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Published:
September 12, 2008
Councillor wins backing for Burnham-On-Sea seafront traffic calming
plan
A
Burnham-On-Sea town councillor has this week stepped up his calls
for traffic calming measures to be introduced along the town's
Esplanade.
Town
and district councillor Neville Jones, who has long campaigned
for safety improvements along the seafront, raised a formal resolution
calling for action at this week's full meeting of Sedgemoor District
Council.
It
comes after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported last
month that Somerset County Council's Head of Highways, Ioan
Rees, had stated "traffic calming of the South Esplanade
would have a very low priority for funding from Highways budgets"
and added that that
the low number of accidents along the seafront means there is
no argument for changes.
But
Cllr Jones, pictured above, has this week gained the majority
support of members of the district council for a new 'leisure
drive' to be created along the Esplanade, south of St Margaret's
turning, to try and combat the problem of anti-social driving
and excessive speed. This would see speed restrictions of 5-10mph
introduced.
He
said: "This will underpin the first of the four objectives
of the Burnham Regeneration plan to bring road safety to thousands
of holidaymakers from the Burnham Holiday Village."
 "It
will enable cyclists using the nationally funded SUSTRANS track
to the south west via the River Brue track to enjoy a sense of
safety, while parents whose children use the higher Esplanade
on their small cycles, as well as pedestrians, will benefit."
"Funding
of some £25,000 is already possible. The County Council's
figures of £70,000 to £100,000 are considered 'suspect'
and are being closely examined by a professional road engineer
at no cost in the service to the local populace."
The
resolution for the creation of a new 'leisure drive' was seconded
by Cllr Eric Gill and supported by a number of other district
councillors at Wednesday's meeting, including Cllr Danny Titcombe
and Cllr John Laband.
Cllr
Jones told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "I am pleased by this week's
development but will not let this matter go without a positive
outcome."
"Cllr
Duncan McGinty, leader of the district council, has agreed to
personally write to the Chairman of the County Council asking
him to re-examine the costings of the project in light of further
investigation by professional engineers."
The
latest development comes just days after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported
on an accident involving a motorbike along the busy stretch of
Esplanade outside Quantock Court.
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