as that would make a good crossing. You would have to have very brave kids if you went cycling on this road."
Ian explained that because of all the parked cars on the road it can be difficult for cyclists to get past cars, but added that at least the parked cars "seem to slow the traffic down." Ian said: "The pavement is interesting as it's not that wide on that side."
Retired, Sue Robinson, 64, said: "Sometimes we have people in mobility scooters coming down the road because the pavement is quite narrow. During the pandemic it was quiet and we had parents using this as a bike lane safely and it was just wonderful."
Retired Phil Drabble, 69, said: "This is a dedicated cycle route but I would not want to cycle down here, certainly not in the morning, it's too dangerous." Phil explained that the inconsistent paths and high levels of traffic on the road make it "dangerous" for people in the area, especially students on their way to and from school.
Phil feels that the lane should be 20mph rather than a 30mph, and if one end of the road was blocked off it would make the road safer as people could no longer us it "as a rat run."
Regarding residents' concerns, Highways Manager at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “We are aware of the ongoing concerns of residents about safety on The Banks, Bingham. We have gathered initial feedback from residents and are currently considering options for a future scheme to improve safety.”
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