New safety measure for junction but cash tight

CASH-STRAPPED council chiefs have pledged to implement safety measures at a busy Brentwood junction - after initially denying any knowledge of previous promises.

Former highways manager for Brentwood Borough Council Peter Rose had promised Councillor Karen Chilvers, before leaving in March, that a raised plastic hump would be introduced at the junction of St James Road to discourage motorists from turning right into the busy Kings Road.

But his successor, Adrian Tidbury, told her that he was "not aware" of any such agreement and could not see how a physical island would then allow large vehicles to turn into the road.

Furthermore he said that even if it could work, traffic-calming schemes are being delayed due to a shortage of funds.

However, last week Karen Chilvers was told that although physical barriers were unlikely, a Turn Left instruction would be painted much nearer at the end of the road.

She said the junction badly needed a feature to prevent cars from illegally turning right towards Brentwood station.

She said: "It's a very busy part of the road with the station nearby, and two pelican crossings either side.

"I know we are being squeezed (for money) but we can't turn down everything."

The road is one of only two ways to access a major housing development that could eventually see more than 400 flats built on the former gasworks site.

Crest Nicholson is about to undertake the fourth phase of the scheme in which plans for more than 200 homes have already been approved by the council

Cllr Chilvers said: "If you assume there is one car per flat and with visitors too, the junction is going to be used by a lot of people.

"It's a question of making people safe."

She added that concerns about loss of knowledge and expertise with the council seem to have been realised.

"I would question what the council is doing to ensure a smooth handover.

"The emails from Peter Rose and then Adrian Tidbury are completely at odds with one another.

"I don't want to be constantly fobbed off."

Councillor Jean McGinley, chairman of the council's highways panel, said: "Residents have contacted me as there are issues at this junction, being caused by the growing development of properties in the former gas site,

"I took on the highways brief just a couple of weeks ago and have been looking at various projects around the borough that my committee will be discussing in a couple of weeks."