‘Racing’ car was clocked at 91mph on village road
Residents have stepped up their campaign to have traffic-calming measures put in place after a car was recorded travelling into Barton at 91mph on a 30mph road.
The vehicle was tracked by a traffic monitor – not valid in a court of law – installed by concerned residents along the Haslingfield Road in the village.
“It’s a relatively small village of around 900 people,” says resident Andy Martin. “A lot of the traffic comes through the A428 and M11 so you get queues from Comberton through the village, which is challenging for the elderly and schoolchildren.
“Our data loggers have picked up the speeds of cars on various roads in the village of 70mph.
“Last week there were two cars racing at 90mph. The road has been retarmacked and it’s now like a race track.”
The camera system was installed in March.
“It involves seven people, one system and seven lampposts,” says Andy. “They’re on three different roads – the High Street, Comberton Road and Haslingfield Road. It’s there as a reminder to people that we can catch the data.”
A neighbour agreed, anonymously.
“The monitor tracked a car at 91mph,” he said. “People drive so fast along that road. The problem is the local council has been doing up the roads without consulting or thinking about the implications of a very nice stretch of smooth road.
“One local resident had the lamppost and telegraph pole in front of her house knocked down by a driver a number of years ago. I believe she has a brother living with her who is registered blind and is constantly worried about the traffic speed coming in to Barton on the A603 and about crossing the A603 from Haslingfield Road.”
Parish councillor Will Westlake said: “We do our best to be supportive of the needs and aspirations along that stretch of road, but we are also mindful of the fact that other parts of the village are in the same situation.”
“We are currently looking at a 20mph experimental traffic regulation order [ETRO] in Barton for the High Street,” said Cllr Lina Nieto, the county council member for Hardwick and vice-chair communities & partnership committee. “I am working closely with the parish council to introduce traffic calming measures in place in the coming years.
“I am also liaising with speed watch groups and the constabulary to reduce speeding across my division.”
The ETRO in Barton will be introduced as part of the Covid-19 measures, added Cllr Nieto.
Residents remain concerned about resolving the issue “in the coming years”.
“It seems a very long way off when we’ve put up with this years for years already,” concluded one Haslingfield Road resident.
