Better Late...

Friday 15th February

Regular readers of this blog will have noted that road safety measures have dominated posts here over the last five years. Primarily the focus has been upon the desperate situation at Red Road, mitigation of which will continue way beyond my tenure as County Councillor. The other main area of local road safety concern over the years has been the Lightwater Bypass, where, since my election in 2009 there have also been several very bad accidents. Regrettably even truly tragic fatalities in some cases.

As mentioned before, the local highways budget is desperately - and almost scandalously - low and we county councillors are faced with difficult decisions as to where to place these funds each year. These decisions are almost always preceded by vehement debates about which division has the greatest need before being voted upon. Coupled with the exhorbitant costs of some of these schemes, this is why in some years some divisions don't get any provision for road safety schemes whatsoever.

However, as described here I'm delighted to be able to confirm Adrian Page's announcement in respect of the safety barriers that are to be erected along the Lightwater Bypass in the spring. It is fantastic news for the local residents and for the ever increasing number of motorists descending upon the area in the near future. Similarly, this area will soon become Adrian's area of responsibility and he could not wish for a better start to his tenure as county councillor than to have this important and long awaited safety measure in place.

And in spite of Cllr Mrs Viv Chapman's omission of my own efforts to push this scheme up the priority list (I can only think that her absent-mindedness once again in this regard is down to her exhaustive efforts in keeping the Borough recycling bins in order) I'm extremely proud to be able to say that this has happened on my watch.

Lightwater is at last getting the measures it dearly needs.